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JFK Jr. Search Nearly Called Off Before Miraculous Discovery New

JFK Jr. Search Nearly Called Off Before Miraculous Discovery

JFK Jr.’s body was found 116 feet below the Atlantic Ocean — just hours after the search team began discussing calling off the massive operation, the mission’s leader told The Post.After John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane went missing on the night of July 16, 1999, the US government embarked on one of the largest maritime searches for private citizens in the nation’s history.On the fourth day of what had been an exhausting and fruitless effort to find Kennedy, his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and her sister, Lauren, officials began planning an exit strategy.The 1999 search for John F. Kennedy Jr. is revisited in the new book “The Last Flight: The Untold Story of the Search for JFK Jr. and the Race Against the Atlantic.” Michael NorciaBut as they discussed ending the search, high-tech sonar scanners, almost miraculously, finally located Kennedy’s body on the ocean floor, about 10 feet from the wreckage which still held the strapped-in bodies of the sisters.They were about seven miles off the southwest coast of Martha’s Vineyard.“John F. Kennedy Jr. was outside the aircraft, and there was a consideration that had another day passed, that in the 1.6-knot current, that he might’ve been swept away,” said Coast Guard Capt. W. Russell “Russ” Webster, the incident commander for search operations for the JFK Jr. mission.“They might have never found him had another day gone by,” his wife, maritime historian Theresa Mitchell Webster, recalled.The couple co-authored “The Last Flight: The Untold Story of the Search for JFK Jr. and the Race Against the Atlantic,” which describes how side-scanning sonar and a video camera located America’s Son.Captain W. Russell Webster coordinates the exit strategy meeting with Rear Admiral Richard M. Larrabee, hand on chin, NTSB Chairman Jim Hall, and NTSB Managing Director Pete Goelz, leaning on table, at the Unified Command Post. Authors' collectionThe following morning, five days after the crash of the Saratoga II that Kennedy, 38, was piloting in dense haze, divers recovered all three bodies.Carolyn, 33, and Lauren, 34, were identified only through their different hair colors.“The NTSB forensic anthropologist told us that the girls were not facially recognizable,” said Theresa.Kennedy was on the doomed flight with his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and her sister, Lauren. The LIFE Picture Collection/GettThe trio was traveling from Caldwell, NJ, en route to Martha’s Vineyard, for Kennedy’s cousin Rory’s wedding.Kennedy had been on visual flight rules, Russell explained, meaning, “the FAA was not tracking his plane, he was confident that he could navigate by site and geographic references, like lighthouses and factories,” since he had done the trip from New Jersey to Martha’s Vineyard 35 times before.He relied on visual cues alone — since he had not yet completed his instrument training, having finished just 12 of 25 modules toward his certified flight instructor certification.“On July 1st, 15 days before he flew, one of his certified flight instructors said, ‘John, you’re not ready yet for this. You need more experience with instruments,'” said Russell, who served in the Coast Guard for 26 years.It took 15 years to research and write “The Last Flight,” which was published on Oct. 13. Harper Collins FocusKennedy’s inexperience with instruments hindered his ability to fly in poor visibility and could have caused spatial disorientation.The National Transportation Safety Board report determined the plane fell at a rate of 4,700 feet per minute.“Water is only marginally less than cement at that speed [almost 60 mph] and coming from that altitude,” Russell said.The crew raced against the clock to find their bodies, the plane and their belongings, before human and animal scavengers did. Kennedy’s plane, which left Caldwell, NJ, en route to Martha’s Vineyard, went missing on Friday, July 16, 1999.Russell, who worked on 10,000 missions in his career, estimates the operation — which spanned 100 nautical miles between Cape Cod and Long Island, and involved thousands of staffers from at least 28 local, state and federal agencies — cost up to $5 million.The Websters took 15 years to research and write “The Last Flight,” which included close to 45 interviews.“One of the reasons we were able to finally write this book was the fact that many of the people that had said they did not want to participate earlier had retired from federal service and became more talkative, more reflective. And they knew how important it was to tell this story,” Russell explained. Captain W. Russell “Russ” Webster and his wife, Theresa Mitchell Webster, co-wrote the book. Courtesy of Theresa Mitchell Webster and Captain W. Russell "Russ" Webster, USCGTheresa’s friend Maria Hooton — married to a close friend of Kennedy’s uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy — was at the senator’s house the day after the plane went missing.“She told us she saw John’s suit hanging in the laundry room that was pressed and ready to go,” she said.During the mission, the Coast Guard received a number of “outlandish” calls, some from people who believed they were still alive.“One was that John F. Kennedy Jr. was in an AOL chat room. People, I think, were grasping at straws,” Russell said.The Coast Guard cutter Hammerhead transported the Kennedy and Bessette families following their loved ones’ burials at sea. USCG photo by PA1 Pete MilnesThe USCG also got a fax from an unnamed New York City spiritual organization that declared them deceased based on their analysis of their “magnetic auras.”“The reason I remembered that so vividly was it was the very first external communication that we received on Sunday when the Unified Command Post opened up. And it was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so, so bizarre.'”

