9/11 terror attacks made Dem congressional candidate more 'aware' of 'anti-Muslim bigotry': unearthed op-ed

An ordained Christian minister running for U.S. Congress in Iowa penned an opinion piece sharing how the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — carried out by radical Islamic terrorists — made her more "aware" of the "rising anti-Muslim bigotry and its harm."

Sarah Trone Garriott is one of three Democratic candidates vying for the battleground seat held by Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa.

Garriott, an Iowa state legislator and Lutheran minister, wrote the opinion piece for the Iowa Capital Dispatch in response to the "hateful messages" she received after she shared a prayer with Arabic words written by a Muslim woman on the statehouse floor in February 2021.

"They said horrible stereotypical things about my Muslim neighbors — Sharia law, hating freedom, violent religion," Garriott wrote. "There were others who made comments about the United States being a Judeo-Christian country and therefore Muslim prayers were not welcome. There were some attacks against me, as a Christian leader I was leading people astray, that I didn’t know what I was doing."

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She said the pushback "convinced" her there is a greater need for "religious diversity."

Garriott revealed that she began her master's degree in theological studies at Harvard University a day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"On that religiously diverse campus, I was more aware of the rising anti-Muslim bigotry and its harm," Garriott wrote. "I am kind a biblical literalist, and when Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers, I took that to heart. I worked with my Muslim classmates to organize a meal to bring the community together during Ramadan."

Meanwhile, Nunn had "a different response" to the 9/11 terrorist attacks by joining the Air Force, according to Nunn's spokesperson, Mark Matava. During his service, he "flew more than a hundred combat missions to defend America."

"Sarah Trone Garriott has called Christianity 'threatening,' mocked parents for protecting their daughters, and accused Christian schools of being 'white enclaves,'" Matava said. "Now we learn that her response to the deadliest attack on American soil was to lecture Americans about bigotry without so much as mentioning the nearly 3,000 people who were killed on 9/11. Her contempt for Iowa and America is on full display."

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Iowa GOP spokesperson Jade Cichy also criticized Garriott for not mentioning the thousands of American victims killed on 9/11.

"Radical woke warrior Sarah Trone Garriott’s main concern after the September 11th terror attacks was ‘anti-Muslim bigotry,’ and she made no mention of the thousands of innocent Americans who lost their lives that day," Cichy said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This stunning display of tone-deaf political pandering is just the latest example showing Trone Garriott is out of touch with Iowa values."

Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft said she is "insulting Iowa values" by pandering to "coastal elite Democrat Party bosses."

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"Sarah Trone Garriott should be ashamed for wagging her finger at America for not being woke enough about 9/11 and completely ignoring the more than 2,000 patriots tragically killed that day," Kraft said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Iowa GOP spokesperson Jade Cichy called Garriott's "tone-deaf political pandering."

Fox News Digital reported last month on a 2023 speech given by Garriott in which she criticized Christian displays at political rallies, calling it one of several "pretty uncomfortable ways that faith and political power have collided."

Fox News Digital reached out to Garriott for comment.

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Watson's call for lifetime bans shows PGA Tour-LIV scars still run deep

Golf icon Tom Watson says LIV defectors like Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed should not have been allowed back on the PGA Tour and banned for life.

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GB's Stojsavljevic, 17, set for Billie Jean King Cup debut

17-year-old Mika Stojsavljevic will make her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Great Britain this week in a qualifying tie against Australia.

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Lidl begins building its first ever pub

The development is an unusual consequence of Northern Ireland's strict licensing laws.

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Buttler hits fifty then seals win with final-ball run-out in thriller

Jos Buttler finds form at the IPL before winning the match for Gujarat Titans with a final-ball run-out in a remarkable one-run victory over Delhi Capitals.

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Spencer Pratt accuses LA Times journalist of 'phone-stalking' his family as mayoral campaign gains steam

Spencer Pratt lashed out at the Los Angeles Times and a rival mayoral candidate, accusing a reporter of harassing his family and trying to expose where his children live as his campaign gains traction in the polls.

Pratt alleged the reporting crossed a line, accusing a Los Angeles Times journalist of reaching out to his wife, sister, mother and even a restaurant he frequents to track down details about his family. He claimed this all happened after he passed Los Angeles Council member Nithya Raman in a recent poll.

"Creepy LA Times 'journalist' has been phone-stalking & harassing my sister, my wife, my MOM, and even my favorite burrito restaurant trying to dox where my kids sleep and go to school, all because I pulled ahead of Nithya Raman in the polls, and she sent her lapdog to do her dirty work," Pratt wrote on X.

