NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The mother of 7-year-old Athena Strand took the stand Wednesday in the second week of the emotional trial of a former FedEx driver who admitted kidnapping and murdering the young girl. Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to capital murder just moments before his Texas trial was set to begin, with jurors now weighing whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. On Wednesday, jurors heard from Athena’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy, as she testified about her final moments with her daughter, according to FOX 4. “Do you remember the last thing you said to Athena?” a prosecutor asked her, the outlet reported.ATHENA STRAND’S KILLER FEDEX DRIVER’S SPLIT PERSONAS, DEFENSE SCREAM ‘MANIPULATION,’ NOT MADNESS: EXPERT “I told her that I loved her and that I would see her on Friday,” Gandy replied. “We had a quick drop-off because her daddy was going to take them to the Christmas lights.” Wearing pink, Athena’s favorite color, Gandy recalled how she immediately drove back to Texas from her home in Oklahoma upon learning about her daughter’s disappearance. “It felt like I was dying,” Gandy said, according to FOX 4. “I couldn’t breathe, but I…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours from daytime into the night, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 80 others as terrified residents cowered in their homes, officials said Thursday.Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.Tetiana Sokol, a 54-year-old resident of Kyiv, said two missiles hit near her home and she took cover with her dog in the hallway as flashes lit up the night and windows shattered from the blast wave.”On the third attack everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn’t know where to run. I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog,” she told The Associated Press. “I still can’t find the cats in the house, they climbed out somewhere, I don’t even know. No windows, nothing, the dog is still walking around in stress.”RUSSIAN WINTER STRIKE LEAVES NEARLY 800K HOMES WITHOUT POWER AND HEAT IN UKRAINE’S DNIPRO REGION Moscow’s forces have hit civilian areas almost daily since…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A Department of Homeland Security official was killed in Georgia by a naturalized U.S. citizen with a prior criminal record, a case that is raising new questions about the federal government’s vetting process after the agency recently acknowledged significant screening gaps.DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed Wednesday that Lauren Bullis, 40, was “brutally shot and stabbed to death,” identifying the suspect as 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon Abel, who was naturalized in 2022 and has a record that includes convictions for sexual battery, assault, and battery against a police officer.The killing comes shortly after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services disclosed “significant national security and public safety risks” in U.S. vetting processes, describing past screening processes as “wholly inadequate” under former President Joe Biden.Mullin said DHS is “devastated” by Bullis’ killing. The agency also said she “was a bright spot for so many of the DHS community.”DHS SLAMS CALIFORNIA ‘SANCTUARY’ COUNTY AFTER MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY 2 HONDURAN NATIONALS Bullis was walking her dog when she was attacked, according to DHS. She served in multiple roles at DHS’ Office of the Inspector General, including as an auditor and a team leader in the Office of Innovation.The…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Less than a week before Virginians head to the polls to decide the fate of the state’s congressional map, a representative from a district at the center of the controversy pushes back. In an interview with the Ruthless Podcast released on Thursday morning, Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., rebuffed the efforts by Virginia Democrats to change the layout of the congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. “Their goal is the long game,” Cline said of the Democrat-backed redistricting attempt. “It is the short game of the next election, but it’s also the long game of trying to turn rural Virginia into either a non-impact on politics or convert. You either assimilate or you’re destroyed.”Under the proposed map, Cline’s district in the western part of the state would be divided into five new seats. Josh Holmes, a co-host of the podcast, explained that this would dilute the impact of rural voters. WATCH SPANBERGER KNOCKED OUT FOR ‘BAIT AND SWITCH’ HYPOCRISY AS POPULARITY PLUMMETS AND REDISTRICTING FIASCO “They are attempting to split into five different districts to minimize a rural vote that they can overcome with Northern Virginia suburban NGO defense contractors,” Holmes said during the…

Guns evolve, and here we look at how the saddle carbines of yesteryear have morphed into the brush guns and truck guns of today.One of the many things we really enjoy doing in our industry is finding excuses to put together new guns for ourselves. Every so often, an existing category pops up with new bells and whistles. It’s usually a little bit wild, and people often take an interest.Just 10 years ago, the pistols that were commonly available with red-dot optics, lights and built-in compensators were considered exotic, with the concept being dubbed the “Roland Special” after a popular fictional character. Today, those setups are everywhere, and nobody bats an eye.Another popular class of arms that has grown in the past few years is the “truck gun,” a concept that started with the uniquely American “brush gun,” itself a very wide category.So, let’s look at brush guns and their derivatives, as well as a common set of myths regarding the category and theory of use.Brush Gun OriginsBrush guns have something of an interesting history. Based on the research I have committed to this topic, it’s very regional and somewhat culturally diverse. Truck guns, what you could call a modern…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Two people were taken into custody on Wednesday after a shooting that killed a 15-year-old and wounded two others in what police described as a gang-related shooting at Eisenhower Park on Long Island in New York.The shooting occurred around 8:20 p.m. near Hempstead Turnpike and Merrick Avenue, the Nassau County Police Department said.Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told reporters that gang members saw an invitation on social media for a barbecue at the park, according to CBS New York.MAN CHARGED IN FATAL SHOOTING OF US MARINE IN NORTH CAROLINA HAD CRIMINAL RECORD SPANNING THREE DECADES Two people then became involved in an argument and shots were fired, Ryder said.Three people, including the 15-year-old boy, were struck by gunfire. The three victims were transported to a local hospital, where the teenager was pronounced dead.TEEN GIRL GUNNED DOWN IN POSH CHICAGO ENCLAVE AS POLICE RUSH TO NAB HER KILLER The two other victims were listed in stable condition, and Ryder said they underwent surgery late Wednesday. Their ages were not immediately known.Two people who were both carrying weapons were taken into custody. Police did not release the suspects’ identities or specify what charges…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The leaked hot tub photos were embarrassing, no question about it.There was NFL reporter Dianna Russini of the New York Times – part of its sports unit The Athletic – getting quite cozy with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.Other shots obtained by the New York Post’s Page Six showed the pair, who are both married, locked in an embrace on the roof of a private bungalow, and holding hands at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Ariz.More details in a moment, but the bottom line is a tale most foul, as familiar as civilization itself.DIANNA RUSSINI RESIGNS FROM THE ATHLETIC AMID MIKE VRABEL CONTROVERSY The woman takes the fall, and nothing happens to the guy.Russini was forced to resign from the Times, and Vrabel, for now, has emerged unscathed.This is not to suggest that Russini is some innocent victim. She is absolutely tone-deaf about the seriousness of what she has done. She covers the Patriots! That is, along with the league’s other teams. On what planet is this not out of bounds?PATRIOTS’ MIKE VRABEL WAS NEVER EXPECTED AT TEAM’S PRE-DRAFT PRESS CONFERENCEPlus, they weren’t exactly being discreet. Russini must have been aware…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil sent a memo to his staff Wednesday in response to reports the Public Investment Fund will no longer use its resources for the league.Sources told Fox News Digital the Saudis will stop funding LIV after the 2026 season.”Team, (f)ollowing up on my previous message, which I realize may have led to some confusion on where we stand as a business,” O’Neil wrote in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital. “I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle. “While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.”The life of a startup movement is often defined by these moments of pressure. We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We have faced headwinds since the jump, and we’ve answered every time with resilience and grace. Now, we answer by doing what we do best: putting on the…

I’ve always been drawn to compact firearms. There’s something about the balance of size, weight, and capability that makes them not only practical, but genuinely enjoyable to train with. They occupy that space between a daily carry pistol and a full-size rifle, that compact yet capable footprint has always excited me. The Springfield Armory SAINT Victor 5.5” PDW in 9mm taps directly into that appeal. The Springfield SAINT Victor PDW leans into a compact, do-it-all role, where size and capability meet. Image: Jeremy Tremp I know I sound like a broken record, but Springfield is always releasing and iterating on their products as if they have been making the exact things that I want to see. The Saint Victor 5.5” PDW is no different. The Details Built on the foundation of the SAINT, this pistol takes the proven features of the platform and compresses them into a compact, highly maneuverable package. With its 5.5” barrel and SB Tactical HBPDW brace, this is the compact PDW I’ve been looking for. The Springfield Armory SAINT Victor PDW is the kind of setup that offers compact dimensions, but still provides impressive downrange performance. Image: Carson McDaniel At just under 6 lbs. and with an overall…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Guards severely beat and pepper-sprayed migrant detainees at “Alligator Alcatraz,” an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, causing injuries to their heads, shoulders and wrists, according to a lawyer for two detainees.The guards targeted several detainees at the state-run facility after they complained about a lack of phone access one day earlier this month, lawyer Katherine Blankenship said in a court declaration.The phones are the primary method for detainees to communicate with family and their legal representation while held at the detention center, but the phones were not functioning.The guards first started to taunt the detainees as they were in a cell. Blankenship said the guards then became “more aggressive and were yelling and threatening to enter the cage.”DOJ SUES CONNECTICUT, NEW HAVEN OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES: ‘OPEN DEFIANCE’ One detainee was punched in the face after walking up to a guard. The guards then began beating other detainees in the cell.Blankenship said one of her clients was punched in the right eye, thrown to the floor and beaten by several guards. She said guards kicked him in the head and injured his shoulder and arm. A guard also put his knee…