Author: Fox News

A Louisiana woman shot and killed a man who broke into her home during the early morning hours on Sunday, according to law enforcement officials.

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to reports of shots being fired at a residence on Klein Road just after 5 a.m. on Sunday.

Robert Rheams allegedly broke into a home in Hammond, Louisiana on Sunday morning before he was shot and killed by the woman who was inside protecting her children
(Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office)

When they arrived, deputies learned the suspect, Robert Rheams, 51, of Hammond, Louisiana allegedly forced his way into a home while armed with a lug wrench and shovel.

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Inside the home was a woman and her two young children, a press release from the sheriff’s office stated.

During the break in, Rheams got into a physical altercation with the woman and was ultimately shot by her.

FILE- Police caution tape at a crime scene.
(iStock)

Police said Rheams was declared dead at the scene by the Tangipahoa Parish Coroner’s Office.

CONSERVATIVES CELEBRATE LAW THAT ENSURES AGE VERIFICATION TO VIEW ONLINE PORN: ‘BIG WIN FROM LOUISIANA’

Rheams was on parole after being incarcerated for nearly 20 years for armed robbery.

Police also said Rheams was connected to a carjacking that took place just hours before he forced his way into the home on Sunday.

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Jimmy Travis said no arrests were made in the investigation.

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He also noted that the homeowner exercised her Second Amendment rights to protect herself and her children from a violent home invasion.

A Florida school district banned a book about a real-life same-sex penguin couple from classrooms and school libraries.

The award-winning 2005 children’s book, “And Tango Makes Three,” tells the story of a real-life same-sex penguin couple that creates a family together.

Lake County Schools located in Florida told Fox News Digital on Monday that the book violates Florida law on teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity to kindergarten and third-graders.

RON DESANTIS SHAKES UP LIBERAL UNIVERSITY, APPOINTS SIX MEMBERS TO THE NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., and his wife, Casey DeSantis. 
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“We removed access to ‘And Tango Makes Three’ for our kindergarten through third-grade students in alignment with Florida HB 1557, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for those grade levels,” Sherri Owens, the Lake County Florida communications director told Fox News Digital.

The banning of the book stems from Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ education legislation he signed into law last year. Florida House Bill 1557 “Parental Rights in Education,” which was dubbed by critics as the “don’t say gay” bill. The law bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in grades kindergarten through third grade.

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“And Tango Makes Three” is one of several books that have been removed from schools after DeSantis and state Republicans passed legislation on restrictiong instruction on critical race theory and gender theory.

Public records obtained by another outlet through the Florida Freedom to Read Project revealed that two other books were banned, citing the Parental Rights in Education Act. 

Public records obtained by another outlet through the Florida Freedom to Read Project revealed that two other books were banned, citing the Parental Rights in Education Act. 
(iStock)

In Lake County, for example, the school district has removed three books with LGBTQ themes from libraries. The school district claimed the removal of these books was required “due to content regarding sexual orientation/gender identification prohibited in HB 1557.”

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Lake County Schools presides over 59 schools, including 20 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, and 9 high schools and serves 41,100 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.

During the midterm elections, DeSantis’ championed a pro-parent agenda, which also included the endorsements of 30 school board candidates that aligned with that philosophy. 

Bookcase in a library.
(iStock)

Among the 30 school board candidates that he endorsed, 24 won their races.

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The victories coincide with the phenomenon of parents across the country paying closer attention to school boards by challenging progressive curricula and contesting books they deemed inappropriate. 

The New York Jets were 7-4 through their first 11 games of the season, sitting in a great position to break their playoff drought of 12 years. But after losing six straight games to end the season at 7-10 with no playoff berth, Gang Green goes back to the drawing board.

General Manager Joe Douglas has done well to build his roster on both sides of the ball, but a key question all season long is whether the Jets got it right at quarterback. Zach Wilson was benched twice during the season as he clearly regressed in his sophomore year since being drafted No. 2 overall.

Wilson’s future with the Jets, then, is in question and many believe the Jets will be looking for a veteran option in the free-agent market. It’s not what they envisioned when drafting Wilson out of BYU.

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New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson warms up prior to the game with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 22, 2022, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
(Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If they do bring in a new quarterback to One Jets Drive, Wilson, who has two guaranteed years left on his rookie deal, promises to make things hard on his teammate.

“I’m going to make that dude’s life hell in practice every day,” he said via the New York Post. “I’m going to go out there and do my best to show the coaches that I deserve to be there. It’s not in a negative way, it’s a positive way. It’s making everybody else better.”

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It’s a good mindset to have for Wilson. However, his struggles to move the offense consistently are forcing the Jets into this predicament.

