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An update on Idalia by a local Florida news affiliate had surprising timing after the power went out during a live broadcast of the storm. Florida State Capitol reporter Forrest Saunders was on the scene in Chiefland, Florida Wednesday morning for WTXL to provide updates on the then-Category 3 storm as it began making landfall. While describing growing devastation caused by the hurricane, the lights surrounding him flickered off, leaving him in near total darkness. "We just lost power!" Saunders exclaimed. "Now, you just saw the power go out. If you can’t see me, I apologize, but that just happened. In fact, I’m seeing some alerts go off with other parts of the county. It looks like we still have traffic lights, but we definitely lost power in this block of Chiefland."  He continued, "And that again is because the wind is so intense. We’re obviously going to be as safe as we can out here. I think for now, I’m going to send it back to you, and we’re going to...

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine has reached a settlement over the failure of the state’s public defender system with a state agency's commitment to press for more funding and additional public defender offices, in addition to charting a path forward. The settlement of the lawsuit builds on previous successes with the opening of the first public defender office, improved hourly wages for private attorneys serving indigent clients and the hiring of a staffer to oversee attorney training and supervision. "There is no quick fix or single solution to the current and future challenges to Maine’s indigent criminal defense system. The proposed settlement provides meaningful short and long-term reforms," the document said. The settlement agreement must be approved by a judge. Samuel Crankshaw, spokesperson for the ACLU of Maine, said he couldn't comment on the settlement because it hasn't been approved by a judge. But he said Wednesday the ACLU is happy to...

Officials in Virginia say that a body has been found in relation to search for a 20-year-old woman whose disappearance was called "suspicious." The Lynchburg Police Department said in press release on Tuesday that a body was found during an extensive search for 20-year-old Avriel Hooks in Virginia's Amherst County, but said the identity of the deceased individual hasn't yet been confirmed. Police also said a person of interest in connection to Hooks' disappearance is being questioned, but no arrests have been made. In a Monday press release, police said that 20-year-old Hooks was last seen by her family at around 8 p.m. on August 22. 10 ARRESTED IN 'DISTURBING AND A HEINOUS' KIDNAPPING AND MURDER: 'MORE ARRESTS' COMING Officials say that Hooks' "lack of communication with her family and abnormal absence makes her disappearance suspicious." They added in the press release that the disappearance is currently being handled as a m...

Gov. Jim Justice announced the appointment Monday of five people to the board of a private foundation that will distribute most of West Virginia’s $1 billion-plus in opioid lawsuit settlements. The governor’s picks for the foundation’s 11-member board of the West Virginia First Foundation are Jefferson County Prosecutor Matt Harvey; former state Homeland Security Secretary Jeff Sandy; Harrison County schools Superintendent Dora Stutler; attorney and philanthropist Alys Smith, who is the wife of Marshall University President Brad Smith; and Raleigh County Commissioner Greg Duckworth. WEST VIRGINIA FLOODWATERS TRIGGER STATE OF EMERGENCY IN SOME AREAS The governor's choices still must be approved by the state Senate . The other six members of the committee were nominated by local governments throughout the state. West Virginia is home to the nation’s highest overdose death rate. The foundation was created as an initiative of the attorney general’s office, the agency litigating th...

An Atlanta-area high school football coach appeared to punch a player during the first quarter of a game on Saturday. The incident occurred during a game between Benjamin Mays High School and Douglas County High School. The Mays coach appeared to scream at the player on his own team and then appeared to strike the player in the stomach. The player appeared to hunch over after getting hit. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM An Atlanta Public Schools spokesperson told FOX 5 Atlanta that the coach will be charged with simple battery. The spokesperson said the coach is not a classroom instructor. The coach was relieved of his coaching duties and will face administrative discipline. The coach was unidentified. TIKTOK CHALLENGE LEADS TO DISRUPTION OF GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME, OFFICIALS SAY "The safety and well-being of all APS students remains a high priority for the district and all APS employees are held to the highest standard of conduct and professio...

