New risk for US consumers as Iran-backed attacks threaten a second major oil chokepoint

2026-09-08 12:27:43 EDT / Fox News

Recent Houthi strikes threaten a waterway where 10% of the world’s oil demand has redirected amid the Hormuz bottleneck

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Published September 8, 2026 12:27pm EDT | Updated September 8, 2026 2:15pm EDT

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401936344112

Houthi forces target Saudi oil tankers, escalating US-Iran tensions

Houthi rebels attack Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, causing oil prices to surge. This logistical nightmare prompts strong warnings from President Donald Trump to Iran, holding them responsible for the Houthi actions.

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Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck Saudi Arabia with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones Tuesday, hitting multiple energy targets, including the facilities of the world’s largest oil company.

The attacks on Aramco, the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia that produces 10 million barrels of oil per day, threaten to tighten pressure on a second critical oil route as the Middle East war continues to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Aramco notably supplies roughly 10% of the world’s total oil demand. And attacks on its facilities raise the risk of higher oil, shipping and transportation costs that could hit U.S. consumers in coming months — just in time for the 2026 midterm elections.

IRAN CALLS ON HOUTHIS TO PREPARE TO CUT OFF RED SEA GATEWAY — CAN THE TERROR GROUP DO IT?

Houthi supporters chant slogans during an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 17, 2025.(AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

The attacks hit the southern Saudi Arabian cities of Jazan, Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait, wounding 73 people and sparking fires at energy facilities and utilities that temporarily forced some operations to stop, according to Saudi officials. The Jazan site includes a refinery capable of processing roughly 400,000 barrels of crude per day, according to the Associated Press.

Tuesday’s strikes land at a particularly vulnerable moment for global energy markets. With oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz sharply reduced, Saudi Arabia has redirected more crude toward the Red Sea — increasing the importance of the Bab el-Mandeb, where the Houthis have already threatened and attacked Saudi-linked shipping.

The Energy Information Administration estimates that just 4.9 million barrels of oil and petroleum liquids moved through Hormuz per day in the second quarter of 2026, down from 21.6 million barrels per day before the conflict. Before the conflict 20% of the world’s oil moved through the consequential waterway.

Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb, meanwhile, averaged 8.1 million barrels per day during the quarter as Saudi Arabia redirected more crude to bypass Hormuz amid ongoing conflict.

That creates a potentially costly vulnerability: renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure or commercial vessels could put pressure on two crucial oil routes at once, raising the risk of higher crude, shipping and transportation costs that could eventually reach U.S. consumers.

Brent crude was trading near $99 per barrel Tuesday.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s strikes, saying the group had used “dozens of ballistic missiles and drones” against Aramco facilities, the Jazan industrial zone and a Saudi air base, according to Xinhua.

RUBIO ACCUSES IRAN OF FLYING IRGC PERSONNEL INTO YEMEN AS HOUTHI THREAT ESCALATES

The Houthis said the operation was retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and threatened “stronger and wider strikes” if Riyadh’s military campaign continues.

The escalation also comes with a warning already issued by President Donald Trump.

A satellite imagery shows Bab el Mandeb Strait, a key shipping waterway and the gateway to the Red Sea, as Iran threatens using Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, in this handout picture dated July 12, 2026.(Nasa Worldview/Handout via Reuters)

After the Houthis struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea in July, Trump said the U.S. would hold Iran responsible if the group attacked ships again and threatened “major military punishment” against both Tehran and the Houthis.

“If they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.

The warning followed the Houthis’ announcement of a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and attacks on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea. The escalation sent Brent crude above $100 per barrel amid fears that disruption could spread from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb.

The latest strikes targeted Saudi territory and energy infrastructure rather than ships, leaving unclear whether the White House considers them to cross the line Trump drew in July. It creates a new test for the administration as Houthi attacks increasingly intersect with the wider conflict over Iran and regional energy supplies.

