Boys' sentences for rape to be reviewed in July

The case has been referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient scheme.

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Former Premier League star, accused of rape, to miss World Cup game after being denied entry into Canada

One of the stars of Ghana's World Cup team will be absent for its tournament opener in Canada after being denied entry into the country.

Thomas Partey, formerly of Arsenal, who now plays for Villarreal in La Liga, is currently facing seven counts of rape, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.

"FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government," FIFA said in a statement, via The Athletic.  

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"FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country."

Five of the charges were brought last July by the London Metropolitan Police, and two more came earlier this year.

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz explained why he picked Partey for his World Cup squad while he awaits trial.

Queiroz cited a presumption of innocence for Partey, criticized the quick judgments of modern social media and spoke philosophically in comments late Monday ahead of a warm-up game in Wales.

USA SOCCER LEGENDS LANDON DONOVAN, TIM HOWARD SHARE HOW FAR THEY THINK THIS YEAR'S TEAM CAN GO IN WORLD CUP

"Let events run its normal course, let the river flow and one day when the river meets the ocean we will find the truth," said Queiroz, a veteran coach going to his fifth straight World Cup after leading his native Portugal and Iran at previous editions.

Ghana is set to open its tournament on Wednesday against Panama in Toronto. Ghana will then play England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium and then on June 27 at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.

Partey is accused of raping four women from 2020 to 2022.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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'The View' co-host warns against Vance interview becoming 'free-for-all' to sell books

"The View" co-host Ana Navarro warned on Thursday that she didn't want the show's upcoming interview with Vice President JD Vance to become a "free-for-all" just to sell books, which she argued happens with Republican guests.

The show's producer, Brian Teta, asked Navarro to discuss the Vance interview during the "Behind the Table" podcast. Teta said people were surprised he was coming on the show.

"It shouldn't be surprising, he's got a book, right? And I think that everybody, including Republicans, know that at 'The View,' we are really good at selling books," she said. "I think it's a very relevant time. I want to ask him questions about Epstein. I want to ask him questions where he — where there's several issues where there's sunlight between him and Donald Trump, right?"

The co-host added, "The war, going into military action, all of these new wars. He seems to me to be a lot more tuned into the MAGA manosphere than Trump is, actually, and really works those relationships far more than practically anybody else in the White House."

She continued, "I hope we get to have a constructive conversation about the issues that Americans care about and are on Americans' minds and that it doesn't turn into some free-for-all for the sake of creating a moment for him so that he can go out and sell books, which is what often happens with Republicans."

JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM

Vance, who is set to join the show on June 16, will be the third sitting vice president and the first sitting Republican vice president to appear on "The View." All six co-hosts, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro, are expected to be in-studio for the rare interview with an elected Republican.

"The View" had a total of 341 guests in 2025, but only two of them were conservative, while 128 were liberal, according to a study conducted by the Media Research Center's NewsBusters.

In 2026, the show had multiple Republican guest hosts appear while Griffin, the Republican co-host, was on maternity leave. Alina Habba also appeared on the liberal talk show in late April. However, Habba was not promoting a book.

REPUBLICANS VIRTUALLY SHUT OUT OF DEM-DOMINATED TALK SHOWS AS FCC AIMS TO REFORM NETWORK BIAS

Vance will discuss his new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith," along with news of the day and his goals for the Trump administration during his appearance on Tuesday.

Teta noted that Vance and the co-hosts of "The View" disagree on a lot of issues, but said they want to hear what he has to say.

He added, "Hopefully, it's passionate debate that's respectful, and it's the vice president. It's a big deal. So, we're excited to do it."

Vance's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

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Unearthed DOJ emails expose turmoil over Biden-era memo urging crackdown on parents

A controversial memo issued by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021 aimed at addressing the alleged threat posed to school boards by dissatisfied parents caused an internal revolt at the Justice Department, according to documents obtained by Fox News. 

As parents across the nation took to school board meetings to vent their dissatisfaction with COVID-era learning restrictions as well as how race and gender were being taught in classrooms, the National Association for School Boards appealed to the Justice Department for assistance, claiming that some actions taken by angry parents could be classified as "domestic terrorism." 

The Justice Department in October 2021 issued a memo to coordinate a response to what the department described as an "increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools" by parents. 

Newly released emails, however, indicate that high-ranking officials at the DOJ were skeptical of this move, predicting that it could transform into a political headache for the Biden administration.

