Following months of speculation and a contentious budget season in which emotions ran high at Commissioners Court, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced she will not seek re-election to a third term.
Hidalgo, a Colombian immigrant who was the first Latina woman elected to lead Harris County at age 27, has been a darling of the Democratic Party and progressives nationwide. But her recent outbursts in court and arguments with elected commissioners have chipped away at her reputation.
The county judge is slated to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 16.
“Since she was first elected in 2019, Judge Hidalgo has helped Harris County achieve historic progress on reducing homelessness, expanding early childhood education, improving public safety, increasing government transparency and more,” Hidalgo spokeswoman Tami Frazier wrote in a press release. “She looks forward to continuing that work throughout the remainder of her term.”
Hidalgo’s term expires in December 2026. A primary election will be held in March, and the race will be decided in November of next year. Several Democrats, including former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer have filed to run as Democrats; Houston firefighters’ union leader Marty Lancton and Piney Point Mayor Aliza Dutt are running as Republicans.
Former U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter, who served briefly in Congress after the death of her mother Sheila Jackson Lee, has said she would run for county judge if Hidalgo did not seek re-election.
Harris County is set to vote Thursday on a $2.7 billion budget, and Hidalgo has been at odds for months with fellow Democratic commissioners Adrian Garcia and Lesley Briones and Republican Tom Ramsey. Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat, was the only member of Commissioners Court to attend Hidalgo’s State of the City address earlier this month.
Ramsey led a charge to censure Hidalgo after she persuaded children to pressure the court into approving a tax hike that would fund an early childhood program — a measure that ultimately failed. Ellis was the only commissioner to vote against the censure. The admonishment was just a formality but it created a firestorm on social media of residents speculating about whether Hidalgo was fit to remain in office.
The judge has been open about her mental health struggle, taking a temporary leave of absence in 2023 for inpatient treatment and occasionally leaving county meetings to attend group therapy.
The judge told ABC 13 in an exclusive interview Monday that Harris County voters haven’t seen the last of her.
“In the future, I would like to, if the voters will have me, I’d like to be in elected office again,” she said. “I think that with everything I’ve been through, I have learned so much about how to be an elected official and make it sustainable.”
The Harris County Republican Party declined to vote Monday night on a proposal to revoke the endorsement of Cypress-Fairbanks school board trustee Natalie Blasingame after the resolution’s author, Precinct Chair Judi DeHaan, withdrew her motion.
The resolution began circulating among precinct chairs on Friday, citing concerns about Blasingame’s recent actions that have “brought shame upon the district.”
Monday’s meeting of the Republican Party’s executive committee was closed to the public but DeHaan shared her public comments in an email to the Houston Press.
“I have been both thanked and vilified for bringing this resolution forward,” DeHaan said at the Republican Party meeting. “And I understand that leadership has made the decision to let the endorsement stand. I do not want others to have to endure this type of repercussions; therefore, I am withdrawing the resolution and wish to thank those who wanted to speak for the resolution to protect HCRP’s integrity.”
It’s unclear what repercussions she was referring to or whether someone in party leadership encouraged her to withdraw the resolution at the last minute. DeHaan and Harris County Republican Party Chair Cindy Siegel could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday morning.
The Harris County GOP endorsed Blasingame, a trustee since 2021, along with retired CFISD administrator Radele Walker and former trustee George Edwards Jr., in late August, before the filing period closed and days prior to the publication of a Houston Pressstory about Blasingame secretly recording members of the community, including the wife of a fellow trustee.
The secret recordings weren’t illegal but what happened after Blasingame’s April meeting with community members Jeff Ivey and Bethany Scanlon increased scrutiny around the trustee, who is a Christian conservative and the vice president of the school board.
Blasingame’s close friend, Damon “Bam” Lenahan, told the Press he threatened one of the residents, Scanlon, to take down a Facebook post supporting Blasingame’s opponent or he’d release the tapes. Lenahan also has engaged in combative debate on social media with several members of the Cy-Fair community. Blasingame and Lenahan said they did not conspire and don’t control each other’s actions.
The Cy-Fair ISD board adopted a policy last week to prohibit trustees from recording conversations with community members, each other, and district administrators without the consent of all parties involved.
Blasingame has said she records conversations of people who have made false accusations or lied about her. Scanlon, the wife of Cy-Fair ISD trustee Lucas Scanlon, and Ivey, a Cypress businessman, both resigned their positions as GOP precinct chairs amid the controversy.
Republican Party officials also took notice when, at a September 4 workshop, Blasingame accused the board of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act by discussing in closed session the policy related to secret audio recordings.
Board attorney Marney Collins Sims pointed out that the board can accept legal advice in closed session on its “duties” and that often such matters are posted for executive session to give trustees an option to speak privately. Blasingame’s accusation put the district in legal jeopardy, Republican Party precinct chairs said at the time.
The resolution that Harris County GOP officials were scheduled to consider on Monday states, in part:
WHEREAS, Natalie Blasingame has engaged in actions that have brought shame upon her district, the elected office and the Republican Party through her actions unbecoming the office shown in media sources below for [example] and
WHEREAS, these actions have caused significant reputational damage to both the office and the Harris County Republican Party; and
WHEREAS, Natalie Blasingame has enjoined district (CFISD) and every citizen in Cy-Fair in her unfounded, libelous and defamatory statements and allegations upon her admission to violating the Congressional Act, Texas Government Code Ch. 551 …
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Harris County Republican Party immediately rescinds the endorsement of Natalie Blasingame from the list of endorsed candidates,
ALSO, BE IT RESOLVED, that Harris County Republican Party reaffirm its commitment to supporting candidates who reflect honor, integrity, personal accountability, and the values of the Republican Party.
DeHaan wrote the resolution and submitted it for consideration earlier this month amid rampant concerns that Blasingame’s behavior eroded trust and caused reputational damage to the Cy-Fair community and its school board. Many former and current GOP precinct chairs have said the Harris County Republican Party’s endorsement process is flawed and Blasingame shouldn’t have received the nod without input from all precinct chairs.
The Harris County GOP endorsed Natalie Blasingame on August 25.
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School board positions are nonpartisan and unpaid. In Cy-Fair ISD, those elected serve four-year terms at-large, meaning they do not represent specific geographic districts. Although Blasingame currently holds the Position 5 seat, she opted this year to challenge incumbent board president Scott Henry for his Position 6 seat.
Henry received the GOP endorsement when he ran on a slate with Blasingame and Lucas Scanlon in 2021, but did not get the party’s backing this year, allegedly because he’s not conservative enough. Prairie View University professor Cleveland Lane Jr. is also running for Position 6. Trustees Lucas Scanlon, Todd LeCompte, and Justin Ray are backing Henry.
The election is November 4, with early voting beginning on October 20.
According to several sources familiar with the Harris County Republican Party, the endorsement process in Cypress-Fairbanks is controlled by a committee of people predominantly representing a group previously known as the CyFair 4 Liberty Political Action Committee and now operating as the MAGA PAC.
Far-right Republican Bill Ely is the “ringleader,” sources say. Ely has not responded to repeated requests for comment and continues to personally endorse Blasingame after the concerns about her behavior arose last month.