Political advisers to both President Biden and Vice President Harris were reportedly annoyed with Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom over a planned debate with the Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential hopeful. "It's disrespectful," an outside adviser to Harris said, according to a report from NBC News on Sunday. "Joe Biden is running with Kamala Harris. That's the Democratic ticket." The adviser is one of several in the Biden and Harris orbit that have begun to view Newsom as a nuisance, according to the report, in part because of the California governor's planned debate with DeSantis. While many Biden advisers no longer see Newsom as a potential primary challenger to the president, they do believe the planned debate would carry more risks than rewards. DESANTIS CAMPAIGN LEANS INTO NEWSOM DEBATE: 'CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER' The debate, which is slated to be televised on Fox News and hosted by Sean Hannity, has the potentia...

Amid rising COVID cases and hospitalizations throughout the country, several hospital systems or hospitals have reinstated mask-wearing requirements for patients and staff, as reported by Becker’s Hospital Review. These announcements come as COVID-related hospitalizations have risen 21.6% in the most recent week and deaths have risen 21.4%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The numbers, however, are still far below the levels that were seen during the pandemic. BIDEN PLANS TO ASK CONGRESS FOR FUNDING TO DEVELOP NEW COVID VACCINE, MAY REQUIRE SHOT FOR ALL As of Aug. 25, the following hospitals and health systems are now requiring masks, as confirmed by Fox News Digital. Here is the list. This New York health system reinstated masking policies at its facilities on Aug. 23. "Because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases, masks are once again required in all clinical areas at UHS Wilson Medical Center, UHS Binghamton General Hospital, UHS Chenango Me...

Deputies in Florida arrested a man who allegedly wore a "Scream" mask during two robberies. The Volusia Sheriff's Office said in a press release that Andre Lee-Quan Parker, 21, was arrested on Thursday night after detectives believe that he committed robberies at a Deltona, Florida Pizza Hut and a Circle K gas station, according to FOX 35 . The two businesses are adjacent to each other. While executing a search warrant at Parker's house investigators found a rifle, the "Scream" mask, black clothing, and gloves. Victims of the robbery said that Parker was wearing the "Scream" mask and armed with a rifle during the alleged crime. FLORIDA MAN CHARGED IN COLD CASE KILLING OF STORE EMPLOYEE STABBED 73 TIMES FOUND GUILTY Detectives also found a woman's wallet with a victim's ID card wile searching Parker's trash, according to officials. FLORIDA WOMAN IMPALED BY STINGRAY WHILE WADING AT BEACH: 'CERTAIN THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE' ...

The death of an airline employee in December and another serious injury prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a safety alert on Friday to airlines in an effort to prevent more incidents. The safety alert reiterates that "it is important for workers to remain clear of operating engines until they are shut down," the FAA said. The alert comes as questions arise about U.S. aviation safety after a series of troubling near-miss incidents. The FAA has said it will hold runway safety meetings at 90 airports over the next few weeks. In December, a ramp agent was fatally injured at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama when the worker was sucked into an engine of an American Airlines regional carrier flight parked at the gate. HOUSE APPROVES MEASURE TO GIVE FAA MORE MONEY TO EASE AIR TRAVEL DELAYS, CANCELLATIONS The flight was operated by Envoy Air , a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines and the worker was employed by Piedmont Airlines, another Am...

Even as the summer winds down, Phoenix is still facing extreme heat . The National Weather Service in Phoenix warned the metropolitan area and parts of south-central Arizona could see potentially record-breaking temperatures this weekend. Areas of southeast California may also be impacted. Forecasters say an "unseasonably strong" ridge of high pressure will expand across the Southwest, leading once again to temperatures 110 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. The excessive heat is expected to last through Tuesday. UKRAINIAN PILOTS PREPARE TO START F-16 TRAINING AT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE IN ARIZONA The Weather Service is also urging people not to do strenuous physical activities during the hottest times of the day. While Phoenix is known for its heat, the city and its surrounding suburbs have endured an especially brutal summer. The desert city saw a 31-day streak of 110 degrees or more that began June 30. The previous record was 18 straight days, set in 1974. It was part ...