The Trump administration has previously authorized U.S. strikes against Houthi weapons and infrastructure in Yemen in response to attacks and threats against American forces and shipping. A White House report says Trump directed those actions to defend U.S. forces and protect American national-security interests.

The U.S. Maritime Administration also maintains an active advisory warning that the Houthis continue to pose a threat to commercial vessels in the southern Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden.

From November 2023 through October 2025, the Houthis carried out more than 100 attacks on commercial vessels affecting more than 60 nations, according to the MARAD advisory. The attacks forced major shipping companies to avoid the Red Sea and reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding time to voyages and increasing fuel, freight and insurance costs.

The Houthis renewed that threat in July when they targeted Saudi oil tankers and threatened a blockade of Saudi shipping through the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia’s increased reliance on the route makes another sustained disruption potentially more consequential. The EIA says alternate routes used to bypass disrupted waterways are longer, more expensive and limited in capacity.

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026.(Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)

The latest strikes threaten to revive pressure on the Red Sea route just as the Iran conflict has made the Persian Gulf route more difficult to use. The Houthis may lack the capability to permanently close the Bab el-Mandeb, but repeated missile, drone or tanker attacks could still reduce traffic through the waterway if shipping companies determine the risks are too high.

Saudi Arabia condemned Tuesday’s strikes on civilian and economic assets and vowed to defend its territory. The Saudi-led coalition described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and said it would take measures to deter further attacks.

The immediate economic impact will depend on how quickly Saudi Arabia restores affected operations and whether commercial shipping continues moving through the Bab el-Mandeb.

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The next test could be whether the Houthis again target tankers or other commercial vessels. Another attack could put greater pressure on a waterway carrying an increased share of Middle Eastern oil — while also testing Trump’s warning that renewed Houthi attacks on shipping would bring U.S. retaliation against both the group and Iran.

Smithsonian chief Lonnie Bunch announces departure

2026-09-08T16:55:48.742Z / Reuters

Summary

• Bunch is expected to step down by end of the year
• Bunch has led Smithsonian since 2019 as institution’s first Black secretary
• Trump administration last week threatened to cut federal agencies’ support for Smithsonian

CHICAGO, Sept 8 (Reuters) – The secretary of the Smithsonian Institution announced on Tuesday that he was retiring after months of accusations from the Trump administration that the national museums he ​led portrayed a skewed and divisive version of the U.S.

Historian, curator and author Lonnie Bunch has led the Smithsonian as its secretary since 2019. The Smithsonian has 21 museums and galleries, ‌21 libraries, the National Zoo, and a number of research and education centers.

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Bunch said in a statement that his departure comes with “mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude.”

“It is time for my next chapter, a chapter that will allow me to continue to protect the integrity of the Smithsonian and to champion the importance of a history that illuminates and celebrates the complex story of our nation,” Bunch said.

He is expected to step down by the end of the year.

After receiving the news, Chief Justice John Roberts, ​who also serves as the Smithsonian’s chancellor, said, “Secretary Bunch has pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story.”

Bunch, the Smithsonian’s first Black leader, took the top role after developing and opening the ​Smithsonian’s popular National Museum of African American History and Culture, which has been vilified by U.S. President Donald Trump and long targeted by conservatives. Bunch also held positions ⁠at the institution’s National Museum of American History.

The Trump administration had been steadily increasing pressure on Bunch and the Smithsonian in what critics fear is part of a broader campaign to tell America’s story from a conservative and even ​white supremacist point of view.

On July 4, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the White House posted on its website a report by its Domestic Policy Council that evokes culture war issues in accusing Smithsonian leaders, particularly ​those at its National Museum of American History, of engaging in “anti-white activism,” advocating for “citizenship for illegal aliens,” lionizing Marxists and producing exhibitions and educational materials that “treat biological males as girls or women.”

The report suggests that “it would benefit most Americans, especially parents bringing their children for a tour, if the Smithsonian’s flagship history museum had a label at every entrance that reads: ‘Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country.’”

