Author: Fox News

Austin Majors, the child actor who starred in “NYPD Blue” as Theo Sipowicz, has died, according to his sister, Kali Raglin. He was 27.

“Austin Majors (Setmajer-Raglin) was an artistic, brilliant, and kind human being. Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. From the time he was little, he never knew a stranger and his goal in life was to make people happy,” the family shared in a statement with Fox News Digital.

“He grew up in a small town where he loved camping and fishing with his family and Boy Scout Troop. He loved his dog, Sunny, and the horse he grew up riding, Balla. He graduated Salutatorian in High School while being an active Eagle Scout and member of the community. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing.” 

The statement continued, “Austin’s younger sister, Kali, says her fondest memories with Austin were growing up on set with him, volunteering at events with ‘Kids With a Cause’, and backpacking together. Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever.”

Child actor Austin Majors has died, according to his family. He was 27. (Angela Weiss / WireImage)

Austin Majors rose to fame for his role on “NYPD Blue.” (ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

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According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, Majors died on Saturday. An official cause of death has been “deferred pending additional investigation.”

Raglin told Fox News Digital that officials shared with her that her brother’s cause of death was a “suspected fentanyl poisoning with an ongoing investigation.”

He appeared on seven seasons of the series and played Theo Sipowicz. (Gregg DeGuire / WireImage)

Majors appeared on seven seasons of the hit series “NYPD Blue,” which landed him several guest appearances on “According to Jim,” “American Dad!” “Desperate Housewives,” “An Accidental Christmas” and “How I Met Your Mother.”

Raglin took to Facebook on Sunday and announced the sad news of the death of her older brother.

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“My big brother, Austin, is gone. He died last night. It’s so surreal to me still. He was only 27 with so much life left to live,” she captioned her post that included a slideshow of images of the two. 

Austin Majors and sister Kali Majors during the Child Actor Recognition Event Awards in 2007. (Enos Solomon / FilmMagic)

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“I’ve told some of you already but if you’re interested in his services please reach out,” Raglin said.

The U.S. military jet that downed an unknown object in the Michigan sky on Sunday missed on its first attempt over Lake Huron, officials told Fox News. 

The Air Force F-16 jet was using Sidewinder missiles to attack the target. 

“The first Sidewinder heat-seeking missile missed the target,” one official said. 

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U.S. forces haul debris from China’s surveillance balloon onto a boat off the coast of South Carolina. A military jet that shot down an object over Lake Huron, Michigan missed on its first attempt.  (US Fleet Forces)

It wasn’t clear where the missile that missed ultimately landed. The second missile took down the target. Each of the missiles costs more than $400,000. 

None of the debris from the object has been found in the lake, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday. The Defense Department, or DOD, said President Biden, just before 2:42 p.m., directed an F-16 to fire an AIM-9x missile to shoot down an airborne object flying at nearly 20,000 feet over Lake Huron.

The downing was the fourth object to be destroyed since Feb. 4 when a Chinese spycraft was shot down over South Carolina. 

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Authorities are working to recover debris from the objects in Alaska and Canada as well as the sites in Michigan and South Carolina. 

An 18-wheeler collided with a train on Monday morning in East Texas, leaving the truck driver dead and derailing over a dozen train cars, according to police. 

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office started fielding 911 calls about the wreck around 7:24 a.m. in Splendora, a small town about 40 miles north of Houston. 

At least 16 rail cars went off the tracks when the train collided with an 18-wheeler on Monday morning.  (Fox 26 Houston)

When first responders arrived at the scene, the driver of the 18-wheeler was already dead, according to the Splendora Police Department. No one else was injured. 

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The East Montgomery Fire Department said that there is no active threat to the community stemming from the wreck, putting some fears to rest after a train derailment earlier in the month sent toxic gases into the air over East Palestine, Ohio. 

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Police said that it could be eight to 15 hours before cleanup is completed and all roads are reopened. 

The derailed train is owned by Union Pacific, which has more than 6,400 miles of track throughout Texas. The railroad did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. 

New Jersey state Sen. Samuel Thompson said Monday he’s leaving the Republican Party and plans to seek reelection this year as a Democrat.

Thompson, 87, said in a phone interview that he decided to leave the GOP after party leaders questioned his fitness for office because of his age.

“The betrayal by so many of my friends — that was too much for me,” he said. “I am not leaving my party. My party leadership has left me.”

WEST VIRGINIA STATE SENATOR LEAVES DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR THE GOP

Thompson’s departure would expand the Democrats’ edge in the state Senate from 24 to 25 seats in the 40-member chamber.

