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Gavin Newsom commutes all 548 death sentences in California to life without parole, a sweeping move that takes serial killers, child murderers, and some of the most notorious criminals in state history off death row. Among them: the man convicted of kidnapping and strangling 12-year-old Polly Klaas during a sleepover. The "Scorecard Killer," convicted of raping, torturing, and killing at least 16 young men. A man sentenced to death for murdering and sexually torturing a 3-year-old girl. The "Southside Slayer," sentenced to death twice for killing women across South Los Angeles over more than a decade. Newsom acknowledged the decision would anger people and hurt victims' families who oppose it. The move does not automatically clear death row: state law requires the Supreme Court's approval to commute sentences for inmates with numerous felony convictions, which includes hundreds currently condemned. Full story here ⬇️

California prosecutors are revolting against Gov. Gavin Newsom after he moved to commute the death sentences of all 548 condemned inmates in the state, replacing them with life in prison without parole. Among those set to benefit: the man convicted of torturing and murdering 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, serial killers who stalked hiking trails and murdered families, and inmates convicted of killing police officers and infants. The deputy DA who prosecuted the Fernandez case says Newsom made the decision without any discussions with Gabriel's family. Orange County DA Todd Spitzer ripped the move as "mercy for the wolves...while inflicting the ultimate act of cruelty on the sheep." Sacramento DA Thien Ho says the blanket commutation "disregards the individualized facts and circumstances of each case" and "the voices of victims who have waited decades for justice." Full story here

Federal investigators have unearthed part of an engine from the Learjet 60 that slammed into the ground Sunday in Greenacres, Florida, killing all nine people aboard. Crews began excavating the crash site Wednesday after utility workers drained water and cleared hazards. The engine piece is the latest recovery in a widening debris field: earlier in the week, investigators found the jet's left tail elevator, which controls pitch, in three separate pieces, one of them nearly four miles from the impact site. Debris has also turned up on the roofs of nearby homes and buildings. The jet left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas before it plunged into Palm Beach County just before 1 p.m. Sunday. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were sweeping across South Florida, and federal investigators say weather will be a major focus of their probe. Full story here

A Massachusetts jury found that a former MIT colleague's sexual misconduct claims against biologist Dr. David Sabatini were "false and defamatory" — and ordered her to pay $6 million. Now both sides are gearing up for cross-appeals that could reshape how universities handle Title IX investigations. Dr. Kristin Knouse accused Sabatini of coercion and harassment. Sabatini maintained the relationship was consensual. After internal investigations, MIT stripped him of tenure, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute fired him, and the Whitehead Institute ousted him — all before a civil court could test the evidence. When the case finally reached a jury, they rejected Knouse's counterclaims and sided with Sabatini. Sabatini's attorney Lisa Arrowood says the institutions rushed to judgment: "The investigators and the Whitehead Institute allowed one party and her lawyers to control what evidence they received and even what they could show to Dr. Sabatini." His legal team is now counter-appealing to bring the Whitehead Institute back into the lawsuit. Knouse's attorney warns the verdict will chill future misconduct reporting. The case moves to Massachusetts appellate courts with briefing schedules still pending. Full story here

Medieval Times is facing lawsuits from former employees who allege the dinner theater chain hides a culture of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, animal cruelty and retaliation behind its castle walls. A former "queen" of the Buena Park, California, castle says she resigned after five years because of what she calls a workplace "rooted in gender discrimination and sexual harassment." Her lawsuit alleges that unwanted sexual advances toward female employees were normalized, that management dismissed complaints with indifference, and that after she participated in a union strike, she became the target of a sexualized cyberbullying and doxxing campaign involving photoshopped images and physical stalking at her second job. A separate, earlier lawsuit from another former employee alleged horses were whipped until they had large welts, were overworked to the point of dehydration, and that one horse died as a result. That whistleblower says she was suspended for "starting rumors" and then fired. Full story here

Police descended Thursday on the New Jersey home where Brooke Hanlon was found stabbed to death nearly five months ago in a killing that has not been solved. Investigators hauled away brown bags of evidence as they piece together what happened to the 35-year-old psychotherapist and mother, whose death was ruled a homicide caused by "sharp force injuries." No arrests have been made in the case. Credit: Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital

Months after Brooke Hanlon's death, neighbors say Conor Hanlon has frequently returned to the home and spends nights there. Before that, he had been dividing his time between Chester and the Boston area, where his family is originally from.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office says it has no updates on the investigation. Officials have not disclosed whether a murder weapon was found at the scene. Full story here

An escaped killer hid in a hunter's shed, drank beer, made garlic bread and left a handwritten apology note before authorities tracked him down with surveillance cameras, officials say. Jacob Allen Morley, who is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield, broke out of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on Oct. 25. Investigators believe he covered roughly three miles on foot before sheltering in a shed near Marion, Illinois, about 127 miles from the prison. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich says evidence shows Morley consumed beer and prepared garlic bread during his time there. He also allegedly took clothes, three firearms and a truck from the property, leaving behind a handwritten letter of apology. Morley was recaptured Tuesday without incident after FLOCK cameras helped officers locate his vehicle in Missouri. Full story here