Bunch sent a memo to his staff ​a few days after the report was released saying that “while there will always be room for improvement, this report is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.”

Trump ​has written on Truth Social that the “Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”

In ‌a letter last ⁠week, the Trump administration threatened to cut federal agencies’ support for the Smithsonian.

The New York Times said on Tuesday that Bunch said in an interview that the pressure from the White House had led to his departure. But he acknowledged the strain of the role.

“I have to be honest, it has been stressful,” he told the Times. “And at a certain point, I’d like to wake up in the morning and not look at my cellphone.”

In an essay marking the 250th anniversary in the Smithsonian Institution’s flagship magazine, Bunch did not shy from stances that Trump has made controversial, including lauding the contributions to the nation made by immigrants and by those who ​arrived enslaved and their descendants, saying of the latter ​two that they saw in the U.S. “the potential ⁠to eventually become the land of freedom.”

“We must tell the unvarnished histories of the extraordinary and the ordinary, the moments of glory and infamy alike,” Bunch added in the essay. “An incomplete telling of our past, with rough edges smoothed, inhibits the country’s ability to forge a better shared future.”

Trump announced in May of 2025 that ​he was firing Kim Sajet, the first woman to direct the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, accusing her of supporting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. It was unclear ​whether Trump had the legal ⁠authority to fire her. Sajet resigned the next month.

Trump signed an executive order in March directing Vice President JD Vance, who sits on the Smithsonian’s board of regents, to remove “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution. The order singled out the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which Bunch began developing in 2005 and opened in 2016, realizing a century-old goal.

Conservatives have depicted museums with an ethnic lens as inherently divisive.

Bunch said in a memoir about ⁠developing the African ​American history museum that his goal was a museum about African Americans that helped all Americans understand that they had a shared ​if fraught history and common hopes for a better future.

In the book he described giving a tour of the museum to Trump in early 2017. Bunch wrote that ahead of the visit, aides to the president, who had been elected just weeks before the museum ​opened, expressed concern that he was in a bad mood and did not want to see anything “difficult.” Bunch started the tour in the museum’s exhibit on slavery.

Reporting by Donna Bryson and Bianca Flowers; Editing by Mark Porter

House lawmaker urges Congress to sue Trump to block Washington arch

By Reuters
September 8, 2026 4:48 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

[1/2]A model of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch, on the final day of The Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 10, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) – A senior U.S. House Democratic lawmaker ​on Tuesday urged ‌House Speaker Mike Johnson to file suit in behalf ​of Congress to ​block the Trump administration ⁠from starting work on a triumphal arch in ​Washington.

“Congress has neither appropriated ​funding nor granted authority for this project,” wrote Representative ​Chellie Pingree, the top ​Democrat on the subcommittee that ‌oversees ⁠funding for national parks.

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“The administration is building it anyway, betting this body ​will ​do ⁠nothing to stop it. I am ​asking you to ​take ⁠all necessary steps to file suit immediately, while ⁠there ​is still ​ground left to save.”

Reporting by David ​Shepardson Editing by Nick Zieminski

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Government land-grab agenda hits key Senate race as Dem backs property takeovers echoing Mamdani

September 8, 2026 3:14pm EDT / Fox News

The DSA-endorsed candidate’s proposal echoes NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s housing agenda on negligent landlords

By Charles Creitz Fox News

Maine Senate candidate says state should be able to take over property if needed

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Fort Kent, told a crowd at the Blueberry Ridge Mobile Village in Wells, Maine, that action should be taken against landlords for substandard utilities and conditions.

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Graham Platner’s replacement in the Maine Senate race suggested the government should be able to take over private property when necessary, appearing to echo socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s housing agenda.

Troy Jackson, a Democrat running for the Senate, came under fire for suggesting the government should be able to take over private property when necessary. The comments drew fresh scrutiny to a candidate the Pine Tree State’s GOP chair previously dubbed “Maine’s Mamdani” to Fox News Digital, as debates over government intervention in housing and private ownership gain new attention.