“Great group of conservatives,” Ely wrote on a Harris County Republican Party Facebook post announcing the endorsements of Blasingame, Walker, and Edwards. “I am excited to support them any way I can and of course proudly cast my vote for them in November.”
Former Harris County Republican Party precinct chair Charlotte Lampe, now an election judge, said the party should not endorse before the ballot is finalized, noting that several precinct chairs resigned because they were forced to sign a pledge saying they won’t campaign for or support anyone other than the GOP-endorsed candidates.
“The HCRP endorsement is not worth the paper it’s written on,” Lampe told the Press last week. “What you’re seeing now is real manipulation and real coercion and things that I will never support. If people are going to talk about let’s keep Democrats honest, well, let’s keep Republicans honest too.”
Ford Motor Co. is taking a drive down the road in a couple of months.
The venerable carmaker is moving its headquarters for the first time in seven decades, relocating to a newly constructed building 3 miles (5 kilometers) away in its longtime home of Dearborn, Michigan.
The new 2.1-million-square-foot (195,096-square meter) structure formally will be called “Ford World Headquarters” when it opens in November. It is part of a larger campus that will take the name of the current HQ: Henry Ford II World Center. Henry Ford II was the grandson of company founder Henry Ford and the uncle of Bill Ford, the automaker’s current executive chairman.
Ford’s current headquarters, located at 1 American Road in Dearborn and colloquially called “The Glass House,” opened in 1956. At the time, Ford said it was one of the nation’s largest office buildings occupied by a single company.
“When we move to the new headquarters, the 1 American Road address will move with it, because we’re going to continue to develop products for the next century” said Ted Ryan, Ford’s heritage and brand manager.
The Glass House will be demolished. According to Ford, the company expects to complete its move out of the building in the first half of 2026. Exterior demolition is to begin in 2027.
The new HQ is 5-10 minutes away and is designed to enhance collaboration and innovation by colocating corporate leadership with design and engineering teams. It places 14,000 employees within a 15-minute walk of the main building.
It will feature six design studios, a 160,000-square-foot (14,864-square-meter) food hall accessible to all Ford employees, wellness rooms, mothers’ spaces and 300-plus tech-enabled meeting rooms.
General Motors also is in the midst of a headquarters move, leaving its iconic home along the Detroit River for a new office building in downtown Detroit.
“To attract the best talent, you have to give them interesting problems to work on and great places to work,” Bill Ford said. “We feel they have interesting things to work on, but we didn’t have great places for them to work and now we do. It’s a talent-attraction magnet.”
Ford’s new home base is on the site of the former Product Development Center. When it was dedicated in 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower joined the celebration live through one of the first-ever uses of closed-circuit television.
Some of the most well-known American vehicles were born there, including the Mustang, Thunderbird and F-Series trucks.
“Dearborn and Ford are almost synonymous. If you think of Dearborn, you think of Ford, and if you think of Ford, you think of Dearborn,” Ryan said, speaking in the shadow of the hulking Glass House.
“Henry Ford was born just a few miles from the headquarters where we sit now. … There have been multiple Ford family members who, as they walk in and they see the blue oval with ‘Ford’ on the side of the building, they’re really walking into their family home,” he said.
Soon, they and thousands of others will walk into a brand-new home.
President Trump deploys National Guard to D.C., takes control of local police; NAACP launches town halls to mobilize Black voters ahead of 2026 midterm elections.
Hamm is blind, paralyzed, and can’t stand. Despite this, he’s the one who sets the rules in his living quarters in a post apocalyptic world. Clov, who cannot sit down because of crippl9ing pains in his legs, is his ever present attendant and a very tired one.
Completing the household are Nagg and Nell, Hamm’s parents who have no legs at all and live in garbage bins filled with sand. They lost them in a tandem bicycling accident.
It’s all part of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame which Catastrophic Theatre co-Artistic Director Jason Nodler will be directing for the third time when it opens this weekend at the MATCH. And no, Nodler insists, Beckett’s plays (Waiting for Godot, Happy Days) are not about despair, but hope.
“Even in Waiting for Godot, Didi and Gogo show up every day on this road as for what they’re waiting for, we know this is a mystery. But they continue to return in spite of any distress they might experience. That’s also true of the characters in Endgame,” Nodler says.
“His plays are not particularly dour. They’re certainly often considered to be about despair and they really aren’t. None of Beckett’s characters are without hope or they wouldn’t continue.”
“They’re not tragedies but tragic comedies. Clov is probably ready for his servitude to Hamm to be over with, but “just because someone is ready for something to end, that’s not despair when it doesn’t,” Nodler says.
“Hamm and Clov talk about how they’re handling the ending. What will come at the end. Clov is suffering quite a lot and has a sort of romanticism about the ending because he’s performed the same routine everyday at the orders of Hamm and he seems ready for things to end. That’s not despairing because he keeps doing it. He doesn’t leave. At the end of the play there’s an open question about this.
“The difference with Hamm is he’s ready for things to end, but not quite yet.”
Nodler compares what happens in Endgame to a game of chess. “You have a certain number of pieces left on the board and you’re essentially moving them around and you’re avoiding the end of the game. You’re putting it off. And that’s what I think we do quite a lot in life.”
At this point, Nodler catches himself, saying: “And now I’m talking about the play like it’s a very very serious thing.”
Actually, Beckett was a big fan of silent movie comedians, Nodler says. “There was no one that Beckett loved better than the silent film comics like Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keeton.”
Beckett wrote Endgame over several years and there are radically different drafts, Nodler says. He believes it is a wonderful start for anyone who hasn’t seen a Beckett play, calling it the funniest one he did. “There are laughs all over the place.”
Catastrophic Theatre attracts a lot of what Nodler calls “non-traditional theater audiences,” many of whom find things to like about it that they may not have embraced in other more realistic theaters. Nodler is not against Houston’s more traditional theaters, in fact, he celebrates them, sees and respects their work. But part of the reason they have the pay-what-you-can philosophy is to attract people who might otherwise never go to the theater and discover it has something that speaks to them, just as he found when he was 13 years old.
Performances are scheduled for September 19 through October 11 at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. at the MATCH, 3400 Main. For more information, call 713-521-4533 or matchouston.org. Pay what you can.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Kelvin Wagner said he’s had the same curbside trash bin at his home since he moved into his neighborhood in 2017.
When the bin started falling apart about six months ago, he says he knew it was time for a new one.
Wagner was at one of the City of Houston Solid Waste Department’s pick-up locations last Friday to get a replacement trash can in person.
“I’ve been trying to be patient, but I’m glad the mayor finally made a decision to give us an opportunity to come and pick up our home cans to alleviate the problem of the backup,” Wagner said. “It just got real smelly, really dilapidated, and the wheel started coming off of it. And me being disabled, I wasn’t able to actually get it out there like I needed to, so I called and called and called 311.”
Earlier this month, 13 Investigates reported on the thousands of Houstonians who had submitted requests to 311 for new bins this year but were still waiting on them.
One week after our investigation aired, the City of Houston announced a new “Can Blitz” program, allowing residents to pick up cans themselves, starting Sept. 5.
