NFL Free Agency opens up on Wednesday, with the legal tampering period beginning on Monday. The top free agents usually all commit to a team during that period, so be ready to rock and roll to start next week.
West
NRA bets big on Montana in gun rights push as Tester teeters in Senate race
FIRST ON FOX: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is going live on Montana’s airwaves with a massive push against vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., on Tuesday, specifically attacking his record on gun rights.
“Where I live, you can’t wait for 911. My family’s safety is in my hands alone,” a female narrator says in a new ad from the NRA’s political action committee, the NRA Political Victory Fund.
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The NRA is going up with a new ad against Tester in Montana. (Reuters | iStock)
The video depicts a would-be intruder approaching a home with a woman alone inside who grabs her firearm when she realizes someone is outside. The narrator says Tester “failed to protect my right to self-defense.”
“And that’s why moms like me can’t wait to fire him in November,” she continued.
The more than $2 million reservation will be seen across the Big Sky State and will also reach Montana voters on digital platforms, through text and direct mail components.
The expenditure is the NRA Political Victory Fund’s first television ad of the cycle.
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Tester is running for re-election in red Montana. (Samuel Corum)
According to the PAC, the ad was filmed on location and also features a real Montana mother.
“This November, gun owners can’t afford to sit on the sidelines,” Randy Kozuch, chair of the NRA Political Victory Fund, said in a statement.
“With this seven-figure ad buy, only a portion of our electoral engagement in Montana, we are calling out Jon Tester,” he said.
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Per Kozuch, Tester’s “voting record in the Senate makes clear he is not on the side of Montanans who support the 2nd Amendment.”
He specifically pointed to Tester’s support for “anti-gun” Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The NRA is highlighting gun rights for rural Americans. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“He has voted to spend taxpayer dollars to promote state-level red flag laws, which are ripe for abuse, and deny gun owners basic due process protections. And he’s voted multiple times to criminalize private firearms transfers while supporting government blacklists,” he said.
The Montana Democrat notably voted in favor of bipartisan gun legislation in 2022 that made millions of dollars in grant funding available to states for the purpose of enforcing protection orders for those deemed to be extreme risks, colloquially referred to as “red flag laws.” The grants also assist states in closing what’s referred to as the “boyfriend loophole,” expanding limits on firearm ownership for domestic abusers to a variety of relationships, as opposed to only spouses.
Fifteen Republicans joined Senate Democrats at the time to support the bill. However, the majority of the GOP conference did not back the measure.
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Tester campaign spokesperson Monica Robinson told Fox News Digital in a statement, “As Tim Sheehy himself said, ‘I’m not the biggest fan of the NRA, because I don’t think the NRA is really, truly worried about Second Amendment rights.’ There’s one champion who has always defended Montana gun owners, and that’s Jon Tester, who is a proud gun owner himself.”
Robinson was referencing a June Politico report that Sheehy was skeptical about the NRA’s interests during an event last year. A Sheehy spokesperson responded at the time, pointing to the fact that he is a “political outsider who calls it like he sees it.”
Sheehy, left, is favored to win the Montana Senate race against incumbent Tester by one handicapper. (Reuters)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Sheehy’s campaign said, “The choice is clear this election. Tim Sheehy is A rated by the NRA because he’ll always protect our Second Amendment rights and Jon Tester is F rated by the NRA because he supports the Obama-Biden-Harris radical liberal gun control agenda.”
The Montana Senate seat is considered Republicans’ No. 1 target in the upcoming Senate elections, aside from West Virginia, which is expected to easily turn red after independent Sen. Joe Manchin’s retirement. Tester’s race is also believed to be the Senate GOP’s key to the majority in 2025.
A top political handicapper, the Cook Political Report, has long rated the race between Tester and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy as a “toss up.”
However, another respected handicapper recently shifted the matchup to “leans Republican.” Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics explained the change, pointing to a new poll from the AARP showing Sheehy with a six-point 51%-45% advantage over Tester in a two-way race.
In an expanded field, Sheehy still defeated Tester, 49%-41%.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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West
Tarot influencer’s claims in Idaho college murders case spark courtroom reckoning
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A federal jury in Boise awarded $10 million to a University of Idaho professor after finding a Texas TikToker financially liable for spreading false claims that linked her to the 2022 stabbing deaths of four college students.
The decision came Friday in U.S. District Court in the case of Scofield v. Guillard. Jurors awarded $7.5 million in punitive damages and $2.5 million in compensatory damages, according to court records and reporting by the Idaho Statesman.
Professor Rebecca Scofield, who chairs the university’s history department, filed suit in December 2022 against Houston resident Ashley Guillard. The lawsuit stemmed from a series of TikTok videos in which Guillard alleged, without evidence, that Scofield had a romantic relationship with one of the victims and arranged the killings.
The victims, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death in a rental home near campus in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. The crime drew nationwide attention and left the campus community reeling.
Ashley Guillard posted TikTok videos falsely linking a University of Idaho professor to the Idaho college murders, leading to a defamation lawsuit. (TikTok/ashleyisinthebookoflife4)
LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST
Authorities later arrested Bryan Kohberger, a criminology doctoral student at nearby Washington State University at the time. He ultimately pleaded guilty in a deal that spared him the death penalty and is now serving four consecutive life sentences in an Idaho state prison.
In a statement to Fox News Digital following the verdict, Scofield expressed gratitude to the jury and said she hopes to close a painful chapter.
