Sam Haskell IV, the Hollywood scion accused of chopping up his wife and in-laws before tossing a disembodied torso into a dumpster, has died in a Los Angeles jail while awaiting trial, according to authorities.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman revealed in a statement that prosecutors had damning new evidence against him that was going to be made public at an upcoming preliminary hearing — including that he was having an affair with a 27-year-old woman and had been arrested with a bloodsoaked knife containing the DNA of all three victims.

Corrections officers found the 37-year-old dead from an apparent suicide in his cell Saturday, days before the hearing, where prosecutors were expected to outline the case against him. He previously pleaded not guilty.

LAWYER FOR HOLLYWOOD HEADLESS TORSO SUSPECT SAYS HIS CLIENT IS BEING FORCED TO SHOW UP SHIRTLESS IN COURT

“Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he’s been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice,” Hochman said in a statement. “This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know. A family that has been dealing with unimaginable loss now has been robbed of their chance to face him, hold him accountable for his barbaric actions, and openly share their grief and their cherished memories of their loved ones.”

Haskell’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He previously told Fox News Digital that the court’s assertion his client was at risk of self-harm was “wild speculation” and condemned a judge’s decision that forced him to appear shirtless or wear a protective vest at prior hearings.

HOLLYWOOD HEIR SAM HASKELL’S TIKTOK RANTS EMERGE AS SUSPECT IN HEADLESS TORSO CASE HEADS TO COURT

Haskell, who opted to face the court without a shirt, was facing three counts of murder for the Nov. 6, 2023 slayings of his wife Mei Haskell, 37, her mother Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her stepfather Gaoshan Li, 71, as well as additional special circumstance allegations. He would have faced life in prison without parole if convicted.

“He was obviously an unhinged individual,” said Joshua Ritter, a former Los Angeles deputy district attorney and a Fox News contributor. “The crime itself speaks to his mental unrest. It’s not so uncommon that we see people commit murders based on financial or marital difficulties, but the idea of going as far as killing your in-laws and chopping their body parts up is very extreme.”

HOLLYWOOD HEADLESS TORSO SUSPECT SAM HASKELL ‘PARANOID’ WEEKS BEFORE BODY FOUND IN DUMPSTER, FRIEND SAYS

Hochman’s office released a summary of the evidence prosecutors planned to unseal at the hearing.

After killing and dismembering all three victims, he allegedly paid $500 to a group of day laborers he asked to remove a series of heavy black trash bags from the home, where they all lived together, according to prosecutors. After picking up the bags, one of the workers looked inside and saw human remains. The day laborers gave the money and the bags back to Haskell and called police.

Investigators previously said that by the time officers arrived at his house, Haskell and the bags were gone. Fox News Digital also reported that surveillance cameras at a gym in Encino showed him placing a heavy bag in the dumpster outside. A homeless man looking through the trash made the gruesome discovery and called 911.

Police found his wife’s car, which had her stepfather’s blood inside, Hochman’s office revealed Monday. They tracked Haskell to an Airbnb nearby, which investigators allege he had rented for himself and the children he shared with Mei Haskell after the murders.

When police arrested Haskell, he was carrying a pocket knife and a Home Depot receipt from a few days earlier listing plywood, a moisture barrier, coveralls and diamond saw blades, Hochman’s office said Monday.

In his rented SUV, he had a loaded .357 revolver, 32 rounds, a blood-covered knife, the family’s passports and a one-way ticket to Japan, according to authorities. They separately seized $67,000 cash during a search on his office.

DNA testing on the knife matched blood to all three victims, according to prosecutors.

“You do have to take into account the timing of all of this,” Ritter told Fox News Digital. “He’s been in prison for some time. I imagine he had opportunities for this kind of action before now. But it does seem interesting that it would come on the eve of a date that would expose all of the horrible things that he’d been up to.”

Police later recovered eight more bags containing bloody evidence, but not the remains of his in-laws — and they said that “large amounts of blood” had been cleaned up at the family home.

As for Haskell’s alleged 27-year-old mistress, authorities say she told them Haskell told her in October 2023, shortly before the murders, that his parents would be taking over care for his children. Then he invited her on a trip to Japan. In addition to the one-way ticket he had, prosecutors say he bought her a round-trip ticket.