Now, 13 Investigates is looking at what kind of impact the pickups are having on the city’s backlog of requests.
So far, the Can Blitz has run on six weekdays and one weekend day. During that time, 311 data from the city shows nearly 1,700 requests for a new can have been closed.
Earlier this month, Mayor John Whitmire told 13 Investigates there was a backlog of nearly 5,000 can requests.
The closed cases don’t mean the backlog is down to 3,300 requests. Data from 311 shows nearly 1,000 new resident requests for a bin have been reported to the city since the “Can Blitz” began.
“You cannot fix something that’s been neglected for years in a very short time,” Mayor Whitmire said last week. “Didn’t get like this overnight, and it won’t get fixed overnight.”
The “Can Blitz” runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at one of three locations.
The pick-up locations are at the Solid Waste distribution centers at 5711 Eastex Freeway Feeder Road and 1506 Central Street, as well as at the Environmental Service Center at 11500 South Post Oak Road.
Residents will be required to provide a copy of their water bill for address verification as well as their 311 service request number. Residents who are replacing a can are asked to bring their damaged can to receive the replacement. Residents who want a second can as part of the Add-A-Can program are not eligible for pick-up.
The city says it will continue to deliver bins to anyone who puts in a request with 311 and cannot pick one up themselves.
In a statement Monday evening, the Solid Waste Department said it has handed out 783 containers since the “Can Blitz” began.
So far this month, they say they’ve closed out 1,806 backlogged cases.
“We are working diligently to deliver or allow pick-ups for a remaining 3,864 container services requests,” the department said in an email to 13 Investigates.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Authorities are looking for a suspect they say attacked a 74-year-old man in southeast Houston last month.
The Houston Police Department said the robbery happened at about 10 a.m. on Aug. 30 at a convenience store parking lot on Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Police shared surveillance video of the incident that shows the suspect walking up to someone using a walker.
According to HPD, the suspect reached into the 74-year-old man’s pocket and forcibly removed his cash. Police said this caused the man to lose his balance with his walker and fall to the ground as the suspect allegedly walked off.
It’s video the victim said he didn’t know existed until ABC13 knocked on his door. Last month, Juan Armendariz said he went to the store to get lottery tickets when suddenly a man lunged towards his shirt.
“It made me think of a lot of different things of what I see on TV,” Armendariz explained. “What I read in the paper. I understand what they go through now.”
Armendariz said he wasn’t hurt, but the suspect was able to get away with six dollars. Now that he knows there are images of what happened, he told us he hopes it leads to an arrest.
“God willing you’ll learn from this even if you don’t get caught and you don’t do this again to anyone else,” Armendariz said. “That’s my prayer for him.”
Carl Bell shops at the convenience store and lives nearby. ABC13 showed him the video released by police.
“There’s no sense in robbing an elderly person like that,” Bell said. “That man’s up in age and probably worked all his life. He’s got family members and everything. Somebody young like that should find themselves a job. Try to do something with their life. I mean, this is ridiculous, the way things are going these days.”
The suspect is described as a Black man, 17 to 25 years old, wearing a black jacket, faded blue jeans, white shoes, and a light blue backpack, with clean-cut, short afro hair.
Authorities urge you to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly if you have any information related to this investigation.
Information leading to the charging and/or arrest of any felony suspects may result in a cash payment up to $5,000.
Tipsters must contact Crime Stoppers directly to remain anonymous and to be considered for a cash payment by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitting an online tip at www.crime-stoppers.org, or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.
We contacted HPD and asked about crime in the area. A spokesperson looked at calls to the convenience store over the last three months and said that, besides the aggravated robbery, there was a disturbance call in July and a few trespassing calls.
For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Technology company Oracle is among a consortium of firms that would enable TikTok to continue operations in the U.S. if a framework deal between the United States and China is finalized, sources with knowledge of the negotiations tell CBS News.
The precise structure of the final deal was unclear Monday night, but will include multiple companies, the sources said. It’s not clear what level of involvement Chinese firms — including TikTok’s current parent company ByteDance — will have in the deal, and who will control TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm. Presidents Trump and Xi are expected to talk on Friday.
Attempts to reach Oracle executives and a White House spokesperson were unsuccessful. A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment.
“The commercial terms have been agreed upon,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday in Madrid after meetings with Chinese officials on a range of issues, including TikTok.
Li Chenggang, a Chinese vice minister of commerce, also said after the meetings, “China will firmly safeguard the national interests, the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and carry out technology export approval in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.”
The Chinese Embassy in Washington had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
Mr. Trump was circumspect about a deal with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “We may let it die, or we may, I don’t know, it depends. Up to China. It doesn’t matter too much. I’d like to do it for the kids. They like it.”
Last year, Congress passed and former President Joe Biden signed a bill that essentially gave TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, an ultimatum: either divest from TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. The Supreme Court upheld the law in a unanimous 9-0 decision. But Mr. Trump has issued a series of orders unilaterally delaying its enforcement. The latest came in June, when he pushed back the deadline for enforcing the measure until Sept. 17.
The president’s orders have directed the Justice Department not to take action or impose penalties against tech companies like Apple and Google for failing to comply with the law by allowing TikTok on their platforms.
What has the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom done well, and what could be done differently?
CBS News California Investigates correspondent Julie Watts asked each of the candidates running for California governor.
Read on to see what each candidate thinks Newsom has done right and to learn what they’d do differently.
Toni Atkins
Former California State Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins is one of the high-profile Democrats running to replace Gov. Newsom when he terms out in 2026. The San Diego resident praised Newsom’s effort to go “toe-to-toe” with the Trump administration and Texas by redrawing California’s congressional districts. Atkins also said that, if elected, one of her biggest priorities would be addressing health care. Watch Atkins’ response here.
Xavier Becerra
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Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general who served as Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration, is another Democrat looking to replace Gov. Newsom in 2026. Becerra said Newsom deserves more credit for strengthening the state’s economy and explained why California’s redistricting effort is necessary. On what he’d do differently, Becerra said he would have acted more quickly than Newsom on addressing issues like with California’s high-speed rail project and the statewide housing crisis. Watch Becerra’s response here.
Chad Bianco
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Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County is one of the Republicans running for California governor in 2026. Bianco said the only thing he believes Newsom has done well is “acting like a Republican” in what he says is the governor’s bid for the White House. Bianco added that he couldn’t think of a single thing the state Legislature has done right during his seven years as sheriff. Watch Bianco’s response here.
Stephen J. Cloobeck
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Another Democrat looking to replace Gov. Newsom in 2026 is business executive Stephen J. Cloobeck. Cloobeck said what he believes Newsom has done well as governor is be active in the public and communities. On why he’s in the gubernatorial race, Cloobeck said he’s “sick and tired” of the Trump administration “making us look silly.” Watch Cloobeck’s full response here.
Steve Hilton
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Public policy expert Steve Hilton is one of the Republicans running for California governor. Hilton said the thing he most agrees with Newsom on is limiting smartphone use in schools. If elected, Hilton said he would work to improve California’s rising housing costs, which he said he believes is the top reason why residents are leaving the state. Watch Hilton’s response here.
