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GOP senators say Harris should testify on Biden cognitive decline probe

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As the 11th member of former President Joe Biden’s administration appeared before the House Oversight Committee this week, Fox News Digital asked senators on Capitol Hill if former Vice President Kamala Harris should testify next. 

“I think they should take her behind closed doors and figure out what she knows and what she’s willing to talk about,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said. 

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is leading the investigation into the alleged cover-up of Biden’s cognitive decline and use of the autopen during his tenure as president. 

Comer said on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” last month that the “odds” of Harris getting a subpoena to appear before the House Oversight Committee are “very high.” 

INSIDE THE BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE: 8 AIDES QUESTIONED, MORE ON THE WAY

The House Oversight Committee could issue a subpoena for former Vice President Kamala Harris to testify about the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s mental decline.  (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While Marshall told Fox News Digital that Harris should testify, he admitted, “I don’t think you need her testimony to show Americans what I knew as a physician a long time ago, that Joe Biden had a neurodegenerative disease of some sort.”

HOUSE REPUBLICANS FLOAT GRILLING JOE, JILL BIDEN AS FORMER AIDES STONEWALL COVER-UP PROBE

Marshall has a medical degree from the University of Kansas and practiced medicine for more than 25 years before running for public office. 

“All you had to do is look at his very fixed, flat face,” Marshall explained. “Look at his gait, the way he walked. He had a shuffled walk. He didn’t move his arms, hardly at all. When he talked, it was very monotone, a very soft voice. He had malingering thought processes. I don’t think it took much to figure that out.”

Sen. Roger Marshall speaks to media

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 4, 2021. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

After listing the former president’s symptoms, the Kansas senator lamented that Biden “turned weakness into war,” creating a national security threat. 

During Biden’s presidency, the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in the death of 13 U.S. soldiers, Russia invaded Ukraine and Hamas attacked Israel, triggering the ongoing war in Gaza.

But as Republicans demand transparency, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital that he is far more worried about the “challenges we face right now,” particularly on the economy, inflation and the impact of Trump’s tariff policies. 

joe biden ahead of debate in georgia

Joe Biden reacts to a light display at his debate watch party at Hyatt Regency Atlanta on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Derek White/Getty Images for DNC)

Meanwhile, Sen. John Hoeven R-N.D., defended the accountability argument, telling Fox News Digital that Americans “always want more information and more transparency.”

“If you’re involved in an administration, you [should] always be willing to come in and say what you did and why you did it, and you know what it’s all about. I mean, that’s how it works, and that’s what the American people want,” he said. 

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Fox News Digital reached out to Biden and Harris for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

Ancient artifacts of sunken city plucked from seafloor in Egypt

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Ancient artifacts dating back to a sunken city from more than 2,000 years ago were pulled out of the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday, according to Egyptian officials.

The historic treasures — which included a statue of a sphinx, Roman coins and other relics— were brought to shore by archaeologists and divers from the waters of Abu Qir Bay near the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, The Associated Press reported.

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The relics came from a site that may have been an extension of Canopus, an ancient city that existed during the Ptolemaic dynasty as well as the Roman Empire, news outlet Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Divers watch as a crane pulls an artifact from the waters at Abu Qir Bay in Alexandria, Egypt, Thursday, as part of an event organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to recover sunken antiquities. (Khaeld Desouki/AFP via Getty Images)

“These artifacts date back to ancient periods, dating back to the Ptolemaic era, immediately after the construction of the city of Alexandria, and extending to the Roman era,” Mohamed Ismail, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, told AFP.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER MULTISTORY BUILDINGS IN ONCE-THRIVING CITY LOST TO TIME

All the statues are missing their heads and feet — damage that Ismail attributes to a natural disaster such as a tsunami or earthquake, according to AFP.

EGYPT-ARCHAEOLOGY

A crane pulls an artifact from the waters at Abu Qir Bay in Alexandria, Egypt, Thursday, as part of an event organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to recover sunken antiquities.  (Khaeld Desouki/AFP via Getty Images)

“These artifacts confirm that this place was once a fully integrated residential city and that the current location was a port,” Ismail added. “These pieces indicate that Alexandria was submerged in water as a result of a major earthquake or tsunami, and therefore all the statues are missing their heads and feet.”