Oct 24, 2026
Karoline Leavitt's Surprising Defense of Katie Zacharia's Sudden Firing New

Karoline Leavitt's Surprising Defense of Katie Zacharia's Sudden Firing

Former Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt can give Katie Zacharia grace for stepping onto the White House podium — even for a short while. “Look, it’s a tough job. It’s a very tough job,” Leavitt, 29, said on the Friday, October 23, episode of Real Time With Bill Maher. “People say it’s one of the hardest jobs in Washington, [D.C.], and … I give anyone who steps up to that podium credit, because only 37 people in United States history have been the White House press secretary. That pressure in that room is enormous.” She continued, “I give her credit for standing up there, and as the president said, it wasn’t a good fit and that’s OK. I wish her well, and we’re onto the next.” Leavitt, who left the press secretary role in August to spend more time with her family, noted that President Donald Trump has “a lot of options” for Zacharia’s replacement. “I mean, it’s a great job. It’s a fun job,” Leavitt noted. “There’s a lot of qualified people who want it, so we’ll see.” News broke on October 16 that Zacharia, 41, was let go from her White House duties after just one week on the job. “President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic and the most hardworking man,” Zacharia wrote via Instagram at the time, confirming her departure. “I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. It was an honor to work for him.” Trump, 80, later told reporters that he hopes Zacharia has “a good life” after her brief D.C. stint. Zacharia took the podium for the first time on October 13, fielding questions from three media outlets for a total of 14 minutes. Her résumé was subsequently put into question after multiple news sites claimed they couldn’t find a valid law license under her name. (Zacharia graduated from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and alleged she passed the bar upon her move to China.) The White House never publicly addressed the speculation but defended Zacharia’s position as press secretary. “Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team,” White House spokesman Steven Cheung told CNN in a statement earlier this month. “She is uniquely qualified and whip-smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as press secretary.”

Oct 24, 2026
Rabbi Returns to NYC Street After Syringe Attack to Spread Light New

Rabbi Returns to NYC Street After Syringe Attack to Spread Light

See more of our coverage in your search results. The man who was stalked and then stabbed with a syringe by a woman on a busy Midtown street Wednesday defiantly returned to the scene the next day, convinced he was targeted because he is “visibly Jewish” and vowing not to be intimidated by hate.Two days after the terrifying attack, Yosef, 26, a rabbi who spoke on the condition his full name not be revealed, told The Post Friday he was “shaken” but undaunted. His attacker has not been caught. The video shows Yosef being stalked. X / Moshe Spern“We can’t allow hate to stop who we are. We need more light in the world,” said Yosef, who took the subway into Manhattan on Thursday.The lifelong Brooklynite returned to West 47th Street to continue his Jewish outreach, helping men fulfill the Jewish commandment to put on tefillin, a pair of small black leather boxes that contain scrolls with verses of the Torah.Yosef has spent four days a week for the past three years doing outreach in Manhattan’s Diamond District, where his father has worked for years.At around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, video shows Yosef — dressed in traditional Orthodox garb, including a black hat — being stalked on a bustling street as passersby ignored his struggle to escape the Russian-speaking woman.Yosef felt a sharp, needle-like prick in his lower right back as he approached a nearby grocery store, according to sources.With his shirt soaked in blood, he was taken to Bellevue Hospital. Yosef felt a sharp, needle-like prick in his lower right back. X / Moshe SpernYosef believes the unprovoked attack was motivated by antisemitism.“I never met that person before,” he said. “She passes by other people. I’m visibly Jewish.”The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the attack.Yosef said he was released from the hospital after roughly three hours and was determined to return to 47th Street the next day to continue his outreach.“I traveled the country. I never really experienced antisemitism anywhere in America on a personal level,” he told The Post. Despite feeling “shaken,” Yosef said he made up his mind as he left the hospital: “I’m going back tomorrow.”His return stunned members of the community.“They were in shock when I came back,” he said of visiting friends on 47th Street just hours after his harrowing ordeal.Yosef said he draws strength from his grandparents, who survived the Holocaust.“They went on to build a Jewish home after the Holocaust,” he said. “If they could survive, I thought I must go back to spread the light.“We can’t be intimidated. We have to be strong.”