“It’s interesting to me that, here’s a guy looking at life in prison without parole, multiple murders, it’s as bad as it’s going to get,” Ritter said. “There’s a strong likelihood that he will never see the outside of the prison again, but he is such a narcissist that he is more concerned with the embarrassment of perhaps his extramarital affair becoming exposed than he is with life in prison — if that is what motivated this.”

The remains of Mei Haskell’s parents have not been found.

Haskell’s parents, Hollywood producer Sam Haskell III and beauty queen and actress Mary Donnelly Haskell, are known for a series of Christmas movies. His father was also a former talent agent who represented George Clooney and Dolly Parton, among other A-list stars. He declined to comment. 

A hidden genetic mutation could predict a man’s likelihood of developing dementia.

That’s according to an Australian study led by Monash and Curtin Universities, which analyzed the medical data of thousands of Australians and Americans.

Men who had a certain variant in the haemochromatosis (HFE) gene — which regulates iron levels in the body — were found to be at a higher risk of dementia, the researchers found.

YOUR LATE-NIGHT TV BINGE COULD SABOTAGE YOUR BRAIN HEALTH, DOCTOR WARNS

Previously healthy men over age 70 who have two copies of the variant, which is known as H63D, are at least twice — or up to four times — as likely to develop dementia. 

Having just one copy did not appear to elevate the risk.

One in 36 men carry two copies of the mutation; one in three have just a single copy.

“It is only men who have two copies of the variant that are at risk,” study co-author Professor John Olynyk from the Curtin Medical School told Fox News Digital. “Women are not affected by the abnormality – we do not know why that is at the current point in time.”

WARDING OFF ALZHEIMER’S MIGHT MEAN MAKING THESE 11 LIFESTYLE CHANGES, EXPERT SAYS

The study, which was published in the journal Neurology, used data from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial, which gathered health and aging data for 19,114 healthy older adults.

Those who have the genetic variant can’t change it, but it’s possible that the “brain pathways” it affects could be treated, Olynyk noted.

“The HFE gene is routinely tested for in most Western countries … when assessing people for haemochromatosis, a disorder that causes the body to absorb too much iron,” the doctor said. “Our findings suggest that perhaps this testing could be offered to men more broadly.”

Despite the fact that the HFE gene is responsible for controlling iron levels, the team found no direct link between iron and dementia risk.

“This points to other mechanisms at play, possibly involving the increased risk of brain injury from inflammation and cell damage in the body,” Olynyk added.

More research is needed to determine why the heightened risk wasn’t seen in women.

“Understanding why men with the double H63D variant are at higher risk could pave the way for more personalized approaches to prevention and treatment,” added co-author Professor Paul Lacaze from Monash University in a press release.

The main limitation of the study, according to Olynyk, was that the study population was largely composed of Australians.

“Whether other populations exhibit the same effects is unclear,” he told Fox News Digital. “Our work should be repeated in different countries to assess this.”

“Further research will be undertaken to try and determine the likely mechanism by which this anomaly causes dementia and what more we can do to reduce the impact of it.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Beyond this specific mutation, many other genetic and environmental factors can contribute to dementia risk, Olynyk noted. 

“While genetic risk factors cannot be changed, the mechanisms by which these genetic abnormalities and environmental factors cause disease may well be modifiable to some extent, through adopting a healthy lifestyle and being proactive about maintaining an overall good state of health,” he said.

To reduce risk, the researchers recommend adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, minimizing alcohol intake, remaining mentally active, and seeing a doctor to address any medical problem known to increase the likelihood of dementia.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

The University of Melbourne, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Fiona Stanley Hospital also contributed to the study.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

– Trump’s whirlwind week ahead to include meeting with NATO chief, ‘major’ announcement on Russia

– UK to roll out red carpet in ‘unprecedented’ second Trump visit hosted by King Charles

– Democrats seize on Epstein files drama with new transparency calls

Former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff issued final approval for multiple high-profile preemptive pardons during Biden’s final days in office, according to a new report. 