Middlesex County Republican Chairman Rob Bengivenga said that although he considered Thompson a friend and mentor and wanted him to be part of the party’s future, leaders decided to support another candidate for state Senate.

“I was hoping the Senator would embrace it and work together as a mentor and advisor for the years to come,” he said in an emailed statement.

Republican New Jersey state Sen. Samuel Thompson switched parties after GOP leadership questioned his ability to serve. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement that he welcomed Thompson to the party and called him a tireless public servant.

Thompson, a former research scientist who served in the Army, said he plans to run for office in this year’s legislative election. He said unlike some lawmakers who work part time as legislators while also holding other jobs, he works only as a legislator.

“It is my life. It gives me something to do every day when I wake up to get there and help people. The alternative is sit at home and just wait to die? I have to be active,” he said. “I think I’m doing a public service.”

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Thompson — a supporter of former President Donald Trump — said Trump’s presidency was a success. Asked how he could fit in the Democratic Party with that view, Thompson paused a moment.

“Everybody is entitled to their own choices and what they’re going to do,” he said.

Thompson represents the 12th Legislative District, which includes parts of Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

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All 120 seats in the Assembly and Senate are up for reelection this year. The primary is set for June, when Thompson could have faced a primary challenger against him in the GOP if he still ran. It’s unclear whether Democrats will run a candidate against him in the party’s primary.

A Democratic operative who promoted the false narrative that Border Patrol agents were whipping Haitian migrants is now facing online backlash for attacking commercials promoting the Christian faith that aired during the Super Bowl.

He Gets Us, a campaign touting itself as a “movement to reintroduce people to the Jesus of the Bible and his confounding love and forgiveness,” aired two advertisement spots during Sunday night’s big NFL game. 

The first one is 30 seconds and urges viewers to “be childlike” while showing children being helpful and kind to each other and animals. “Jesus didn’t want us to act like adults,” appears on the screen. “He gets us. All of us. Jesus.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during a rally for immigration provisions to be included in the Build Back Better Act outside the U.S. Capitol, Dec. 7, 2021 in Washington. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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The second ad is 60 seconds and is meant to promote inclusion amid perceived division. It shows people arguing and confronting each other angrily until “Jesus loved the people we hate” appears onscreen.

Despite the messages of inclusion, a self-described Democratic strategist and communications consultant went on Twitter late Sunday night, after the commercials aired during the Super Bowl, to lambast the ads.

“With the money the ‘He Gets Us’ people spent on their right-wing Jesus ads, they could permanently house 1,563 people experiencing homelessness,” wrote Sawyer Hackett, who according to his Twitter profile is a senior adviser to both the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro.

It reportedly costs $7 million for 30 seconds of ad time during the Super Bowl broadcast. The He Gets Us spots are part of a multimillion-dollar campaign from the nonprofit Servant Foundation, which also does business as an organization called the Signatry.

Hackett’s attacks quickly earned scorn and mockery on Twitter.

“It’s kinda weird and cringe that the commercial you have a problem with is maybe the only one that wasn’t selling you something or trying to get you to scan some spyware QR code to play an NFT gambling game,” wrote podcaster and political commentator Noam Blum.

One Twitter user argued it “just seems silly to apply this standard to the Christian ad but not the ads for Pepsi or anything else.”

Another asked of Hackett, “Isn’t this true about every ad and sponsor? Plenty of woke corporations spent millions so are you just calling this one out because you hate Jesus?”

Others pointed to political ads, government spending, and the $800,000 that the NFL put into the grass for Sunday night’s Super Bowl field as other expenditures that didn’t go to the homeless but escaped Hackett’s ire.

“They spent $800,000 on the grass, and I’m pretty sure that didn’t save anyone’s soul,” tweeted one user. “Feels better to hate on the Christians though.”

Hackett previously made headlines in 2021 for being one of the loudest and earliest voices pushing the narrative that border agents on horseback were whipping Haitian migrants trying to enter the U.S. illegally. 

“Border patrol is mounted on horseback rounding up Haitian refugees with whips,” he tweeted at the time. “This is unfathomable cruelty towards people fleeing disaster and political ruin. The administration must stop this.”

Hackett’s tweet went viral, capturing the attention of the likes of MSNBC host Joy Reid. 

The whipping narrative was quickly revealed as false — agents were using split reins to control their horses as migrants rushed across the river. No whipping took place.