Katie Porter
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Consumer protection attorney and law professor Katie Porter is among the long list of Democrats running to replace Gov. Newsom next year. Porter praised Newsom for making school lunches free through the governor’s universal meals program. Porter said, if she were governor, she would work to bring down housing costs statewide. Watch Porter’s response here.
Tony Thurmond
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California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he is running for governor because “California is at a critical inflection point” that could lead to prosperity or further decline. Thurmond, a Democrat, lauded Gov. Newsom for being a creative thinker and for his investments in public education. Thurmond said, if elected, he would work to improve California’s insurance crisis and create more affordable housing. Watch Thurmond’s response here.
Antonio Villaraigosa
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Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, said he is running for California governor to give the state a leader who is “a proven problem solver.” Villaraigosa criticized Newsom’s decision to keep kids out of schools for as long as he did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Villaraigosa said two things Newsom and the state Legislature got right were health care and child care. Watch Villaraigosa’s response here.
Butch Ware
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The only Green Party candidate running for governor is University of California professor Butch Ware. Ware said two of his biggest critiques of the Newsom administration are the governor’s response to immigration raids across the state and his failure to address the homeless crisis. Ware said he doesn’t agree with Newsom’s use of social media to challenge the Trump administration, but appreciated the governor’s effort to fight back. Watch Ware’s response here.
Betty Yee
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Former State Controller Betty Yee is another Democrat running for California governor. Yee commended Gov. Newsom’s ability to be present during key issues like the COVID-19 pandemic. On how she would improve upon Newsom’s time as governor, Yee said she would improve California’s fiscal accountability. Watch Yee’s response here.
Leo Zacky
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Business owner Leo Zacky is one of the few Republicans in California’s gubernatorial race. Zacky said he’s running for governor to “bring common sense solutions to save my home state.” Zacy said there hasn’t been a single thing Gov. Newsom or the state Legislature has done well over the last seven years. Zacky specifically criticized California for raising the minimum wage for fast food workers. Watch Zacky’s response here.
Julie Watts is a national-award-winning investigative correspondent for CBS News, covering California. Her investigations, Capitol accountability reports, and solutions-oriented journalism air weekly on CBS stations across California.
An appeals court ruled Monday that Lisa Cook can remain a Federal Reserve governor, rebuffing President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove her just ahead of a key vote on interest rates.
The Trump administration is expected to quickly turn to the Supreme Court in a last-ditch bid to unseat Cook before the Fed meets. And Cook’s lawsuit seeking to permanently block her firing must still make its way through the courts.
The White House campaign to unseat Cook marks an unprecedented bid to reshape the Fed’s seven-member governing board, which was designed to be largely independent from day-to-day politics. No president has fired a sitting Fed governor in the agency’s 112-year history. The ruling comes just before the Fed’s interest rate-setting committee begins a two-day meeting Tuesday. Senate Republicans have confirmed Stephen Miran, Trump’s nominee to an open spot on the Fed’s board.
Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled last week that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board. Trump appointee Bill Pulte has accused Cook of mortgage fraud because she appeared to claim two properties as “primary residences” in July 2021, before she joined the board. Such claims can lead to a lower mortgage rate and smaller down payment than if one of them was declared as a rental property or second home. Cook has denied the charges.
The case threatens to erode the Fed’s longtime political independence. Economists prefer independent central banks because they can do unpopular things like lifting interest rates to combat inflation more easily than elected officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Monday in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as close U.S. ally Qatar gathered other Arab nations’ leaders for a summit to issue unified condemnation of last week’s Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital.
On Sunday, President Trump urged Netanyahu’s government to be “very careful” following the airstrike in Doha.
“They have to do something about Hamas, but Qatar has been a great ally to the United States,” Mr. Trump told reporters at Morristown airport in New Jersey.
Speaking Monday alongside Rubio, Netanyahu heaped praise on the Trump administration for its staunch, increasingly unique international support of Israel’s tactics in its ongoing war against Hamas — which has long been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel and the European Union — in the Gaza Strip.
“Your presence here today sends a clear message that America stands with Israel,” Netanyahu said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during a visit to the Western Wall Tunnels, underneath the Jewish holy site, in the old city of Jerusalem, Sept. 14, 2025.
NATHAN HOWARD/POOL/AFP/Getty
The Israeli leader has vigorously defended last week’s strike in Doha, saying Israeli fighter jets targeted senior Hamas leaders responsible for the Hamas-led, Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken as hostages back into Gaza.
Hamas has said that five of its members were killed, but that Israel failed to kill its intended targets — senior members of the group’s political negotiating team, who have long been based in Doha, with the knowledge and backing of both Israel and the U.S.
Rubio, pressed to respond to the anger in Doha over the strike last week, told reporters at the news conference with Netanyahu that “we have strong relationships with our Gulf allies… We have been engaged with them consistently before what happened and after what happened.”
“Irrespective of what has occurred, the reality is we still have 48 hostages. We still have Hamas that is holding Gaza hostage and using civilians as human shields… as long as they are around there will be no peace in this region,” Rubio said.
A senior State Department official told CBS News Monday that Rubio will travel to Qatar after his Israel visit, before flying to the United Kingdom for President Trump’s state visit there.
Addressing reporters Saturday at Joint Base Andrews prior to his departure, Rubio said he would be speaking with Netanyahu to “get a much better understanding of what their plans are moving forward.”
“What’s happened has happened. Obviously, we were not happy about it. The president was not happy with it,” Rubio said, referring to the strike in Doha. “Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next. Because at the end of the day, when all is said and done, there is still a group called Hamas, which is an evil group that still has weapons and is terrorizing.”
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani issued a fresh condemnation of Israel’s attack on Sunday, and he called “for the international community to stop its double standards and punish Israel for its crimes.”
This handout image provided by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani chairing a preparatory meeting in Doha, Sept. 14, 2025, ahead of an Arab Islamic summit.
QATARI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/AFP/Getty
Qatar is a key U.S. ally and it has long hosted the largest American military base in the Middle East, the Al-Udeid Air Base, where there are thousands of U.S. troops based.
A source familiar with the discussions at the emergency Arab and Muslim leaders summit in Doha on Monday told CBS News a draft resolution would see them condemn, Israel’s “hostile acts including genocide, ethnic cleansing, [and] starvation” in Gaza, which, it will say, threatens “prospects of peace and coexistence” in the region.
A handout image provided by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows a preparatory meeting in Doha, Sept. 14, 2025, ahead of an Arab Islamic summit chaired by Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
QATARI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/AFP/Getty
Israel has vehemently denied multiple accusations that its war in Gaza amounts to a genocide against Palestinians, arguing that its military campaign is solely against Hamas militants whom it accuses of putting civilians in harms way by using them as human shields.
The source familiar with the draft statement from the Doha summit said the resolution would call “on the international community to coordinate efforts to impose international sanctions on Israel — suspending the supply of weapons, munitions, and military material, and reviewing diplomatic and economic relations — to stop its crimes against the Palestinian people and attacks on regional countries.”
Israel’s war has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians in the nearly two years since it began, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel rejects that figure but has not offered its own estimate and does not permit foreign journalists to enter Gaza and operate independently.
The United Nations considers the tally from the Gazan health ministry the most reliable information available on the war’s death toll.