Biden’s alleged use of the autopen has become a sticking point for months, as President Donald Trump has said thousands of pardons Biden signed were void and claimed that the former president did not know what documents he was signing through the automated device. 

Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons on his final day to officials, including former chief medical advisor to the president Anthony Fauci and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, in an attempt to safeguard them from retribution from Trump… READ MORE.

FAITH MEETS FORTUNE: Trump gathers CEOs for unprecedented faith, economy meeting to renew US ‘spiritually and financially’

PUTIN’S RECKONING: Trump’s whirlwind week ahead to include meeting with NATO chief, ‘major’ announcement on Russia

‘GOD ALONE SAVED ME’: Trump says ‘American spirit’ triumphs over ‘forces of evil’ on anniversary of Butler assassination attempt

CLOCK TICKING: Mother of slain soldier held by Hamas terrorists for 4,000 days makes plea to Trump

PROJECT UNDERWATER: Navy delays next-gen submarine to 2040, threatening US sea power

NO CUTS AHEAD: Trump urges rate cuts to boost savings, but Fed says economy is strong

DEAL OR TARIFFS: Trump, Rutte announce ‘really big’ NATO arms package amid new 50 day deadline to Putin

‘NATO IS PAYING’: Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, adding Putin ‘talks nice and then he bombs’

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: UK to roll out red carpet in ‘unprecedented’ second Trump visit hosted by King Charles

‘BLOOD COVENANT’: Iranian crowdfunding campaign claims to raise $40M as reward for assassinating Trump

ALLIES ON NOTICE: Pentagon presses Japan, Australia on role in possible Taiwan conflict

‘PUT UP’: Democrats seize on Epstein files drama with new transparency calls

‘TRUE WARRIOR’: FIRST ON FOX: ‘A true warrior’: Retiring Rep Mark Green endorses his potential replacement in GOP race

TRADE TIDE TURNS: From cattle to crude: How Trump’s tariffs are rattling the Lone Star State

CASH AMID CHAOS: Hochul hauls in big bucks amid lackluster poll numbers and calls to endorse Mamdani

‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’: Mamdani’s failure to walk back these positions could cause reckoning in Democratic Party: ‘Five-alarm warning’

QUIET EXIT: Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s secluded hideout hits the market

‘HAD A GREAT TIME’: Newsom, Vance exchange jabs over immigration after VP’s California vacation: ‘Hope you enjoy your family time’

ARMED AND DANGEROUS: Suspect wanted in anti-ICE Texas ambush previously sued in past protest incident

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

President Trump on Monday suggested that first lady Melania Trump convinced him that Russian President Vladimir Putin has continually backed out of his promises over a possible peace deal with Ukraine. 

Trump was meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte when he spoke with reporters about the ongoing war. 

He explained that his wife pointed out Putin’s false promises following Trump’s phone calls with the Russian leader amid calls for a deal to end the conflict. 

TRUMP’S BOLD PIVOT ON UKRAINE SENDS MAJOR SIGNAL

“I go home. I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really? another city was just hit,'” he said. 

“There’s times I’d get home. I’d say, ‘First lady, I had three most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.’ And then I’ll turn on the television, or she’ll say to me one time, ‘Wow, that’s strange because they just bombed a nursing home,'” Trump recalled in another conversation. “I’d say, ‘What?’”

Moscow has repeatedly attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles following calls between Putin and Trump.

TRUMP SAYS US WILL SEND PATRIOT MISSILES TO UKRAINE, ADDS THAT PUTIN ‘TALKS NICE AND THEN HE BOMBS EVERYBODY’

Last week, Trump appeared frustrated, saying he wasn’t happy with Putin “because he’s killing alot of people.”

He said he was considering giving Ukraine more aid to help it resist the Russian attacks. On Monday, Trump confirmed that he has agreed to sell arms to NATO just moments after he said Putin has 50 days to secure a peace deal with Ukraine or face “100%” tariffs. 

“This is again European nations standing up,” Rutte said. “I’ve been in contact with many countries. I can tell you at this moment Germany, massively, but also Finland and Denmark and Sweden and Norway — we have the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canada — they all want to be part of this.”

“And this is only the first wave. There will be more,” Rutte confirmed. “So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need.”

