US midterm advertising bill to hit record $11.6 billion, fueled by Senate races, AdImpact says

June 11, 2026 4:04 PM UTC / Reuters

Voting signs outside Friendship Baptist Church, a polling location in Atlanta, Georgia, during the Georgia Midterm Primary Election in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer

June 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. midterm elections in November are projected to cost $11.6 billion, a record for political advertising in any electoral cycle, ​fueled in part by surging spending in Senate races in Ohio, ‌Texas and Maine, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.

AdImpact’s projection, released on Thursday, would exceed the record $11.2 billion spent in the 2024 presidential cycle and the $8.9 billion spent in the 2022 ​midterms and is higher than the $10.8 billion it estimated in September.

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Republicans are ​defending slim majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate ⁠amid high living costs and low approval ratings for President Donald Trump. Democrats are ​favored to retake the House but face much steeper odds in the Senate. Spending ​is expected to focus on the few races that are truly competitive and could decide control of Congress.

AdImpact said its projection for record spending was mainly due to an expected surge in ​advertising for competitive Senate and gubernatorial races in Ohio, Alaska and Iowa, along ​with closely contested Senate races in Texas and Maine.

In Ohio, where Democrat Sherrod Brown is facing ‌Republican ⁠Senator Jon Husted and the race for governor is competitive, spending is now expected to reach $749 million, an increase of $309 million from the prior forecast, AdImpact said.

The next largest increases were in Texas, where projected spending rose by $288 million to $850 million, ​and in Maine, ​where advertising outlays ⁠are now expected to total $491 million, up by $185 million, according to AdImpact.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ousted four-term U.S. Senator John ​Cornyn last month in a costly Republican primary and now faces ​Democratic state ⁠Representative James Talarico in what could become one of the most expensive races in history.

In Maine, Democratic newcomer Graham Platner, who has faced scrutiny over online posts, a Nazi-linked ⁠tattoo and ​allegations of sending explicit texts to women, is ​expected to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in what is also likely to be a costly ​race.

(This story has been refiled to change bln to billion in the headline)

Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut, Editing by Ross Colvin and Andrea Ricci

5 American cruise ship passengers accused of brawling, assaulting police officers in the Bahamas

June 11, 2026 / 1:10 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Authorities in the Bahamas say they have arrested five cruise ship passengers from the United States who were accused of assaulting police officers and resisting arrest in the Caribbean archipelago.

Police said in a statement on Tuesday that the three women and two men became involved in a fight involving several cruise ship passengers at the port in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. The incident occurred on Monday evening.

Officials said a “violent struggle” ensued at a police station after officers prepared to search the five suspects arrested. One woman was accused of throwing a chair through a glass door and shattering it. One man was accused of then kicking out the remaining glass and trying to escape, police said in a statement.

A video aired by Eyewitness News Bahamas shows a man crawling out through the damaged door as officers move in to arrest him. Another video obtained by Our News Bahamas shows people being shoved to the ground.

Four police officers were injured, including one who was seriously injured in his left shoulder and was taken to the hospital, authorities said.

The suspects were charged with assaulting a police officer, fighting in a public place, resisting arrest, malicious damage and disorderly behavior in a police station.

The five suspects remain in custody, and police said the investigation is ongoing.

Trump says he’s canceled Iran strikes, adds potential deal-signing ‘to be announced shortly’

June 11, 2026 1:59pm EDT / Fox News

In a sudden shift, Trump announced on Truth Social that scheduled evening military strikes against Iran have been called off

By Louis Casiano Fox News

President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled strikes against Iran, saying a deal with Iran is expected soon, hours after promising to attack the Islamic Republic amid tense negotiations.

“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had called off strikes against Iran while a deal is being worked out.

US ARMY HELICOPTER GOES DOWN, BUT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS ‘PILOTS ARE FINE’

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had called off strikes against Iran while a deal is being worked out.(Mandel Ngan/AFP)

“Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others,” he added.

