Scorned ex-lover accuses Sinema of 'malicious' marriage interference

Kyrsten Sinema could be forced to shell out tens of thousands of dollars in damages for an affair she had with her former bodyguard after his estranged wife sued the former senator under a 19th century law that allows jilted spouses in a handful of U.S. states to sue for a broken heart.

The so-called "alienation of affection" lawsuits are currently recognized in just six U.S. states — including North Carolina, where Sinema’s former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, had lived with his now-estranged wife, Heather Ammel, for roughly a decade. 

The complaint against Sinema accused her of engaging in "intentional and malicious interference" in Ammel's marriage and sought $25,000 in damages from Sinema as a result of the allegedly "willful and wanton" conduct.

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In order to succeed in the lawsuit, plaintiffs must satisfy a difficult burden of proof. First, that the marriage had real affection and a viable relationship before any third-party involvement; second, that the "love and affection" were destroyed, or significantly diminished; and third, that the defendant in question directly "caused the destruction of that marital love and affection."

Perhaps for this reason, the complaint spares no detail: it ticks through an extemporaneous timeline of Ammel's relationship with Sinema, as a member of her security detail, a member of her staff, and later, as her romantic partner.

According to the complaint, Sinema sent suggestive messages to Matthew Ammel repeatedly over Signal, the encrypted messaging app, months before he and his wife officially split.

"I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me," Sinema told Ammel via Signal in June 2024, according to the complaint — around the same time Ammel allegedly stopped wearing his wedding ring.

On another occasion, Sinema offered to "work on" Ammel's back with a Theragun, and allegedly suggested that he bring MDMA on a work trip and offered to "guide him through a psychedelic experience," though Sinema said she has "no recollection" of those messages. 

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At times, Heather was herself a party to the relationship, before and after the affair allegedly began. In 2023, she traveled to Las Vegas to attend a U2 concert with her husband and Sinema where they drank Dom Pérignon wine in Cindy McCain’s suite, according to the lawsuit. 

The two also traveled to Miami for a Taylor Swift concert in October 2024 — which the three attended out of "concern" for Ammel’s children, according to copies of the affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

It was the same month that Heather Ammel allegedly confronted Sinema directly by responding to one of her Signal messages. 

"Are you having an affair with my husband? You took a married man away from his family," she wrote, according to the complaint. Sinema has since acknowledged having received the message.

The lawsuit accuses Sinema of acting with "deliberate" interference in the marriage of her bodyguard and his now-estranged wife, who argued that the former lawmaker seduced him and thus "wrongfully and maliciously" deprived her of the "warmth, companionship" and love of their marriage.

The relationship between the two is not in dispute: Sinema, who served in the Senate from 2019 to 2025, has since acknowledged her relationship with her former bodyguard, though she argued the case should be dismissed for a lack of jurisdiction, since the affair in question took place "exclusively outside" the boundaries of the Tar Heel state, according to her lawyers.

While these lawsuits have become increasingly rare in the 21st century, they are not unheard of — and plaintiffs in the state have at times won eye-popping payouts for such claims. 

In 2010, a jury in North Carolina awarded plaintiff Cynthia Shackelford a total of $9 million in compensatory and punitive damages for an "alienation of affection" lawsuit brought against her husband’s alleged mistress. More recently, 2018, a Durham County judge ordered some $8.8 million in damages be paid out to BMX show owner Keith King from the man he said stole his wife — and ruined his company.

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Sinema, for her part, says the relationship between the two became "romantic and intimate" beginning in May 2024, during a trip to Sonoma, California, and said they were subsequently "physically intimate" in the months that followed, including in Phoenix, Arizona; Aspen, Colorado; and New York City. 

They were not, her lawyers stressed, intimate within the physical bounds of North Carolina prior to the dissolution of Ammel's marriage.

The judge presiding over the case ordered the plaintiff, Ammel, to file a response to Sinema's motion to dismiss the lawsuit by mid-April.