"That’s what they call 'journalism' at the LA Times, folks!" he added. "They’re scared of our campaign. We’re gonna take back our city, and they know they can’t stop us."

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Pratt, who gained fame with Heidi Montag on "The Hills," shared a lengthy video claiming he has the "winning message" and that Raman is "panicking." The reality TV star also took aim at the Los Angeles Times for writing a story titled, "Spencer Pratt’s move to Santa Barbara County after his Palisades house burned raises eligibility questions in L.A. mayor’s race."

"They want to try to write a hit piece about me, about my residency, because I've had my family sheltered up in my dad's rental home in [Santa Barbara] and they want to attack me for not living in the Palisades while running for mayor?" he said. "Hey, brain surgeon! My house burned down. You guys let my entire neighborhood burn down, remember? The burned out lot I own in the Palisades is still my legal residence where we are trying to rebuild in the face of Karen Basura (Bass) and Nithya Raman and our broken city leadership putting up every hurdle imaginable to make it harder and harder for us to rebuild."

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"Don't forget. I made the choice to run for mayor three months ago," he added. "You see schemers like Raman and Basura (Bass) and their media sickos can't fathom that I didn't have some grand scheme to run for mayor like these slimy career politicians. I didn't plan any of this. I wasn't thinking, 'I really need to make sure I stay in the zip code in case I run for mayor.' I was just trying to find the safest place to go where I could try and give my kids the most normal life that I could after these clowns nearly destroyed our life as we knew it."

A Los Angeles Times spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "The Times learned that Mr. Pratt was living in Carpinteria, and contacted him and those around him for comment. We stand by our story and the reporting of our journalists."

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Pratt, who lost his home in the deadly 2025 Palisades wildfire, announced he was running for mayor on Jan. 7.

Pratt told the crowd at a fire anniversary event that "this just isn’t a campaign, this is a mission. And we are going to expose the system." The event, called "They Let Us Burn!," was a rally critical of state and local government’s handling of the Jan. 7 wildfire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

In the aftermath of the fire, Pratt emerged as an outspoken critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, and said they failed to prevent the blaze. He has since sued the city of Los Angeles. The complaint blames Los Angeles and its municipal water department for the water issues that hampered firefighting efforts and says it ultimately led to the damage to their properties.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Trump Threatens ‘Whole Civilisation Will Die Tonight’

Trump warns "a whole civilisation will die tonight" unless Iran reaches a deal.

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Officials slam hospital food as health experts demand menu overhaul: 'Farm to gurney'

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to expand the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into hospitals, integrating federal nutrition standards into patient care.

On March 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, sent a memo directing hospitals to align their meals with the guidelines by reducing ultraprocessed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined carbohydrates and added sugars.

Kennedy reportedly shared that Oz’s memo effectively acts like a federal mandate, as hospitals may need to follow the dietary guidelines to maintain funding.

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Most hospital menus rely heavily on convenience foods, according to Dr. Hamid Khan, chief medical officer of Jorie AI, a healthcare revenue service.

"Patients are often served items such as pasta, processed deli meats, packaged snacks with artificial components, sugary desserts, cereals, juice and soda," he told Fox News Digital. 

"Although many hospitals have begun the implementation of 'healthier options,' the average menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition."

Larger concerns include high sugar and sodium levels, processed ingredients and refined carbohydrates in hospital foods, Khan said. "There seems to be a lack of high-quality protein, fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy fats," he added.

Khan said he has seen patients order their meals from Grubhub, DoorDash or Uber Eats because they felt the hospital menu options were not healthy enough.

"Most of the hospital meals do not provide adequate nutrients … to properly support healing, muscle maintenance, immunity or overall recovery," he told Fox News Digital.

"Poor nutrition only makes things worse for this patient pool," Khan went on. "Ultimately, poor nutrition is very harmful for elderly patients and people with chronic illnesses. They are at a higher risk for muscle loss, weakness, delayed healing, infection and re-infection."

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian is partnering with Tampa General Hospital in Florida to transform hospital dining, introducing Mediterranean diet–inspired meals for patients.

Zakarian told Fox News Digital that hospital food is often a mix of "high desire, low-value and low-nutrition food," typically priced to meet a strict per-plate cost that hospitals cannot exceed.

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"[There is] very little emphasis on original, pasture-raised proteins and fats like eggs, whole dairy grass-fed beef and poultry, and unprocessed vegetables," he said.

In Tampa, Zakarian has been working since 2023 to eliminate all processed foods — removing items containing hormones, added sugars, seed oils and anything prepackaged.

"All the food originates from farms and gardens in and around Tampa," he said, calling the mission "Farm to Gurney."