“It’s a major issue. The greed that’s happening right now in this country that people in mobile home parks are feeling is like something I’ve never seen,” Jackson told a small crowd of residents at Blueberry Ridge Mobile Village, one of several Maine trailer parks where concerns about costs, quality-of-life and ownership arose.

MAINE DEMOCRATS CROWN TROY JACKSON AS PLATNER REPLACEMENT AS FRESH SCRUTINY CLOUDS SENATE RESET

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson stand together during a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono on May 24, 2026.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“The other thing that I do hear a lot about, too, is how landlords won’t do anything for services. And that is completely unfair and not right. And we have to make that change. I feel strongly that if needed, the state should be able to come in [and] take these places over. Some people will say that that’s insane,” Jackson told the residents in Wells, the town next to the politically-notable Kennebunkport.

“But until the people get the chance to start a co-op or whatever, there should be a way to hold these, so that you don’t see private-equity coming in and making the killing on these parks.”

PROPERTY OWNER ADVOCACY GROUPS PUSH BACK ON MAMDANI’S ‘RENTAL RIPOFF REPORT,’ PUBLIC DATABASE OF LANDLORDS

Former State Senator Troy Jackson, a Democrat from Maine and gubernatorial candidate, speaks during a Fighting Oligarchy event with Graham Platner(Sophie Park / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

During his visit, Jackson held up a mason jar of brown water a resident said came from their tap.

Jackson said some residents saw their lot rental fees approach $850, adding he once lived at a mobile home park in Aroostook County and understands their plight.

“I’m going to add my voice to that every damn day,” he said. “I just can’t imagine owning a home and feeling the threat that you do daily and getting the squeeze and not being able to afford that.”

Jackson’s proposal echoes one of the more aggressive elements of Mamdani’s housing agenda: a willingness to use government power to wrest control of troubled properties away from private owners and toward tenants, nonprofits or community stewardship.

MAMDANI RIPPED OVER ‘FREAK SHOW’ NEWS CONFERENCE WHERE EVICTION WAS DECLARED A FORM OF ‘VIOLENCE’

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 15: Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, speaks at an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City. Weeks after Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor, various wealthy interest groups have begun to mobilize against the 33-year-old state assemblyman. Mamdani has vowed to freeze rent hikes for a year, make buses free, and increase taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that he will continue his run for New York City mayor after losing to Zohran Mamdani in last month’s Democratic primary.(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Like Mamdani, Jackson was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in his prior unsuccessful gubernatorial primary bid earlier this year.

Mamdani’s Block by Block housing plan, released in May, calls for aggressive legal action against negligent landlords and says chronically neglected properties could be transferred to community land trusts, nonprofits or tenants.

BERNIE-BACKED SOCIALIST WHO ALLIED WITH PLATNER COULD SUPPLANT HIM ON BALLOT

“Through the Open-Door program and by supporting community land trusts, we will remove negligent owners and property managers of buildings suffering from chronic neglect or mired in foreclosure and shift ownership to responsible community stewards,” Mamdani said in June.

While Mamdani’s more nationally-visible rent-freeze plans are materially different from Jackson’s considerations, they share a common thread: the government should intervene in the housing market when politicians believe pricing or practices are untoward.

MAMDANI’S $22 BILLION HOUSING LUNACY PROPOSAL WILL SOCIALIZE THE SKYLINE

Video

That commonality led to Jackson being lambasted after the fact.

“Another full-on Communist running for office,” said Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer Ret., a former intelligence officer, posted to X.

“Troy Jackson is ready to violate the rights of Mainers because he feels that they make too much money engaging in free market commerce,” Shaffer tweeted. “Spoken here like the true Stalinist he is.”

RESURFACED ASSAULT REPORT PUTS DEM SENATE NOMINEE IN GOP CROSSHAIRS: ‘GRAHAM PLATNER 2.0’

The Republican National Committee also caught wind of Jackson’s comments, tweeting through their rapid-response arm.