ANCIENT CHRISTIAN TOMB COMPLEX REVEALED BENEATH RUBBLE FROM SYRIA’S CIVIL WAR

Alexandria, the second-largest city in Egypt, contains a wealth of historic ruins but is slowly sinking due to rising sea levels. One-third of the city will be uninhabitable by 2050, AFP reported, citing forecasts from the United Nations.

Egypt recovers new artefacts submerged in the Mediterranean

An ancient artifact is retrieved from the seabed at Abu Qir port in Alexandria, Egypt, Thursday. (Gehad Hamdy/picture alliance via Getty Images)

In a similar find, Egyptian officials announced earlier this year the discovery of a 3,000-year-old mining complex, complete with remnants of ancient homes, workshops and even baths.

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The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

11-year-old’s emotional call about heart transplant surgery goes viral

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An 11-year-old Ohio girl delivered the phone call of a lifetime, as she told her dad she was finally getting the heart transplant she’d been waiting for.

Ava Cooper, who was born in 2014 with several heart defects, underwent her first open-heart surgery at just 6 days old, SWNS reported.

Despite these treatments, her health took a turn in May 2024 when a sinus infection spiraled into heart failure. 

ORGAN DONORS’ LIVES ENDANGERED BY RUSHED TRANSPLANT PROCEDURES, INVESTIGATION FINDS

Doctors placed Cooper on the transplant list for a new heart, which seemed to be her only chance of survival, per SWNS.

“Heart transplants are recommended for children who have serious heart problems,” as stated by Johns Hopkins Medicine. “These children won’t be able to live unless their heart is replaced.”

Ava Cooper spent more than 200 days at Cleveland Clinic waiting for a donor heart. (SWNS)

Various health organizations report that the surgery is meant to replace a heart that can’t function as it should.

The healthy organ comes from a donor, typically an adult or child who is critically ill, often because of injury.

FORMER UFC FIGHTER BEN ASKREN RECEIVES DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT DUE TO PNEUMONIA BATTLE, WIFE SAYS

Cooper spent more than 200 days at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital as her family waited anxiously for an update. That moment came in March 2025. 

Her mother, Jamie Cooper, received the life-changing news and quickly shared it with the girl’s father, Sean Cooper, who was at home with the couple’s younger daughter.

Ava Cooper, 11.

Cooper, born in 2014, had her first open-heart surgery when she was just 6 days old. (SWNS)

He answered the phone to hear his little girl say, “Daddy, I’m getting a heart.”

“Oh, my goodness … Oh my goodness, Ava,” her dad said over the video call, his voice welling with emotion, according to SWNS.

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The heart transplant took place later that month, performed by pediatric and congenital heart surgeon Hani Najm, M.D.

Sean with daughter Ava Cooper.

Sean Cooper is pictured with his daughter, Ava, who received a heart transplant. (SWNS)

“I was so excited and couldn’t believe it was actually happening,” Ava Cooper told SWNS regarding the experience.

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After eight long months in the hospital, she was finally strong enough to return home. And for Sean, that phone call remains unforgettable.

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“Hearing Ava say those words, ‘I’m getting a heart,’ was overwhelming,” he said to SWNS.

“After everything she’d been through, we were finally one step closer to coming home for good.”

Scientists discover protein in the brain that could reverse effects of aging

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Scientists at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) may have discovered a cause of aging in the brain.

The culprit is a protein called ferritin light chain 1 (FTL1), described as an iron-associated protein identified as a “pro-aging neuronal factor that impairs cognition.”

The study, published in the journal Nature Aging, compared how genes and proteins in the hippocampus – the region of the brain responsible for learning and memory – changed over time in old and young mice.

WHAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE TO 100 YEARS OLD HAVE IN COMMON, ACCORDING TO SCIENCE

Aged mice had a higher amount of FTL1, as well as fewer brain cell connections in the hippocampus and diminished cognitive abilities, according to a UCSF press release.

When FTL1 was artificially increased in young mice, their brains began to mimic the brains and behaviors of old mice.

Scientists may have discovered what causes aging in the brain. (iStock)

When the protein was decreased in the old mice, they “regained their youth,” had more nerve cell connections and performed better on memory tests.

FTL1 also slowed down metabolism in the hippocampus cells of old mice.

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The researchers discovered, however, that treating these cells with a metabolism stimulation compound prevented these effects.