Oct 24, 2026
Tragic Loss: University Student's Sudden Passing Leaves Community Heartbroken New

Tragic Loss: University Student's Sudden Passing Leaves Community Heartbroken

See more of our coverage in your search results. A 21-year-old University of South Carolina student suddenly died from a medical emergency during her final semester of college.Jordan Elisabeth Chymbor, of Cheshire, Connecticut, died on Oct. 17, according to her obituary.“Jordan experienced a sudden medical emergency that turned tragic resulting in Jordan’s passing. We are still awaiting answers, and our family is heartbroken by this unexpected and devastating loss,” her family wrote in a fundraising page. Jordan Elisabeth Chymbor, 21, of Cheshire, Connecticut, died on October 17, 2026. GoFundMeShe was an aspiring physician assistant pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and was on track to graduate in December. She was a bright student with a love for the medical field and a 4.0 GPA.Chymbor hoped to use her knowledge to help people struggling with eating disorders once she graduated, according to her family.“Jordan had a beautiful smile that radiated warmth and reflected a spirit larger than life. Generous, humble, and kind, Jordan was extremely empathetic for those in need,” the obit reads.“Jordan’s life was far too short, but her love and strength will live on in all who knew her. She was not the largest star in the sky, but she was one of the brightest.”The restaurant where Chymbor worked, Anthony’s Pizzeria and Deli, mourned the student in a tear-jerking Facebook post.“Jordan was more than just an employee to us. She was part of our family, and we are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to know her and have her as part of our team,” the pizzeria wrote.  Chymbor had a 4.0 GPA. GoFundMe“Jordan will always hold a special place in our hearts, and her memory will forever remain a part of the Anthony’s family.” The Cheshire High School softball team — which Chymbor played on until she graduated from the school in 2023 — gushed over her and said she will be deeply missed. “So many of us had the privilege of knowing Jordan from a very young age, watching her grow up alongside us on the softball fields and in our schools,” the team wrote.“We will always remember her beautiful smile, her charisma, her love of fun and life, and, above all, the kind and caring human being she was.”

Oct 24, 2026
Colleen Conrad's Emotional Tribute to Collin Gosselin Sparks Reactions New

Colleen Conrad's Emotional Tribute to Collin Gosselin Sparks Reactions

Jon Gosselin’s ex Colleen Conrad is paying tribute to her ex’s son Collin Gosselin. Conrad, who dated Jon from 2014 to 2021 following Jon’s split from Collin’s mom, Kate Gosselin, shared a touching Instagram post on Friday, October 23. For the post, Conrad shared a series of images of herself and Collin over the years and reacted to the release of his memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood. “When you came into my life, you had already been through more than any child should ever have to experience,” Conrad wrote. “I didn’t know what the years ahead would bring, but I knew I loved you and wanted you to feel safe, loved, and supported.” Conrad continued to gush over Collin in the lengthy caption as shared that he played just as important of a role in her life as she did in his. “Watching you grow into the man you are today has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” Conrad continued. “Listening to your book was incredibly emotional. It brought back beautiful memories, but also painful ones. I was going through breast cancer, the end of my relationship with your dad, and so many changes in my own life.” She added, “Through it all, there was a teenage boy who needed me. And what you may never fully realize is how much I needed you, too. We helped each other through some incredibly difficult times.” https://www.instagram.com/p/De2Fh0JxOZm/?hl=en Conrad noted she felt incredibly emotional when reading Collin’s tribute to her in the memoir. She went on to emphasize the love she will always have for Collin and vowed to always be there for him no matter what. “As proud as I am of your book, I’m even prouder of the man you’ve become. No matter how old you get or where life takes you, I will always be your mom,” she wrote. “I will always love you and cheer you on. Congratulations, Collin. You deserve all the happiness and success life has to offer. Love you always. ❤️.” In his book, Collin details growing up with his seven siblings — twins Mady and Cara, now 26, and fellow sextuplets Joel, Aeden, Hannah, Alexis and Leah, now 22 — and the abuse he allegedly endured from his mother, Kate. (Kate has long denied any allegations of abuse, neglect or wrongdoing.) Taking to the comments section of Conrad’s Instagram post, Collin responded to her heartfelt words. “I love you ❤️ I loved that you say you needed me too. It just shows how meant to be everything was. If I could’ve gone through all the hard things again I’d gladly do it, because it led me to you,” he wrote. “You’re kind, loving, funny and you love in a way that a real mother should. I’ll forever be grateful to have you in my life. Thank you for listening, showing up, and never giving up on that young, broken, hurting little boy who didn’t believe in himself. Sometimes all we need is to know our mom believes in us and it gives us enough faith in ourselves ❤️❤️.”

Oct 24, 2026
The Shocking Revelations About Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Marriage New

The Shocking Revelations About Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Marriage

