Posts tagged with "Fox News"

Tucker Carlson is making a comeback on Elon Musk’s Twitter—purportedly, without $25M in severance

May 11, 2023

Tucker Carlson is back. Well, almost. The former Fox News host, who parted ways with the network last month, announced in a video on Tuesday, May 9, that he would relaunch his show on Elon Musk’s Twitter, reports Fortune Magazine.

“Starting soon, we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter. We’ll be bringing some other things too, which we’ll tell you about. But for now, we’re just grateful to be here,” Carlson said, looking directly into the camera.

In the three-minute video, he characterized Twitter as the last platform dedicated to free speech—echoing Musk’s own proclaimed allegiance to the idea. 

“Speech is the fundamental prerequisite for democracy. That’s why it was enshrined in the first of our Constitutional amendments,” Carlson said. “Amazingly, as of tonight, there are not that many platforms left that allow free speech. The last big one remaining…is Twitter, where we are now.”

Carlson will reportedly forgo a severance of at least $25 million from Fox to instead produce his new Twitter show, according to Dylan Byers, a reporter at Puck News.

 

Fox News announced in April that Carlson—well-known right-wing face of prime-time show Tucker Carlson Tonight since 2016—no longer would be employed by the network.

The sudden announcement came days after Fox agreed to settle a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million over false claims that it had manipulated voting in the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump. Carlson had been among those at the network who spread those false claims on air while privately dismissing them.

In the video he posted on Tuesday, Carlson criticized mainstream media as untrustworthy. “At the most basic level, the information you consume is a lie. A lie of the stealthiest and most insidious kind,” he said.

It’s unclear when Carlson’s new “show” on Twitter will debut.

Research contact: @FortuneMagazine

A Kansas man and his team mow lawns for free—restoring dignity to those down on their luck

May 8, 2023

A Kansas man is making a difference in the lives of others in his community with the help of a truck, a team, a lawn mower—and a big heart, reports Fox News.

When Spencer B. (last name withheld), the owner of SB Mowing, sees a lawn that needs some care, he stops his truck, knocks on the homeowner’s door, and offers to take care of the lawn for free. That includes mowing, edging and using a blower to clear sidewalks and walkways.

Spencer, who is based in Wichita, has been in lawn care for 12 years—and he’s committed to spending some of his time by helping others at no charge.

“I started with my buddy mowing lawns in the neighborhood in sixth grade,” the 24-year-old told Fox News in an interview. “We would push our lawn mower down the street and go knock on some doors and get our jobs that way.”

The young entrepreneur, who married his girlfriend last year, kept growing the company throughout high school and college.

“This helped pay for my college,” he noted, saying he would drive home on weekends to take care of his clients’ lawns.

About a year-and-a-half ago, Spencer B. saw a few lawn professionals in videos mowing lawns for free. “That’s pretty cool, I thought — maybe I can start a YouTube channel and do this once a week,” he said.

“So,” he said, “I got out and I tried it.”

He bought a tripod for his iPhone in order to shoot the videos—and began knocking on the doors of homes whose yards looked like the homeowners could use a hand.

After his first couple of YouTube videos, “I was getting a lot of response,” he said of the online feedback. Today, he has over 1 million followers on his YouTube channel.

“Usually with lawn care, the people’s doors I knock on—most of the time they say ‘yes,’ because it’s someone that’s unable to mow their lawn. And it’s been that way for a really long time,” he said.

“If they were to pay someone to do it, it’s going to cost them a few hundred bucks at least. And it’s either that or wait for the city to come out and fine them a whole bunch of money on their property taxes,” he added.

People are usually really surprised, he said—and they’re even “kind of confused.”

He often gets asked, “Why would you do this for free?”

He said he explains to the homeowner or renter that he makes YouTube videos of his work and that he makes revenue from the ads placed on his videos.

He tells the homeowners, “I can completely transform your yard—completely free,” he explained.

Some of these homeowners go on to sign up with SB Mowing as clients, paying “whatever they can afford,” he said.

Around Wichita, you “don’t have to go too far” to see a lawn that needs help, he added.

“The edges are covering the sidewalk and are all the way over the curb, the grass is three feet tall—I try to go out as much as I can every week.”

Noting that he is able to take care of several lawns a week for free—with some harder jobs taking several days—Spencer B. said that it returns a sense of dignity to the people within the homes.

“The number-one thing that people tell me when I get finished is, ‘Oh my gosh, it doesn’t even look like my house anymore,’” he noted.

“It just completely changes the look of the entire hom — the grass and the yard [are] the very, very first thing people see when they pull up to a house.”