Microscope in front of screens with brain scans.

When the protein was decreased in the old mice, they “regained their youth,” had more nerve cell connections and performed better on memory tests. (iStock)

Saul Villeda, PhD, associate director of the UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute and senior author of the paper, said he considers these findings a “reversal of impairment.”

“It’s much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms,” he said in a press release statement.

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“We’re seeing more opportunities to alleviate the worst consequences of old age. It’s a hopeful time to be working on the biology of aging.”

Dr. Paul Saphier, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, called these findings “really interesting” in an interview with Fox News Digital.

senior man confused

Alzheimer’s disease is directly linked to a buildup of amyloid proteins within the brain, research has shown. (iStock)

“There is no doubt that as proteins accumulate in various parts of the brain, certain neurodegenerative disorders occur,” he said. “Alzheimer’s disease is directly linked to a build-up of amyloid proteins within the brain.”

“It’s much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms.”

“If there is a mechanism by which we can slow and/or reverse the build-up of this FTL1 protein in the hippocampus, which is the main memory center of the brain, it stands to reason that we may improve/enhance cognition.”

Previous research has shown that modulating sugar and protein can reduce the rate of aging, Saphier pointed out.

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“I support this research and am certain there is ultimately going to be a breakthrough in this area,” he added.

The study was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, the Bakar Aging Research Institute and the National Institute on Aging.

Summer heat poses serious health risks for older adults, expert warns

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The summer heat can be tough on anyone’s body and mind — but the stakes are higher for seniors.

Extreme heat may speed up “biological aging” in older individuals, raising concerns about its impact on long-term health, according to a recent study published in the journal Science Advances.

Dr. Macie P. Smith, a licensed social worker and gerontologist based in South Carolina, weighed in on the relationship between heat and aging in an interview with Fox News Digital. (See the video at the top of this article.)

‘I’M A CARDIOLOGIST – HERE’S HOW THE SUMMER HEAT COULD DAMAGE YOUR HEART’

Seniors run the risk of becoming dehydrated — which, when coupled with extreme heat, can be a “recipe for disaster,” including events such as heatstroke, she said.

“Dehydration is one of the most common reasons our seniors are hospitalized,” Smith added.

Senior woman rubbing forehead while gardening outdoors – tiredness concept (selective focus) (iStock)

Often, seniors don’t drink enough water because they want to avoid frequent urination, Smith suggested, and the sense of thirst also fades with age.

“Simply because they’re not thirsty doesn’t mean they don’t need to hydrate themselves,” she said. “They still need to be well-hydrated … especially during extreme heat.”

“When we think about the extreme heat and the effects it has on a senior’s body … we’re talking about their brain function as well.”

Certain medications commonly taken by seniors — such as pills that reduce fluid retention, also known as diuretics or water pills — can further dehydrate the body.

Dehydration can also lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can have a severe impact on seniors, often mimicking symptoms of late-stage dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, Smith noted.

EXTREME HEAT AFFECTS THE BRAIN — HERE’S HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COGNITIVE HEALTH

Signs of dehydration can include dry mouth, the inability to produce tears and clammy skin.

“From sun-up to sundown, you want to be sure that you are drinking and eating foods that are going to ensure that you stay well-hydrated and that you are not putting yourself at risk of hospitalization,” the expert said.

Senior man drinking water at the basketball court

Seniors should seek physical activity before the peak hours of the day when it is hottest outside, experts advise. (iStock)

Seniors also typically experience reduced body and muscle mass, thinner skin, and a reduced ability to regulate body temperature as they age, according to Smith.

The effects of heat can strain the body not just physically, but also cognitively and emotionally, the expert noted.

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“Stress ages people prematurely,” Smith said. “When we think about the extreme heat and the effects it has on a senior’s body … we’re talking about their brain function as well.”

Smith pointed out that many seniors are still very active — and while this should be encouraged, it’s also important to keep the time of day in mind. 

senior cools down with fan during the summer heat.

Seniors often have a reduced ability to regulate body temperature as they age, according to experts. (iStock)

“We want to be sure that seniors are doing the bulk of their activities during the morning hours before the extreme heat hits, which could be as early as 11 a.m.,” she said.

This advice especially applies to seniors who live in warmer areas of the U.S., like Florida or Las Vegas.