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have never been ones to shy away from sharing the more personal details of their marriage.The couple, who tied the knot in 2013, are often candid about their relationship and how they raise their two daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10.In 2025, Bell, 46, revealed that she and Shepard, 51, are in what she described as an “opposites attract” relationship.“That doesn’t mean we couldn’t make it work or didn’t want to make it work,” she told People at the time.“It just meant we did have to have a lot of patience for each other to figure out what the compromises would be and a general understanding that we’re probably going to have different viewpoints on almost everything — and figure out a respectful way to have those discussions.”Read on for a look at the times the couple has overshared about their unconventional marriage and parenting style.Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have been in couples therapy since they metKristen Bell and Dax Shepard (pictured above together in Miami, Florida, in 2008) revealed in 2015 that they had been in couples therapy since they first started dating in 2007. GC ImagesBell and Shepard revealed in a 2015 issue of Good Housekeeping that they had been in couples therapy since they first started dating in 2007.At the time, Shepard admitted there were things Bell “didn’t trust about [him],” as well as things he “didn’t trust about her.”“I just kept going back to ‘This person has the thing I want, and I have to figure out how we can exist peacefully.’ So we started [seeing a therapist together] right away,” he added.Bell, for her part, said there was nothing “to be embarrassed about” when it came to therapy, adding, “You do better in the gym with a trainer; you don’t figure out how to cook without reading a recipe.”Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard don’t have a prenupBell and Shepard (seen above together at the Los Angeles premiere of “Couples Retreat” in 2009) decided not to sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married, although Shepard admitted he “really wanted” one. WireImageBell and Shepard decided not to sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married — although Shepard admitted he “really wanted” one.During a 2018 appearance on “Conan,” Shepard recalled that when they first starting dating, he “had more money” than Bell and “owned the house that [he] lived in.”“She said to me at one point, ‘Would you like a prenup?’ because we were getting married. And I said, ‘No, I don’t want a prenup,’ but I really wanted a prenup, really bad,” he said.He joked that the tables had since turned, as Bell had “become much more successful” than him and had “much more money.”Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard let their daughters wear diapers until age 5 and wait to bathe them until they ‘stink’Bell and Shepard, who share daughters Lincoln and Delta, revealed that their youngest daughter wasn’t potty-trained until she was 5 and that they used to wait for their daughters to “stink” before bathing them. (Shepard is pictured above with one of their daughters.) Instagram/Kristen BellBell and Shepard’s youngest daughter, Delta, wasn’t out of diapers until she was 5 years old.In 2020, Bell told Today’s Parent via Zoom that the only way they could get her to pee on the toilet was by waking her up at 11 p.m. when she was a “zombie.”The following year, Bell revealed that she and Shepard used to wait for Delta and their oldest daughter, Lincoln, to “stink” before bathing them.She explained that they wanted to conserve water, but later clarified that the story was a joke, adding that she had “lost a lot of faith in the human race” over people’s reactions.Dax Shepard once sucked out Kristen Bell’s clogged breast milk ductBell (seen above with Shepard in Los Angeles this year) revealed that he once helped clear a clogged breast milk duct, saying she had “never been more in love in [her] life.” Billboard via Getty ImagesBell admitted she had “never been more in love in [her] life” than when Shepard helped clear a clogged breast milk duct.Discussing the moment on Ellen DeGeneres’ digital series “Momsplaining” in 2021, Bell recalled asking her husband for help: “I said to my husband, ‘I just need you to suck this out. We could talk about it. We could be weird about it, or you could just go ahead and nurse.'”“He was pulling out and spitting into this cup, and I’ve never been more in love in my life,” she said, before joking, “He spits. He doesn’t swallow. That’s what I figured out.”Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard let their daughters drink nonalcoholic beerBell and Shepard (pictured above in an Instagram post) revealed that they occasionally let their daughters drink nonalcoholic beer. Instagram/Kristen BellBell revealed during a 2023 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” that her daughters, Lincoln and Delta, occasionally drink nonalcoholic beer, acknowledging that it “sounds insane.”Bell explained that the habit started when she and Shepard, who is a “recovering addict,” would go on walks while he carried Lincoln as a baby and drank nonalcoholic beer.“As a baby, she was pawing at it, and sometimes she’d suck on the rim of it,” she recalled. “So, I think it feels to her like something special, something daddy, something family.”Bell also defended the decision, saying, “I’m sort of like, ‘You can judge me if you want. I’m not doing anything wrong. That’s your problem.'”Kristen Bell wishes she were ‘more sexually active’ before marrying Dax ShepardBell (seen above with Shepard at an awards seasons celebration in Los Angeles earlier this year) admitted she wishes she had been “more sexually active” before marrying Shepard. Getty Images for Vanity FairBell said she wishes she had been “more sexually active” before marrying Shepard.During a September 2025 appearance on Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Bell admitted she wished she had “butterflied around a little bit more,” but added that Shepard had “brought out a ton of [her] sexuality.”“I was never this sexual before you,” she told her husband.Dax Shepard once said he ‘would never kill’ Kristen BellBell (pictured above with Shepard in an Instagram upload) previously faced backlash over a wedding anniversary post in which she appeared to joke about Shepard promising he “would never kill [her].” Instagram/Kristen BellBell faced backlash over her “tone-deaf” wedding anniversary post, in which she appeared to joke about Shepard promising he “would never kill [her].”In October 2025, Bell shared a photo of the couple hugging on their bed and wrote, “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: ‘I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would. ❤️.”The post drew backlash on social media, with users calling it “unbelievably tone-deaf,” particularly because it was shared during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.Shepard later addressed the controversy earlier this year, revealing that he had “no clue” the post had sparked such a strong reaction.Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are raising ‘entitled’ daughters to ‘talk back’ and be ‘disrespectful’Bell and Shepard (seen above together in an Instagram post with one of their daughters) revealed that they are intentionally raising their children to “talk back” and be “disrespectful.” Instagram/Kristen BellShepard revealed on a November 2025 episode of his “Armchair Expert” podcast that he and Bell are intentionally raising their daughters to “talk back” to them and be “disrespectful.”After his friend remarked that his daughters “will let it rip,” Shepard agreed that “they seem to have no kind of respect … and feel a little entitled.”“I can understand where that seems completely unruly,” he said. “What I’m prioritizing … is when they’re 19 and their boss is a f–king creep, I want them to talk back. I want them to be disrespectful. I want them to always advocate for themselves, whether I think they’re right or wrong.”Kristen Bell cries weekly navigating ‘brutal’ marriageBell (pictured above with Shepard in a 2024 Instagram upload) admitted that navigating marriage and parenthood in the public eye is “brutal,” revealing that she cries “weekly.” kristenanniebell/InstagramBell admitted to Bustle Thursday that navigating marriage and parenthood in the public eye is “brutal,” revealing that she cries “weekly.”“It’s hard,” she told the outlet. “Do not think because I am on your television that it is easy for me.”Bell said she chooses to speak openly about her struggles because she doesn’t want parents with children “in the cyclone of puberty” to feel like they’re “the only one[s] doing this.”“For the good of the people, we should share our dirty stories, we should share our shame, we should share our hardships. But for the good of the one? My main job in life is to protect those two.” she added.Kristen Bell uses her daughters to spy on Dax ShepardBell recently revealed that she uses her daughters as “mole[s] on the ground” to keep tabs on Shepard (seen above with one of their children) while she’s away. Instagram/Kristen BellBell revealed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” that she uses her daughters, Lincoln and Delta, to keep tabs on Dax Shepard while she’s away, admitting that her oldest daughter sends her “in-house paparazzi” photos.“Usually when I leave, they can be mischievous when they’re together, my husband and my kids,” Bell said. “Whenever I leave town, I usually receive, almost immediately, notifications on my phone, ‘You’re McDonald’s has been delivered.’ ‘Your Taco Bell has been delivered.’’They just eat fast food.”Bell joked that she has a “mole on the ground” in her daughter Lincoln, who keeps her updated on what Shepard gets up to while she’s gone.