Last month, Israel declared Gaza City, the Palestinian Territory’s biggest population center, a “dangerous combat zone” and a Hamas stronghold. In recent days, Israeli military forces have ramped up an aerial assault on the city, toppling several more high-rise buildings on Sunday in what was already an apocalyptic landscape.
Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes that hit and destroyed multiple buildings and high-rise towers in Gaza City, Gaza, Sept. 14, 2025.
Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu/Getty
The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Friday to support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict — the long-standing call for an independent Palestinian state to be created alongside Israel as part of a negotiated peace agreement, which has been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy for decades.
President Trump, who previously voiced support for a two-state solution, has more recently distanced his administration from adherence to that objective, despite rising support internationally for Palestinian statehood.
Israel and the U.S. were among the 10 countries that voted against the resolution, and before the vote, Netanyahu reiterated his government’s stance that, “there will be no Palestinian state.”
The U.N. resolution also condemned Israel’s alleged attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and its “siege and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis.”
The non-binding resolution, which 142 nations supported, also called for the release of all remaining Israeli hostages and outlined a vision in which the Palestinian Authority, which currently partially administers the Israeli-occupied West Bank, would govern and control all Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee immediately established under its umbrella after a ceasefire in Gaza.
“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” the declaration said.
Emmet Lyons is a news desk editor at the CBS News London bureau, coordinating and producing stories for all CBS News platforms. Prior to joining CBS News, Emmet worked as a producer at CNN for four years.
It’s time for the annual Houston Agents’ Choice Awards here at Houston Agent magazine! This is an opportunity for real estate professionals from around the area to vote for the top players in the industry — including brokers, developers, lenders, rookies and more!
The nominees all deserve hearty congratulations for their excellent work. So support your community with your vote! Cast it below now.
Former Southern District of New York prosecutor Maurene Comey alleged in a lawsuit Monday that her ouster from the U.S. Attorney’s office was “unlawful and unconstitutional” and likely happened because of who her father is.
Comey, who prosecuted high-profile defendants including Sean Combs, Robert Hadden, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was fired in July.
Her lawsuit said President Donald Trump, the Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other defendants did not identify a cause or provide her due process.
“In truth, there is no legitimate explanation. Rather, Defendants fired Ms. Comey solely or substantially because her father is former FBI Director James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both,” the lawsuit said, referring to the former FBI director who Trump fired during his first term as president because he initiated the investigation into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
“The politically motivated termination of Ms. Comey — ostensibly under “Article II of the Constitution” — upends bedrock principles of our democracy and justice system. Assistant United States Attorneys like Ms. Comey must do their jobs without fearing or favoring any political party or perspective, guided solely by the law, the facts, and the pursuit of justice,” the lawsuit said.
A representative of the Justice Department declined to comment on the suit when contacted by ABC News.
Comey said she had just been assigned a high-profile public corruption case when she received an email on July 16 at 4:57 p.m. with a memo informing her that “your employment with the Department of Justice is hereby terminated, and you are removed from federal service effective immediately.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey arrives at Federal Court for the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial, May 19, 2025, in New York.
Ted Shaffrey/AP
According to the lawsuit, Comey’s supervisors “were visibly shocked and upset,” and Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, provided no explanation.
“All I can say is it came from Washington. I can’t tell you anything else,” the lawsuit quoted Clayton as telling Comey.
Comey’s attorneys said the president lacks the authority to fire ordinary federal prosecutors, who are career civil servants, for perceived disloyalty.
“Neither the President nor the Department of Justice have unlimited authority to remove Assistant United States Attorneys,” the lawsuit said.
Comey is seeking reinstatement along with back pay.
But could they drop again as soon as this week? With the first Federal Reserve meeting since July set to occur on September 16 and September 17, and, with it, a presumed rate cut, they may. There’s more to consider, however, than just the Fed’s actions. Below, we’ll detail what buyers hoping for another mortgage rate drop should expect this week.
Will mortgage interest rates drop again this week?
The answer to this question depends on where you look. Average mortgage rates compiled by FreddieMac, which surveys lenders on the rates they’re offering, may be a bit lower than the 6.35% rate on a 30-year mortgage term that was registered last week.
But rates listed on individual lender websites and online marketplaces that combine multiple rate offerings in one location may be even lower. That’s largely because lenders don’t need to wait for the Fed to take formal rate-cutting measures to reduce the rates they offer to buyers. To remain competitive, they may reduce rates in advance of the Fed. And with a rate cut this week listed at a near certainty by the CME Group’s FedWatch tool, lenders can feel comfortable making that change preemptively.
That noted, there is an outstanding question regarding how substantial this week’s presumed rate cut will be. While most expect just a 25-basis-point reduction, a larger rate cut of 50 basis points is also possible, particularly following the disappointing unemployment news released earlier this month.
And it’s important to note that when the Fed reduced rates by that much last September, mortgage interest rates plunged to a two-year lowbefore the announcement was official. So it behooves buyers to monitor the market closely this week, as rates can continue to fall, perhaps even more significantly than initially anticipated, and it may be that the drop won’t be so neatly tied to a formal Fed announcement.
Overall, though, the trends here are hard to predict. Mortgage interest rates were averaging just 6.15% last September, and they were comfortably back over 7% by January. In other words, even if rates continue to drop this week, it doesn’t mean that they’ll stay that low for particularly long. Be ready to take advantage, then, when they do.
It’s critical to remember that many of the mortgage rates you do see listed on lender websites and in your local bank branch are reserved for those borrowers with good to excellent credit scores and clean credit histories. So, if you don’t have both, it’s unlikely that you’ll be eligible for the lower rates offered.
It’s worth taking the time, then, to pull your credit report so that you can see what lenders will see should you formally apply for a loan. In particular, look for any inaccuracies or outdated or incomplete information that could be dragging your score lower and proceed to dispute it to improve your credit standing.
The bottom line
The mortgage rate decline pattern is likely to continue this week, perhaps by a sizable degree if the Fed takes more aggressive measures. So it pays to shop around to find the lowest rates possible. But that will require some effort on behalf of the buyer, as well as strategic timing and an above-average credit score. Still, with mortgage rates finally moving back in the direction that benefits buyers, that extra work could well be worth it.
Matt Richardson is the senior managing editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com. He writes and edits content about personal finance ranging from savings to investing to insurance.
The suspect arrested in the fatal shooting Charlie Kirk had an “obsession” with the conservative influencer, based on the alleged shooter’s digital footprint, FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Monday on Fox News.
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah native, is accused of fatally shooting Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Aug. 10.
Bongino said the suspect appeared to have exhibited “multiple warning signs.”
Mugshot of Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Courtesy of Gov. Spencer Cox
“I believe co-workers stated he had detached himself when the topic of politics came up and walked away,” Bongino said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”
Bongino said they are looking into whether anyone knew the shooting could happen and didn’t alert authorities, referring to online chats Robinson allegedly had about Kirk.
“Did they … hear it and think it was a joke? That is what we’re trying to find out now,” he told Fox News. “If there is a larger network here, we will get that out to the public as soon as we can.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also announced on “Fox & Friends” that DNA found at the crime scene, specifically the towel wrapped around the firearm used in the shooting, and on a screwdriver, links Robinson to the killing of the conservative influencer.