Noting that the yard is also the first thing homeowners see when they look out their own window, “it makes them feel good about themselves, and where they live.”

There have been a lot of emotional reactions since he’s started knocking on doors, he said.

One gentleman, a veteran, was “coming on some rough times,” Spencer B. said.

He and his SB Mowing team “came together real quick” and did the veteran’s lawn and “raised some money for him and got him back on his feet,” raising $10,000 through a GoFundMe.

People are “so thankful,” he also said.

Most people are “shocked” by how long he stays working at the home. “I’ll be there from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and some take several days to finish,” he said.

SB Mowing has a few different revenue streams. Along with profit from his regular business, Spencer B. offers merchandise, including hats and T-shirts, online, and he receives revenue from ads placed in his videos.

He’s also sponsored by a lawn mower manufacturer, Hustler Mowers. “They give me a nice mower to cut the yards down with,” he said.

Spencer B. will be cutting lawns and improving yards—and lives—for the foreseeable future, he said. “Right now, it’s my career. You never know how long you’re able to do something,” he said. “I might get hurt one day. You never know, it’s a very physical job.”

He added, “One day, people might stop watching my videos, which is totally OK—I might have to tone it back and get a job elsewhere!”

Research contact: @FoxNews

Trump is likely to sit out one or both of first two GOP debates

May 4, 2023

In private comments to aides and confidants, former President Donald Trump has indicated he does not want to breathe life into his Republican challengers by sharing a debate stage with them, reports The New York Times.

Trump is likely to skip at least one of the first two debates of the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, according to five people who have discussed the matter with the former president.

Last month, the chairperson of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, announced that Fox News would host the first G.O.P. primary debate in Milwaukee in August. The second debate will be held in Southern California at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

While the former president maintains warm relationships with several prime-time hosts—especially Sean Hannity, a reliable Trump booster—Trump’s overall relationship with Rupert Murdoch’s television network has deteriorated as the network showered DeSantis with praise over the past two years while constricting its coverage of Trump.

Trump also has mentioned his previous skirmish with the former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in his private conversations with associates as a reason not to agree to a debate hosted by the network.

In the first Republican debate of the 2016 campaign cycle, Kelly asked Trump about demeaning things he’d said about women. Trump viewed this as a declaration of war from Fox News’ management. He later attacked Kelly in crude and sexist terms.

What’s more, Trump has led his nearest rival, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, by around 30 percentage points in recent polls. All other contenders are polling in single digits.

“I’m up by too many points,” one associate who spoke with Trump recalled him saying.

One adviser stressed that the situation was fluid, particularly given how early it remains in the 2024 race and with DeSantis not yet even a declared candidate. Trump may find it hard to stay away from a stage where others are criticizing him, and some senior Republicans expect that he will ultimately join the debates. He has long credited the debates in the 2016 campaign, both in the primary and the general election, for his victories.

Still, if Trump opts out of some primary campaign debates—as he did once before in 2016—he will shrink the viewing audience and limit his rivals’ chances to seize a breakout moment on the debate stage. The visibility such moments offer is hard to come by in a race in which Trump almost monopolizes the news media’s attention.

For Trump, denying his low-polling rivals access to a massive television audience is part of his calculations in potentially skipping the debates, according to the people who have discussed the matter with him. In 2015, Fox News drew an audience of 24 million for the first primary debate of the 2016 campaign. It was, at the time, the biggest viewership for a non-sports event in cable television history.

“In his mind there’s not enough candidates who are polling close enough to him,” said a person familiar with Trump’s thinking, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations with the former president. “And that, if he does a debate this early with candidates who are polling in the single digits, there’s no upside for him.”

Another motivation for Trump is revenge: The former president has a history with the two institutions hosting the first two Republican candidate debates.

Trump has told advisers that the second debate is a nonstarter for him because it will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The chairman of the library’s board of trustees, Frederick J. Ryan Jr., also serves as the publisher and chief executive officer of The Washington Post, a fact that Trump regularly brings up.

Trump is also sour that the Reagan library has invited numerous other leading Republicans to speak at its events over the past two years, including his presidential rival DeSantis—but has never extended an invitation to him, according to two people familiar with his thinking.

Research contact: @nytimes

Carlson is ousted by Fox News

April 25, 2023

 

Tucker Carlson and Fox News are parting ways, the network confirmed on Monday, April 24. The right-wing host’s final show was this past Friday, April 21, reports The Daily Beast.

According to a concurrent post by the The New York Times, the network made the announcement less than a week after it agreed to pay $787.5 million in a defamation lawsuit in which Carlson’s show, one of the highest-rated on Fox, figured prominently for its role in spreading misinformation after the 2020 election.

