NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Bill Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time,” had a message for Democrats looking to spoil the upcoming America 250 celebration over their distaste for President Donald Trump: Don’t be so petty. Referring to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which featured many American flags, he argued, “You can’t take back the flag in an hour if the rest of the time you treat patriotism as something vaguely embarrassing.” Maher’s closing commentary on Friday came as the country is ramping up for its annual Fourth of July celebration, with Trump vowing to go big this year for America’s 250th anniversary. Despite the festivities, many Democrats are refusing to participate in the fun, citing their unhappiness with Trump as the primary catalyst — a decision Maher blasted Friday night while taking jabs at both sides.DEMOCRATS PROJECT DOOM AND GLOOM, NOT CELEBRATION, WITH JULY 4 MESSAGES “I’m not saying Trump doesn’t want to muddy the distinction between himself and the country,” Maher said. “He sure as s— does.” “That’s what wannabe authoritarians do,” he continued. “They try to blur the line. Don’t be an accomplice.” The TV host condemned the liberal argument that the country should not be celebrated just because…

In 1937, the Curtiss SBC Helldiver entered service, but even at that point, the carrier-based two-seat scout/dive bomber was on the verge of being obsolete. Interestingly, it was also the second aircraft produced by Curtiss-Wright to earn the designation “Helldiver” after the United States Marine Corps’ version of the Curtiss Falcon, operated by the U.S. Navy as the F8C Falcon. Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver of Bombing Squadron Ten (VB-10), USS Intrepid (CV-11), flies over Tientsin, China, as the city is reoccupied by the Allies in September 1945. Image: U.S. Navy The name was recycled just six years later with the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 2, a carrier-based dive bomber designed to supplement and replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless. To suggest it had a rocky start and a less-than-stellar service life would be a severe understatement. Still, it went on to be produced in large numbers and saw extensive service in the Pacific Theater. It initially earned a reputation for poor handling, structural flaws, and unreliability. Yet, it became the primary dive bomber in service at the end of the Second World War, with its success attributed as much to the skill and bravery of the pilots as to the aircraft. The landing officer…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! At 85, Ann-Margret still has a need for speed.The “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Viva Las Vegas” legend is opening her personal archives to fans, partnering with Julien’s Auctions to sell cherished keepsakes, household items and glamorous Bob Mackie-designed costumes beginning June 23.One of the sale’s crown jewels is her custom 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883 Hugger, adorned with a mauve-and-daisy design and ridden by the star for more than 20 years.GOLDIE HAWN CREDITS ‘FREEDOM’ FOR KEEPING 43-YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH KURT RUSSELL STRONG When asked by Fox News Digital what riding means to her, the actress, without missing a beat, declared, “Freedom, freedom, freedom!”Ann-Margret noted that she loves the “speed” and still happily rides today. “Back in Sweden, my uncle, my mother’s brother, he had a big motorcycle,” she said. “I watched him, and of course, I asked him if I could ride with him. And I did. And that was it. I had to have one of my own.”WATCH: ELVIS PRESLEY’S 1968 BORDELLO SCENE WAS CUT FOR BEING TOO RACY: DOCWith zero hesitation, Ann-Margret replied, “nope” when asked whether she was ever scared.”Isn’t that something?” she said. “I never have been. I love…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! For months, senior Trump administration officials argued that Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal helped shield Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and was a key reason the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury attacks on the country. Now, President Donald Trump is suggesting Iran having missiles may not be a problem at all.”If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some. If Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and they all have some, I would say that in relative proportion, I think it’s okay,” Trump said at the G7 Wednesday. “Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but [Iran] can’t have them? It doesn’t work that way.” “Missiles aren’t the problem. They hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet.””The Gulf nations will address the nonnuclear issues, as we’ll be talking about the ballistic missiles,” the president added. “And we’ll talk, also, about the terrorist proxies that they have that — we don’t want that to happen.”  ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRANTrump made the remarks while discussing whether Iran should be permitted to retain missile capabilities in a news conference…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! America Action Network (AAN), a conservative nonprofit advocacy group associated with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has surpassed $37 million in messaging on cost-of-living issues, according to its leadership.”The cost of living is the number one issue on the minds of working families right now. American Action Network invested $37 million, highlighting how conservative policies deliver real relief,” Chris Winkelman, AAN’s president, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.The renewed spending further solidifies affordability as a key issue that is expected to play a pivotal role in the 2026 midterms.While inflation has risen in recent months, AAN believes that Republicans can continue to press the affordability message as an effective way to reach voters and have highlighted the issue in several ads, narrowing in on the work Republicans have done through Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill.PENCE LAUNCHES GOP MESSAGING BLITZ ON ‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AHEAD OF MIDTERMS The group has been advancing messaging on the bill since it was passed in July of last year.”The American comeback is here. President Trump and House Republicans are delivering for the American people, keeping their promises and delivering the change they demanded.