“Troy Jackson wants the government to seize private property from Mainers,” they wrote.

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Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Fort Kent, left; New York Mayor Zohran K. Mamdani, right.(Tom Williams/Getty Images; Kyle Mazza/Getty Images)

Maine law already gives mobile home park residents a limited pathway to take ownership when a park is put up for sale. Under Title 10, Section 9094-A, a group of mobile home owners or a residents’ association has the first option to purchase the park and generally has 60 days after notice of an intended sale to submit an offer.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Jackson’s and Collins’ campaigns and Mamdani for comment.

Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, worked in both the New York and Washington bureaus for Fox News since 2013.

Bombardier caught in the crossfire of escalating U.S.-Canada trade feud

September 8, 2026 / 3:27 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

Read Full Bio

Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier is an emblem of the intricate economic relationship between the U.S. and its northern neighbor, and a prime example of how the countries’ escalating trade feud can ensnare employers with thousands of workers on both sides of the border.

On Truth Social, Mr. Trump threatened on Monday to block the Montreal-based company’s sales in the U.S. if it doesn’t manufacture its aircraft in America.

“NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!” Mr. Trump posted hours before Canadian tariffs on $20 billion in U.S. goods took effect just after midnight on Tuesday. “If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank.’”

Wall Street analysts said it’s unclear if Mr. Trump could legally ban Bombardier from selling its planes to U.S. customers, and noted that such a move would hurt domestic suppliers and buyers at a time of strong demand for private jets.

The business jet “market remains historically tight, and a ban on Bombardier products would severely disrupt U.S. customers” who already face multi-year waits for private jets, analysts with investment bank Stifel said in a report.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bombardier shares fell roughly 3% on Tuesday following Mr. Trump’s threat. Here’s what to know about the company.

What does Bombardier do?

Bombardier is among the top three business jet manufacturers globally, specializing in medium- and large-size aircraft. The company manufactures and assembles its jets at plants in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Bombardier primarily sells private and commercial jets to individuals, businesses, governments, and military forces worldwide. High-net-worth individuals account for roughly 60% of its customers.

Bombardier’s customers include carriers such as American Airlines and U.S. federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration. The Defense Department uses Bombardier planes to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations because they can fly fast at high altitudes, Stifel analysts said.

High-net-worth individuals in the U.S. have driven a surge in demand for private jets, benefiting Bombardier and its competitors, including Gulfstream.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a step-change for private aviation, spawning a new cohort of flyers through record wealth creation and the proliferation of the fleet/charter business model,” Stifel said.

How many workers does Bombardier have in the U.S.?

In a statement on Monday following Mr. Trump’s post, Bombardier sought to underline its contributions to the American economy, saying it accounts for “tens of thousands of jobs across the United States.”

Bombardier said it has workers in 20 U.S. states and plants in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, Texas and Washington, D.C. The company’s supply chain also comprises 2,800 U.S. companies in 47 states, according to Bombardier.

“Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its U.S. employees. Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country,” the company said.

How much business does Bombardier do with the U.S.?

Bombardier said in its statement that the company spends over $2.5 billion with U.S. suppliers annually. It has headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, while its Challenger Jets are powered by American-made engines from U.S. aerospace manufacturer Honeywell, which are made in Phoenix, Arizona.

Wings for Bombardier planes are made at the company’s facility in Red Oak, Texas, while flight control components are manufactured at its Los Angeles, California, area facility. Bombardier also operates service centers in Dallas, Texas; Hartford, Connecticut; Miami, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; and Wichita, Kansas.

In January, Bombardier said it was investing to expand its U.S. operations, including opening a new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Bombardier sources more than 50% of its aircraft components from U.S. manufacturers — more than American competitors such as Gulfstream, according to Stifel.

Can Trump block Bombardier sales in the U.S.?