“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor. Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st,” the network wrote in a statement. “Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.”

Research contact: @thedailybeast

Bodycam video shows Wisconsin deputies responding to driver’s ‘curious’ 911 call about ‘bobcat in my car”

April 24, 2023

Deputies in Wisconsin responded to an unusual call on Tuesday night, April 18, after a driver reported that a bobcat was inside his car and refused to leave, reports Fox News.

“Numerous deputies were curious” when they heard the radio dispatcher describe the call and responded to the driver’s location, Portage County Sheriff Mike Lukas wrote on Facebook.

Lukas said that the three deputies were “shocked” when they arrived and found a live bobcat wedged inside the vehicle’s front grille.

“My deputies are really good at solving problems but this one baffled them, so we called in reinforcements with Conservation Warden Bryan Lockman,” Lukas wrote.

The Sheriff’s Office shared a two-minute bodycam video showing the warden and deputies working to remove the big cat from the driver’s car.

“That is a big paw,” one of the responders can be heard saying.

The warden eventually wrangled the bobcat with his catch pole and—with the help of a deputy who drew back the broken grille—pulled the feline out.

The bobcat did not appear happy about getting dragged out of its hiding place. The big cat twisted, turned, and flipped through the air as the warden, in one swift motion, pulled the animal from the car’s grille and into the bed of a pickup truck.

The bobcat was then safely returned to the wild, the Sheriff’s Office said. “All in a day’s work at the Portage County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin [Department of Natural Resources],” Lukas wrote.

Research contact: @FoxNews

‘Pregnancy nose’ has expectant moms in a dither—and is going viral on the Internet

March 28, 2023

Many women experience a variety of symptoms during their pregnancies—among them, nausea, fatigue, swollen feet, and what’s now being referred to as “pregnancy nose,” reports Fox News.

This latter—a very odd and unusual symptom—is known to change the shape, size or width of a woman’s nose during a pregnancy. The term has been trending on TikTok, with more than 24 million views on videos discussing the topic.

One video posted by user Reece Wood (@tyreecewood1) received 15.9 million views after she showed photos of her face before and during pregnancy.

Wood, who is based in Minnesota, told Fox News that the change in her nose came as a “huge shock.”

“No one warns you about it and just overnight my nose doubled in size,” she said.  “I couldn’t breathe[for] the remainder of my pregnancy!”

The video stirred conversation on the app, with many users sympathizing with Wood while also wondering how “pregnancy nose” happens in the first place.

“A lot of women have thanked me for my video because it made them feel seen and that’s really important to me,” Wood said, adding, “I wish I would’ve had that while I was going through it.”

Dr. Lauren Demosthenes, senior medical director at Babyscripts, a virtual maternity care company, told Fox News via email that a spike in estrogen causes the dilation of blood vessels—including mucous membranes of the nose.

“This may cause the nose to be a little bit swollen,” said South Carolina-based Demosthenes.

“Also, pregnant women can begin to have some facial swelling later in pregnancy, which may cause the nose to look a little larger,” she added.

Liesel Teen, a labor and delivery nurse and founder of Mommy Labor Nurse, an online resource for expectant parents, told Fox by email that, while pregnancy nose is not an actual medical term or condition, the symptom can be “pretty darn noticeable” in some pregnant women.

Teen, of Raleigh, North Carolina, reiterated that elevated hormone levels during pregnancy lead to increased blood flow, sometimes showing up in the nose.

“Pregnancy affects each person differently,” she said. “No two pregnancies are exactly the same, so the same person might have totally different experiences in different pregnancies.”

She continued, “There are dozens (or more) symptoms that women can experience during pregnancy, but it’s uncommon for someone to experience ALL of them.”

Teen explained that everybody “responds differently to hormones, so not all women will experience this lovely phenomenon during pregnancy.” She said that pregnancy nose most commonly tends to show up toward the end of a pregnancy, as blood volume and overall swelling increase; it generally resolves post-delivery.

Demosthenes also said that pregnancy nose is a “temporary condition,” which will normalize along with estrogen levels. “It’s hard to say exactly when, but during the first weeks postpartum, things should return to normal,” she said.

Nosebleeds may also be a common symptom for pregnant women due to hormones, Teen mentioned.

“Hormone changes and increased blood flow to certain places in your body during pregnancy put you at an increased risk for nosebleeds during pregnancy,” she said.

“The blood vessels in your nose (just like the ones throughout your body) expand during pregnancy because of the additional pressure from an increased volume of blood,” she continued.

“Blood vessels in your nose are fragile and break easily—this coupled with increased blood flow makes nosebleeds pretty common,” she added.