Oct 24, 2026
Chris Pratt's Faith Revelation Sparks Conversations About Family Legacy New

Chris Pratt's Faith Revelation Sparks Conversations About Family Legacy

Chris Pratt is hopeful that his steadfast faith will be his family’s legacy. “I'm, for the most part, always gonna be a man of faith,” Pratt, 47, told Fox News Digital in an interview published Thursday, October 22. “My faith is how I start my day, it's how I end my day. It's the most important thing that I'll be able to pass on to my kids.” The Terminal List star is a father of four, sharing son Jack, 14, with ex-wife Anna Faris and three younger children with wife Katherine Schwarzenegger. (Pratt and Schwarzenegger, 36, are parents of daughters Lyla, 6, and Eloise, 4, as well as son Ford, 23 months.) “It's an incredible blessing to be a father. It's also a lot of hard work,” Pratt acknowledged to the outlet. “I want to do my best. I basically want to get right everything my dad got right and get right everything my dad got wrong. And I'm sure I'll screw up both, you know?” Pratt previously revealed that he turned to religion after Jack was born prematurely in 2012. “When my son Jack was fighting for his life, I found myself back on my knees, pleading to God for a miracle,” Pratt wrote in an essay published via his mother-in-law Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper in December 2025. “I promised that if Jack survived, I would devote my life to sharing God’s message. This time I meant it.” Pratt and Jack’s solid belief in religion, however, has admittedly caused friction with Faris, 49. “I didn’t grow up with religion. He’s asked me to accept Jesus Christ,” the Overboard actress said on the “Dear Chelsea” podcast in August. “I told him that I would do anything for him, including this, but it’s still going to take a whole lot of long conversations.” Faris, who described Jack as emotionally “solid as a tugboat,” has since “tried to challenge him” on certain ideas. “I’m like, ‘Do you think it’s a luxury that you get to be pro-life? Do you think that’s kind of a luxury?’ He’s like, ‘Maybe,'” she said of Jack’s stance on reproductive rights. “Or I’ll say, ‘So what do you think of this megapastor that’s kind of a grifter? What do you think?’ He’s like, ‘Oh, megapastors are the worst.’ So it’s like, ‘OK, we’re getting there.'” Faris continued at the time, “I’m appreciative that he’s examining religion the way he is in terms of recognizing hypocrisy, starting to recognize hypocrisy, and I’m appreciative that we can have these long conversations.”