Sec. Kennedy and CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a similar initiative at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami.

Vani Hari, known as the "Food Babe," told Fox News Digital that this is the first time leaders in Washington are openly acknowledging that food is medicine.

"The fact that they had to send a memo reminding hospitals of that tells you everything about how broken the system is," said Hari, who is based in North Carolina. "People are at their most vulnerable in a hospital bed – and for decades, nobody in charge seemed to care what they were eating."

Medicare and Medicaid fund the majority of inpatient services, including at least half of inpatient days at 96% of hospitals and two-thirds or more at 80% of hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

An AHA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that hospitals recognize nutritious food is an essential part of healing and recovery. 

"They are deeply committed to providing patients with high‑quality, nutritious meals that meet clinical standards, individual dietary needs and federal guidance," said the spokesperson. 

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Hospital teams collaborate with registered dietitians and clinical staff to make sure each patient receives meals tailored to their medical needs and recovery plan, according to the AHA.

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The spokesperson also said the organization regularly evaluates current evidence-based nutrition recommendations and integrates them into meal programs.

"Beyond the hospital walls, we partner with community organizations to expand access to nutritious food, provide education on healthy eating, and support initiatives that promote long‑term wellness," they added.

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Trump endorses ex-UK political aide Steve Hilton for California governor

Steve Hilton, who advised the former prime minster and hosted a Fox News show, is running as a Republican.

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Airman rescue shows US can penetrate enemy territory 'anywhere' in Iran, former Pentagon official warns

A former Pentagon official said the rescue of a U.S. airman in Iran served as more than a recovery mission, saying it was a warning to Tehran that the United States can penetrate anywhere in Iranian territory to carry out operations ranging from rescues to securing sensitive targets.

"This demonstrates to the Iranian leadership that we can get anywhere that we so choose and hold ground as long as we desire to accomplish a mission," Brent Sadler, a retired Navy captain, said on "Fox & Friends Weekend" Sunday.

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"Not only can we rescue our pilots, but we can also go to where we need to secure nuclear equipment or the remainders of their leadership."

Sadler's comments come after the rescue of a U.S. Air Force weapons system officer (WSO) early Sunday morning local time after roughly 36 hours in hiding.

The pilot and WSO ejected from an F-15E fighter jet when it was downed over Iran on Friday. The pilot was rescued that morning.

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Sadler said there have been reports that intelligence agencies and special forces from various military services were involved in the operation, and that America's regional allies also played a part.

"Our Gulf partners would have had to have given some clearance for the aircraft to fly through. They wouldn't know what it was for, and, of course, the Israelis, I think they [were] deeply integrated into this, to shift their targets and their attacks so that it would draw the Iranians away or keep them busy as we focused in on locating and exfiltrating our pilot."

Sadler added that the daring operation dashed any hopes Iran had of using the downed airman "for political purposes" or to stop U.S. military operations and said the successful rescue mission should underscore the seriousness of President Donald Trump's Monday deadline for Iranian leaders to return to the negotiating table.

"Despite going and hunting down and successfully exfiltrating our pilot, the operations and the attacks continued, which means that deadline that President Trump has given is very serious and the regime in Tehran better take it as such, because there's a lot more that's coming their way if not."

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Leinster survive Edinburgh scare to reach Champions Cup semi-final

Leinster turn on the style in the second half to beat Edinburgh 49-31 in a chaotic Champions Cup last-16 game at the Aviva Stadium.

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Niki Taylor chooses Nashville 'privacy' after ‘90s supermodel fame

Supermodel Niki Taylor is no longer chasing the spotlight.

The ’90s fashion icon — once one of the most recognizable faces in fashion — has traded the chaos of international runways for a quieter life in Nashville, where privacy and family now take center stage.

Taylor reflected on the pace of her early career and why stepping back from the glare of fame ultimately brought her something more meaningful.

"I do prefer privacy and I have always been a bit of a loner," she told People. "I live life at a much more natural pace than I did in the ‘90s. I'm thankful that I was busy, but I was away from my sons Jake and Hunter more than I wanted to be. With Ciel and Rex I feel like I have had a lot better balance of family and work."

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It’s a stark contrast to the double life she led as a teen model — one that blurred the line between normal adolescence and international fame.

"In a way, I was living two different lives," Taylor, now 51, quipped, explaining that during her rise to fame, she was appearing in People magazine even as she was still getting written up for detention.

"I was trying to fit in at my high school, but then I would show up on set and all the other models I looked up to were 10 years older than me. There's no handbook for how to handle that."