Trump also wrote that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz—the vital global shipping route that sees 20 percent of world oil and natural gas pass through—will “remain in full force” until a deal is finalized.

The sudden change came after Trump vowed on Wednesday to initiate a forceful response, accusing Tehran of prolonging nuclear negotiations and targeting a U.S. helicopter.

Hours before canceling the strikes, Trump said U.S. forces would be hitting Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT.” In response, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a key figure in U.S.-Iran negotiations, warned against using “wrong strategies and impulsive decisions.”

TRUMP KEEPS FORECASTING AN IRAN DEAL – WHY THE WHITE HOUSE STILL THINKS IT CAN HAPPEN

If negotiations with Iran collapse, the U.S. is likely to move quickly to degrade Tehran’s military capabilities — a campaign analysts say would begin with missile systems, naval assets and command networks before escalating to more controversial targets.(Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images: Sasan / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

“Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets, and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years,” he wrote on X.

“We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces had completed self-defense strikes against Iran at Trump’s orders in response to the downing of the helicopter.

The two crew members aboard a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by American forces after the helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters, CENTCOM said Monday. Both soldiers were safely rescued within two hours.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6398170857112

Despite being close to a deal, Trump said, Iran has been “tapping us along” and “playing us for suckers.”

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

The World Cup will draw millions of fans, but economic payoff is modest

June 11, 2026 / 2:11 PM EDT / CBS News

The 2026 World Cup, which kicks off today, will be held across three countries and 16 cities, making it the biggest sporting event ever and a commercial bonanza.

The five-week soccer tournament is expected to engage around 6 billion people globally and draw 6.5 million fans to the games. A joint FIFA and World Trade Organization (WTO) study released last year projected that the competition would boost U.S. GDP by $17.2 billion and global GDP by $40.9 billion.

The White House said last year the tournament could generate $30 billion for the U.S. economy. By comparison, the Super Bowl generates somewhere between a few hundred million and roughly$1 billion, according to estimates.

Part of the economic boost will come from job creation. Hiring in May showed a significant jump in U.S. leisure and hospitality jobs that economists attributed in part to expected tourism from the World Cup.

During the tournament, dollars will flow to host cities across the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. In a recent study, SoFi, a digital financial services company, said each host city will see between $160 million and $620 million in incremental economic activity.

International visitors are projected to spend more than $5,000 per person during their time in the U.S., according to the U.S. Travel Association.

The World Cup, aside from being the world’s largest sporting event, is also expected to be one of the largest gambling events of all time. H2 Gambling Capital, a betting and gaming consultancy, projects people will wager $60 billion on the tournament through legal sportsbooks, including $2.9 billion from the U.S.

Disappointing hotel sales

While the event has generated high hopes for the U.S. tourism industry, hotel bookings have been more sluggish than expected.

Eighty percent of hoteliers across host cities said hotel bookings were below initial forecasts, according to a report released last month by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). The industry group, which represents 30,000 members, cited international travel barriers and rising costs as reasons for the weak demand.

AHLA CEO Rosanna Maietta said in an email on Thursday that hotels are reporting an uptick in demand and that the industry expects late bookings to accelerate ahead of some games.

One of the main obstacles for fans has been the exorbitant price of World Cup tickets, which are rising due to dynamic pricing and as venues cater to wealthier fans, CBS News has reported. Including the cost of a ticket to a match, along with flights, hotels and other expenses, fans on average will shell out more than $2,100 to attend the World Cup, LendingTree estimates.

While the matches are expected to draw legions of fans from across the world, some seats could remain empty. As of Wednesday, 29 games were sold out, while 75 still had tickets available, according to the Associated Press. Those seats are likely to be pricey given that much of the remaining inventory is on the higher end of the price scale.

“Zero” long-term gains?

While the World Cup will provide a boost to the U.S. economy, that growth will be temporary, according to Goldman Sachs. Using data from previous World Cups dating back to 1982, the investment bank found that the event generates a modest rise in the host nation’s real GDP during the year of the tournament. But the long-term effects on economic growth are “effectively zero,” analysts said.