Matthew Ammel filed for divorce from his wife earlier this year.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/scorned-ex-lover-accuses-sinema-malicious-marriage-interference

Tom Cotton slams Democrats' 'temper tantrum' for fueling TSA chaos amid funding fight

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., blasted travel chaos gripping airports nationwide as a direct result of Democrats’ "temper tantrum" over immigration policy, as the ongoing standoff snarls TSA operations and disrupts millions of passengers nationwide.

"The reason we're at this impasse is that Democrats are using long TSA lines to throw a temper tantrum about deportations of violent criminal illegal aliens and funding of ICE and Border Patrol," Cotton said on "Fox News Sunday."

The Arkansas Republican argued the disruptions are not the result of funding shortfalls, but reiterated they stem from a deliberate political fight over immigration, accusing Democrats of shifting demands and prolonging the standoff as airport delays drag on nationwide.

DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END

He added that Democrats are pushing for reforms that would prevent ICE agents from wearing masks — a push most Republicans oppose.

"The reason why ICE officers wear masks is because radical left-wing Democrats will dox them and then their street militias will terrorize their wives and their kids at their houses," Cotton said.

"That's why the Democrats are inflicting long TSA lines on the American people."

SEE IT: TRAVELERS SOUND OFF AS ICE AGENTS DEPLOYED TO AIRPORTS AS SHUTDOWN NEARS 40 DAYS

The partisan gridlock has prompted a lengthy partial government shutdown that has led to TSA agents calling in sick while missing paychecks, lapses in staffing and hours-long wait times at major airports across the U.S.

Travelers at major airports have voiced their disquiet to Fox News in recent days.

"Anyone who votes for a Democrat after this should be shipped out of the country," one frustrated traveler at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport told Fox News Digital.

"It's the division. Everyone should be unified and working together instead of just picking teams…" said another. 

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/tom-cotton-slams-democrats-temper-tantrum-fueling-tsa-chaos-amid-funding-fight

Tiger Woods' DUI arrest sparks demands for accountability

Tiger Woods' arrest on DUI-related charges has prompted debate over whether the champion golfer should face a suspension.

Woods' Friday crash is the fourth major car incident for the professional golfer since 2009. In 2017, he was found driving under the influence of multiple prescription drugs and asleep in his car, stopped in the road. He said it was due to a reaction to the pills.

"I don't like sugar-coating things. And the way I look at it, there's got to be some sort of punishment or withdrawal or some sort of a suspension from the game," Mark Lye, a former PGA golfer, said Saturday on "Fox & Friends Weekend."

Woods was taken into custody in Jupiter Island, Florida, where police said he was driving at a "high rate of speed" when he clipped another car, causing his vehicle to roll over. Authorities said he registered a 0.00 on a breathalyzer, ruling out alcohol impairment, but refused a urine test and was charged with DUI and property damage.

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"I’m just wondering where that discipline that he's learned to convey on the golf course is [going to] take hold in his personal life. Obviously, he's got demons going on," Lye said.

Lye called for "accountability" for Woods and questioned whether it is time for a stricter suspension from the game. Lye noted that contracts for professional golfers often include a "morals clause" and warned Woods could face further consequences if no action is taken.

Lye isn’t alone in his concern for Woods and those around him, however. Doug Bell, a PGA Tour announcer, said he’s thankful no one was hurt.

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"It's troublesome to see what happened yesterday. It is a pattern that has developed," Bell said. 

"Let’s hope this leads to something positive for one of the great athletes and figures in this world that we've seen in a long, long time," he added. 

SPORTSCASTER JIM GRAY SAYS TIGER WOODS' DUI ARREST IS 'ANOTHER CRY FOR HELP'

Bell suggested Woods take some time away from golf as a productive next step in recovery.

"He’s dealing with something that we don't know what's going on inside his head, the pain that he's in from all the surgeries," Bell said, adding that stepping away from the game "might be the best thing."