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Hackett did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The Biden administration and state officials are reassuring residents in eastern Ohio that the air is safe to breathe after conducting a controlled release of toxic chemicals.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with Govs. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, and Josh Shapiro, D-Penn., said the air quality had been sampled multiple times in the region and found to be below levels of concern. 

On Feb. 3, a train carrying vinyl chloride, a dangerous colorless gas, and operated by the transportation company Norfolk Southern Railroad derailed in Columbiana County, Ohio, which is located along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Shortly after the derailment, Norfolk Southern opted to release the gas from the derailed cars, potentially releasing deadly fumes into the air, to prevent a potentially disastrous explosion.

“U.S. EPA continues to conduct air monitoring throughout the East Palestine community,” the EPA said in a statement Sunday. “Air monitoring since the fire went out has not detected any levels of concern in the community that can be attributed to the incident at this time.”

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A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains on Feb. 6. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)

The agency added that residents may still “smell odors” from the site and should call their doctor if they experience symptoms.

DeWine’s office said that based on its monitoring data the area was determined to be safe for community members to return to their residences.

In a statement Monday, the EPA said while it continues to assist air monitoring efforts, it didn’t make the final decision recommending residents return home.

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“Health agencies and the fire department made the determination for residents to return home,” the agency told Fox News Digital. “EPA provided air monitoring data to health agencies and the local fire department to help make this decision.” 

“EPA is assisting the voluntary residential indoor air screening offered by Norfolk Southern,” the statement continued. “The home screening effort was designed based on information provided by health agencies. EPA air monitoring devices used for indoor air screening include instruments that can detect to vinyl chloride and other chemicals of concern from the derailment.”

The derailed Norfolk Southern freight train is pictured on Feb. 9 as the cleanup continues.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

While government officials and independent experts said the data showed the air was safe and that the controlled burn had been properly conducted, local residents and other experts have expressed concern about the situation. They have noted that, in addition to vinyl chloride, other toxic chemicals were being transported by the derailed train.

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“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” Sil Caggiano, a local hazardous materials specialist, told the local outlet WKBN-TV.

“I was surprised when they quickly told the people they can go back home, but then said if they feel like they want their homes tested they can have them tested. I would’ve far rather they did all the testing,” Caggiano added. 

“There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad.”

This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in eastern Ohio. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

And a local farmer told the outlet that his animals have been sick since the release of chemicals and that, from what he’s observed, the fumes are “definitely not safe” for animals or people.

However, Norfolk Southern said Monday the company has continued air monitoring efforts in the region and in homes, confirming that it is safe for residents.

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“We continue working with Ohio EPA and US EPA to conduct air and water monitoring in the community,” Connor Spielmaker, a spokesperson for Norfolk Southern, told Fox News Digital. “General air monitoring is being performed 24 hours a day in the community for the substances associated with the derailment and fire. Air monitoring results indicate that the air in the community is safe.” 

“We’ve completed close to 300 in-home air monitoring visits and none have had indicated unsafe air quality,” he continued. “We’ve also begun testing of private well water sources. We’ll continue to remain engaged with local, state, and federal partners to remediate the site.”

New Hampshire State Police are investigating whether two crashes on Interstate 93, one of which toppled a light pole and left about 10 vehicles with multiple flat tires, are related.

Police said they responded to reports at about 7:10 p.m. Sunday that the pole was blocking the northbound lanes and Exit 1 off-ramp in Salem. Metal and other debris was strewn across the road and drivers drove over it, causing the flat tires, they said.

No vehicle was found at the scene that could have been responsible for damage to the pole and an exit sign, police said.

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The New Hampshire police are investigating whether two crashes on I-93 are related. The driver from the second accident fled the scene and there was no car at the 1st accident who was responsible. 

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About 10 minutes later, police received calls of another crash on the northbound side, just north of Exit 5 in Londonderry. Callers said an SUV struck a guardrail and came to rest on the highway. They also said the driver fled.

Police are looking for the driver.

Both crash scenes were closed for about half an hour. No injuries were reported.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led his team to a game-winning drive, and it earned him his second career Super Bowl MVP Award after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, at State Farm Stadium on Sunday night. 

Mahomes is now the seventh player in NFL history who has won both regular-season MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same year. 

Mahomes threw three touchdowns, going 21 of 27 through the air for 182 yards. He also rushed for 44 yards, 26 of those coming on the final drive that helped set up their final red zone trip. 

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Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

In the first half, it looked like Mahomes re-injured his ankle that had a sprain from the divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

But during his MVP speech after the game, he reminded everyone what he’s been saying this whole time leading up the Sunday. 