Whether the U.S. could enforce Mr. Trump’s threat against Bombardier “is a question mark,” Stifel analysts said, noting that buyers could take delivery of its aircraft offshore under a foreign registry.

Yet White House pressure could still affect Bombardier’s business.

“[W]e acknowledge that continued rhetoric by President Trump could temper near-term order flow until a firm trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada is in place.”

Edited by Alain Sherter

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/canada-matches-trump-steep-us-tariffs-in-ongoing-trade-war/

Canada matches Trump’s steep U.S. tariffs in ongoing trade war

(05:01)

Remains found 49 years ago in North Carolina identified as 15-year-old girl from Maryland

September 8, 2026 / 3:39 PM EDT / CBS News

Nearly half a century after a set of skeletal remains were found in a wooded part of North Carolina, they have been identified as those of a 15-year-old runaway who vanished in 1977.

The remains were found on Dec. 29, 1977, in a wooded area near a manufacturing plant in Wilson County, North Carolina. Investigators determined that the remains had likely been there for between six months and two years, according to a news release from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. They were determined to likely belong to a White female between 16 and 23.

Investigators have treated the case as a homicide because of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the remains. But no suspects were ever determined, and the identity of the remains could not be confirmed. Police used dental records but were unable to find a match, the bureau said. Eventually, the case went cold.

In 2010, a state anthropologist reopened the case and submitted the teeth for DNA testing. The resulting DNA profiles were entered into national databases, but no matches were found, according to investigators.

In 2024, the case was reviewed by a special investigator from the bureau’s Cold Case Investigative Team. The investigator, Andy Murr, sent a bone sample to a forensic DNA lab that extracted genetic material to build a complex profile. That profile was used to trace potential relatives.

That pointed Murr and other investigators to the case of Cindy Marcell Blizzard, a 15-year-old girl who ran away from her home in Monkton, Maryland, in the spring of 1977.

Cindy Marcell Blizzard. North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation

The genetic information and efforts from local, state and federal agencies allowed investigators to confirm the remains as belonging to Blizzard. A photo of Blizzard shared by investigators shows a young woman with light hair and blue eyes. Other information about her life and family was not shared by the bureau.

The investigation into Blizzard’s death remains ongoing. Anyone with information about Blizzard is asked to call the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Cold Case Tip Line, email the agency or contact the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/genetic-genealogy-tracing-family-trees-to-catch-killers-60-minutes/

Inside the genetic genealogy being used to solve crimes

(13:49)

US watchdog to conduct review of whistleblower warning on mail-in voting rules

2026-09-08T18:32:23.97Z / Reuters

By David Shepardson

September 8, 2026 6:32 PM UTC Updated 16 mins ago

[1/3]A mail-in ballot, during the Pennsylvania primary election, is displayed in this illustration picture taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Hannah Beier/Illustration/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) – The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General said on Tuesday it plans ​to conduct an independent review of allegations from a whistleblower ‌who has warned proposed USPS mail-in voting restrictions could result in thousands of legal ballots being discarded.

On Friday, a federal judge in Boston extended a ban ​stopping President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing a new USPS ​rule that would tighten mail-in voting requirements ahead of the ⁠November congressional elections.

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Last week, President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court ​to let it enforce the new USPS rule on use of mail-in ​ballots.

Lawmakers have urged USPS to halt work on new mail-in voting rules, saying they threaten the integrity of the November congressional elections. They cited a whistleblower who ​warned that USPS’ planned “verification” systems “risk collapsing the absentee ballot system and ​disenfranchising millions of Americans.”

The USPS regulation would impose new voter-specific data and ballot ‌envelope ⁠standards, and potentially refuse the delivery of ballots that do not comply, which critics say could disrupt thousands of legitimate votes as the November 3 vote approaches.

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Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control ​of Congress in ​the elections. Critics ⁠say restricting mail-in ballots would disproportionately benefit Republicans given that Democratic voters traditionally have been more likely ​to use mail-in ballots.