Although there is no way to prevent pregnancy nose from occurring, there are several methods to reduce the swelling should it occur. These include staying hydrated by increasing water intake, limiting sodium consumption, and keeping extremities—especially legs and feet—elevated.

Pregnant women should take breaks from standing for long periods of time, or wear compression socks and comfortable footwear if they need to stand for a long period of time.

Research contact: @FoxNews

Reusable water bottles contain 40K times more bacteria than toilet seats, if not washed daily

March 20, 2023

Making the sustainable decision to carry around and drink from reusable water bottles might not be the cleanest choice ever, reports Fox News.

Reusable water bottles hold 40,000 times more bacteria than toilet seats do , a recent study from WaterFilterGuru of Denver has revealed. After swabbing several different reusable water bottles (and different parts of the bottles), researchers found two types of bacteria present—gram-negative rods and bacillus.

Gram-negative rods are commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections and are increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics, the study noted.

Bacillus can potentially be helpful as a probiotic—but it also can be food-spoiling and disease-causing, and can lead to gastrointestinal issues.

Reusable water bottles held an average of 20.8 million CFUs, or colony-forming units, which estimates the number of living microbes on a sample. Of all the water bottle types, those with spout-top and screw-top lids contained the most bacteria, with 30 million CFUs each, the study found.

Interestingly, researchers discovered the same number of CFUs after testing a tap water faucet as well.

The research team at WaterFilterGuru, the organization says, “focuses on the latest in water quality, pollution, and residential water treatment. The quality and safety of water varies widely by region, city, and even neighborhood.”

Bacteria is one of four pollutants that may be present in water coming out of taps, the study reported, even though U.S. tap water is considered among the safest in the world.

While comparing water bottles to sink taps, the group compared reusable bottles to other household items as well. This included toilet seats, which hold an average of 515 CFUs—that’s 40,000 times less bacteria than most water bottles were found to have. Specifically, squeeze-top water bottles had 6,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.

On average, reusable water bottles had 14 times the bacteria of a pet water bowl and five times that found on a computer mouse.

A spout-top water bottle had three times the bacteria of a kitchen sink—and kitchen sinks have been known to be the most germ-filled surface in many houses, the researchers noted.

After surveying 1,000 Americans, the researchers found that about 13% clean their water bottles only a few times per month, yet 88% “care deeply” about the quality of their drinking water. Members of Gen Z reportedly clean their water bottles the least, with 16% only cleaning their bottles a few times a month.

More than 60% of study respondents said they washed their bottles once or more per day.

Cleaning expert Brandon Pleshek, based in Wisconsin, told Fox News that one of the best ways to ensure that a water bottle is getting a good cleaning is by simply using Dawn dish soap and warm water. To thoroughly disinfect germ-ridden bottles, Pleshek suggested filling up the bottle with warm water and dropping in a denture tablet. After about ten minutes, the bottle can be rinsed out and is ready for use. It’s best to use this disinfecting method about once a week, he recommended.

Experts also suggest washing a reusable water bottle once a day and sanitizing it at least once a week, according to the study.

Sanitation should be increased if there is something other than water in the bottle, if it’s used while eating, or if the bottle user has been sick, the researchers noted.

Reusable water bottle users should check their bottles, if they’ve been feeling under the weather, noted the study; the culprit may be bacteria and mold build-up inside the bottle.

Says WaterFilterGuru.com, “Moist environments are breeding grounds for germs. That’s why washing a reusable water bottle you drink from every day should be part of your daily routine.”

Research contact: @FoxNews

A pro-Trump PAC files an ethics complaint against DeSantis

March 17, 2023

Donald Trump spent much of the past year teasing a 2024 presidential campaign—telling New York magazine last summer that he had “already made that decision” on whether to run and promising his rally crowds for months that they would be “very happy” about his choice, reports The New York Times.

Now, Trump’s allies are accusing Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida of doing the same—but insisting that he has violated state law.

MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, filed a complaint with Florida officials on Wednesday, March 15, alleging that DeSantis—the former president’s chief potential rival for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination —is operating a shadow presidential campaign.

The super PAC said that DeSantis should be considered a presidential candidate because he has taken meetings with donors, raised money for a political committee, and toured the country to sell books, while allies are reaching out to potential campaign aides.

“Governor DeSantis’s failure to declare his candidacy is no mere oversight,” reads the MAGA Inc. complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics. “It is a coordinated effort specifically designed for him to accept, as unethical gifts, illegal campaign contributions and certain personal benefits.”