PATRICK MAHOMES LEADS CHIEFS TO THRILLING VICTORY OVER EAGLES IN SUPER BOWL LVII

“I told y’all this week, there’s nothing that’s going to keep me off this football field,” he told Terry Bradshaw. “I just want to shout out my teammates, man. We challenged each other. It took everybody to win this football game.”

After Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for his third touchdown of the game and ran in the two-point conversion to tie it up, the Chiefs and Mahomes had just over five minutes left to retake the lead. 

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs scrambles against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.  (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Starting at their own 25-yard line, another classic Mahomes game-winning drive was underway. 

The Chiefs were methodic as they began eating up yards on the Eagles’ defense, with Mahomes finding Juju Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce through the air while running back Isiah Pacheco picked up yardage on the ground. 

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But Mahomes, despite looking like he hurt his already-injured ankle in the first half, used his legs to pick up crucial yards. First, it was a 10-yard scramble that resulted in a first down. But the 26-yard run is what really got the Chiefs in business on Philadelphia’s 17-yard line. 

After Jerick McKinnon slid before reaching the end zone, a couple kneels from Mahomes followed by Harrison Butker’s 27-yard game-winning field goal, the Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in four years. 

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs yells in the end-zone against the Philadelphia Eagles prior to Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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At 27 years old, Mahomes’ resume continues to add up. 

Nearly two dozen Chinese military aircraft and ships were detected around Taiwan on Monday morning after the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps held joint exercises in the South China Sea over the weekend. 

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that 18 People’s Liberation Army aircraft were detected, 11 of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer zone in between the island and China. Four vessels were also detected around Taiwan. 

China’s incursions have become an almost daily occurrence in recent months, but the latest sign of aggression comes just days after the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps conducted joint drills in the South China Sea. 

FILE PHOTO: A Chinese military jet flies over Pingtan island, one of mainland China’s closest points to Taiwan, in Fujian province. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit carried out “integrated expeditionary strike force” operations on Saturday. 

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“The mobility and sustainability provided by amphibious platforms gives the Navy and Marine Corps team an asymmetric advantage in a maritime environment,” the 7th Fleet explained. 

“This seamless naval integration established a powerful presence in the region, which supports peace and stability.” 

China’s claim to a wide swatch of the South China Sea has put the country at odds with its neighbors in the region. 

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In December, the State Department called on China “to respect the international law of the sea in the South China Sea,” saying that their actions “reflect continuing disregard for other South China Sea claimants and states lawfully operating in the region.”

The latest exercises by the U.S. also come amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington, D.C.

The Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. (REUTERS/Randall Hill  )

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The U.S. shot down a 200-foot tall Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. 

“Make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did,” President Biden said in his State of the Union address last week. 

A late defensive holding call in Super Bowl LVII is now the latest NFL controversy.

On 3rd and 8, Philadelphia Eagles‘ James Bradberry was penalized on a fade route to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but many think the refs should have eaten the whistle.

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James Bradberry #24 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.  (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

It was for sure a ticky-tack call that plenty of defensive backs get away with all game, and the fact that the flag was thrown with less than two minutes left in the biggest game of the season caused some uproar.

The Kansas City Chiefs‘ drive continued, they were able to waste some clock, and instead of the Eagles getting the ball back with about 1:50 left and a timeout, they didn’t get possession until after Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left – it turned out to be the Super Bowl winner.

LeBron James led the reaction.

Pat McAfee offered his thoughts on the penalty, as well.

“That ref making that holding call at that time at that stage at that game? Super Bowl? Huh? Huh?!…” he said. “Hey refs – can’t f—ing call that there. Okay? It’s not about you. Now was there a hold? I guess. If you stop and go frame by frame, he had his hands on him, but nonetheless, at that stage? Come on! we were robbed of a potential overtime game in the Super Bowl!”

The holding penalty was criticized to the point where “The Refs” was a top trend on Twitter.

The call comes just four days after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said officiating is the best it’s ever been.

Harrison Butker #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after kicking the go ahead field goal during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.  (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

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“I don’t think it’s ever been better in the league,” Goodell said at his annual Super Bowl week news conference. “There are over 42,000 plays in a season. Multiple infractions could occur on any play. Take that out or extrapolate that. That’s hundreds if not millions of potential fouls. And our officials do an extraordinary job of getting those.”

Goodell did add that officials “are not perfect, and officiating never will be. We’ve also had obviously replay and other aspects that help us address those issues to make sure they’re not something that we can’t correct on the field.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the field prior to the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri.  (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

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The Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in franchise history, 38-35.