Woods was released from jail Friday night. In a mugshot released hours after his arrest, his eyes appeared red. 

President Donald Trump weighed in on the arrest of his "very close friend," noting the star athlete has had some "difficulty."

Woods’ team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/demands-accountability-grow-after-tiger-woods-latest-florida-dui-crash

'Ship has sailed': This is what Dems won't get in DHS deal after shunning GOP

Congressional Democrats consider the Senate-passed plan to end the Homeland Security shutdown a victory, but they’re walking away empty-handed with none of their sought-after reforms to immigration enforcement.

Pushing for sweeping changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of a pair of fatal shootings in Minnesota is why Democrats blocked more than a half-dozen attempts to prevent or end the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history.

But the window of opportunity to secure any reforms slammed shut just after 2 a.m. Friday.

DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END

"I mean, I think that ship has sailed, and they kind of kissed that opportunity goodbye by failing to provide funding for those agencies," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said.

At the onset of the shutdown in early February, Schumer and Democrats presented 10 categories of reforms they wanted to be implemented for ICE and immigration enforcement in order to earn their votes to fund DHS.

The proposals were in response to the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good and were designed to drastically rein in the power of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.

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Among them were requiring judicial warrants for agents, forcing agents to unmask, requiring agents to display identification, ending roving patrols, preventing agents from operating in certain areas like schools and hospitals, requiring body-worn cameras, increasing oversight of detention centers tied to funding, and several more.

The warrant requirements and unmasking were hard red lines for Republicans and the White House, but throughout negotiations, the GOP made concessions on several others, including limiting immigration enforcement at sensitive locations, allowing congressional oversight of DHS detention facilities, and enforcing the use of visible identification for DHS agents.

Democrats walked away with none of those offers that were on the table, aside from $20 million to purchase body-worn cameras, which was already in the original Homeland Security funding bill.

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"The Dems wanted reforms. We tried to work with them on reforms. They ended up getting no reforms," Thune said.

Still, Schumer and congressional Democrats scored a political victory of sorts, with the legislation carving out funding for ICE and the border protection arm of CBP.

Republicans, however, front-loaded immigration enforcement funding last year with $75 billion over the next several years and plan a similar move using the same budget reconciliation process to extend funding for up to a decade.

And with a rebellion against the legislation fomenting among House Republicans — who are widely unhappy with immigration enforcement not being funded right away — all parties could be taken back to square one.

"This is exactly what we wanted," Schumer said after the Senate advanced the bill. "This is what we asked for, and I'm very proud of my caucus. My caucus held the line."

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ship-has-sailed-what-dems-wont-get-dhs-deal-after-shunning-gop

Schumer, Democrats say they support voter ID — then block GOP amendment to require it

Senate Democrats blocked an amendment to Trump-backed voter ID legislation that would have done something they publicly support: require photo identification to vote in federal elections.

Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have shown interest in photo voter ID, which has grown in popularity among voters across the country.

"Democrats support voter ID," Schumer said on a press call earlier this month. "In fact, we included it, and it is included, in our Freedom to Vote legislation several years ago."

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Several others have also come out in support of a voter ID bill in recent weeks.

When asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins whether he would support a clean voter ID bill, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said, "Yes."

"And New Jersey has voter ID laws," Booker said. "I’ve got to show my driver’s license."

Still, Democrats blocked an amendment to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act from Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, meant to put them on record for that position.

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Schumer said ahead of the vote that "Republicans are once again wasting time on voter suppression." 

"Let's let's be very clear what this amendment is," Schumer said. "It's a wolf in sheep's clothing, and it's a giant cover-up to what their bill really does, which is dramatic voter suppression, kicking 20 million or more people off the rolls without their knowledge or consent."

Senate Republicans argued that if Democrats truly support voter ID, they should back the amendment.

"That is one on which the Democrats have said — Senator Schumer himself — that ‘we are not opposed to photo ID,’" Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. "Well, let’s test that proposition. Let’s actually have a vote on it and see where the Democrats are."