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“Before you go to bed, take stock of what the temperature is going to be for the next day,” Smith advised. “Test your cooling system regularly to make sure it works.”

There are grant programs that can help seniors ensure that they have proper cooling systems in their homes, she noted. 

Electric fan cooling an elderly woman sitting on the sofa in the living room

For those with a senior loved one who may need assistance during the hot summer months, an expert recommends checking in and making sure they’re living in an environment at an appropriate temperature and are properly hydrated. (iStock)

For those with a senior loved one who may need assistance during the hot summer months, Smith suggests checking in and making sure they’re living in an environment at an appropriate temperature and are properly hydrated.

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“You want to find creative ways to be respectful and to ensure their independence while ensuring that they are maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” she said. 

“This all helps them to age well and not prematurely.”

Fox News Digital’s Khloe Quill contributed to this report.

Las Vegas summer tourism decline blamed on tariffs and high food prices

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During a recent board meeting of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), officials addressed factors that have contributed to the decline of tourists this summer in Sin City.

Steve Hill, the group’s president, spoke of the impact tariffs are having on both returning and potential new visitors. 

“Some of the decisions our administration has made around international relations [have] caused a drop in tourism,” said Hill, according to local outlet KTNV Las Vegas. He noted in particular a drop in Canadian visitors. 

VEGAS CASINO OWNER FIRES BACK AT ‘EXAGGERATED’ CLAIMS OF SIN CITY’S DEMISE

Others have pointed to the high prices in Vegas.

Circa Resort & Casino CEO Derek Stevens told Fox News Digital, “I think some people are feeling Vegas is maybe pricing itself out.” (See the video at the top of this article.)

“I think some people are feeling Vegas is maybe pricing itself out,” said one Sin City insider.  (Circa Casino & Resort)

Getting a steak in Las Vegas is not as inexpensive as it used to be,” he said.

“The days of Vegas being a place to visit because of cheap buffets and things like that are a bit in the past.”

“As with any other city, things evolve.”

He added, “I understand how a number of people are talking about missing some of those elements — but as with any other city, things evolve.”

Stevens acknowledged that the state of Vegas tourism is a nuanced one — and that overall, the restaurant business is very challenging.

LAS VEGAS CASINO CULTURE SUFFERS REJECTION BY GAMBLERS OF YOUNGER GENERATIONS

Circa has a total of 11 dining options, including restaurants, bars and cafés.

“I think every property owner wants to design a very broad-ranging restaurant selection because people like to eat where they wake up,” Stevens said. “They like to get coffee where they wake up.”

las vegas casinos low tourism

Vegas visitors are “a bit more adventurous at lunch, although it has to be convenient” for them, said one insider.  (iStock)

The industry has taken notice, he said, that visitors are “a bit more adventurous at lunch, although it has to be convenient” for them.

“And then [for] dinner, you’re competing against the entire city,” Stevens continued. “Everybody’s trying to go to the new hotspot.”

Other contributing factors 

The Culinary Workers Union, which represents 60,000 Vegas workers, recently renewed or created several new contracts with major casinos in the city. 

LAS VEGAS CASINO CULTURE SUFFERS REJECTION BY GAMBLERS OF YOUNGER GENERATIONS

“There was a relatively new culinary union contract that was signed that increased some costs,” Stevens said.

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Workers Union, previously told Fox News Digital that companies had frozen hiring and were making targeted cuts to part-time workers’ hours. 

“If it continues, it could bleed into the full-timers,” he added.

las vegas casino food

There has been “aggressive price-gouging by hospitality venues,” said one consultant.  (Circa Casino & Resort)

Pappageorge also called the tipped income tax exemption in President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill” a “welcome relief.” 

He pointed out, however, that if workers aren’t “making the tips, the credit doesn’t help.”

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Some industry observers have said the issues are more local.

“Many attribute [Vegas’ current problems] not only to a general dip in international travel demand to the U.S., but also to aggressive price-gouging by hospitality venues,” Rob DelliBovi, a consultant and founder of the Miami-based RDB Hospitality Group, previously told Fox News Digital. 

las vegas strip empty

“Guests are pushing back on $18 bottles of water in the minibar and $37 martinis.” (iStock)

“Guests are pushing back on $18 bottles of water in the minibar and $37 martinis.”