Robinson was arrested last week for felony discharge of a firearm, aggravated murder and obstruction of justice, according to probable cause documents, and was booked into the Utah County Jail.
Charging documents against Robison are expected to be filed early this week, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on Friday.
Robinson was apprehended after his father recognized him in photographs released by authorities, Cox said on Friday. His father told Robinson to turn himself in, with the 22-year-old initially saying no, but later changing his mind, officials said.
The father then called a youth pastor, who is also a U.S. Marshals task force officer. The officer advised the father to have Robinson stay in place. This information was then conveyed to the FBI.
Cox thanked Robinson’s family, who “did the right thing.”
Investigators also interviewed a family member of Robinson who said the suspect had “become more political in recent years,” Cox said.
In a recent incident the family member detailed to investigators, Robinson came to dinner and in a conversation with another family member he mentioned Kirk was coming to Utah Valley University. They talked about why they didn’t like him and his viewpoints.
People mourn Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk at a memorial set up outside of the Turning Point USA headquarters on September 12, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
President Donald Trump, who announced Friday on “Fox & Friends” that the suspected shooter was in custody, said Robinson should get the death penalty.
“In Utah, you have death penalty, and a good governor there, I have gotten to know him,” Trump said of Cox. “The governor is intent on the death penalty in this case and he should be.”
Before the arrest of the alleged shooter, officials said they had obtained “good” video footage of the individual and were able to track the movements of the suspect.
On the day of the shooting at approximately 11:52 a.m., the suspect arrived on the Orem campus and then proceeded to travel through the stairwells up to the roof of the building near where the outdoor event was taking place, before the suspect fired down at Kirk, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said last week.
Kirk was hit by a single shot at approximately 12:20 p.m. and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
After the shooting, the suspect traveled to the other side of the building, jumped off and fled off-campus into a neighborhood, Mason said.
On Friday, Erika Kirk, the conservative commentator’s wife, said “no one will ever forget my husband’s name.”
“You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry,” Erika Kirk said on Friday in her first public message since her husband’s death.
As employees of the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel enter week three of a strike for higher wages and better working conditions, two major events originally scheduled at the Lamar Street venue have been postponed.
The Harris County Democratic Party moved its annual gala, originally planned for September 20, to late January, pending “a satisfactory outcome” of the strike. Mayor John Whitmire postponed his State of the City address, scheduled for September 25, indefinitely.
“I urge both parties to negotiate in good faith and reach a fair, reasonable agreement,” Whitmire said in a statement. “Workers are essential to our city, and I will always insist that they be treated with dignity and respect.”
About 400 housekeepers, cooks, laundry attendants, banquet servers, and other hotel workers employed by Hilton Americas-Houston are represented by UNITE HERE Local 23 union and began their strike on Labor Day. The picket line was expected to end last week but was extended through September 20 as negotiations continue.
The workers are demanding a minimum wage of $23 an hour and manageable workloads. Officials said the strike is the first for Texas hospitality workers in recent history.
Officials with Hilton Americas corporate office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a spokesperson said when the strike began that they “remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued team members and to the hotel.”
The hotel is owned by the city’s marketing organization Houston First Corp. and is connected to the George R. Brown Convention Center. The Texas Association of School Boards conference was held at the convention center September 12-14, and guests were housed at the Hilton. Organizers said they plan conventions years in advance and were made aware of the strike when it launched but believed it would be over in time for their event.
At a press conference on September 13, Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle said his team was willing to postpone the largest Democratic Party fundraiser in Texas while the dispute is resolved. Doyle was joined by union members, hotel employees, and state Reps. Gene Wu, D-Houston, and Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston.
“By postponing this event, we are standing together with working people in our community and sending a clear message about our values,” Doyle said.
Franchesca Caraballo, Texas chapter president of UNITE HERE Local 23, referred to data showing Houston broke records last year for hotel revenue, increasing more than 15 percent to $3 billion.
“Yet the city’s hospitality workers have not seen the benefits of that boom, and report struggling to pay their bills,” union officials said in a press release. “Workers say they are the people who make tourism possible for the city’s economy and are fighting so they do not have to prioritize among paying rent, feeding their families, and meeting their many other financial obligations.”
One job should be enough to live on in Houston, Caraballo said.
“For far too long, working people have had to struggle to make it, and the workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston are no exception,” she said. “Workers are on strike to send the message that they are not backing down in their demand for at least $23 an hour.”
Willy Gonzalez, secretary/treasurer and a primary negotiator for the union, spoke at Saturday’s press conference and thanked those who have postponed events to stand in solidarity with the hospitality workers.
“These workers are taking a stand,” Gonzalez said. “Why are we fighting? The hospitality industry in Houston has exploded. They’re going to expand the convention center. They want to build more hotels. They had a record year last year. But what happened? Houston First and the Hilton forgot about who made that industry succeed: these workers.”
In the hospitality industry, employees refer to the “front of the house and the back of the house,” Gonzalez said, referencing the difference between those who interface with the public and those who work behind the scenes.
“These workers are coming from the back of the house to the front and saying, ‘You will hear our voices.’ You don’t always get a chance to make history,” Gonzalez said. “In the big, great state of Texas, these are the first hotel workers to ever go on strike and demand the respect and dignity they deserve.”
Hilton housekeeper Eileen Alvarez said she’s been employed at the hotel for two years and has an infant who has a birth defect, but she’s received no support from management.
“We’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck,” she said at the press conference. “We all have bills and have kids. We are really tired. I’m thankful to y’all for supporting us.”
Wu said Texas House Democrats left the state earlier this year during a special legislative session to fight against attacks on Texas communities. The lawmakers broke quorum, halting the session during a redistricting vote designed to garner five additional Republican seats in U.S. Congress. The Democrats eventually returned and the measure passed but is now the subject of a lawsuit alleging racial gerrymandering.
“We were tired of the people getting stepped on, getting crushed, and doing whatever the billionaires want no matter what the cost,” Wu said. “The people of this country came out and supported us. We need everyone in this state, everyone in Houston, to do the same for these working people. This fight is not any different from what we were fighting earlier.”
“If you think that fairness and hard work are the core values of America, support these workers,” Wu added. “Do not cross a picket line.”
If you’re planning to buy a home, experts say there are a few things you should do — and a few you should avoid — after a rate cut.
Manusapon Kasosod/Getty Images
Homeownership has continued to feel out of reach for millions of Americans this year. Part of the issue is that 30-year fixed mortgage interest rates now hover between about 6.5% and 6.8%, while home prices remain high in most markets. The Federal Reserve is expected to issue the first rate cut of 2025 later this month, though, which could mark a turning point for borrowers and offer relief to prospective homebuyers.
But mortgage professionals warn that hasty decisions or common misconceptions can be costly in the aftermath of rate cuts. You could even miss out on your dream home due to poor timing or strategy. So, what should (and shouldn’t) you do right after the Fed formalizes a rate cut in September? Below, experts share their insights to help you capitalize on improved market conditions.