The U.S. Forest Service said Friday it has rejected the expansion plans of Lutsen Mountains, one of the premier skiing destinations in the Midwest . NEW MEXICO WILDFIRE STARTED BY FOREST SERVICE PRESCRIBED BURN, AGENCY SAYS Lutsen Mountains was hoping to expand onto 495 acres of public land in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota so it could add more runs, lifts and other facilities and essentially double its skiable terrain in the Sawtooth Mountains along the north shore of Lake Superior. It's one of the largest ski areas in the Midwest, with a vertical rise of 1,088 feet and 95 runs. In rejecting the permit application, the Forest Service cited impacts on tribal resources such as sugar maple stands, negative effects for users of the Superior Hiking Trail and backcountry skiers, and other impacts to the environment. MN SKI LODGE AT MAPLELAG RESORT DESTROYED BY FIRE The company has until Oct. 10 to file objections. It asked the Forest Service last month to d...

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is setting the record straight on his foreign policy agenda after coming under fire during the first GOP primary debate. Ramaswamy joined " Fox & Friends " to elaborate on his strategy for handling Russia and China after clashing with opponent Nikki Haley in Milwaukee on funding the war in Ukraine. "I think the existing foreign policy establishment has gotten it wrong for so long. They're getting it wrong here, too. We are driving Russia further into China's hands," the 2024 GOP hopeful said Friday of U.S. support efforts. RUSSIAN WAGNER GROUP WARLORD PRIGOZHIN AMONG DEAD ON PLANE THAT CRASHED, KILLING 10, OFFICIALS SAY During the debate, Haley argued Ramaswamy's alternative plan to end the Ukraine war would "hand Ukraine to Russia " and "let China eat Taiwan." She doubled down on her criticism on "Fox & Friends" Friday. "Vivek was completely wrong when he ...

A five-month strike by graduate student instructors at the University of Michigan has ended after approval of a contract just days before the new school year. The deal means annual raises of 8%, 6% and 6% over three years at the Ann Arbor campus, plus a $1,000 bonus. "We fought tooth-and-nail over 10 months of bargaining & 5 months of strike action, forcing U-M to grant the largest salary increase in GEO history," the Graduate Employees’ Organization said Thursday night on social media. JUDGE RULES UMICH GRAD STUDENT STRIKE UNFAIR The contract was approved by 97% of members who voted. The union represents 2,300 people at the Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses , though not all went on strike in March. "It’s very gratifying to have a new contract in place," said university negotiator Katie Delong. NEW UMICH PRESIDENT CANCELS CELLO PERFORMANCE OVER GRAD SCHOOL STRIKE By the third year of the contract, pay for instructors in Ann Arbor would rise to $29,1...

A Georgia mother of three has been confirmed dead more than two years after she vanished on a hiking trail, authorities announced Tuesday. Olivia Samantha Fowler, 27, was last seen at 10:30 a.m. August 13, 2021, on Pebblebrook Road in rural Meriwether County wearing flip-flops, a tie-dye shirt and shorts.  Her family reported her missing the next day. Her aunt, Tamara McCoy, told 11Alive that her niece had disappeared after seeing a man she had been dating.  "Olivia loves family – loves, loves, loves her family," the aunt previously said. "She's a great mother with the biggest heart." ‘HEINOUS’ MOTIVE REVEALED IN RANDOM SHOOTING, MURDER OF TEEN GIRL Human remains discovered in December 2022 were identified as Fowler through DNA testing , local law enforcement officials confirmed. Officers "met with and notified the immediate family members" on Monday, Meriwether Sheriff Chuck Smith said in a statement.  TWO WOMEN VANISH FROM SMALL COLORADO RES...

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is widely considered the best at the position heading into the 2023 college football season after winning the Heisman Trophy last season.  Williams is expected to be selected at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft , but the junior quarterback is not sold on leaving USC after this season.  "That's for sure now going to be an in-the-moment decision at the end of the year," Williams told ESPN of the 2024 NFL draft. "It's my third year, and the dream and goal was to go three-and-out. Being around these guys and in college and enjoying it, we'll have to see at the end of this year." AIR FORCE ACADEMY'S UNIFORMS HONORING GROUP THAT BOMBED JAPAN IN WWII RECEIVE MIXED FEELINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Williams transferred from Oklahoma to USC after the 2021 season when head coach Lincoln Riley took the job in Los Angeles.  In his first season in LA, Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns, adding 10 touchdowns on the ground as...