Police swarmed Brooke Hanlon's Chester home on Thursday, nearly five months after the New Jersey psychotherapist and mother was found stabbed to death inside. No arrests have been made in the killing, which has left the quiet neighborhood on edge as investigators work behind the scene to piece together what happened. Neighbors told Fox News Digital that at least 15 law-enforcement vehicles were at the scene on Wednesday and remained at the residence on Pottersville Road until around 11 p.m. Hanlon's husband, Conor Hanlon, was seen speaking with police on Wednesday afternoon, her neighbors said. He has denied any involvement in her death. Credit: Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital Full story here

Police descended on the Chester, New Jersey, home where Brooke Hanlon was stabbed to death, with at least 15 law-enforcement vehicles on scene Wednesday. Her husband, Conor Hanlon, was seen speaking with officers that afternoon, neighbors told Fox News Digital. He has denied any involvement in her death. The return comes weeks after Brooke Hanlon's autopsy was released, ruling her death a homicide caused by "sharp force injuries." She leaves behind a 1-year-old daughter. Officials have not disclosed whether a murder weapon was found at the scene. Full story here

Experts say Savannah Guthrie's "Today" segment about her Tucson roots may have tipped off whoever kidnapped her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie — or could have simply provided a clue that allowed whoever sent a pair of early ransom notes to appear to have inside knowledge of the abduction. The segment, which aired a year ago today, revealed that Nancy still lived in the city and wore a white Apple watch — an item mentioned in the first of two notes. Fox News Digital reported previously that investigators on the case were split regarding the notes' authenticity. Nine months after her abduction, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified. Full story here

'DEAD TO ME': 17 years after the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, families of the victims are grappling with mixed emotions as gunman Nidal Hasan's execution by firing squad approaches on Dec. 3. One victim's wife says she's been waiting 17 years for justice and plans to witness it firsthand. Others have no interest in being there. The families were blindsided when War Secretary Hegseth announced plans to livestream the execution — a move one victim's daughter called "a slap in the face" before Trump canceled it. Full story here

A Bahamas-bound Learjet carrying 9 people went from cruising at 41,000 feet to crashing in a Florida neighborhood in roughly two minutes. Air traffic control audio and flight tracking data now trace every beat of the doomed flight's final stretch. The crew reported icing, turbulence and deteriorating weather over Florida, then requested a climb to 37,000 feet. The jet reached only 35,450 feet before plunging at a rate that doubled from 10,000 to around 20,000 feet per minute. A mayday call went out. Then the crew radioed five words: "We're going to crash into the ground." A former NTSB investigator told Fox News Digital the pilots likely had almost no meaningful capacity to recover once controlled flight was lost. All 9 on board were killed when the plane slammed into Greenacres, Florida, including tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, their two young children, the children's nanny and two other passengers. Full story here

A 3-foot alligator slipped through the back door of a North Carolina bagel shop and made its way toward the front counter in an incident caught on camera. Surveillance video captured owner Jesse Driscoll's startled reaction as he spotted the unexpected visitor and backed away. The reptile entered Bagel Dock Express in Southport while workers were installing a new oven. Police and animal control were called to remove the uninvited guest. Full story here

61 CHARGES: A former New Jersey elementary school aide is accused of aggravated sexual assault and manufacturing child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors say investigators allegedly discovered numerous images and videos of students on devices belonging to Shaun Stebbins, who worked at the school for roughly four years. The first-degree charges carry potential prison sentences of 10 to 20 years under state law. Full story here

A Spokane County sheriff's deputy is dead and a second remains on life support with non-survivable injuries after both were ambushed responding to a domestic violence call in Washington state. Deputies arrived at a home on South Smythe Road on Tuesday after a woman fled to a neighbor's house reporting that her brother had shot her. When a SWAT team moved to breach the door, a gunman inside opened fire. Deputies returned fire and pulled their wounded colleagues to safety, rushing them to a local hospital. The deputy who died is survived by his wife and two children. The second deputy is not expected to survive and is being kept on life support as an organ donor. Full story here

The Cornell sex assault investigation will be led by an attorney who prosecuted Sean “Diddy” Combs in his federal sex crimes case. Jacqueline Kelly was appointed as outside counsel to lead the investigation into the alleged gang rape at Cornell University in October 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday. Kelly, a Cornell alum, will oversee a team from James’ office and Boies Schiller Flexner, where she is a partner. Kelly previously worked as a prosecutor, including on the federal case against Combs. The music mogul was sentenced in October 2025 to four years in prison on federal prostitution charges. Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed James as a special prosecutor on Oct. 1 to investigate the Cornell accusations. Hochul and James, both Democrats who were reelected on Tuesday, have faced backlash for their response to the case, in which a former female student filed a lawsuit alleging she had been sexually assaulted by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. Hochul appeared in a documentary about the case, and James is facing a push to toss her off the investigation over concerns that she tweeted support for the victim before her office was designated special prosecutor. Stay up to date with the latest headlines and breaking news — download the FOX News app

A 70-year-old poet allegedly slapped an 18-year-old Turning Point Action member in the face outside a New Hampshire elementary school where voters were casting ballots. Laconia police arrested Stephen Redic on simple assault and disorderly conduct charges Wednesday morning. Police say Redic had approached the tent wanting to read a poem about rich people. Viral video shows him growing increasingly agitated, shouting at the young volunteer, shoving a finger in his face, then backhanding him before storming away. The incident comes 14 months after Charlie Kirk, who founded both Turning Point USA and its affiliate, Turning Point Action, was assassinated at a similar tent setup at Utah Valley University. Full story here