Wilson threw for six touchdowns this season compared to nine interceptions. When the Jets were winning games, they were relying on their run game – rookie second-round pick Breece Hall bulldozed through defenses before suffering a season-ending knee injury – and their lockdown defense. In Wilson’s five wins as a starter this season, he only threw for two touchdowns while averaging 169.4 yards per game through the air.

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is shown before a game against the New England Patriots on Oct. 24, 2021, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
(Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After Hall’s injury, the Jets weren’t as stout in the run, which led to Wilson dropping back more. The results weren’t positive, and it came to a head in New England when he went 9 for 22 for 77 yards in a 10-3 loss to the Patriots.

Following the embarrassing performance, reporters asked Wilson if he believed the offense let the defense down – which gave up just three points before a Marcus Jones punt return sealed the win for New England – Wilson simply responded, “No.” A couple of days later, the Jets benched him and moved on to Mike White.

ZACH WILSON WOULD HAVE BENEFITED FROM SITTING BEHIND A VETERAN QUARTERBACK, JETS OC SAYS

White and veteran Joe Flacco are both free agents this offseason, which adds to the rumors that the Jets will be going after a veteran with the idea that he could start over Wilson.

In two seasons, Wilson is 8-14 as a starter, owning a 55.2 completion percentage with 15 touchdowns to 18 interceptions.

The Jets still feel Wilson has the talent to be a successful quarterback in the league.

Zach Wilson of the New York Jets walks to the sideline against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 22, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
(Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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“Philosophically, we’ve never been a team that has given up on talent early,” Douglas said via the Post. “We all know the talent that Zach possesses. We’re going to do what we’ve done with every player – that’s work with Zach, develop Zach. We’re going to do everything we can to ultimately help Zach reach his full potential here.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., clashed with rap legend Dr. Dre Monday after the rapper filed a copyright complaint with Twitter over the use of his song “Still Dre” in a video Greene posted. 

The complaint resulted in the removal of the video by Twitter and Greene losing access to her account.

“I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one,” Dre said in a statement to TMZ.

In a statement, Greene fired back at the rapper.

“While I appreciate the creative chord progression, I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs,” she said. 

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Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., left, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., right, scream “Build the Wall” as President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Washington.
(Evelyn Hockstein/Pool via AP)

In a play on words, Greene tweeted a screenshot of the TMZ article with the caption “The next episode..,” a reference to a popular song by Dre.

People from across the political spectrum reacted to the beef on Twitter. 

Mocking the caption to Greene’s since removed video, “It’s time to begin… they can’t stop what’s coming”, some people joked about how Greene had been stopped on Twitter.

“Look who just got stopped?” actress Nancy Lee Grahn tweeted.

LEFT-WING GROUPS ATTACK BIDEN’S ‘DANGEROUS’, ‘CRUEL’ IMMIGRATION POLICY

Dr. Dre and Eminem pose for a photograph.
((Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project tweeted, “‘Don’t f–k with Dre’ is like a basic law of physics. MTG, FAFO.”

BrooklynDad_Defiant, a popular Left wing account, tweeted “MTG temporarily locked out of her Twitter account today for unauthorized use of Dr. Dre‘s music. Beaten by Dre, lol.”

In this  Jan. 4, 2021, photo, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., center, stands with other GOP freshmen during an event at the Capitol in Washington.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Nick Adams, a conservative pundit, tweeted, “Dr. Dre should leave MTG alone and be grateful he isn’t in jail.”

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Greene played a pivotal role in securing the speakership for Kevin McCarthy last week. In contrast to other conservative populist Republicans like Rep. Matt Gaetz, Fla., Greene defended McCarthy and voted for him.

Georgia put an exclamation point on a first-half bulldozing of TCU in the first half of the College Football National Championship on Monday night.

Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett found wide receiver Adonai Mitchell for a 22-yard touchdown pass with about 26 seconds left in the half. Mitchell caught the ball with one hand and took it away from TCU cornerback Josh Newton for the score.

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Adonai Mitchell #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs catches a touchdown pass late in the second quarter against Josh Newton #24 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football National Championship game at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 2023, in Inglewood, California.
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The play caught the attention of social media.

Georgia took a 38-7 lead into the half as they look to win back-to-back national championships. The Bulldogs narrowly defeated Ohio State to get to the final and TCU defeated Michigan.

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Adonai Mitchell #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs catches a touchdown pass late in the second quarter against Josh Newton #24 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football National Championship game at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 2023, in Inglewood, California.
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Georgia got out of the gate strong with 17 first-quarter points. Bennett had four total touchdowns in the first half – two passing and two rushing. He was 14 of 17 with 213 passing yards. He added 39 yards on the ground.

