​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! One day after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego following a groundbreaking 10-day lunar mission, the Artemis II crew appeared on stage at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, Texas, where they emotionally recounted their space experience and safe return. “It’s a special thing to be human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth,” said commander Reid Wiseman, noting that he and his three crewmates are now “bonded forever” as they shared a group hug. “Welcome home Artemis II,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman declared before presenting the crew members. Weisman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. “There is no doubt that exploring the cosmos comes at a price, but it also yields returns—in the jobs it creates, the technologies that enhance life on Earth, the inspiration it ignites for all who choose to follow, and for people worldwide who gaze upward and dream of what’s possible.” “The long wait is finally over,” Isaacman said. Following a short 53-year hiatus, the show continues: NASA is once again sending astronauts to the moon and returning them safely. Ex-NASA Astronaut Describes Artemis II Mission as ‘Incredible’ The wiseman, speaking first, joked that he had “absolutely no idea what to say.” “Twenty-four hours ago, Earth looked that big out the window, and we were running mock 39, and now here we are back at Ellington at home,” he said. Glover said he still hadn’t processed it all, thanking God “because, even bigger than my challenge trying to describe what we went through, the gratitude of seeing what we saw doing what we did, and being with who I was with, it’s too big to just be in one body.”  

​A self-styled prophet who claimed more than 20 “spiritual wives,” some underage, was unmasked after Christine Marie and her husband Tolga Katas infiltrated his inner circle and covertly recorded his activities for authorities. The chilling account unfolds in the Netflix docuseries Trust Me: The False Prophet, which includes behind-the-scenes footage of the couple collaborating with law enforcement as informants. Their efforts helped uncover Samuel Bateman’s child sexual abuse network and contributed to the 2022 raid that led to his arrest, as well as the arrests of several followers. Authorities say Bateman sought to establish an FLDS offshoot in the nearby towns of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.

The fundamentalist faction broke away from the main Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the church’s official renunciation of polygamy in 1890. Bateman proclaimed himself the successor to Warren Jeffs, the former leader who arranged marriages for his followers—including underage girls—and who reportedly had up to 80 “spiritual wives.” Jeffs was found guilty in Texas in 2011 of sexually assaulting underage followers and received a life sentence. While incarcerated, he urged his followers to stop marrying or procreating, then grew increasingly withdrawn, paving the way for Bateman to position himself as his successor.

“I was shocked by so many aspects of Christine and Tolga’s ordeal,” Emmy-winning director Rachel Dretzin told Fox News Digital. “Above all, their ability to infiltrate the FLDS—one of the world’s most secretive communities—is astounding and rare.” It was very surprising that they had earned Sam Bateman’s trust, allowing them such deep access into the highly private world he had built.  

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! A man charged with masterminding a $2.25 billion Medicaid fraud scheme in Minnesota missed a court hearing this week, leading authorities to issue an arrest warrant. Abdirashid Ismail Said, 29, skipped a pretrial hearing in Hennepin County, resulting in the forfeiture of his bond, according to FOX 9 citing the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. AG Keith Ellison stated that his office is collaborating with federal authorities to find Said. MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL: SIXTH FAMILY MEMBER WHO MET WITH AG ELLISON SET TO PLEAD GUILTY. “A warrant has been issued for Said’s arrest because he didn’t show up for a pretrial hearing,” Ellison told the outlet. My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is collaborating with federal law enforcement to track down Said and ensure he faces justice for his fraud. “This is a deeply frustrating setback.” Nevertheless, I am steadfast in my commitment to taking every possible action to hold Said and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable. According to FOX 9, Said posted a $150,000 unconditional bond to sidestep harsher terms like surrendering his passport, whereas a $50,000 conditional bond would have mandated it. Investigators expressed worries about Said’s flight risk due to family connections overseas, per FOX 2503. Prosecutors indicted Said on racketeering charges and several counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle in a scheme that allegedly bilked Minnesota’s Medicaid program out of nearly $11 million, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint claims Said ran the operation from 2019 to 2023 by covertly managing various Medicaid-funded home health care agencies, even though a previous fraud conviction prohibited him from participating in such programs. TRUMP ADMIN WINS KEY MINNESOTA COURT RULING IN MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN. Authorities stated that Said and his accomplices submitted Medicaid bills for unprovided services, inadequately documented ones, or those supported by falsified records.  

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! Jurors in Tanner Horner’s murder trial viewed photos of his FedEx truck, the vehicle prosecutors claim was used to abduct 7-year-old Athena Strand from her driveway and ultimately kill her. On Friday, prosecutors displayed a series of images from inside the truck, where Horner, 34, murdered Athena in Texas on Nov. The year 2022, specifically the 30th. Horner pleaded guilty to the murder and awaits the jury’s decision on whether he will receive life imprisonment or the death penalty. Jurors viewed images of bungee cords and straps found in the truck, plus photos of investigators testing the vehicle for biological evidence. Horner initially said he accidentally struck Athena with his delivery truck, but he later confessed to abducting and strangling the girl while delivering a Christmas package to her father’s home in Paradise, Texas. Alise Amey, a former crime scene investigator with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, testified that they recommended removing the truck’s floor because Athena had facial markings matching the floor’s pattern. “There were markings on the victim’s face consistent with the floor,” Amey stated. After removal, the large floor pieces were bagged in brown paper, Amey said. FOX 4 Dallas reported that as more crime scene photos were shown to the jury, the court’s video feed was blurred. GOT A TIP? Throughout the week, prosecutors presented jurors with hours of evidence, using opening statements to depict Horner as calculating, violent, and remorseless in Athena’s killing. “The first thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up, puts her in that truck, leans down, and says, ‘Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you,'” prosecutor James Stainton told jurors during opening statements on Tuesday. FOLLOW US ON X. “I’m going to tell you right now.” One thing you’ll hear that you can’t unhear is the incredible fight in a 7-year-old girl. When she’s staring down certain death. WATCH: Tanner Horner admits guilt in slaying of Texas 7-year-old.  

​NEW Now you can listen to Fox News articles! Gunfire erupted in a Central California cul-de-sac following an hours-long standoff that resulted in a police officer being shot and killed, with authorities then running down the suspect. A neighbor’s video, obtained by Fox News Digital, captured the tense confrontation unfolding in Porterville, California, at 10:40 a.m. Local time Thursday… “Get down, get down,” officers yell in the video amid blaring sirens… SUSPECT IN CALIFORNIA DEPUTY’S KILLING STRUCK BY ARMORED VEHICLE AFTER PROLONGED SHOOTOUT STANDOFF: SHERIFF. During a news conference after the shooting, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux stated that the suspect, David Eric Morales, was ultimately killed when a law enforcement BearCat armored vehicle ran him over after he kept firing and refused to surrender. GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL. Boudreaux stated, “The suspect was lying face down on the ground in camouflage attire, still posing a threat.” The matter has been settled, with the suspect now deceased. He wasn’t shot. One of the BearCats ran him over and killed him.