…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A new report exploring how restaurants are performing in the United States and which brands American diners prefer found that McDonald’s comes to mind first when most consumers consider eating fast food — even though other chains ranked higher for burger quality.In its survey, “Best Bites 2026: U.S. Restaurant Brand Rankings,” the international market research group YouGov sought to discover: “Which restaurant brands come out on top among American adults?”The group surveyed U.S. adults about restaurant considerations, food quality and dining preferences.FAST-FOOD GIANT DETHRONED AS CUSTOMER STUDY CROWNS AMERICA’S NEW FAVORITE RESTAURANT CHAIN”One of the more interesting findings is that McDonald’s leads all fast-food brands in consideration when Americans are deciding where to purchase fast food, despite ranking behind several competitors on best-tasting burgers,” Ashley Brown, the Georgia-based senior director of YouGov, told Fox News Digital.”At the same time, McDonald’s is the clear leader when consumers are asked which restaurant has the best fries,” she added.  “Taken together, the findings suggest consumers evaluate fast-food brands across multiple menu items and attributes, not just burgers alone, when deciding where to eat.”The YouGov survey asked respondents, “When you are in the market next to…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! EXCLUSIVE: In the years before a missing South Carolina fitness trainer was found dead this week, she told several of her friends that she wanted to leave her now-husband and end the relationship.Elena Katherine Moore, 39, was found dead Wednesday afternoon in Lexington, South Carolina, the Lexington County Coroner’s Office confirmed Friday after making a positive identification. Moore was last seen leaving a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington on June 11. The body will be transferred to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, who will conduct the autopsy Saturday.More information is expected on Monday.Aston Jeffcoat, a close friend of Moore’s, shared a Facebook Messenger screenshot with Fox News Digital from July 13, 2017, in which Moore said she wanted to move out and leave Brannon Slice, who is now her husband.BODY FOUND IN SOUTH CAROLINA ID’D AS MISSING FITNESS TRAINER WHO TOLD FRIEND SHE WAS ‘SCARED FOR HER LIFE’ “Hey girl not sure about ur situation …but just from reading ur post i might be ending my almost 5 year relationship as well and might be looking for a roommate!! Let me know!” Moore wrote.SOUTH CAROLINA PERSONAL TRAINER GOES MISSING,…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance said years spent chasing academic, professional and financial success ultimately left him searching for something deeper, leading him back to Christianity and eventually to the Catholic faith he practices today.”I was really worried about where I went to school and what kind of job I had and what kind of money that I made. But I felt like that wasn’t making me a good person, whereas the Christians in my life seem to have it figured out,” Vance told Fox News Digital in an interview as his new memoir, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” hit bookshelves. Whether they were rich or poor, whatever their background or education was. They were just much better people; they were much more gracious and much more kind.”Vance’s book debuted on Tuesday, recounting the path that took him from a Protestant childhood to atheism — and ultimately to the Catholic faith he embraces today. Vance’s reflections come as he is increasingly regarded as one of the Republican Party’s strongest potential presidential candidates for 2028.JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM “There have been so many people who have…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Vice President JD Vance is pulling back the curtain back on President Donald Trump’s strict rules for Cabinet members, specifically the traditional dress code.Speaking on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast, Vance explained that Trump’s classic style rules — including a disdain for brown shoes — are rooted in the belief that public officials must honor the institutions they serve.”The president has a certain sense that you ought to respect the place, you ought to respect the institution, respect the office. And one of the ways you do that is by dressing like a normal person,” Vance said in the episode released Thursday. “And I think that’s — it’s a very old-fashioned thing.”NO MORE CASUAL: STATE DEPARTMENT IMPOSES FIRST-EVER DRESS CODE ON DIPLOMATS According to Vance, the president expects his team to always project professionalism, drawing a contrast with the style of many modern-day politicians. He laid out some of the rules, telling Hannity that Trump almost always wears a navy suit, black shoes and a solid tie.VANCE ADMITS INFAMOUS ‘CHILDLESS CAT LADIES’ COMMENT DISTRACTED FROM HIS MESSAGE TO AMERICANS”Well, I mean, he always has — it’s always a navy suit.…

Every armed citizen needs to understand the risks of civil liability after a self-defense shooting.Criminal acquittal or prosecutorial decision not to prosecute is not the conclusion of legal exposure following a self-defense shooting. The criminal and civil justice systems operate under fundamentally different rules and apply different standards of proof. A person can emerge from criminal proceedings without a formal charge and still face years of costly civil litigation. Understanding this distinction is a practical necessity for any citizen who carries a firearm.Two Parallel Systems, Two Different StandardsIn a criminal proceeding, the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, a standard that reflects the severity of criminal consequences. Civil litigation operates under no such constraint. In a civil action, the plaintiff need only establish negligence by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant’s conduct fell below the standard of a reasonably prudent person, meaning it is more likely than not that the defendant acted unreasonably. The evidentiary bar is lower, the procedural protections are fewer, and the financial consequences can be substantial.A person who uses force in self-defense may satisfy the legal standard for criminal justification and still be found civilly liable for the same conduct. The underlying…