An Israeli scientist was allegedly subject to a hostile and discriminatory work environment involving the alleged malicious distortion of his research, a fabricated sexual harassment investigation and an alleged retaliatory firing which all threatened to jeopardize his entire career, according to a bombshell federal lawsuit filed last week. 

Dr. Shay Laps, an Israeli chemist who received his Ph.D. from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, joined Stanford University with the hope of furthering his award-winning research into peptides and proteins under the mentorship of more experienced scientific minds, according to the suit. Laps was encouraged to join Stanford after multiple meetings with lab leader Dr. Danny Chou, who had expressed interest in his earlier research and promised multiple years of support in his lab.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Northern District of California by the Louis D. Brandeis Center and Cohen Williams, claimed Dr. Laps – who joined Dr. Chou’s lab in April 2024, six months after Hamas’ devastating Oct. 7 attack on Israel – was allegedly greeted with outright hostility from the moment he stepped foot in the lab, with no apparent explanation.

TRUMP ADMIN PROBE ACCUSES HARVARD OF DISCRIMINATING AGAINST JEWISH STUDENTS, THREATENS TO PULL ALL FUNDING

A research professional in the lab allegedly told Dr. Laps never to speak to her on his first day joining the team; the suit stated that his colleagues were aware before he joined of his Jewish identity.

The researcher’s campaign of hostility allegedly went so far that the lab materials Laps ordered were never delivered on time, even though his colleagues all received requested materials in a timely manner. When Dr. Laps attempted to address a particular holdup, she allegedly told him to contact another colleague who was currently hospitalized – a gesture which Laps interpreted as a call for him to get lost.

She also allegedly fabricated results from one of his experiments and tried to trick him into destroying the evidence, the lawsuit claimed.

Laps was confused as to why the lab staffer was so overtly hostile towards him and no one else in the lab, but became suspicious that it was due to his Israeli identity when he discovered that she associated with many radical anti-Israel activists on campus. 

ISRAELI COLUMBIA PROFESSOR LEAVES SCHOOL OVER FAILURE TO ADDRESS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS

Stanford has been plagued with a culture of antisemitism, according to a 2024 report commissioned by the university, which exploded after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel that launched the Gaza war. A Stanford professor allegedly made Jewish students stand in a corner and called them “colonizers” while describing Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters” shortly after the attacks, among other incidents. 

Lap’s short-lived tenure at Stanford ultimately spiraled into a wild alleged conspiracy to get him fired by fabricating a sexual harassment investigation against him, the lawsuit states. Dr. Chou, who had initially been supportive of Dr. Laps, called Laps into his office in August 2024 and informed him that a Title IX investigation had been opened against him regarding sexual harassment.

Chou urged Laps to resign quietly from the university and to leave the country to avoid potential censure, per the lawsuit. Laps, who was aghast at the accusations, contacted Stanford’s Title IX office himself and was allegedly informed that no investigation had been opened against him and that he was in good standing at the university.

Chou didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“This really made my jaw drop, the way they treated the guy, just unbelievable,” Brandeis Center Vice Chair Rachel Lerman told Fox News Digital. 

Laps filed his own discrimination complaints in September 2024, and attempted to alert University President Jonathan Levin and School of Medicine Dean Lloyd B. Minor after which he was allegedly fired and unceremoniously locked out of the lab, the lawsuit stated. Laps believe this to have been an act of retaliation. Laps ultimately ended his association with Stanford in February 2025 after less than a year.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Stanford denied any wrongdoing.

“Stanford takes any allegation of antisemitism very seriously. In this instance and based on all the allegations that Dr. Laps reported directly to the institution, a thorough internal investigation found that they were unsubstantiated,” a Stanford University representative told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

An endorsement event for Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, came to an abrupt end Monday when he was pulled offstage by a campaign aide. 

After accepting the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802’s endorsement, Mamdani answered a few questions about former Gov. Andrew Cuomo deciding to stay in the race as an independent candidate and his upcoming meeting with House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

About 20 minutes into the event, before Mamdani could continue answering reporters’ questions, his campaign staffers stepped in to say: “I think we’re done here. We’re going to go. Come on. We’re wrapping up, folks. Sorry folks. We’re wrapping up.”