Under the new USPS rule, states must ​provide ⁠lists of mail ballot recipients to the postal service and use agency-approved outbound and return ballot mail envelopes outfitted with unique barcodes. The postal ⁠service ​could then refuse to send out ballots ​that do not comply with the new standards or are associated with voters who do ​not appear on the lists.

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Reporter’s Notebook: Dem rebels expose cracks in Jeffries’ House leadership

Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic leaders call the surprise move ‘a significant breach of trust’ requiring a serious response

September 8, 2026 2:13pm EDT / Fox News

By Chad Pergram

Two House Democrats break from party, vote to advance GOP measures

House Democrats Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez face intense party backlash after defecting to vote with Republicans on key measures. Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the political fallout from Capitol Hill, where leadership calls the move a breach of trust.

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Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, may retire from Congress next year with a reputation that is anything but gilded among his fellow Democrats.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., is seeking re-election in a competitive district. But some of her colleagues may consider “MGP” to be notorious if she returns to Capitol Hill in January.

The House of Representatives is now out — again — until Sept. 14. That follows a six-week sabbatical over the summer. But were it not for Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, House Republican leaders may have had no other choice but to send members home early a few days ago. The duo committed something close to a parliamentary heresy, handing the GOP the necessary votes on a procedural matter to unlock the floor for the majority.

Republicans lacked the votes to do it on their own – had Golden and Gluesenkamp not intervened.

JEFFRIES THREATENS ‘SERIOUS RESPONSE’ AFTER DEMOCRATS HELP GOP ADVANCE ANTI-SOCIALISM VOTE

Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden are among the Democrats who voted to rebuke Rep. Jesus “Chuy” García despite House Democratic leaders urging against it.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images ; Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

However, the most schismatic betrayal was that neither one briefed Democratic leaders on what they planned to do. Congressional leaders from both sides are never pleased with members who stray from the party line. Especially on a procedural vote, which is almost always the responsibility of the majority to pass. But at the very least, leaders like to be clued in. They might give someone a pass if they understand the reasoning.

“Did they give you a heads up that they were going to vote with Republicans on that rule?” asked Fox News’ Kelly Phares of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass.

“They did not. They surprised us,” answered Clark.

Yours truly observed to Rep. Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y., that in politics it’s always best to “stab someone in the front” rather than “in the back.”

“There’s a lot to be said for that,” replied Kennedy.

Let’s start with the nature of the dissent by Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez.

Most major pieces of legislation in the House need what’s called a “rule” before the body can debate the measure. The House must debate and approve a “rule,” dictating how much time and what amendments would be in order. The House can’t debate a bill until it first OKs a rule. And except on rare occasions, the majority party is expected to carry the rule. It’s simply something the minority party rarely assists with – except in extreme circumstances.

Last week, the House planned to debate a resolution to condemn socialism, green-light the SAVE America Act, maintain the number of justices on the Supreme Court at nine and consider a plan to help the nation’s lobster industry. The House adopted the rule, 210-208. However, five Republicans voted nay on the rule.

It’s about the math.

Those GOP defections would have killed the rule and frozen the floor for the rest of the week. In fact, the vote may have compelled House Republican leaders to cut everyone loose from Capitol Hill. The House was stalled considering any legislative traffic.

TENSIONS ERUPT IN HOUSE HEARING AS GOP ADVANCES ANTI-SOCIALISM RESOLUTION WHILE DEMS RAGE: ‘SILLY SEASON’

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., attend a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

But Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez voted yes, unlocking the floor for the remainder of the week.

Democrats seethed at their colleagues for blindsiding them.

“The two Democrats who have voted to move a procedural bill forward didn’t do the right thing,” said Kennedy.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Clark and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., issued a rare, joint condemnation of the dissenting duo. They characterized the revolt “a significant breach of trust,” adding it “necessitates a serious response.”

“It’s a mistake to vote against our caucus. We have to be unified,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa.

Golden said he voted with Republicans so the House could pass the bill safeguarding Maine’s lobster industry.