Republicans have been engaged in a floor push on the SAVE America Act for the past 10 days, debating the legislation in a bid to shift the narrative from the GOP being unable to advance the bill out of the Senate to Democrats being the ones blocking it.

Senate Democrats have argued that while they support identification to vote, the SAVE America Act goes far beyond that requirement. Schumer and others have likened the broader bill to Jim Crow-era segregationist laws in the Deep South, saying it would disenfranchise voters — particularly minority communities and low-income Americans.

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However, requiring identification is already the practice in 36 states. Of those, 23 require photo ID, while 13 accept another form of identification, such as a bank statement. Nine of those states have Democratic senators.

According to a widely cited Pew Research poll from last year, 71% of Democratic voters support showing government-issued photo ID to vote.

"I know there are a lot of issues in the SAVE America Act, but this particular one focused on photo ID as something that can be easily implemented, which is already being implemented around the country," Husted said of his amendment.

Senate Democrats blocked the measure once before, when Husted tried to force a vote on a standalone photo voter ID bill last week. His amendment listed several acceptable forms of identification, including an unexpired driver’s license with a photo, an unexpired state-issued ID card with a photo, a valid passport, a valid military or veteran ID with a photo, or an unexpired tribal ID with a photo.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who typically breaks with his party, stood alongside Schumer and his colleagues on Thursday. Like other Democrats, he has opposed the SAVE America Act because of its additional provisions, such as giving the Department of Homeland Security access to states’ voter rolls.

But he recently said, "If the GOP wants real reform over a show vote — put out a clean, standalone bill, and I’m AYE."

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumer-democrats-say-support-voter-id-block-gop-amendment-require

Trump reveals ‘present’ from Iran as oil tankers move through Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump revealed Thursday what he previously described as a "present" from Iran as the passage of multiple oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, framing it as a sign of progress in ongoing negotiations.

Trump had hinted a day earlier that Iran had offered a significant gesture but declined to provide details at the time.

"They said to show you the fact that we’re real and solid and we’re there — we’re going to let you have eight boats of oil," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, adding that the number of tankers ultimately reached ten. "I said, well, I guess we’re dealing with the right people."

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Trump pointed to the tanker movement as evidence that U.S. negotiators are in contact with Iranian counterparts capable of delivering tangible results.

Mounting uncertainty has surrounded Iran's leadership as joint U.S.-Israeli strikes have killed dozens of senior officials and the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen publicly.

Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei who was killed on the first day of strikes, has only issued written or indirect messages. U.S. and allied intelligence assessments suggest he is likely alive, but his condition, location and level of control remain unclear. 

Analysts and officials say Iran’s decision-making may now be fragmented across competing power centers, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Trump framed recent tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz as a sign that U.S. negotiators are in contact with Iranian counterparts capable of delivering results.

"They said to show you the fact that we’re real and solid and we’re there — we’re going to let you have eight boats of oil," Trump said, adding that the number of tankers ultimately reached ten.

"I said, well, I guess we’re dealing with the right people," he said.

Amid that uncertainty, reporting has pointed to Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as a possible interlocutor in backchannel talks. Ghalibaf, a hardline figure with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is viewed by some U.S. officials as a potential partner capable of negotiating on behalf of the regime.

However, both Iranian officials and Ghalibaf himself have publicly denied that any talks with Washington are underway, and the White House has not confirmed who, if anyone, is serving as Tehran’s primary point of contact.

Iranian messaging has also been inconsistent. While U.S. officials and Trump have pointed to ongoing discussions, Iranian leaders have publicly denied that negotiations are taking place. At the same time, Iranian officials have acknowledged receiving U.S. messages through intermediaries, underscoring the gap between public statements and behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

The conflicting signals highlight the challenge facing U.S. negotiators as they attempt to identify interlocutors who can both represent Tehran and implement any potential agreement.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the choke point for 20% of the world's oil, has slowed drastically since the start of the U.S. offensive on Feb. 28.