The pro-Trump super PAC, which sent the complaint via certified mail on Wednesday, is asking the state commission to impose “the most severe penalties” under Florida ethics law, which include, among other things, impeachment, removal from office, public censure and ballot disqualification. NBC News earlier reported on the complaint on Wednesday.

A spokesperson in the governor’s office, Taryn Fenske, said the complaint was part of a “list of frivolous and politically motivated attacks,” adding, “It’s inappropriate to use state ethics complaints for partisan purposes.”

While DeSantis hasn’t formally declared a White House bid, he is checking all the boxes of a potential candidate, the Times said. He published a book that could double as the outline of a 2024 campaign platform and has been promoting the book on a nationwide tour—including stops in states that are hosting the first three Republican primary contests. He has also laid out foreign policy positions this week on Fox News.

The allegations from the pro-Trump group echo a similar complaint filed against Trump last year in March by a Democratic super PAC. In that complaint, the Democratic group, American Bridge, argued to the Federal Election Commission that Trump had been behaving like a 2024 presidential candidate while avoiding federal oversight by not filing a statement of candidacy.

The group filed a lawsuit in July against the federal commission, seeking to force it to take action against Trump within 30 days. The lawsuit accused Trump of trying to disguise his run for the presidency in order to leave voters “in the dark about the contributions and expenditures he has received, which is information they are entitled to.”

The FEC did not take action against Trump. He eventually announced a formal presidential campaign four months later.

Trump’s allies could face a similarly tough road in persuading the state ethics commission to act. DeSantis has appointed five of the nine members of the commission.

Research contact: @nytimes

Pet health breakthrough app claims to detect when your dog or cat is sick with 90% accuracy

February 22, 2023

It could be a profound breakthrough in protecting and diagnosing your pet’s health: An app called TTcare, developed in South Korea, supposedly can help to identify—or rule out—specific ailments suffered by your dog or cat using a simple snapshot of its skin and eyes, reports Fox News.

TTcare: AI for Pet Healthcare is available for both iPhone and Android smartphones. All you have to do is answer any questions about which body part of your pet you want to check up on, take a photo with your phone’s camera, and send it in. The app’s artificial intelligence (AI) will analyze the pet’s health status—detecting early abnormal symptoms with 90% accuracy, according to the company.

You also can use the app to join virtual consultations with vets if you have any follow-up questions.

The app is free to download and some of the features on the app are free. However, you will need to subscribe to a membership to get full health checks on, and analysis of, your pet. The free version gives you three free scans. If you wish to sign up for the monthly plan, your first month will be free, and the following months will be $4.99 per month.

There is also an annual plan you can pick, which also gives you a one-month free trial and costs $49.99 for the year (saving you 20%).

The app has received numerous accolades, including being named 2022 Winner of the CES Innovation Awards and being selected for the 2022 Google Startup Program. 

The app could be a great tool for you if your pet is experiencing a minor issue that you feel could be resolved quickly—or it could simply help you detect a major hidden issue more rapidly. With that said, if you have a good relationship with your vet, you should still take your pet to the vet if it is experiencing a serious issue.

Research contact: @FoxNews

Michigan police department releases mugshot of K-9 accused of ‘stealing’ coworker’s lunch

January 27, 2023

Michigan police department has jokingly released a mugshot of a K-9 officer who allegedly stole another officer’s lunch, reports Fox News.

The Wyandotte Police Department in southeastern Michigan posted a photo of alleged lunch thief Ice, who reportedly nabbed the half-eaten lunch of Officer Barwig in the break room when Barwig was called to assist at the jail, according to a January 12 Facebook post. The post had received nearly 20,000 interactions as of Wednesday, January 25.

“Stealing is not only a crime but it is morally wrong too. Some jobs, like that of being a police officer, require you to take an oath prior to starting. Within the officer’s sworn oath is the promise to protect person’s property,” the department wrote.

“That being said, it saddens me to report that a current officer of the Wyandotte Police Department is under investigation for stealing!”

Police said when Barwig returned to the break room, he found his lunch had disappeared and that Ice was seen “leisurely strolling out of the room licking his chops.”

The police added that Ice had invoked his Fifth Amendment right to silence and “quite frankly is not cooperating with the investigation.”

Police also noted Ice “has a history of rummaging through trash cans that are within his reach” and that he has faced previous allegations of taking coworkers’ food from their hands.

The department appealed to its Facebook followers regarding how best to proceed with its investigation, prompting some users to offer pro bono legal representation for the K-9.

“I’ll be this officer’s attorney pro bono if need be,” one user wrote. “If the teeth don’t fit,you must acquit,” the user said in a parody of the famous line in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995.

Research contact: @FoxNews