But Mamdani stood by the podium, attempting to hear the reporters’ questions over the chorus of campaign aides’ voices, until the band on site for the event began playing “When the Saints Go Marching In.” With a smile on his face, Mamdani was pulled away when a campaign aide grabbed his arm.

MAMDANI LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP CUOMO BACKER IN NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY

Mamdani has kept a busy campaign schedule since securing the Democratic nomination last month. 

MAMDANI’S PRIMARY WIN EXPOSES DEMOCRAT DIVIDE AS TOP LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS

He has hosted several endorsement events, including from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and New York Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat. The campaign has opened up questions to reporters at the end of these endorsement events.

The 33-year-old candidate is expected to host an event with fellow self-described democratic socialist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Mamdani ahead of his primary win last month.

And during the endorsement event Monday, Mamdani confirmed his meeting with Jeffries later this week. Jeffries told Fox News Digital he would meet with Mamdani at home in Brooklyn at the end of the week. 

The House Minority Leader has yet to endorse Mamdani since he secured the Democratic nomination. 

“I’m looking forward to that meeting with Congressman Jeffries,” Mamdani said Monday before adding, “I’m looking forward to being a partner to Congressman Jeffries in winning back the House and continuing to fight back against Donald Trump’s agenda, and in delivering, at the same time, for New Yorkers across the five boroughs.”

Teddy Bridgewater, a former NFL star quarterback who was coaching football at his high school alma mater, revealed on Sunday he was suspended weeks before the season begins.

The discipline came as Bridgewater was accused of proving impermissible benefits to his players at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. The quarterback confirmed the suspension in a post on Facebook.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“Damn people done caused all this confusion. Got a phone call tonight and it’s no real investigation going on.. I told you I have to be an employee to be investigated. Now the paperwork thing still stands but there was no investigation… We SELF REPORTED..” he wrote on social media.

“(Associate head coach Verne Louis) and his Admnistrative homeboys want me gone apparently and tried to hire one of my dawgs like bro wasn’t gone lace me up… The suspension came from MNW and it’s impossible to suspend someone who doesn’t work for you. So if im suspended from MNW im free to go to another school of my choice but IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

“And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem.

2025 NFL ODDS: JOE FLACCO FAVORED; SHEDEUR SANDERS TUMBLES DOWN BOARD

“This my last post about this bs.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Miami Northwestern High School. The Florida High School Athletics Association told Rivals it was gathering more information about the suspension.

Earlier this month, Bridgewater wrote on Facebook that he covered all expenses last season from Uber rides to meals. He asked for monetary donations for his training camp on social media to help cover some of the expenses this time around.

The NFL world came out in defense of Bridgewater.

Bridgewater was a one-time Pro Bowler in 10 years in the NFL. After he coached the high school to a state title, he signed a deal with the Detroit Lions to finish out the season and back up Jared Goff.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Iran on Monday warned that it would retaliate if the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) took steps to impose “snapback” sanctions as nations mull further action to halt Tehran’s nuclear development. 

“The threat to use the snapback mechanism lacks legal and political basis and will be met with an appropriate and proportionate response from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei claimed during a press conference, according to a Reuters report.

Baghaei did not expand on how Iran would retaliate, but his threats come amid repeated warnings from security experts that time is running out to enforce the sanction mechanism by Oct. 18 under terms dictated by the 2015 nuclear deal. 

IRAN CLAIMS ITS PRESIDENT WAS INJURED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE LAST MONTH

The comments coincided with the 10-year anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was originally intended to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but which some have argued was insufficient to adequately deter Tehran. 

Under the terms of the JCPOA, any signatory can unilaterally call up snapback sanctions if Iran is found to have violated the terms of the agreement. 

Though the U.S., which, alongside the U.K., France, Germany, China and Russia, signed the 2015 deal, was deemed by the U.N. and other JCPOA members unable to utilize the mechanism after Washington withdrew from the agreement in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Despite repeated calls by the U.S. to enforce snapback – which would legally enforce all 15 U.N. members on the council, including Russia, to reimpose sanctions on Iran – no one on the UNSC or JCPOA has yet taken steps to enforce the sanctions. 