Oct 24, 2026
Rhode Island School District Faces Backlash Over Hidden Gender Transition Policy New

Rhode Island School District Faces Backlash Over Hidden Gender Transition Policy

See more of our coverage in your search results. A conservative legal group is calling on the Trump administration to investigate a Rhode Island school district over a policy that allegedly allows school officials to facilitate students’ gender transitions behind their parents’ backs, accusing the district of violating multiple federal civil rights laws.America First Legal (AFL) filed a formal complaint Tuesday with the Justice Department and Department of Education targeting Westerly Public Schools in Westerly, Rhode Island, over a transgender student policy adopted in 2017.“Westerly Public Schools’ policy blatantly violates federal law, tramples on parents’ rights, and embraces radical gender ideology,” Ian Prior, senior counsel at America First Legal, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Male students claiming to be female receive every privilege while actual female students are shoved aside. AFL is calling on the Department of Justice and the Department of Education to step in and hold WPS accountable.”The complaint from America First Legal alleges that Westerly Public Schools’ transgender student policy, adopted in 2017, allows school officials to facilitate students’ gender transitions, including changes to names, pronouns and school records, without parental notification or consent. The group also alleges the policy permits students to use bathrooms, locker rooms and participate in sports based on their gender identity rather than biological sex, while requiring students who object to seek separate accommodations.The policy defines “Gender Identity” as “a person’s deeply held sense or psychological knowledge of their own gender. One’s gender identity can be the same or different than the gender assigned at birth. Most people have a gender identity that matches their assigned gender at birth. For some, however, their gender identity is different from their assigned gender.” America First Legal filed a complaint against Rhode Island’s Westerly Public Schools over a policy concealing student gender transitions. Getty ImagesThe guidance for secondary students reads, “Generally, notification to a student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) about their gender identity, expression, or transition is unnecessary, as they are already aware and supportive. However, some transgender students do not want their parents to know about their transgender status. These situations must be addressed on a case-by-case basis and require schools to balance the goal of supporting the student with the desire that parents be kept informed about their children.”It continues, “In these circumstances, school administration should ask the superintendent for direction on how to proceed. If the administration determines that notifying the family carries risks for the student, it should work closely with the student to assess the degree to which, if any, the family will be involved in the process and must consider the age, health, well-being and safety of the student.”America First Legal alleges the district’s policy violates multiple federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), by withholding information about students’ gender transitions from parents, and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), by allowing certain student evaluations without parental consent. The conservative legal group has called on the Trump administration to investigate public schools across Westerly, Rhode Island, for the near-decades-long policy. Westerly High SchoolThe group also argues the policy violates Title IX by permitting students to use bathrooms, locker rooms and participate in sports based on gender identity rather than biological sex, potentially compromising female students’ privacy, safety and athletic opportunities, and is urging the Trump administration to investigate the district, require changes to its policies and ensure compliance with federal law, including parental notification requirements.The complaint marks the latest effort by America First Legal to challenge school policies it argues infringe on parental rights. The group previously developed resources in 2022 to help parents use the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) to hold schools accountable. AFL pointed to a recent Trump administration lawsuit against Kansas City Public Schools in Kansas over allegations involving undisclosed student gender transitions and violations of FERPA and the PPRA, saying it is seeking a similar outcome in Westerly.The Department of Education told Fox News Digital that it does not confirm complaints.A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told Fox News Digital in a statement that, “The Department has received the complaint and will review it. As a matter of policy, the Department does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing Title IX and to protecting the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”Fox News Digital reached out to Westerly Public Schools for comment.

Oct 24, 2026
Alexa and Carlos PenaVega's DWTS Experience: The Jealousy and Baggage Revealed New