Still, Stevens of Circa takes a more measured view.

“It’s not as if the sky is falling,” he said, according to The Associated Press.

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Circa has introduced inexpensive package deals to lure those with less money to spend.

“Vegas continues to reinvent itself as a destination worth visiting,” he said. 

Deirdre Bardolf of Fox News Digital, plus The Associated Press, contributed reporting. 

Kansas reports 6 West Nile virus cases this year, 5 considered serious

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Kansas health officials say they are monitoring six West Nile virus cases this year and five of them have been considered serious.

As of Aug. 15, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) shows three cases located in the north-central Kansas region and three more in the south-central part of the state.

The KDHE says that five of the six cases are classified as neuroinvasive. Jill Bronaugh, a KDHE spokesperson, said non-neuroinvasive cases are less severe, according to a report by KSNT. 

Bronaugh explained that infected subjects with non-neuroinvasive cases have flu-like symptoms and neuroinvasive cases are much more severe.

MOSQUITO-BORN DENGUE FEVER CASES SURGE AT POPULAR US VACATION DESTINATION

A West Nile virus 3D illustration. The West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquito and causes West Nile fever. (iStock)

“Neuroinvasive cases are those in which there is clinical evidence of involvement of the central nervous system in the disease process,” Bronaugh said. “These cases are generally more severe and include symptoms such as high fever, inflammation of the brain and/or the tissue surrounding the brain, disorientation, paralysis or muscle weakness, numbness, and vision loss. These cases generally have a longer recovery time and require more extensive medical intervention.”

According to a report by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the numbers are still below last year’s totals, but some health officials are warning that the risk will rise as mosquito activity peaks in late summer.

Last year, Kansas recorded 64 infections, including four deaths, according to KDHE data.

MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS SPREADING THROUGH CHINA CAUSES HIGH FEVER, JOINT PAIN

A mosquito on human skin

A Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito is seen on the skin of a human host in the Centerd for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (REUTERS/CDC/James Gathany)

KDHE currently has a West Nile virus dashboard, which is updated on Fridays during the surveillance season, July through September.

According to the CDC, WNV is commonly spread through bites from infected mosquitoes during mosquito season starting in the summer.

Peak numbers are from August to early September, the CDC website reports, and yearly about 2,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed, although those numbers are low due to under-reporting caused by mild symptoms.

The CDC says typical symptoms such as high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, or paralysis tend to show up 2–6 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

PLEASANT HILL, CA - JUNE 29: Mosquitos are seen inside a trap on June 29, 2012 in Pleasant Hill, California. As reports of mosquitoes with West Nile virus are increasing across the country and several people have been confirmed to be infected by the potentially dangerous disease, the Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control District is testing mosquito larvae found in standing water throughout the county and is using mosquito fish and BVA Larvacide oils to eradicate the pest. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Mosquitos are seen inside a trap in Pleasant Hill, California.  (Getty Images)

Unfortunately, there are no medicines available to treat West Nile, but the CDC notes that most who are infected recover.

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The CDC says that most people infected with the West Nile virus “are believed to have lifelong immunity or protection from getting the disease again.”

Health officials have urged residents to use precautions when going outdoors to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Officials suggest using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors, and eliminating standing water around homes where mosquitoes can breed.

Federal judge issues ruling blocking expansion of Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

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A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday blocking Florida from further expanding the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’ injunction formalized the temporary halt she had ordered two weeks ago.

Witnesses continued to testify over multiple days in a hearing to determine whether construction of the facility should stop until the case is decided.

Advocates have argued that the expansion of the facility violated environmental laws.

LAWSUITS THREATEN TO UPEND ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ OPERATIONS

In an aerial view from a helicopter, the migrant detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” is seen located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport on July 4, 2025 in Ochopee, Florida. (Alon Skuy/Getty Images)

Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe said that further construction and operations at the facility should be stopped until state and federal officials complied with environmental laws. Their lawsuit argued that the detention center threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that have protected plants and animals and that it would reverse billions of dollars in environmental restoration.

Attorneys for the state and federal governments claimed that the construction and operation of the facility was under the state of Florida despite its use for holding federal detainees, meaning the federal environmental law would not apply.

The judge found that the detention center was at least a joint partnership between the state and federal government.