“I would say one of the few good things about the JCPOA is that it reverse engineers the veto in the sense that you really only need one of the permanent members to be able to do this,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran orogram told Fox News Digital. “But why is no one doing it? It’s because it’s a risky move. 

“I think it’s a worthwhile move, but we have to be honest – it’s a risky move,” he added. 

Ben Taleblu explained that Iran’s most likely response to the severe sanctions under the snapback mechanism would be its abandonment of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) – an international agreement that over 190 nations have signed, pledging either not to transfer weapons to another recipient by nuclear-capable nations, or not to develop atomic arms by non-nuclear nations, among other commitments. 

TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO STOP IRAN FROM MAKING NUCLEAR BOMB: ‘DANGEROUS TERRITORY’

The terms of the agreement are monitored by the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency – which Iran has already suspended cooperation with following U.S. and Israeli strikes against its nuclear program last month. 

“In a world in which Iran’s most likely response is to leave the NPT, one has to be confident in at least the ability of military threats to deter Iran further, or at least the credibility of America’s and Israel’s, or the international community’s, military options against Iran moving forward,” Ben Taleblu said. 

“The problem is the lack of a game plan. Has America provided Europe with a game plan, a road map for post-snapback?” he added, noting there needs to be a much larger strategy for next steps should sanctions be reinforced.

Though the U.S. assesses that Iran’s nuclear program has been stunted by up to two years, experts remain convinced that Tehran’s atomic ambitions have not been deterred, and its ties to terrorist networks and adversarial nations mean it remains a top security concern.

Trump has said he is still committed to negotiating with Iran on its nuclear program, though questions remain over how long he will continue to allow negotiations to drag out before a European nation like the U.K., France or Germany must step in to enact snapback sanctions not only before the October deadline, but before Russia takes over control of the UNSC presidency that month.

Pushing through the snapback mechanism is expected to be a roughly six-week process. 

Reports on Sunday suggested that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could call up the snapback measures as soon as Tuesday, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee championed the move in a post on X. 

But Fox News Digital could not independently verify these claims and the German Foreign Ministry told Israeli news outlet JNS that the claims were incorrect. 

The chancellor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions. 

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., reacted on Monday following a Fox News Digital report that the Mountain West Conference hired the same law firm to investigate the transgender athlete Blaire Fleming’s misconduct allegations that the conference was using to defend the athlete’s eligibility for the conference tournament in court.

Kiley had been outspoken against transgender athletes competing against girls and women in sports and was at odds with California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state over alleged Title IX violations.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“The absurdity and unfairness of forcing young women and girls to compete against males also poses obvious safety risks,” Kiley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The revelations from Fox News Digital are highly disturbing, but sadly unsurprising: the same institutions that willingly subject student-athletes to the risk of physical harm are failing to adequately respond when those harms materialize. 

“Fortunately, the tide has decisively turned against the backwards politicians and organizations who have defied common sense and biological reality in their attempt to undermine hard-won civil rights protections for female athletes.”

Former San Jose State women’s volleyball player Brooke Slusser was the apparent target of an alleged plan by Fleming and a Colorado State player to have Slusser spiked in the face during an Oct. 3 game. Slusser was never spiked in the face during that game. Fleming had 10 errors as SJSU lost to Colorado State in straight sets. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that Mountain West hired the firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher (WFG) to investigate the allegations.

The Mountain West hired the firm to handle the investigation in the same month that the same firm represented the conference to protect Fleming’s eligibility in a request for preliminary injunction to have the trans athlete disqualified from women’s competition and the conference tournament.

The investigation was closed after three days, with Fleming being cleared of impropriety. But no evidence was ever disclosed by the conference, as Fleming went on to finish out the season, earn all-conference honors and even led SJSU all the way to the Mountain West championship game.

LAW FIRM THAT WORKED TO KEEP SJSU TRANS PLAYER ELIGIBLE ALSO CLEARED ATHLETE OF CONSPIRING TO HARM TEAMMATE

The WFG attorney who led the investigation into allegations against Fleming, Tim Heaphy, later offered the school legal counsel to help it navigate a federal Title IX investigation over the same situation, as seen in public records obtained by Fox News Digital. The offer was declined.