Alexa and Carlos PenaVega's DWTS Experience: The Jealousy and Baggage Revealed

Alexa PenaVega and husband Carlos PenaVega became the first married couple to compete on Dancing With the Stars in 2015 — and the experience still haunts them, for better or worse. “Guys, Dancing With the Stars sucked for my wife and it was my fault,” Carlos, 37, confessed during the Thursday, October 22, episode of the couple’s “LexLos” podcast, recalling their joint experience on season 21 of the ABC competition series. Alexa, 38, didn’t disagree, responding, “Honestly, yeah.” Carlos, who was partnered with Witney Carson, admitted, “I was jealous of her and her partner,” who was pro Mark Ballas. The Big Time Rush singer then teased, “I beat my wife on Dancing with the Stars,” before admitting, “I got further than her and it came with a lot of baggage, good and bad baggage.” Alexa was a little surprised by her husband’s “baggage” comment, but he reminded her, “Was the show not difficult? Did it not come with stress? Was it not hard losing to your [husband]?” to which she nodded. The Spy Kids actress noted that her experience on the show “was as good as it was bad,” after making it to week 9 when both she and Carlos were in the bottom two but she was the one ultimately sent home. (Carlos ended up in fourth place, while Alexa ended in sixth.) Alexa admitted that Carlos’ jealousy did taint how much fun she had in the ballroom, saying that they are “in such a great place in our relationship now” but looking back it wasn’t an ideal situation. “I would have had so much more fun on the show were it not for Carlos. Carlos was really competitive and very jealous,” she continued. Carlos acknowledged that he had a hard time dealing with his wife dancing so closely with another man 10 hours a day — even though he was doing the same thing with another woman — and he couldn’t “imagine” how he’d feel if he was stuck at home during the process. “Thank God we did it together, because I would not have been able to handle it,” he said. Alexa pointed out, “You couldn’t handle it and we did do it together.” Despite the ups and downs, the pair ultimately agreed that they “had a great time” and would do it again, especially because Alexa said it shined a light on how being married is a gift and not a burden. “So many people see marriage as this ball and chain and they don’t see the beauty in it,” Alexa shared. “Love you Mark, but [Carlos] is my real partner.” Carlos added, “We had so much fun together, and then it was over. It was hard, but what an experience we got to do together.” Carlos and Alexa tied the knot in 2014, competing against each other on DWTS the following year. They have since welcomed four children: Ocean, 9, Kingston, 7, Rio, 5, and Indy, who was stillborn in April 2024. The couple have also continued to work side by side, including costarring in Hallmark’s Picture Perfect Mysteries, as well as rom-com Love in the Limelight and Great American Family’s Mr. Manhattan and Get Him Back for Christmas. Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

Oct 24, 2026
Queens Family's Shock as Falling Brick Injures 6-Year-Old Daughter New

Queens Family's Shock as Falling Brick Injures 6-Year-Old Daughter

See more of our coverage in your search results. A 6-year-old girl was struck by a falling brick and left with a broken leg as she walked with her mom in Queens Thursday evening, cops and sources said.The youngster had stopped to wave at her dad through a hole in a fence as he did construction work on a neighboring building — just as a piece of brick siding came tumbling down from a storage facility in Maspeth around 7:35 p.m., sources said.She was hit by the plummeting brick “within seconds,” fell to the sidewalk, and screamed, the girl’s father, who wished not to be identified, told The Post.Part of the brick that fell from the building. FNTVAn official investigates the area of the accident. FNTVThe bricks fell near 59th Street near Maspeth Avenue. FNTV“She get out from the car, she was on the sidewalk. It was quick, within seconds. She screamed; she was with my wife. It was really quick,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what happened.” The blow left the girl with a cut on her head and a broken femur, which will require surgery, according to police and the dad. “She was being carried by, I’m assuming, either her father or her guardian, and then they were just walking to the ambulance, and then I think the EMT individuals checked her out … So I’ve seen a cop here and all that. It’s kind of surprising, ” said neighbor and witness Hassan Hamid.She was taken conscious and alert to Bellevue Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. The child’s father said his “focus” is on his daughter as she recovers from the freak accident in the hospital.“They will do surgery, maybe today or tomorrow. They will put in some screws. The doctor said there is a big chance she’s gonna be ok,” the dad said. “We have to just concentrate on my daughter. They’re going to see [when she’ll be released] after surgery. Hopefully in a day or two.”Despite her injuries, he said his daughter is doing “OK”.“She is reading a little, sleeping, they gave her painkillers, watching a little TV. She complains; she is in pain from her fracture. But she is ok. They keep checking her.”“Thanks God that it isn’t anything big, no injury to the head. The biggest injury is to the leg, the leg, just below the hip.”

Oct 23, 2026
Cory Wharton’s Daughter Maya Faces Another Heart Procedure: The Battle Continues New

Cory Wharton’s Daughter Maya Faces Another Heart Procedure: The Battle Continues

Teen Mom star Cory Wharton’s 4-year-old daughter has undergone a second heart procedure. “6 CATH lab procedures ��. 2 Open-heart surgeries ��. And a battle that never really ends,” Wharton, 35, wrote via Instagram on Friday, October 23, alongside photos of Maya in the hospital. “Yesterday, Maya went through another heart procedure, and I’m just so thankful that everything went well,” the reality star continued. “The doctors were able to coil off a lot of her collateral blood vessels, and we’re praying that this helps improve her oxygen levels.” Wharton added, “I’ve shared Maya’s journey with you all from the beginning. The good days, the scary days & everything in between. Life is going to throw things at you that you can’t control. There will be battles you never asked for and days when you don’t know how you’re going to get through them. But you keep showing up. You keep believing. And you keep fighting.” Wharton concluded by thanking fans for their support and noting, “The fight isn’t over, but yesterday was a WIN. ��.” Maya, whom Wharton shares with ex Taylor Selfridge, was born in June 2022 with a rare congenital heart defect called tricuspid atresia, as well as a ventricular septal defect (VSD), which restricts normal blood and oxygen flow to her lungs. She previously underwent open heart surgery in October 2025. Prior to that, she had a procedure done in January 2023 when she was only 7 months old. (Wharton is also a dad to daughter Mila, 6, with Selfridge, 32, and daughter Ryder, 9, with ex Cheyenne Floyd.) In April, Wharton and Selfridge revealed that Maya had spent over two weeks in the hospital. “16 days in the hospital … this is the longest stay/most stressful one we’ve ever had and that’s saying a lot,” Selfridge wrote via Snapchat at the time. “She’s getting much better hoping to get out of here soon. It’s a long story and I’ll give you guys an update when we get back home.” Maya returned home after 18 days, Selfridge shared at the time. “What started off as thinking it was a stomach bug turned into something so much bigger. My baby is a fighter, the strongest little human ever,” she wrote via Instagram. “She’s still healing but we are finally back in California.” In his own update at the time, Wharton wrote, “Watching my daughter fight through this has been the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. These days [have] tested everything in me. Fear, pain, uncertainty… all of it. But through it all, Maya never stopped being strong. She reminded me what courage really looks like. I’ll carry this forever. I’ve never been more proud to be her dad.”