Camila Alves-McConaughey revealed her husband Matthew McConaughey is actually the opposite of his laid back, "getting high" persona in a new interview. Camila and McConaughey first began dating in 2006 — while the actor was working on films such as "Failure to Launch" and "We are Marshall" following the success of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." "A lotta people have this, well, I don't think people actually had this image of Matthew anymore because, just the kind of work and things he's been doing, but when we first start dating, it was this image of Matthew of getting high, laid back, no shirt, whatever," Camila recalled during an episode of Southern Living's "Biscuits & Jam" podcast . "Which I'm like, 'The guy doesn't even smoke. What is this vision coming from?'" "He's actually the opposite, and he's like his mom," she explained. "She's very organized,...

After last year’s "tripledemic" of RSV, flu and COVID reportedly overwhelmed health systems , experts are looking ahead to the 2023-2024 winter season and offering predictions. During the 2022-2023 flu season, the CDC estimates there were some 26 million cases of the flu , with 290,000 hospitalizations and 19,000 related deaths — on top of a surge in RSV and COVID. When making predictions for what’s to come, experts tend to look at illness trends in the Southern Hemisphere, which has its flu season between April and September — although the CDC states on its website that "different influenza viruses may predominate in different parts of the world and immunity may be different between populations." NEW COVID SUBVARIANT, ERIS, IS NOW MOST COMMON AND FASTEST-SPREADING IN US: 'NEVER GOING AWAY' Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, is expecting "another fairly bad flu season." H...

For the NBA, August is a month for hot takes and debates with the regular season still months away.  Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry put himself squarely in the debate circle with recent comments about where he places himself among the greatest point guards of all time.  "Yes," Curry said on "Gil’s Arena" when asked by Gilbert Arenas if Curry is the best point guard ever.  JA MORANT'S FATHER SAYS HIS SON GOT SUSPENDED 'BECAUSE OF HIS DECISIONS' "Yes. It’s me and Magic [Johnson)? That’s the conversation?" Curry asked.  Arenas pointed to Curry’s influence on the game for why he puts him at the top of the GOAT conversation.  Curry added that being in the same conversation with Johnson was a place he never thought he would find himself.  "Obviously, I have to answer it that way. But I really feel like, to your point, Magic’s resume is ridiculous. So, the fact that we’re even having that conversation, that’s a place I never thou...

The body double for Gwyneth Paltrow's plus-size character in the 2001 comedy "Shallow Hal" says she developed eating disorders and was practically "starving to death" in the years after the movie came out. In the movie, Jack Black's title character falls in love with Paltrow's character Rosemary after he's hypnotized to only see a woman's inner beauty, so while everyone else sees a morbidly obese woman, he only sees one who looks like the real Paltrow.  While Paltrow also played the overweight version of the character in the movie by donning a fat suit, Snitzer's body was used for closeups of Rosemary's arms, torso and thighs. According to an interview she did with The Guardian , she enjoyed being part of the filming and praised Black and Paltrow, but the movie's financial success had a reverberating effect on her. She was only 20 when it was released, and she says one producer admonished her for losing weight during filming. ...

A New York City man who repeatedly stabbed an EMT in the back of an ambulance was indicted on charges for attempted murder and assault on Monday, according to the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.   Felon Rudy Garcia, 48, became agitated when 25-year-old EMT Julia Fatum "asked [him] to stop" after he "threw a gum wrapper" at her when the ambulance pulled into the Mount Sinai West Hospital bay around 8:20 p.m. on July 19, Bragg's office said in a press release.  Garcia allegedly screamed "f--- you!' before he "pulled a large knife out of his sock and stabbed [Fatum]" once in her left forearm, once on the left side of her chest and four times to her left thigh, prosecutor Joseph Abrams wrote in his now-unsealed indictment. NYC EMT STABBED REPEATEDLY BY FELON HAD 'SIGNIFICANT' BLOOD LOSS, NEEDS SURGERY FOR NERVE DAMAGE: DA The ambulance driver was unable to help his fellow EMT – she had the keys locking the back port...