Host countries — which include the U.S., Canada and Mexico — will only benefit partially from the event, as much of the spending will take place in other countries, the investment bank noted in a report.

“While more beer will be bought and more football-related merchandise will be purchased as a consequence of the World Cup, most of that beer and most of the merchandise will not be purchased in the host countries,” Goldman analysts said.

Edited by Alain Sherter

By Michael Williams

Updated 14 min ago
Updated Jun 11, 2026, 3:56 PM ET
PUBLISHED Jun 11, 2026, 1:44 PM ET

Authorities responded to what appeared to be a large tracing of the term 8647 into the grounds of the National Mall in Washington, DC on June 11.

Nathan Howard/Reuters

Summary

• The numbers “8647,” generally used to signal opposition to President Donald Trump, were etched into the grass on the National Mall.
• US Park Police are investigating the markings as vandalism ahead of a UFC match on Trump’s birthday Sunday.
• Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted in April for posting a similar display with the numbers.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

Washington—

The numbers “8647” — a phrase generally used to signal opposition to President Donald Trump — appeared etched into the grass on the National Mall on Thursday, days before massive crowds are expected in the area for a UFC match on Trump’s birthday on Sunday.

Live webcam images from the top of the Washington Monument show the numbers appearing as dead grass along a large portion of the Mall, east of the World War II Memorial. It’s not clear when the markings first appeared. The numbers were not visible in photos from Getty Images of the National Mall taken on June 5.

The markings did not appear to be easily distinguishable from the ground level Thursday afternoon. Witnesses said several emergency vehicles blocked off the area around 1 p.m., while the US Army Golden Knights parachute team landed on the Mall.

The Secret Service and FBI deferred comment to the US Park Police, who the agencies said was handling the investigation into the markings. A law enforcement source told CNN the Secret Service will partner with the Park Police when officials locate a suspect.

A spokesperson for the Park Police said the cause of the discoloration of the grass has not been determined. Samples were collected for testing, the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Interior, which manages the National Mall, described the markings as “deranged vandalism” which “will not be tolerated” in a statement.

“Any threat against the President is taken very seriously by the Department, and our U.S. Park Police will investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable,” the spokesperson said.

The numbers have been used to signal opposition to Trump, though his administration has interpreted them as a threat against the president. In April, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by the Department of Justice on charges of threatening the president for posting an image on Instagram showing the numbers spelled out in sea shells.

The number “86” is often used as a code in the restaurant industry meaning to get rid of or remove an order or patron, while Trump is the 47th president.

CNN’s Camila DeChalus and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.

Trump pivots on strikes while dangling Iran deal, testing whether Tehran blinks

2026-06-11T14:40:34-04:00 / Fox News

Iran keeps ‘playing us for suckers’ because they dealt with ‘very stupid presidents,’ Trump said

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Published June 11, 2026 2:40pm EDT

Trump urges Iran to ‘start signing a paper’ as negotiations stall

Former CENTCOM Deputy Cmdr. Ret. Vice Adm. Robert Harward discusses President Donald Trump’s push for a deal with Iran on ‘America Reports.’

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After months of predicting a nuclear deal with Iran was just around the corner, President Donald Trump appears to be testing whether military pressure can accomplish what diplomacy alone has not.

The strategy was on full display over the past 24 hours. Trump followed through on his threat to strike Iran again overnight, launching a barrage of Tomahawk missiles and fighter jet attacks against Iranian targets while warning that additional bombing would follow unless Iran agreed to a deal. Hours later, however, he announced he had canceled planned strikes for Thursday evening, saying negotiations had been elevated to the highest levels of Iran’s leadership and that the parties had approved the final contours of an agreement.

The rapid sequence of threats, strikes and renewed diplomacy highlights an increasingly familiar pattern in Trump’s approach to Iran: using military pressure to push negotiations forward while keeping a diplomatic off-ramp open. The question is whether the strategy is increasing Washington’s leverage — or reinforcing Iran’s belief that the United States ultimately wants a deal more than continued confrontation.