“I want to thank the jury for their time and attention to this case. The judge had already ruled as a matter of law that the statements were false. The $10 million verdict reinforces the judge’s decision and sends the clear message that false statements online have consequences in the real world for real people and are unacceptable in our community,” Scofield said.
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University of Idaho students from left to right: Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. All four were stabbed to death in an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. (Jazzmin Kernodle via AP/Instagram/ @kayleegoncalves)
“The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, was the darkest chapter in our university’s history. Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies. I am hopeful that this difficult chapter in my life is over, and I can return to a more normal life with my family and the wonderful Moscow community.”
Court filings show that in June 2024, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco determined that Guillard’s statements were legally defamatory, leaving only the question of monetary damages for a jury to decide.
According to the complaint, Guillard began posting videos in late November 2022 claiming Scofield had secretly been involved with one of the students and had “ordered” the killings. The lawsuit states Scofield had never met any of the victims and was out of state when the murders occurred.
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People lay flowers and pay respects at the University of Idaho on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Four students were murdered in Moscow, Idaho over the weekend. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
The filing further alleges that Guillard continued publishing the accusations even after receiving cease-and-desist letters and after police publicly indicated Scofield was not connected to the crime.
At the time, Guillard’s TikTok account had garnered more than 100,000 followers, with some of the videos receiving millions of interactions, according to court documents.
Scofield’s legal team argued the statements amounted to defamation because they accused her of criminal conduct and professional misconduct that could jeopardize her academic career.
During the damages trial, Scofield described the emotional toll of seeing her name associated with the murders online, according to the Idaho Statesman. Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before returning their verdict, the outlet reported.
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Guillard, who represented herself in court, has maintained that her statements were expressions of belief tied to tarot card readings, according to courtroom coverage.
It was not immediately known whether she intends to appeal. Fox News Digital has reached out to Guillard for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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San Francisco, CA
5 teens, 3 adults arrested in San Francisco double stabbing at Dolores Park
Three adults and five juveniles were arrested after two people were stabbed on Wednesday at San Francisco’s Dolores Park, police said.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers responded at about 4:50 p.m. to a report of a group of people fighting at the park. On the way there, the officers were notified that there was a possible stabbing, police said.
When officers arrived, they found two men with stab wounds, and the officers began first aid before medics arrived. Both men were taken to the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries, police said.
Officers searched the area around the park and detained eight people; they were all arrested after investigators developed probable cause, police said. The adults were identified as 18-year-old Fernando Moreno Hernandez, 18-year-old David Paz, and 19-year-old Yeferson Mondragon-Ortiz. Each was booked into the San Francisco County Jail.
The five teenagers were taken and booked into the city’s Juvenile Justice Center.
All suspects were charged with attempted murder, conspiracy, assault likely to produce great bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon.
Police said the case was still under active investigation, and anyone with information was asked to contact the department at 415-575-4444, or send a text to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
Denver, CO
Ranking the Broncos free agent needs on offense
I figured now would be a good time to do a little discussion around the Denver Broncos and where we think their top priorities should be on offense when free agency kicks off.
Broncos top FA needs on offense
Tim Lynch: For free agency, I’d say running back and tight end are the highest on my wish list.
I’d say pay big for a top free agent running back and ensure you have a monster two-headed backfield next season. They need a superior run-blocking tight end and, if they move on from Evan Engram, a pass-catcher too.
Christopher Hart: I agree with Tim. Those are the biggest needs for the offense. Getting a top-notch running back and a tight end capable of playing inline to replace Adam Trautman is a must. The two players I advocated a few weeks ago were running back Travis Etienne and tight end Cade Otton. Both would be fantastic additions and help take Denver’s offense to the next level in 2026.
Scotty Payne: Playmaker is the top and biggest need. That includes a RB, TE, and/or WR in that order.
Need to improve the run game regardless, need some sort of production out of the TEs as well as improved blocking, and if they can get a true WR1, that would be great too.
Ross Allen: I think we’re all in agreement.
Getting someone who can be the dominant running back and have RJ Harvey serve that glamorous “joker” role would be huge for this offense. And given that they also don’t have a legitimate playmaker at the receiving position hurts them. A TE or WR can fill that role.
Sadaraine: The #1 need for the Broncos on offense is a top-notch running back. I will be blown away if the Broncos don’t sign a top-tier free agent running back to upgrade the offense (and no, J.K. Dobbins wouldn’t be that guy…not with his injury history).
There’s a significant gap in need after that until we start talking about tight ends and receivers. I think we’re more likely to see more money spent on a tight end than a receiver, but this offense could use both to be sure.
Ian St. Clair: Not to beat a dead horse, but running back is the biggest need and priority for this team when free agency starts. Having a consistent and effective running game will make Nix and the offense exponentially better. It will make the team better. After running back, the Broncos need to figure out their tight end.
Adam Malnati: Give Bo a weapon. I don’t care which position. Yes, RB is a need. Yes, TE is a need (thanks a lot Evan Engram). Still, a weapon would be nice.
Predictably, we’re all heavily keyed in on running back and tight end. That was a big part of our free agent profile coverage too and for good reason. There have been many rumors around Denver looking to target both positions next week and where there is smoke there is usually fire.
The question really becomes: go big or go affordable? With the championship window open, I’m leaning go big on premium play-maker positions this offseason.
Where do you stand on this discussion? Give us your top free agent needs on offense and how you hope the Broncos address them next week.
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