Police are searching for missing California woman Andrea Vasquez who was with her boyfriend Sunday when she was shot and yanked from his car, according to her family and police. Vasquez, 19, and her boyfriend were in the parking stalls area of Penn Park in Whittier about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles shortly after midnight. "An armed suspect approached their vehicle and fired a weapon in their direction," according to the Whittier Police Department. RACHE MORIN MURDER: MARYLAND POLICE TIE CRIME SCENE DNA TO LOS ANGELES ASSAULT, HOME INVASION The boyfriend fled the gunfire and when he returned he "discovered blood" near his vehicle" and Vasquez was gone, police said. Her sister, Edlyn Vasquez, with whom she lives in Los Angeles , put out a plea on Facebook for the public's help. "My sister was shot and kidnapped at Penn Park," she wrote. "Her last location shows Moreno Valley. We don't know her condition. Please I am begging, ...

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall over Mexico's Baja California peninsula late Sunday morning before setting its sights on Southern California and prompting flash flood warnings in the areas surrounding Los Angeles. Hilary had weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to tropical storm status early Sunday. The National Weather Service had predicted the storm was likely to bring "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding to the region and cross into the southwestern U.S. as a tropical storm. On Sunday night, President Joe Biden released a statement confirming that federal government officials are providing resources to impacted states. "I continue to be briefed on our preparedness efforts, and the storm’s potential impact — including flooding," Biden's statement read. "My Administration stands ready to provide additional assistance as requested. I urge people to take this storm seriously, and listen to state and local officials." SOUTHERN CALIF...

The New York Yankees limped into this weekend's series against the rival Boston Red Sox on a five-game losing streak, and they sit in last place in the American League East.  The Red Sox easily won Saturday's game, and infielder Luis Urias stole the show. Urias became the first Red Sox player to hit grand slams in back-to-back games since 1940, according to data from ESPN.  Jimmie Foxx accomplished the feat in May 1940. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM The Red Sox acquired Urias at this season's trade deadline. He spent the past few seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers .  RED SOX LEGEND PEDRO MARTINEZ COMPARES SLUMPING YANKEES TO 'CHIHUAHUAS' AFTER SHUTOUT LOSS TO BRAVES Urias' second-inning grand slam Saturday gave the Red Sox a 4-0 lead over their division rivals. More than 80 years ago, when Foxx hit his historic grand slams, he did it in consecutive days in games against the Detroit Tigers . Urias hit his first grand slam late in Th...

When the Pac-12 experienced a mass exodus in early August, only four teams remained committed to the conference beyond 2023-24.  Oregon State, Washington State , Stanford and California are all that remain of the once-storied conference as UCLA, USC, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah prepare for their final seasons in the Pac-12.  The future of the conference is very much in the air as rumors swirl that Stanford and Cal could join the ACC.  For Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes, keeping the Pac-12 is the focus. "For us, our priority, again, is keeping the Pac-12," Barnes told The Athletic in a Q&A. "We think it’s in the best interest of our student-athletes and our fans to build back the Pac-12. We have inserted ourselves in every conceivable conversation, every feasible conversation at the Power 5 level. And I would say that our best option is rebuilding the Pac-12. DEION SANDERS UNHAPPY WITH PLAYERS WALKING AWAY FROM PRA...

Hollywood actress Crystal Finn, who appeared in the final season of the HBO hit series "Succession," said she was swimming in a California river last month, when something bit her lower extremities.  "I felt something on my backside and on my leg," Finn told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I started looking around and yelling out and (the otters) popped up right in front of me. Then they dove down and started going at me again." The actress, who was treated at a hospital for the bites after the incident in North California’s Feather River, is not the only one to be bitten by the marine mammals in what experts are saying is a rare uptick in attacks.  "After the first otter attack I thought, ‘Wow that was kind of special’ and then two days later there was another one," Tahoe Forest Hospital emergency room physician Dr. Martin Rosengreen told the newspaper.  CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE OFFICIALS TRY TO CAPTURE SEA OTTER THAT HARASSED SURFERS He said th...