Williams said she expected the number of detainees in the facility to dip within 60 days through transfers to other facilities, and that fencing, lighting and generators should be removed. She said the state and federal defendants cannot bring anyone other than current detainees at the facility onto the property.

The order does not halt modifications or repairs to existing facilities, which the judge said are “solely for the purpose of increasing safety or mitigating environmental or other risks at the site.”

FLORIDA TO OPEN ‘DEPORTATION DEPOT’ AT SHUTTERED PRISON WEEKS AFTER LAUNCHING ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ FACILITY

Alligator Alcatraz aerial view

An aerial view of a migrant detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” is seen located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida on July 7, 2025.  (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

The preliminary injunction includes “those who are in active concert or participation with” the state of Florida or federal defendants or their officers, agents or employees, she wrote.

State officials failed to sufficiently explain why the facility needed to be in the middle of the Florida Everglades.

“What is apparent, however, is that in their haste to construct the detention camp, the State did not consider alternative locations,” Williams said.

Florida officials criticized the ruling on Thursday.

“Just this week, a judge in the same district as Judge Williams refused to hear a case because the Southern District of Florida was the improper venue for suits about Alligator Alcatraz,” Jeremy Redfern, a spokesperson for the Florida attorney general’s office, said in a statement to Fox News. “Once again, she oversteps her authority, and we will appeal this unlawful decision.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the “fix was in” and “we knew this judge was not giving us a fair shake.”

“We totally expected an adverse ruling,” he told Fox News. “And we also knew we were going to immediately appeal and get that decision stayed. So we will ultimately be successful in this. It’s not going to stop our resolve. We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to help the Trump administration remove illegal aliens from our country. You know, that’s the mandate that they have. So we anticipated this, but I don’t think it’s going to be insurmountable in the end.”

Donald Trump and Kristi Noem tour Alligator Alcatraz

US President Donald Trump tours a migrant detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida on July 1, 2025.  (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump toured the facility last month and suggested it could be used as a model for future facilities across the country to support his efforts to detain and deport migrants.

The detention center was quickly built about two months ago at a single-runway training airport in the middle of the Everglades. It now holds nearly 500 detainees but was designed to eventually hold up to 3,000 in temporary tents.

The facility’s large white tents feature rows of bunkbeds surrounded by chain-link cages. Detainees complained of worms in the food, toilets not flushing, floors flooded with fecal waste and insects everywhere. The air conditioners also sometimes abruptly shut off in the sweltering heat.

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Detainees also reportedly go days without showers or receiving their prescription medicine, and they are only permitted to speak to lawyers and loved ones by phone.

Fox News’ Danamarie McNicholl-Carter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

3I/ATLAS comet might generate light through nuclear power, physicist says

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A Harvard physicist who sounded the alarm earlier this month about a rare interstellar object passing through our solar system — and suggested it might be more than a comet — now says it could even be a nuclear-powered spaceship.

The object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, was first detected in early July by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. It marks only the third time an interstellar object has been observed entering our solar system, according to NASA.

While NASA classified the object as a comet, Dr. Avi Loeb pointed out that an image showed an unexpected glow in front of the object rather than trailing behind it — something he called “quite surprising.”

In a blog post this week, Loeb wrote that the object’s brightness profile cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.

METEORITE FRAGMENT THAT SLAMMED THROUGH HOMEOWNER’S ROOF IS BILLIONS OF YEARS OLD, PREDATES EARTH: PROFESSOR

Astronomers discovered an unusual object entered our solar system earlier this month, but a Harvard physicist is sounding alarms that the object could be an alien probe.

Astronomers discovered an unusual object entering our solar system earlier this month. (NASA, ESA, David Jewitt (UCLA); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI))

Instead, he suggested, 3I/ATLAS might be generating its own light — possibly from nuclear energy.

“Alternatively, 3I/ATLAS could be a spacecraft powered by nuclear energy, and the dust emitted from its frontal surface might be from dirt that accumulated on its surface during its interstellar travel,” Loeb wrote. “This cannot be ruled out, but requires better evidence to be viable.”

Loeb dismissed other natural power sources. A primordial black hole, he said, would generate only about 20 nanowatts — far too weak. A radioactive fragment from a supernova was highly unlikely given its rarity, and frictional heating from interstellar gas and dust was ruled out by momentum and density constraints.