“He has made so many threats that he has not carried through on and telegraphed on many occasions his strong desire to end this war as soon as possible, that I think Iran does not take these threats seriously,” Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP KEEPS FORECASTING AN IRAN DEAL — WHY THE WHITE HOUSE STILL THINKS IT CAN HAPPEN

After months of predicting a nuclear deal with Iran was just around the corner, President Donald Trump appears to be testing whether military pressure can accomplish what diplomacy alone has not.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press)

Trump said Iranian officials contacted him during the strikes and asked for the bombing to stop.

“If they don’t sign the deal, we’ll bomb the sh*t out of them tomorrow night,” he said.

Trump suggested Thursday the campaign could eventually expand to Iran’s energy infrastructure, including Kharg Island, the country’s most important oil export hub.

“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela.”

But later, he sounded less certain.

“My preference has always been to take Kharg Island. I don’t know that America has the stomach for it, to be honest,” Trump said on Fox and Friends.

Yet even as he promised additional military action, Trump maintained that negotiations had been on the verge of success.

“We’ll see what happens with the deal. We were really close to a deal,” he said earlier Wednesday.

The comments marked a sharp escalation from a president who only days earlier predicted an agreement could arrive within “two or three days” and has repeatedly suggested a breakthrough remains imminent despite months of unresolved disputes over uranium enrichment, sanctions relief and Iran’s nuclear stockpile.

“They keep tapping us along,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “They keep playing us for suckers because you know what? They dealt with some very stupid presidents.”

Trump’s latest actions suggest the administration is still offering Tehran an off-ramp through a negotiated nuclear agreement. The question is whether military pressure strengthens Washington’s hand — or whether Iran has concluded it can withstand the costs and outlast the campaign.

Iran “has more resilience,” said James Robbins, dean of academics at the Institute of World Politics, noting that Iran has been forced to work around global isolation for decades. “They’re kind of used to sanctions. They’re used to economic dislocations, much more so than Americans.”

Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026.(Sohrab/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Behnam Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argued that mounting pressure does not necessarily make the regime more willing to compromise.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS ‘NEGOTIATING ON FUMES,’ BELIEVES REGIME THOUGHT THEY COULD OUTWAIT HIM

“The more desperate the regime becomes, the more aggressive the regime becomes,” Taleblu told Fox News Digital.

He also questioned whether strikes on bridges, power plants and other infrastructure would fundamentally alter Iran’s decision-making, arguing that the regime is primarily concerned with threats to its own hold on power.

“Until those making the key national security decisions, those enforcing the key national security decisions, and those enforcing the regime’s longest war, which is on its own people, so long as those three are not targeted, we’ll be back where we started,” he said.

Eisenstadt argued that Iran may ultimately believe it can absorb sanctions, withstand military pressure and simply wait for political pressures inside the U.S. to grow.

“I think they believe that time is on their side, given domestic criticism of the war and its economic impacts in the United States,” he said.

Trump’s lates strike threats came days after an Iranian drone brought down a U.S. Apache helicopter operating near the Strait of Hormuz, triggering retaliatory U.S. strikes on Iranian radar and air-defense sites and threatening to unravel an already fragile ceasefire.

The administration’s goal has long been that sustained military and economic pressure would eventually force Iran to make concessions that months of negotiations alone have failed to produce. Trump and his advisors have repeatedly argued that sanctions, military operations and the U.S.-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has cut off the pathway for roughly 80% of Iran’s oil exports, have left Iran increasingly isolated and economically vulnerable.

Iranian officials publicly rejected the notion that expanding the target set would force Iran to bend.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Trump’s threat to strike power plants and transportation infrastructure a “sign of desperation.”

A drone view shows vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 25, 2026.(Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY via Reuters)

“Critical infrastructures are the lifeblood of the people,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X.

Trump repeatedly has rejected the notion that Iran can wait out his administration.

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“They thought they were going to out-wait me, you know. ‘We’ll out-wait him. He’s got the midterms.’ I don’t care about the midterms,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting May 27.