MAJOR PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD SIMULATES PARENT ‘TERRORIST’ ATTACK AFTER FATAL ACCIDENT KILLS STUDENT

"I don't think it's possible to state how strongly I object to this. It will completely and totally nuke our election threats efforts, and will damage the reputation of the Public Integrity Section into the bargain," one deputy assistant attorney general wrote on an internal email chain. "It's like they've affirmatively trying to make this thing not work and look political."

"If they do this, they might as well rename the damn thing the Anti-MAGA Task Force," they continued. 

"Exactly!" the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section chief responded. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Some at the DOJ also questioned whether or not the agency had the authority to address purported threats to school board members in the way that was being proposed.

ANDREW MCCARTHY: BIDEN-HARRIS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TANGLES WITH RED STATES ON ELECTION DAY

"We will not do this," one principal deputy assistant attorney general wrote. "There is no conceivable connection to [public integrity] (indeed, I'm not seeing a federal interest of any kind.). And if they're going to make the AG's memo to the field about this and election threats, I'm going to strongly recommend that they not send it."

The Public Integrity section chief chimed in that the memo could turn the Justice Department and the FBI into the "threat police" and that it contained "no limiting principle at all."

After sparking a firestorm of criticism from GOP lawmakers, state officials, pundits and parents’ groups, the NSAB formally apologized for its letter to the Biden administration calling for legal scrutiny to apply to disgruntled parents.

 CNN HOST RECALLS HOW COVID CAUSED THE 'RADICALIZATION' OF PARENTS

"On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter," the organization wrote in a memo to its members. "There was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance. We apologize also for the strain and stress this situation has caused you and your organizations."

Though Garland was pressed to retract his memo or apologize, he instead opted to defend his decision.

"The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials," he said of the memo.

The DOJ and Garland did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.

Fox News' David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report. 

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No hazard found after 'severe' Pentagon alert sparks emergency response

Certain areas in the Pentagon went on lockdown Thursday morning due to an "air quality incident" that was later revealed to be a false alarm. 

An alert, shared with Fox News Digital, carrying a "severe" rating was sent to employees in multiple corridors of the building directing them to shelter in place. All other personnel were told to avoid the area. As of 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday, the lockdown order was lifted, according to Pentagon officials. 

"Earlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation. Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed," chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a Thursday statement. 

"We express our sincere appreciation to the first responders for their swift actions to ensure the safety of all personnel," he said. 

UFO WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS BILLIONS IN SECRET SPENDING HIDDEN FROM CONGRESS

A hazardous materials team scrubbed several locations in the Pentagon's A ring, the center-most location in the building, according to a Pentagon official. 

Approximately 23,000 to 27,000 people work in the Pentagon on any given day. 

PENTAGON DROPS 180 FAITHS FROM MILITARY'S RECOGNIZED RELIGIONS LIST

Secretary Pete Hegeth's office and chairman of the joint chiefs Gen. Dan Caine's office are not located in the corridors placed under lockdown. 

Systems detected a problem with the air quality in part of the building and a device picked up a biohazard scent, the Pentagon source told Fox News. 

The Arlington, Virginia, fire department confirmed on X it sent its Hazardous Materials team to support the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s Hazmat team with the incident.

The last notable Pentagon lockdown was in August 2021, when a Pentagon police officer was killed during a violent incident at the Pentagon Transit Center. 

The Pentagon has spent years developing systems designed to detect and contain airborne threats inside the building. 

Following the Sept. 11 attacks, officials launched the Pentagon Shield program, which uses sensors, computer modeling and building ventilation controls to help identify chemical, biological and radiological hazards and limit their spread through the Pentagon's five-ring structure. 

Building systems can adjust airflow and isolate affected areas while emergency responders assess a potential threat.

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.

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Olivia Culpo pulls a veteran move by wishing Christian McCaffrey a happy birthday with string bikini pics

I’ve been doing this for a while now, and I can honestly tell you I’ve never seen anyone be a better leader off the field than Olivia Culpo. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some on the same level. But there’s nobody above that.

The former Miss Universe has reached the highest level. She doesn’t just show up for the annual bikini vacations, she sets the offseason standard. She’s been in the NFL long enough to understand the importance of getting that right.

When everything clicks, it carries over into the following season. It was clicking again over the weekend for her husband Christian McCaffrey’s 30th birthday. The 49ers running back didn’t have time to wonder about his future in the league as he reached his milestone birthday.