RARE JUPITER-SIZED PLANET DISCOVERED 3,200 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY USING EINSTEIN’S SPACE-TIME WARPING METHOD

Astronomers discovered an unusual object entered our solar system earlier this month, but a Harvard physicist is sounding alarms that the object could be an alien probe.

A Harvard physicist is sounding alarms that the object could be an alien probe. (Avi Loeb)

That leaves the simplest explanation: a central, compact, high-power source. The most natural way to achieve the gigawatt-level luminosity observed, Loeb noted, would be nuclear power.

Still, Loeb does not claim the object is nuclear-powered. He stresses there is only one possible interpretation if natural models fail — and proving it would require more evidence.

3I/ATLAS is estimated at about 20 kilometers across, larger than Manhattan.

Loeb has also raised questions about its unusual trajectory.

“If you imagine objects entering the solar system from random directions, just one in 500 of them would be aligned so well with the orbits of the planets,” Loeb told Fox News Digital earlier this month.

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER ANCIENT RADIO SIGNALS FROM DISTANT GALAXY CLUSTER

Astronomers discovered an unusual object entered our solar system earlier this month, but a Harvard physicist is sounding alarms that the object could be an alien probe.

The interstellar object, which comes from the center of the Milky Way, is also expected to pass near Mars, Venus, and Jupiter. (ATLAS/University of Hawaii/NASA)

The interstellar object, which comes from the center of the Milky Way, is also expected to pass near Mars, Venus, and Jupiter — another improbable coincidence, he said.

“It also comes close to each of them, with a probability of one in 20,000,” he said.

According to NASA, 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to the sun — about 130 million miles away — on October 30.

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“If it turns out to be technological, it would obviously have a big impact on the future of humanity,” Loeb said. “We have to decide how to respond to that.”

Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report.



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California resident tests positive for plague after likely infected flea bite

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A California resident has tested positive for the plague after likely being bitten by an infected flea on a Lake Tahoe camping trip, health officials confirmed.

The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency said Tuesday the individual is recovering at home under medical supervision. 

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) notified local officials of the case, prompting an investigation.

“It’s believed that the person may have been bitten by an infected flea while camping in the South Lake Tahoe area. Health officials are investigating the situation,” the county said in a news release.

ARIZONA RESIDENT DIES OF PNEUMONIC PLAGUE, THE FIRST DEADLY CASE IN AREA IN NEARLY 20 YEARS

Plague bacteria (Yersinia pestis) cause bubonic plague and are carried in the pathogen of rats and there are still many regions where the disease occurs. (istock)

Plague bacteria are most commonly spread by fleas that have fed on infected squirrels, chipmunks, or other wild rodents. 

From 2021 through 2024, El Dorado County identified 41 rodents showing evidence of plague exposure. In 2025 so far, four more plague-positive rodents have been found in the Tahoe Basin.

Human plague infections are extremely rare in the U.S., averaging about seven cases per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most occur in the western states, particularly northern New Mexico and Arizona.

DOCTORS REVEAL KEY SIGNS OF LYME DISEASE AS TICK SEASON INTENSIFIES ACROSS US

Lake Tahoe

A Lake Tahoe camper tested positive for the Plague, likely from an infected flea bite. (istock)

Symptoms often begin with the bubonic form of the plague, which can cause health issues including fever, headache, chills, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes. Without treatment, it can progress to septicemic plague, which can cause stomach pain and bleeding into the skin.

“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher-elevation areas of El Dorado County,” said Kyle Fliflet, the county’s acting public health director.

 “It’s important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking, or camping in areas where wild rodents are present.”

RARE TICK-BORNE VIRUS CAUSING NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS DIAGNOSED IN NORTHEASTERN STATE

Gray rat

Plague bacteria are most often transmitted by the bites of fleas from rodents and other wild animals. (iStock)

The most recent human case in El Dorado County before this one was reported in 2020, also thought to have come from the South Lake Tahoe area.

In 2015, two people contracted the plague after exposure to infected rodents or fleas in Yosemite National Park. Both recovered after treatment. Those were the first human cases in California since 2006, officials said.

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Health authorities continue to investigate the latest case in Lake Tahoe. 

“The person is fine and under medical care and the investigation is underway,” El Dorado Deputy Chief Administrator, Carla Hass, told Fox News Digital.