Despite Trump’s repeated assertions that a deal is near, negotiators remain divided over several core issues, including uranium enrichment, sanctions relief and the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iranian officials have acknowledged progress on some elements of a potential agreement while warning that significant obstacles remain.

Whether the latest round of strikes changes Iran’s calculations may determine whether Trump’s strategy of military pressure succeeds in producing the agreement he insists remains within reach.

Minnesota man pleads guilty to federal charges in state lawmaker shooting case

2026-06-11T16:19:09.973Z / Reuters

June 11 (Reuters) – A Minnesota man pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal charges that he killed Minnesota’s House speaker and her husband and attempted to murder a state senator and his wife, according to court records.

Vance Luther Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to six federal murder, firearms, and stalking charges related to the attacks nearly a year ago on the state lawmakers, changing a not guilty plea he had entered in August.

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The change of plea came after the Justice Department decided not to seek the death penalty against Boelter, as long as he agreed to a plea under which he could receive two life sentences plus 40 years in prison, Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said at a press conference after Thursday’s hearing.

Rosen said his office believed they could have prevailed in getting a death sentence, but “when you have a defendant that is prepared to plead guilty, take consecutive life terms plus to ensure that he never sees freedom again in his entire life, that was an opportunity that we just could not pass up.”

Boelter disguised himself as a police officer to carry out the June 14, 2025 shootings. He wore a silicone mask and drove an SUV with a license plate that simply read, “Police,” in which officers later found a list of more than 45 other Minnesota legislators and officials.

He fatally shot Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband Mark, in their home and shot and wounded another Democratic lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette, in their home a few miles away.

John and Yvette Hoffman sat in the front row during Thursday’s court hearing as Boelter described the shootings, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

The shootings were a dramatic example of how political violence has spiked in the United States in recent years, and left many unsettled in Minnesota, a state known for civility and bipartisanship. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the killing of Hortman and her husband a “politically motivated assassination” and Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson called it “horrific political violence.”

Boelter was captured by police after a two-day manhunt, the largest in Minnesota’s history.

He also faces state charges including two counts of first-degree premeditated murder and four counts of first-degree attempted murder, according to local media reports.

Reporting by Julia Harte, editing by Donna Bryson, Deepa Babington and Bill Berkrot

US lawmakers seek $750 million for Ukraine, rename Pentagon ‘Department of War’ in defense bill

2026-06-11 16:55:04 / Reuters

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, U.S., March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday said ​it voted to extend U.S. security assistance for Ukraine and increase authorized funding to $750 million, the latest ‌pushback from Congress against the Trump administration’s pullback on aid for Kyiv as it fights a Russian invasion.

The Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act also changed the name of the Department of Defense to Department of War, two people familiar with the bill told ​Reuters.

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The Republican-majority panel said it had completed its version of the NDAA, an annual bill setting policy ​for the Pentagon, that included $750 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays U.S. companies ⁠for weapons for Ukraine’s military.

The massive Senate bill, which supports a total of $1.15 trillion for defense, determines everything from ​how many ships, aircraft and missile systems are bought to pay raises for the troops and how to address geopolitical ​threats.

The Senate text announced on Thursday also prohibits funds authorized by the NDAA from being obligated or expended to implement any activity that recognizes the sovereignty of Russia over the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine, and directs the Department to provide intelligence support to Kyiv for ​the purpose of supporting military operations to defend or take back that territory.

The Senate panel released its bill a week ​after the House of Representatives passed legislation to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia.

MUNITIONS AND WEAPONS PROCUREMENT

The Senate committee’s ‌bill provides ⁠multi-year procurement authority for several types of munitions and weapons including Boeing-made

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F-15EX fighter jets and F-35 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin

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This year’s legislation remains several steps away from becoming law.

Now that the House and Senate panels have approved their bills, they must be approved separately by the full House and Senate. After that, members of the two committees ​must agree on a compromise ​version of the bill, which ⁠must then pass the House and Senate before being sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto.