“It’s about protecting the working-class communities those men and women support. In my district, lobster fishing is the backbone of towns up and down the coast,” said Golden. “In some towns, 20 to 40% of residents hold a lobster license.”

Political observers view the infighting as a misstep for the party ahead of November.

“As a member, you should be able to communicate with your leaders and how you intend to vote,” said Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev. “Something was skipped along the way.”

While some lawmakers blamed Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, others said this was the fault of Jeffries. Others put it on Clark. Still, there were those pinning this on the entire leadership team.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., knows something about his own members undercutting him. Republicans stripped McCarthy of the speaker’s gavel nearly three years ago. But the California Republican believes the problem with Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez falls on the shoulder of Jeffries.

“You would know who would be the five to eight Democrats who would leverage that [vote],” said McCarthy. “You would have reached out to them.”

One former Democratic aide noted that it wasn’t even what Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar said in their statement. But it was the very fact that a statement appeared. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., never would have sent a statement. Her leadership power was implicit. Everyone knew not to cross her. Or, if there was an issue, at least have a conversation.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES DERAIL GOP AGENDA IN SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWDOWN

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., waves to the crowd during the 52nd annual San Francisco Pride Parade on June 26, 2022.(Arun Nevader/Getty Images)

Jeffries has not been the House’s top Democrat in the majority. That could change if Democrats win the House this fall. But McCarthy argued the statement said a lot about Jeffries.

“If Hakeem has to put out a statement that he’s strong, it’s a sign that he is weak,” said McCarthy.

One senior House Democratic leadership source said rank-and-file members demanded accountability by Jeffries. Golden is done in January. Gluesenkamp Perez has repeatedly defied political gravity in a district which favors President Donald Trump. The source didn’t believe anything Machiavellian was afoot between Democratic leaders and Gluesenkamp Perez. But the source indicated that Gluesenkamp Perez tussling with the Democratic brass probably helps the Washington Democrat back home.

Still, some Democrats demanded retribution.

“I think there should be consequences. I think at the end of the day, we have a caucus united against what Republicans are trying to do,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee.

Actions speak louder than words. Remember that Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez voted against a “rule” in the House. Gluesenkamp Perez appeared at an unrelated meeting of the Rules Committee the next day. During her testimony, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the panel, swiveled around in his chair and sat with his back to his fellow Democrat.

Jeffries hoped to turn a corner with the renegades. He spoke briefly with Golden. But had a deeper conversation with Gluesenkamp Perez.

“Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and myself were able to talk in a very forward-looking way about how to make sure that we’re all on the same page as we approach the midterm elections and beyond,” said Jeffries.

He indicated that McGovern and Gluesenkamp Perez also talked.

But the leader was cryptic when pressed why he even had to issue an admonition.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT LASHES OUT WHEN GRILLED ON WHETHER SOCIALIST VICTORIES WOULD THREATEN DEM UNITY

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks onstage during “The New Power Structure: Black Politics in the Age of Resistance” panel at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 13, 2026.(Getty Images)

“Does that say something about where the Democratic Caucus is and if they follow your leadership?” I pressed Jeffries.

“Res ipsa loquitur,” answered Jeffries. “That’s Latin for ‘the thing speaks for itself.’”

Not really.

Was the statement just a warning shot as Jeffries tries to flex his muscles in anticipation of becoming speaker and presiding over a Democratic majority next year? Where’s that “serious response” that Democratic leaders spoke of?

Some Democrats who are angry about the desertion will demand action. And if Jeffries doesn’t respond forcefully – despite a declaration otherwise – some members may interpret the warning statement as prattle.

That said, Democrats need Gluesenkamp Perez to win her district in order to claim the majority. And more specifically, Jeffries needs Gluesenkamp Perez to support him for speaker if Democrats have control next year and the margin is close.

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Res ipsa loquitur? If Jeffries doesn’t take action – that speaks for itself, too.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

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