What homebuyers should (and shouldn’t) do immediately after a rate cut, according to mortgage experts
Here are three things experts say you should do — and three you should avoid — after a rate cut:
Do get a fresh pre-approval
“Rate cuts usually lead to an increase in loan applications of between 15% and 20% in the first two weeks,” says Jeffrey Hensel, a broker associate at North Coast Financial, an asset-based hard money lender. This uptick in buyer interest makes it essential that you have a freshly updated preapproval on hand to stand out to sellers, as the impact of a rate cut on your buying power can be substantial.
Steven Glick, director of mortgage sales at real estate investment fintech company HomeAbroad, recalls working with a couple in September 2024.
“They’d been pre-approved at 6.8% but updated it post-cut to 6.4%, which bumped their budget by $25,000 without changing their down payment,” Glick says.
Do compare lenders and strategically lock your rate
“Not all lenders adjust their pricing the same way after a Fed move,” says Debbie Calixto, sales manager at loanDepot. “Comparing offers ensures you’re not leaving money on the table.”
Glick had a client who compared five quotes and locked at 6.2% with a lender offering no-closing-cost refinancing perks. It saved her $200 monthly versus sticking with her bank. That’s $2,400 per year simply from taking time to compare options.
“Locking protects against hikes while you close,” Glick says. Most lenders offer 30- to 60-day rate locks for homebuyers.
Do act promptly, but stay disciplined
“Lower rates often bring a surge of buyer activity,” says Calixto. “Acting quickly gives you a competitive edge, but it’s important not to let urgency cloud your judgment.”
Take time to review properties and inspection results thoroughly despite the faster pace. And before making any offers, assess your complete financial picture.
“Review your debt-to-income ratio (aim for under 43%) to avoid surprises,” says Glick. Factor in closing costs, which typically run 2% to 5% of your loan amount, plus ongoing expenses, such as homeowners association (HOA) fees.
Don’t assume your present lender will offer the best deal
“The pricing structure of credit unions, community banks and specialized lenders varies,” Hensel says. While your current lender may offer convenience, shopping around could unlock much better mortgage rates and terms.
Hensel recently helped a client secure a rate 0.6 percentage points below their big bank by moving to a portfolio lender.
“That saved $180,000 in interest over the life of the loan,” Hensel says.
Hensel points to a 2020 buyer who hoped for a 2.5% rate instead of taking 2.8%. “He’d go on and buy at 3.4% and pay an extra $40,000 because of price increases in the interim,” Hensel says.
Meanwhile, Glick had a client who held off in 2022, thinking more cuts were coming. “Rates spiked to 7% instead, and he overpaid $30,000 on a rushed bid,” Glick says.
Don’t overextend your budget
“A 0.5% drop might add $50,000 to what you qualify for, but that can lead to overbuying and financial strain if life throws curveballs like job loss,” says Glick.
He worked with a family who stretched to $500,000 post-cut, but later discovered that some property taxes that weren’t originally accounted for eroded their savings. This forced them to take on a side hustle to afford their home.
So, it can make sense to stick to conservative guidelines, even when mortgage lenders approve you to borrow more. Glick recommends keeping housing costs under 28% of your income and building in a 20% cushion for taxes and insurance.
The bottom line
The September Fed rate cut can create exciting opportunities, but success depends on preparation and realistic expectations. If you have a current mortgage loan with a rate above 7%, refinancing your loan could offer meaningful monthly savings, especially if you plan to stay put. Regardless of whether you’re buying or refinancing, though, Calixto suggests consulting a home lender who can analyze your situation. Rate cuts don’t affect all loan programs equally, so the mortgage rate advice that works for your neighbor might not be the best for you.
Sharon Wu, a senior writer with over a decade of experience, specializes in consumer-focused content covering home and finance topics such as insurance, investments, credit, debt, mortgages and home security.
Fox News Channel host Brian Kilmeade apologized on Sunday for advocating for the execution of mentally ill homeless people in a discussion on the network last week, saying his remark was “extremely callous.”
Kilmeade’s initial comment came on a “Fox & Friends” episode Wednesday and began getting widespread circulation online over the weekend. Kilmeade, a host of the morning show, was talking with co-hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt about the Aug. 22 stabbing murder of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A homeless and mentally ill man, Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested for murder, and the case received extensive attention on Fox following the release of a security video of the stabbing. Last week, the Justice Department announced that Brown is charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
Jones was talking on “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday about public money spent on trying to help homeless people and suggested that those who didn’t accept services offered to them should be jailed.
Earhardt interjected, “Why did it have to get to this point?” Kilmeade replied, “I will say this, we’re not voting for the right people.”
During an appearance on the “Fox & Friends” weekend show Sunday, Kilmeade said that “I wrongly said they should get lethal injection. I apologize for that extremely callous remark. I am obviously aware that not all mentally ill, homeless people act as the perpetrator did in North Carolina and that so many homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion.”
Fox News management did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Brian Kilmeade is seen on “Fox & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on August 27, 2025 in New York City.
Noam Galai / Getty Images
An advocate for homeless people said Sunday that Kilmeade’s remark had been “completely devoid of all humanity.” Christine Quinn, president and CEO of Win, a provider of shelter and services for homeless children in New York City, invited Kilmeade to volunteer in one of the organization’s shelters.
Kilmeade’s initial remark came hours before the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. An MSNBC analyst, Matthew Dowd, was fired for saying on the air that afternoon that hateful rhetoric can lead to hateful actions.
Brown, the suspect in the Charlotte murder, has a long criminal history, including serving five years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, and his family said he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Brown’s mother told a local television station she recently sought an involuntary psychiatric commitment after he became violent at home.
Zarutska’s relatives have said the 23-year-old came to the U.S. with to escape Russia’s war in Ukraine. Justice Department officials said Zarutska was living in a bomb shelter in Ukraine before moving.
The now second place Astros face the most pivotal week of the entire 2025 season this week with series against the Rangers and Mariners, both in Houston. Despite taking two of three in Atlanta, the Astros were overtaken by the Mariners, led by catcher Cal Raleigh, for first place in the AL West. The Rangers are just one game back.
This week could be the difference between the Astros winning the division or missing the playoffs entirely. Despite a162-game schedule, we are down to the final two weeks of the season to decide who will make the playoffs.
The offense must produce.
The Astros remain one of the worst offensive teams in the hunt for the playoffs. They are 23rd in runs scored, 17th in home runs, 22nd in OPS, and 19th in runners left in scoring position per game. It’s not good. Neither Seattle nor Texas are offensive juggernauts, but when the Astros score four or more runs, they are nearly unbeatable. Unfortunately, they don’t do that very often. If they want to win these two series and put themselves in the driver’s seat for the playoffs, they have to score.
Will starting pitching hold it down?
Framber Valdez had another rough outing on Sunday and the Astros remain a team absolutely worked over by injuries to their rotation. Yet, they have found a way through Cy Young hopeful Hunter Brown and A’s castoff Jason Alexander among others to keep their starting pitching not just surviving but succeeding against all odds. All three of these teams have gotten effective pitching from their starters but because of the injuries, it is more important to the Astros than anyone. It would help if Valdez managed to pull it together.
Is Isaac Paredes going to return?