The House committee’s version of the NDAA also backed ​Trump’s desire – opposed by Democrats – to change the name of the Department of Defense ​to Department of ⁠War.

While many members of Congress from both parties strongly supported Ukraine in the first years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, some of Trump’s closest Republican allies – including House and Senate leadership – have grown cooler towards Kyiv since Trump ⁠returned to ​the White House in January 2025.

U.S. aid to Kyiv has slowed sharply ​even as Russia and Ukraine pummel each other with missiles, drones and artillery. Peace talks are stalled, with Ukraine rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand ​that it surrender territory it has successfully defended since 2022.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Mike Stone; editing by Deepa Babington

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Karmelo Anthony’s family says “nobody wins” after murder verdict and sentencing

June 11, 2026 / 1:13 PM EDT / CBS News

The father of Texas teenager Karmelo Anthony said “nobody wins” after a jury rejected his son’s claims of self-defense and convicted him of murder in the stabbing death of fellow student-athlete Austin Metcalf.

Anthony was accused of fatally stabbing Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco on April 2, 2025. Prosecutors described the attack as intentional, but Anthony said it happened after Metcalf and his teammates taunted and shoved him.

The jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Anthony on Tuesday, and later sentenced him to 35 years in prison. He is currently being held at a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility northwest of Houston.

During an interview for “CBS Mornings,” Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, said her son “didn’t mean to hurt anyone” and “was defending himself.”

When asked what he would tell Metcalf’s family, Anthony’s father, Andrew Anthony, said, “It’s unfortunate, it’s where nobody wins.”

“We’ve all been hurt by this,” he said. “Everybody, everyone.”

Karmelo Anthony (left) was convicted of murder in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf (right) at a 2025 track meet in Frisco, Texas.

Meanwhile, Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, described the verdict as bittersweet. He said he has forgiven Anthony for his own well-being, so he doesn’t “carry the rage, the hate and that around.”

“That poor boy is fixing to experience a life that I would not wish upon anyone, but he deserves what he gets because we’re all responsible for our actions,” Metcalf said. “What it boils down to for me is this: Austin will never walk through that door again, and never give me a hug.”

On Wednesday, Anthony’s legal team filed a notice of appeal. Dallas-based appellate attorney David Coale told CBS News Texas that an appeal would focus on whether the trial was handled correctly, including how the jury was selected and whether Black jurors were improperly removed from the case.

“What stuck out to me, No. 1, was the all-White jury,” Andrew Anthony said. The family also alleged that witnesses lied on the stand and gave inconsistent statements.

When it came time to give statements before their son’s sentencing, only Hayes spoke. She now says she felt the jury “had their minds made up already” as she spoke.

“They did a number on us,” Andrew Anthony said. “We didn’t get justice. A lot of things that were missed that should have been handled a certain way.”

Collins County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a news conference after the verdict that “justice was served” and that jurors “cooperated fully and testified truthfully.”

Andrew Anthony said he believes his son was “already convicted” in the court of public opinion before the trial. The case sparked strong emotions nationwide, and protests have been held on behalf of both Anthony and Metcalf. Both families have also received death threats and other alarming calls and messages.

“Yesterday, I had a death threat, this morning had multiple emails, texts threatening me, calling me all sorts of names,” Jeff Metcalf said.

“People want us dead,” Andrew Anthony said. “After they still got what they wanted…. they still want us dead. I go look at my phone, people want us dead. They want our family dead.”

‘We’re seeing an opening.’ Sources close to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beta-test her appeal to independents & Republicans

2026-06-11 1:42 PM EDT / CNN

By Dana Bash, CNN

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“We’re seeing an opening.” Sources close to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beta-test her appeal to independents & Republicans

Inside Politics

CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere joins Inside Politics to share his new reporting about AOC’s plan to position herself for a potential 2028 presidential run. One big question: can she appeal to voters outside the base that adores her? Dovere says her reporting shows she’s sincerely undecided about whether to run for the White House, the Senate, or to stay in the House.

4:59 • Source: CNN