Brock Bowers led Georgia with five catches for 102 yards. Ladd McConkey and Mitchell each had touchdown catches. McConkey had four catches for 74 yards. Mitchell only had the one catch.

Adonai Mitchell #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs catches a touchdown pass late in the second quarter against Josh Newton #24 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football National Championship game at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 2023, in Inglewood, California.
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

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Georgia held TCU to just 121 total yards on offense. Max Duggan was 8 of 12 with 97 passing yards and two interceptions. He had a rushing touchdown – the Horned Frogs’ only score of the half.

President Biden departed El Paso on Sunday afternoon following a brief visit to the border – his first since taking office and first verified border visit of his long political career.

In the span of about four hours, the president walked a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border and inspected a busy port of entry where border officers demonstrated how they search vehicles for drugs, money and other contraband. 

President Biden, center, walks with members of the U.S. Border Patrol along the U.S.-Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2023.
(Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Image)

Still, some critics chided the president for not visiting areas most impacted by illegal border crossings. During an appearance on “Fox Report with Jon Scott,” Brandon Judd, president for the National Border Patrol Council, said Biden failed to visit the most problem-ridden areas.

“You can look across the ports of entry on the entire southwest border, and that’s not where we’re seeing the illegal immigration. We’re seeing the illegal immigration between the ports of entry,” he said. “That’s the Border Patrol. That’s the component of CBP that handles all of this. He did not have any scheduled visits with them.”

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He added, “You’re never going to be able to develop true policies and programs and operations unless you’re willing to see exactly what is going on. And he refused to do that.”

However, a White House official told Fox News Digital that Biden “visited the busiest port of entry in El Paso to get a firsthand look at enforcement operations. He also visited a federally-funded migrant services center to meet with local officials working together with federal officials to support and shelter migrants.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

Biden himself recently said he had “more important things” to do than visit the border despite the historic security crisis there.

U.S. military guard El Paso’s border with Mexico, seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022.
(AP Photo/Christian Chavez, File)

BIDEN SAYS ‘MORE IMPORTANT THINGS’ THAN BORDER VISIT, DESPITE 59 TRIPS TO DELAWARE, 8 STOPS FOR ICE CREAM

Biden’s announcement on border security and his visit to the border are partly aimed at quelling the political noise and blunting the impact of upcoming investigations into immigration promised by House Republicans. But any enduring solution will require action by the sharply divided Congress, where multiple efforts to enact sweeping changes have failed in recent years.

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From El Paso, Biden was to continue south to Mexico City, where he and the leaders of Mexico and Canada will gather on Monday and Tuesday for a North American leaders summit. Immigration is among the items on the agenda.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, fresh off his days-long battle to secure his new position, will once again have to get his party on the same page as they vote on a new House rules package Monday evening.

The package’s proposals include capping spending at the 2022 level for the next 10 years, which is expected to result in significant cuts to existing programs. This has some Republicans like Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, worried that defense spending will be slashed.

“This has a proposed billions of dollar cut to defense, which I think is a horrible idea,” Gonzalez told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “When you have aggressive Russia and Ukraine, you’ve got a growing threat of China in the Pacific — you know, I’m going to visit Taiwan here in a couple of weeks — how am I going to look at our allies in the eye and say, I need you to increase your defense budget, but yet America is going to decrease ours?”

Gonzalez said he plans to vote against the rules package, leaving McCarthy’s already slim majority even slimmer as he tries to get rules passed. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., also told CBS, “I don’t want to see defense cuts,” saying she was unsure about her support for the rules.

JORDAN SAYS CUTS TO MILITARY SPENDING SHOULD BE ‘ON THE TABLE,’ AS MONEY SHOULD NOT GO TO ‘WOKE’ POLICIES

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is expected to lead the House Judiciary Committee, defended spending cuts, even for defense. In a “Fox News Sunday” interview, he pointed to the government’s massive debt, saying, “Everything has to be on the table.” Jordan suggested that military cuts could be made by eliminating “woke policies” and re-examining aid to Ukraine, allowing the government to focus more on troops and weapons systems.

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Additional changes to existing rules that are in the new package include requiring 72 hours’ notice prior to voting on new legislation, requiring a three-fifths supermajority in order to pass federal income tax rate increases, and the formation of a task force to address House ethics reform.

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The rules package also calls for the creation of a House Oversight subcommittee for investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically mentioning the U.S. government’s involvement in any funding of gain-of-function research.

A vote on the rules is expected for Monday at approximately 5 p.m. ET.

A Florida man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting his disabled landlord who was trying to evict him.