Oct 23, 2026
American Teacher's Harrowing Ordeal in Russian Prison Revealed New

American Teacher's Harrowing Ordeal in Russian Prison Revealed

See more of our coverage in your search results. The US teacher released from a Russian prison this week was singled out behind bars because he’s American — facing heinous physical and sexual abuse, including being forced to crawl around like a dog, according to a report.“They treated us worse than animals,” Ihor Shishko, a former Ukrainian prisoner jailed alongside Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, said of the hellish conditions they endured inside the Russian lockup.Hubbard was freed on Wednesday following negotiations between the US and Moscow after being jailed for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.Stephen Hubbard is seen aboard a plane heading to the US in a photo shared by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. X/@SEPeaceMissionsUS envoy Steve Witkoff, who was visting St. Petersburg at the time, praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian,” after Hubbard’s release. “You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir,” Witkoff told the Russian leader.However, Hubbard was horrifically beaten, electrically shocked, and sexually assaulted while behind bars, according to Ihor Shishko, a former Ukrainian prisoner who was jailed alongside the teacher in the Bryansk region of western Russia, the Times reported.The former prisoner, who now runs a veteran’s rehabilitation center in northeast Ukraine, blasted Witkoff’s flattery of Putin as a “humanitarian” as “shameful and despicable.”Shishko claimed Hubbard was forced to crawl around prison like a dog, faced electric shock torture, and sexual abuse involving genital touching games in exchange for food, Shishko told the outlet.He added that he bandaged Hubbard’s knees after his skin rubbed away from being forced to crawl on the floor while he served a seven-year sentence in the frigid, highly cramped prison.Hubbard was released during a visit to St. Petersburg by US envoy Steve Witkoff, who praised President Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian.” Kremlin Press Office/UPI/Shutterstock “How you can refer to that as humanitarianism in any sense is just totally baffling, like it’s some sort of political game. If Steve Witkoff didn’t know what was done to Stephen and us, he should have known,’ Shishko said.Shishko said that prison guards appeared to single out Hubbard for being an American.“It was to show us our place, to show that they hated us, and for their own pleasure. It was every day, 365 days a year,” he said. “Every time there was a rotation of guards and they heard there was an American there, it was like, ‘where is the American? Bring him here’. And they were more harsh in his case because he was unusual.”Hubbard also faced severe social isolation since he spoke no Russian or Ukrainian, Shishko said. Hubbard’s lawyers and family have denied Russia’s accusations that he was involved in any military activity. Family Handout“For Stephen, it was mentally harder too because he didn’t understand why he was being held,” said Shishko. “The Ukrainians more or less had accepted their fate, but he always tried to explain why he shouldn’t be here and that he had rights.“It was 100 percent clear to us that Stephen had never been a soldier and that was very obvious.”Hubbard, a US Air Force veteran, taught English overseas and retired to Cyprus in 2012. He later moved to Ukraine to be with a woman he had met and remained in the country after the relationship ended, his lawyers have said.Prosecutors argued that Hubbard signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia’s invasion in 2022, fighting with Kyiv until he was captured two months later in April.In 2024, he was sentenced to seven years in prison. His lawyers and family have denied Russia’s accusations that he was involved in any military activity.Hubbard stands in a glass cage during a court session in the Moscow City court in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. Moscow City Court Press Service via AP“He was just for bait. It was all about bait. And that’s why they kidnap Americans,” his sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, said in an interview with The Associated Press.“Steven James Hubbard is the face of America,” she said. “They could do that to anybody. They just happened to see him. ‘Oh, that’s an American, let’s go get him.’”The retired teacher didn’t know he was being released until he was boarded onto a plane and saw the American flag, according to Hubbard Fox.Hubbard is expected to visit the White House in the coming days, Trump told reporters on Wednesday night. He was taken to San Antonio for an evaluation.With Post wires

Oct 23, 2026