The U.S. is pursuing backchannel talks with Iran even as tensions remain high following recent military strikes and threats of further escalation tied to control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil choke point.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday Iran was reviewing a 15-point proposal sent over by the U.S. through Pakistan mediators, but was not negotiating with the U.S.

TRUMP TELLS 'STRANGE' IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS TO 'GET SERIOUS SOON' OR 'IT WON'T BE PRETTY'

On Monday, Trump gave Iran a five-day deadline before the U.S. would pursue strikes on energy infrastructure if Iran did not show signs of "success" toward mediation. On Thursday, Trump declined to say whether he'd decided on moving forward with strikes.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday he had seen "positive signs" after he provided the Pakistani government with the 15-point plan.

"We will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point, with no good alternatives for them, other than more death and destruction," Witkoff said during the Cabinet meeting.

"We have strong signs that this is a possibility, and if a deal happens, it will be great for the country of Iran."

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-reveals-present-from-iran-tankers-move-through-hormuz

GOP disruptor counters Biden's student loan bailouts with plan to shift costs away from taxpayers

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Carbonara, a Republican running in the Sunshine State as a political disruptor to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is pitching an idea to reduce the crippling student loan debt crisis facing the country without shifting the burden to taxpayers.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Carbonara lamented that as America marks its 250th anniversary, "the idea of the American dream has been slipping away" for many young Americans.

He criticized Democrats for promoting affordability while proposing solutions that amount to increased taxes.

"This is the first time where the next generation actually has less opportunity and less freedom than their parents in America's 250-year history," he said. "Rather than just tax and tax and tax, which people are tired of, I want to put more money back into the pocket of every American, so life is affordable."

FOREIGNERS ARE SNAPPING UP US HOMES AND STEALING THE AMERICAN DREAM OUT FROM UNDER FAMILIES

Instead of shifting responsibility to taxpayers, Carbonara blames government subsidies as the "root cause" of rising college costs. A fintech mogul and business leader who also hosts a podcast, he said government subsidies allowed schools to raise prices, making college unaffordable.

"There's no reason that students need to pay $50,000 a year for an education and wind up with a lifetime of debt that they have to chase every year to pay off," he said, noting, "That’s not what we want. We want people to be able to go to school, get married, have a good-paying job so they can afford to have a family."

Carbonara said this is one of the top issues voters voice to him on the campaign trail.

"I don't just hear from young Americans, I hear from everyone," he explained.

"The average age of first-time home ownership is now over 40 years old, when 20, 30 years ago, it was below 30 years old," he went on. "Let's face it, nobody wants to get married to have kids when you live in a 700-square-foot condo in South Florida."

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However, unlike former President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, which would have put taxpayers on the hook, Carbonara said addressing government subsidies would place the responsibility on universities.

"The idea of forgiveness, we have to throw that idea out, there's no forgiveness here," he said. 

"It's the university's responsibility to step up to fix the dilemma. And we need to put together these programs for the universities to be able to fix it because again, they were the ones that received all the funding, all the tuition payments that were guaranteed by the government. So, since they benefited, it's their responsibility to fix the issues."

If elected, Carbonara believes he could work on both sides of the aisle to bring a bipartisan solution to the student loan crisis.

"People recognize this is a real crisis," he said, adding, "This is going to take hard work, and it's going to require responsibility from both students and, obviously, members of Congress."

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Ultimately, Carbonara said that with the American dream spiraling out of reach for many, "we've come to a crossroads."

"Do we go to the socialism route… or do we go the route of freedom where we can create opportunity and give people the tools to be self-determined and be able to be prosperous and make their own decisions in life?" he asked.

"That's the path we need to go to. We need to return to our core values of America that made our country great and give the American freedom and the American dream opportunity back to everyone."

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-disruptor-counters-bidens-student-loan-bailouts-plan-shift-costs-away-from-taxpayers