49ERS' CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, OLIVIA CULPO ANNOUNCE THEY'RE EXPECTING: 'NEXT CHAPTER, MOTHERHOOD'

There was a birthday party in Mexico planned and a celebration to be had. Once again, that’s what us old school folks like to call leadership. Culpo’s work wasn’t finished. The pregnant mother of one had a happy birthday message on social media to deliver and deliver, she did.

We wouldn’t be going over the game film right now if she didn’t. She wrote along with a carousel of pictures that included the model in bikinis, "Happy 30th birthday to the best husband, the best father, and the kind of person who makes everyone around him want to be better."

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Her birthday wishes continued, "Getting to share this life with you is something I’ll never take for granted, and sometimes it truly feels too good to be true. Thank you for being the best part of every day. I love you so much!!!!"

Well done and happy 30th birthday to Christian McCaffrey.

I can’t say for certain that Mike Evans looked at the veteran leadership provided on the offseason bikini vacations and took it into consideration prior to signing with San Francisco as a free agent.

I would never go that far out on a limb, but I will say it definitely didn’t hurt.

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Trump concession breathes new life into stalled FISA spy powers deal

The flatlined bid to reauthorize the nation’s controversial spying powers may have a pulse again after President Donald Trump made a key concession to Democrats. 

Congress was on its way to reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire Friday, but that momentum was halted when Trump tapped his current director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, to serve as a temporary chief for the nation’s spy agencies. 

Pulte, who is set to take over the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on June 19, has proven the prime sticking point in a process that has already been marred by disagreements over FISA’s controversial Section 702. Critics have panned him as having no experience in a role that will require him to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies.

SENATE PUSH TO REAUTHORIZE NATION’S SPY POWERS STUMBLES OVER CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP DECISION

"This is not a problem between Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans, this was the administration throwing a live hand grenade into a critical reauthorization 10 days out," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said.

Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Senate Intelligence Committee chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., produced a compromise, three-year reauthorization with reforms to Section 702 that likely would have advanced absent Trump’s decision to tap Pulte. 

Given the logjam, Trump on Wednesday announced that he was actively seeking a replacement to lead ODNI and requested that Congress produce a short-term extension to keep the program running in the meantime.

"I would say this, [Pulte is] going to be there for a short while, while we pick somebody else," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We're interviewing five different people. They're all very good, very different, and we'll put somebody there."

WHY TRUMP PICKED BILL PULTE TO LEAD US INTELLIGENCE AS CRITICS QUESTION HIS QUALIFICATIONS

That move could help some Senate Democrats get over the hump. 

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said that he believed that at least knowing that Pulte would be out could be enough to dislodge some Democrats to support an extension. 

"I think knowing who the DNI will be, if it's somebody that people have confidence in, that makes the FISA question a lot easier," Kaine said.

For others, Trump’s ambiguity on how long Pulte will stick around remains a troubling prospect.

"That's a problem," Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said. "If Mr. Pulte is gonna be there for an indefinite period, then I can’t vote for an extension. If there's some timeline, measurable, defined, then I would consider it."

Lawmakers are currently mulling a possible three-week extension to the program, which has given conservatives and Democrats heartburn.

TRUMP MOVES TO SLASH INTELLIGENCE OFFICE AHEAD OF PERMANENT CHIEF'S ARRIVAL

It’s one of the rare horseshoe issues in the Capitol where privacy hawks on both sides of the aisle want steep reforms, particularly for warrant requirements to prevent Americans from getting ensnared in information collected on foreigners under Section 702. 

That reality means that some Republicans and Democrats wouldn’t vote for the compromise deal anyway — six Republicans joined nearly every Democrat to block a procedural move to reauthorize the program last week. 

"Why don't we surveil the foreigners and not surveil Americans? It’s a new concept," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said.

That means that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will need all the help from Democrats that he can get. 

"We need Democrat votes," Thune said. "And, as I've said before, I think irrespective of what you think about Bill Pulte, providing the reforms that are included in the 702 reauthorization is a safeguard, regardless of who's in that job, or which party is in power here." 

But others contend that the Friday deadline isn’t the hard end of the program.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said on the Senate floor that the case to rush a reauthorization to the floor by the end of the week "is not true." 

"Existing law allows Section 702 collection to continue under an order from the FISA court for another year, even without congressional reauthorization," Durbin said. "Congress can and must take the time to get this right."

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