When the Astros third baseman went down with a hamstring injury, it was assumed he would not be available until 2026. Miraculously, he might return this week. His patience at the plate and solid hitting skills should help bolster a struggling lineup. Where he fits in defensively is another question. Carlos Correa is clearly the better defender at third and, even with his offensive struggles, Christian Walker won’t be dislodged at first. Most likely, Paredes will play some designated hitter and ease his way back into the lineup. Let’s hope it helps.
Pushing through the injuries.
It’s been one of the most difficult years for the Astros when it comes to the training room. From Yordan Alvarez and Paredes to Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco, this has been a nightmare year for the Astros training staff. There will legitimately need to be a discussion about what happened, particularly with all the arm injuries to pitchers in the offseason. For now, the Astros hope to limp their way to the finish line.
This week on streaming promises the return of some of our favorite familiar faces. Whether it’s the complicated and ever-compelling production of a morning news program, the gangster dealings and wax-on portrayals of a general in Tulsa, the sexy strategizing on a remote island, or hanging out with your favorite friends of the future—there’s a lot to be excited about. The Morning Show (Season 4)
An early hit for the Apple TV+ streamer was anchored by two giants in Hollywood, both in television and in film, Jennifer Aniston—most famous for her role as Rachel on Friends and a long run as a romantic comedy actress—and Reese Witherspoon, who rose to prominence with several films, none bigger than Legally Blonde in the early 2000s. When the two teamed together for The Morning Show, along with Steve Carell, it was a standout for, at the time, one of the least talked about streaming platforms.
Since then, The Morning Show has turned into an absolute behemoth and has anchored Apple and helped push it into the forefront in this new streaming television age.
Fourth seasons of shows in today’s climate are hard to come by. Keeping an audience engaged for that amount of time in the TikTokification of our culture is an impressive feat, and Season 4 of The Morning Show is being released this week.
I got a chance to talk to Charlotte Stoudt, the showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the show, and Mimi Leder, the director and executive producer, about their thoughts coming into this season. Stoudt explained that the show almost writes itself because of the turbulent era we’re living through. The world throws so much at us, she said, that “it’s really about subtracting and not saying all the things” and shaping it into a story the characters can carry. Leder agreed, pointing out that every storyline “really has to come out of the characters” and fit organically with who they are.
Also back this season are Billy Crudup, who plays Corey Ellison, and Mark Duplass as Chip Black. Crudup admitted that stepping into a multi-season show was a new experience for him. “Even in the beginning of the series, we only had two episodes,” he said, so plotting out an arc was difficult. What he discovered, though, was that “my job is really to follow the writers… if I have enough curiosity and vulnerability.”
Duplass took a more self-deprecating tack, joking, “It’s not a challenge for me because I have much less integrity than Billy does. I just wake up in the morning, learn the words, and say them.” But he also praised the writers for noticing dynamics—like the complicated push-and-pull between Chip and Alex—and leaning into them in ways that made the relationships richer as the show evolved.
The Morning Show Season 4 debuts with its first episode on September 17.
Tulsa King (Season 3)
Since Yellowstone captured national attention and popularity, the Taylor Sheridan universe has rapidly expanded more than—insert your favorite joke here—Starbucks has seasonal drinks, with shows like Landman, Lioness, 1883, and 1923. Sheridan has continued to build on his Texas-based empire, and returning for Season 3 is the Sylvester Stallone-led series Tulsa King.
Tulsa King follows Stallone’s character Dwight Manfredi as he gets out of prison and his old mob ties send him down to Tulsa, Oklahoma in order to start up some business. During his tenure, he gets into it with a biker gang, another rival mafia family, a weed dispensary, and even opens up his own honky-tonk. Season 2 ended with quite the cliffhanger, as Manfredi was taken captive, but Sheridan continues to prove his ability to stay relevant, present, and engaged in projects audiences actually want to see.
Tulsa King and Landman are two of my personal favorites to come out on Paramount+, a platform that has bet everything seemingly on Sheridan. And much like Howard Stern was for early adopters of SiriusXM, Sheridan alone is bringing a massive audience into Paramount+.
In Season 3, Manfredi’s criminal empire in Tulsa expands, attracting the attention of a dangerous new adversary: the powerful, old-money Dunmire family, with Robert Patrick joining the cast as Jeremiah Dunmire. He also faces Russell Lee Washington Jr., a former prison associate sent by the New York Renzetti family to eliminate him, played by Samuel L. Jackson. The new season, premiering September 21, 2025, introduces both Jackson and Patrick, with Dave Erickson taking over as showrunner.
Season 3 of Tulsa King officially begins September 18, and this earlier year Jackson’s character has already been announced as the centerpiece of a spinoff titled NOLA King.
Love Island Games on Peacock
Peacock has always been searching for its lane in the streaming wars, and after losing the rights to WWE Premium Live Events to ESPN earlier this year, staples like Love Island have become even more important—and more exploited.
There’s no question about it: Season 7 of Love Island USA was one of the most talked-about shows on the internet. It created viral moments, memes, and in its own way, launched a fresh wave of reality television stars who quickly parlayed their fame into mainstream opportunities—brand deals, acting gigs, and influencer partnerships. Standouts like Huda, along with the rest of the season’s breakout cast, have all managed to turn villa drama into viable careers.
But Love Island Games is more than just an American hit—it’s a global phenomenon. Much like MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge, the series now brings familiar faces from around the world together in Love Island Games. Season 2 is here, and it features returning stars ready to compete not only for romance but also for pride and bragging rights. From the U.S. side, fan favorites like Adriana Santos Marte, Andrea Carmona and Charlie Georgios headline the cast.
The formula is familiar: there will be steamy hookups, shocking recouplings, and fan-favorite contests like the Heartbeat Challenge. But this time, the stakes are raised with competitive events that force Islanders into alliances, rivalries, and strategy sessions. Instead of pulling someone aside for a quiet chat, contestants might be whispering about game plans.
Nevertheless, Love Island Games promises to be bingeable, addictive, and—true to form—social-media-ready. It’s sexy, it’s competitive, and it’s guaranteed to stir conversations well beyond the villa.
Love Island Games Season 2 streams this week on Peacock
Futurama (Season 13)
Is it strange to be nostalgic about the future? Well, coming up this week on streaming, Hulu continues its revival with the 13th season of Futurama.
Originally debuting on the Fox Network in 1999, then revived again in 2008, and finally for its third iteration in 2023 on Hulu, the series follows Philip J. Fry, who’s cryogenically preserved for a thousand years. He wakes up in the year 2000—or 2999, depending on how you read the timeline—and from there the adventure begins.
So the singular sentence to summarize the season, the sizzling season ahead reads: Bender is campaigning, rampaging out of control. A volcano is about to explode. Fry confronts a rival for Leela’s love. And Dr. Zoidberg is risen to heaven. The excitement might be too much. You’ve all been warned.
It’s a whole new season of Futurama. That tease alone is enough to get all fans of the sci-fi adult animated show excited. And if that wasn’t enough, Hulu has decided to ditch the week-to-week format for this season of Futurama and allow you to binge the show in its entirety.
So, you can figure out why Bender is battling a kaiju on September 15.