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Behind the scenes, Taylor said she had a tightly knit support system that kept her grounded as her career skyrocketed.

"I was young enough that I always had an adult with me," she said of flying nonstop to fashion shoots around the world.

"When my dad walked in the room, people took note. He was a strong, handsome but gentle man. And so, along with him and my mom and manager, Jean, I had a solid support team around me."

These days, the pace is slower — but the work isn’t over, according to the fashion icon.

Taylor is still modeling, just on her own terms.

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"My day-to-day is simple," she said. "Being a mom, fitness and working pretty much define my days. Someone once said you spend the first 40 years acquiring, and the last 40 simplifying. I still am in love with the fashion business, but I love coming home to my family."

But fame didn’t come without a devastating loss.

Taylor’s younger sister, Krissy Taylor — a rising star in her own right — died suddenly of heart disease at just 17, at the height of her career.

"She was my best friend, she was my gravity … even to this day, I think about her all the time," Taylor previously shared with Fox News in an interview.

The sisters had shared not just a bond, but the runway — walking shows across Europe and landing major campaigns together.

"I don’t know how we got through it, but time has helped," she told People. "I think about her often. Like when I see a lifted truck, sunflowers, an old country song, sundresses, the beach, certain scents in the air ... yeah, it's often. In many ways, Krissy and I had a special bond that was almost like being a twin, even though she was younger than me. I think anyone who knows about Krissy knows that she was my best friend." 

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Arteta defends Arsenal's international withdrawals

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal have '"a very good relationship" with most national teams, despite 11 of his players withdrawing from international duty.

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Nepal probe exposes $20M fraudulent rescue scheme involving lacing Mt Everest hikers' food: report

An investigation has exposed a nearly $20 million insurance scam in Nepal involving guides who allegedly fake or induce mountainside rescues, including by lacing the food of some hikers near Mt. Everest, according to a report by The Kathmandu Post.

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, where some adventurous individuals go to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. 

The mountain sits on the border of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

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The Kathmandu Post reported that after it highlighted the fraud in 2018, the government established a fact-finding committee, issued a 700-page report and declared reforms. 

But last year, the Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) reopened the matter and discovered that the fraud was increasing.

The outlet indicated that the CIB probe points out two main fraudulent scenarios.

One involves guides suggesting to tired adventurers who do not want to walk back that if they feign illness, a chopper will pick them up, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The outlet reported that, in the other scenario, guides and hotel staff, according to the CIB probe, have been coached to scare trekkers at high altitude, where altitude sickness can occur. They allegedly claim that the trekkers are in danger of dying and that only immediate evacuation will spare them. 

In some instances, investigators discovered that Diamox (acetazolamide) tablets, utilized to prevent altitude sickness, were given in conjunction with excessive water intake to cause the symptoms that would give grounds for a rescue, the outlet reported. 

In at least one instance noted in the investigation, guides allegedly laced food with baking powder to cause people to be unwell, the outlet stated.

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Police recorded a case in which four individuals were picked up on one chopper flight, but insurance claims were filed as more than one separate rescue, the report noted.

The framework tying the system of mass fraud together was detailed in police interrogations, according to the outlet, which reported that hospitals shell out 20% to 25% of the insurance money to trekking businesses and 20% to 25% to chopper rescue operators in return for patient referrals. 

Trekking guides and their businesses get a boost from inflated invoices, the outlet suggested. In some instances, tourists are offered money to join in the scam, The Kathmandu Post added.

In the period between 2022 and 2025, investigators found a whopping 4,782 foreign patients serviced at implicated hospitals, with 171 cases verified as fraudulent rescues, the outlet reported. During that span, Era International Hospital raked in deposits of over $15.87 million for such activities and Shreedhi International Hospital got more than $1.22 million, the outlet reported.

Mountain Rescue Service carried out 171 fake rescues from an overall 1,248 charter flights, scoring around $10.31 million from insurers, the outlet reported, adding that Nepal Charter Service executed 75 fake rescues out of 471 flights, claiming $8.2 million. Everest Experience and Assistance was allegedly tied to 71 suspicious rescues out of 601 flights, with claims of $11.04 million.

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CIB charged 32 people last month with offenses against the state and organized crime, the outlet reported, noting that nine individuals were arrested while others were said to be absconding.

Individuals from Mountain Helicopters, Altitude Air and Manang Air, which was rebranded as Basecamp Helicopters, as well as physicians and administrators with Swacon International Hospital, Shreedhi International Hospital and Era International Hospital were among the individuals who have been charged, the outlet indicated.

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Firm handed 'record' illegal tree felling fine

Landowner Motor Fuel Ltd was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £268,751.

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