On Saturday, the landlord entered a bedroom the suspect, 50-year-old Michael Michael Mathews, had rented in Sanford and demanded he and his girlfriend leave the home, according to an arrest report. 

The landlord said he would have a friend remove them by force if they did not leave within 10 minutes, FOX 35 Orlando reported. 

About 15 minutes later, the landlord returned and demanded again for them to leave. It was then Seminole County Sheriff’s Office deputies say Mathews pulled out a gun and began waving it around, telling the landlord to leave.

WOMAN FACING MURDER CHARGES IN DEATHS OF FLORIDA COUPLE MURDERED IN RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Suspect Michael Mathews 
(Seminole County Sheriff’s Office)

When the landlord turned to leave the room, Mathews allegedly shot him, hitting him in the collarbone area.

The report states Mathews later said he was “tired of the way he was being treated and disrespected in the house,” and said the landlord kicked his girlfriend while approaching him in the bedroom. 

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Central Florida man accused of shooting landlord who was trying to evict him. 

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The landlord was not armed and did not threaten violence with a weapon, authorities say. Investigators consider the shooting unjustified. 

Mathews was booked into the Seminole County jail, where he also faces a charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 

President Biden condemned the pro-Bolsonaro attack on Brazil’s Capitol and presidential palace Monday, with many Democrats comparing the incident to the pro-Trump storming of the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.

Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attacked the country’s Congress, Presidential Palace and Supreme Court on Sunday. Bolsonaro, who is hidden away in Florida, denied involvement in the violence. Brazilian authorities were able to retake control of the government buildings by Sunday evening.

“I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil,” Biden wrote in a statement. “Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with President Lula.”

Brazilian media reports that as many as 1,200 pro-Bolsonaro protesters have been arrested and detained at the Brazilian Army headquarters near the capital.

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Supporters of Brazil’s far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro who dispute the election of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gather at Planalto Palace after invading the building as well as the Congress and Supreme Court, in Brasilia, Brazil January 8, 2023. (REUTERS/Antonio Cascio)

Police cars are pictured amidst tear gas after being pushed off the road by supporter of Brazil’s far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro who dispute the election of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, during protests, in Brasilia, Brazil January 8, 2023. (REUTERS/Antonio Cascio)

People inspect the damage, after the supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro anti-democratic riot at Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 9, 2023. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)

The rioters, dressed widely in green and yellow, ransacked the insides of the three government buildings, breaking windows and overturning the massive table where the country’s Supreme Court convenes.

Images from Sunday’s attack show throngs of people storming into the buildings and milling about on the grass outside.

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Many Democrats in the U.S. compared the incident to the reaction of thousands of supporters of Former President Donald Trump after he lost the 2020 election to Biden. Several have also called for the U.S. to extradite Bolsonaro out of Florida, where he is currently residing.

The former president denies any involvement in the attacks.

FILE PHOTO: Security forces operate as supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as security forces operate, outside Brazil’s National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo)

Supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro leave a camping in front of the the Army Headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, January 9, 2023. (REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)

“Two years ago out Capitol was attacked by fanatics, now we are watching it happen in Brazil,” wrote Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. “Solidarity with [President] Lula and the Brazilian people. Democracies around the world must stand united to condemn this attack on democracy.”

“Bolsonaro should not be given refuge in Florida,” she added.

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Many Democrats followed suit in calling for Bolsonaro to be booted from Florida, including House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

A man accused of setting fire to a northwestern Pennsylvania coffee shop during 2020 demonstrations following the death of George Floyd has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of malicious destruction of property by fire.

Melquan Barnett, 30, entered the plea Wednesday as part of a deal with prosecutors that calls for them to recommend no more than a five-year federal prison term when he is sentenced May 2, the Erie Times-News reported.

The FBI accused Barnett of lighting fire to “an ignitable liquid” tossed onto a countertop at Ember + Forge in Erie shortly after May 2020 protests were followed by rioting. The front window of the shop had already been broken. Apartments above the shop were occupied at the time but no one was injured.

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Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Trabold said in court Wednesday that city and federal investigators identified Barnett through surveillance video and video posted on social media.

A man pleaded guilty to setting fire to a coffee shop in Pennsylvania during the 2020 George Floyd protests.

Defense attorney Charles Sunwabe, who declined comment after the hearing, had unsuccessfully challenged the filing of federal charges in the case. Barnett, who is Black, argued that his race unfairly contributed to that decision and also said he was engaged in free speech during the civil unrest.

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A judge dismissed all of Barnett’s contentions in November 2021, saying there was no evidence of bias in the decision to prosecute him in federal court and that acts of violence do not have constitutional protection. FBI officials said the federal arson charge was warranted because the business engages in interstate commerce.