None of WFG’s attorneys have been accused of violating any applicable rules of professional conduct.

Fox News Digital reached out to the firm Wilkie Farr & Gallagher, the Mountain West Conference and the California State University system for a response on Kiley’s statement.

Slusser spoke late last month about the recent findings in an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “America Reports.”

“It’s obvious once this was put out into the public that there’s so much bias in this situation, and they’re trying to just sweep these things under the rug and not have to deal with it when there’s obvious problems going on all over the place,” she said.

“They need to be held accountable for using the same law firm and not doing a thorough investigation because Title IX was built to protect women, and they’re obviously deciding to protect the man in this situation when they were blatantly trying to harm a female athlete at their school, and they’re still backing this male athlete and that’s just wrong all over the place. And there’s schools all over the nation doing this, they’re just not getting the spotlight it deserves.”

Slusser ultimately hopes that no other female athletes have to deal with the same things she experienced.

“The goal is to never have to let another female athlete go through what I did. The sport was ruined for me my senior season,” she said. “So, the goal is to give back to those young girls who had the same dream that I did but to be able to love it the entire time.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Andrew Cuomo says he’s going the distance.

The former three-term New York governor, who last month was defeated by double digits by democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, on Monday announced he will continue his general election bid as an independent candidate.

“Only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November and I am in it to win it,” Cuomo declared in a video posted to social media.

And Cuomo charged that “My opponent, Mr. Mamdani offers slick slogans but no real solutions.”

CUOMO, ADAMS TRADE SHOTS OVER WHO SHOULD DROP OUT IN RACE AGAINST MAMDANI FOR NYC MAYOR

Mamdani’s primary victory over Cuomo and nine other candidates three weeks ago rocked the Democratic Party, and boosted the Ugandan-born 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens toward becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s most populous city.

MAMDANI OFFICIALLY WINS NYC DEM PRIMARY BY 12 POINTS OVER CUOMO, WHO’S STAYING IN THE RACE FOR NOW

Mamdani surged to a primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living.

Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5, and setting up government-run grocery stores.

And thanks in part to the efforts of a massive grassroots army of volunteers, he rode a wave of support from younger and progressive voters to catapult into first place over Cuomo, who was the frontrunner.

“Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that the Democratic primary did not go the way I had hoped,” said Cuomo, the former three-term governor who resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals.

Cuomo, who is gunning for a political comeback, noted that “as my grandfather used to say, when you get knocked down, learn the lesson and pick yourself back up and get in the game. And that is what I’m going to do. The fight to save our city isn’t over.”

At an endorsement event on Monday, Mamdani reacted to Cuomo’s move.

“I welcome everyone to this race, and I am as confident as I have been since three weeks ago on primary night,” he said.

“I think he’s struggling to come to terms with what Tuesday meant,” Mamdani added. “We spent an entire campaign being told that it was inevitable for Andrew Cuomo to become the next mayor, and he believed that himself.”

Mamdani also trolled the former governor on Monday, responding to a photo of Cuomo filming his campaign video.

“We got him making man on the street videos with a guy in Carhartt. By next week, he’ll be sipping adeni chai and eating khaliat al nahl,” Mamdani said in reference to his own viral campaign videos.

The announcement by Cuomo came as no major surprise.

While he acknowledged Mamdani’s victory in the primary, Cuomo left the door open to a November run as an independent candidate, which election rules in New York state permit.

And late last month, Cuomo let pass a deadline for candidates who had already qualified to run as independents to decline that independent ballot line.

But sources told Fox News at the time that Cuomo had not committed yet to running an active general election campaign through the summer and into the autumn.

In deep blue New York City, the Democratic primary winner is largely favored to win the general election. If Mamdani wins in November, he will be the first Muslim and millennial mayor of New York City. 

Also on the general election ballot is Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his primary bid earlier this year amid sinking poll numbers in the wake of numerous controversies.

Adams is running as an independent.

Also on the ballot in the general election are Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor running as an independent, and Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who, for a second straight election, is the Republican mayoral nominee.