Kim Jong Un calls for rapid ‘upgrade’ to nuclear arsenal amid claims the US is trying to ‘provoke war’

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un called for the rapid buildup of his nation's nuclear arsenal on Tuesday, reacting to joint military operations by the U.S. and South Korea.

Kim called the military exercises an "obvious expression of their will to provoke war," according to North Korean state media. The U.S. and South Korea began their annual military drills, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield, this week and operations will continue sporadically through September.

The North Korean leader argued the drills show the intent by the U.S. and South Korea to "remain most hostile and confrontational," and that North Korea must therefore "rapidly expand" its nuclear arsenal.

"Through this move, North Korea is demonstrating its refusal to accept denuclearization and the will to irreversibly upgrade nuclear weapons," Hong Min, a North Korea analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told Reuters. 

KIM JONG UN LEFT FUMING AFTER NORTH KOREA’S NEW DESTROYER DAMAGED IN FAILED LAUNCH

The rise in tensions comes just days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced plans to end some military activities along its border with North Korea, as well as restore a 2018 military agreement with its neighbor.

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO 'ROCKET MAN' AND NORTH KOREA'S THREATS OVER DENUCLEARIZATION

The agreement ended some military activities at the border between the two countries, including creating buffer zones on land and sea and no-fly zones above the border to prevent fighting. It also ended military drills near the border and removed some guard posts along the Demilitarized Zone.

The deal was signed at an inter-Korean summit in 2018, but it eventually fell apart as cross-border tensions ensued.

NORTH KOREAN AVOIDS LAND MINES TO CROSS DMZ INTO SOUTH KOREA AS SEOUL SOFTENS STANCE ON PYONGYANG

South Korea also dismantled its speakers along the border that had broadcast anti-North Korea messaging for years, a move Pyongyang reciprocated.

Lee said his government would continue to make "gradual steps to restore the September 19 Military Agreement."

"I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue," he added.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Utah police officers killed during domestic disturbance response were husbands, fathers: 'Definitely heroes'

Two Utah police officers who were killed in a shooting while responding to a domestic disturbance call on Sunday night have been identified.

Sgt. Lee Sorensen, 56, and Officer Eric Estrada, 31, of the Tremonton Garland Police Department were both killed at a home in a Tremonton neighborhood, the department said.

"These officers are definitely heroes," Police Chief Chad Reyes in neighboring Brigham City, which is the agency leading the investigation, said at a news conference Monday morning.

Police received multiple 911 hang-up calls around 9:30 p.m. from a home in Tremonton. One Tremonton Garland officer arrived first and began speaking to someone at the home when an armed man came out with a gun, authorities said.

KANSAS DEPUTY FATALLY SHOT BY SUSPECT BARRICADED IN HOUSE: SHERIFF

The man opened fire on the officer, striking and killing him. A second Tremonton Garland officer who rushed to help the first officer "was immediately fired upon by the same male suspect" and was killed, the Brigham City Police Department said in a news release.

Sorensen served in law enforcement for 17 years, 16 of which were in the Garland Police Department. He has received multiple honors for his distinguished service and impact, and was recently promoted to sergeant, with a swearing-in ceremony planned for Friday.

He is survived by his wife, Lanette, and their children.

Estrada began his law enforcement career in 2017, serving with the Logan Police Department before joining the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office. He joined the Tremonton Police Department earlier this year.

Police described Estrada as "a dedicated father and husband, deeply loving and cherishing his family." The news release said "he loved interacting with people and engaging with the community" while on patrol.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPUTY SHOT AND KILLED IN AMBUSH, SHERIFF SAYS

The 31-year-old officer is survived by his wife, Brittney, and their two children, Cienna and Luka.

A deputy from the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office also responded and was fired upon while still inside his vehicle with his service dog. The wounded deputy was released from the hospital Monday, and the dog was hospitalized in fair condition, police said.

After the officers were shot, bystanders persuaded the man to put down his weapon, police said. Up to 50 officers from multiple agencies responded. SWAT teams arrived to clear the home and verify that there was no further threat, police said.

The male suspect surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody. He was charged with aggravated murder, police said.

Authorities did not immediately release the name of the suspect. 

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the shooting "a terrible and tragic night." He wrote in a post online that the state will mourn the loss "of these courageous law enforcement officers" and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in their honor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Doctors divided over new diet trend that has babies licking butter and gumming ribeye steak

Some parents are swapping puréed fruits and vegetables, oatmeal and yogurt for butter, bone broth, sardines and chicken liver as part of a controversial new "carnivore baby" trend – but experts are urging caution.

As carnivore and protein-packed diets gain popularity among adults, many of whom are rejecting ultra-processed foods, some are passing them on to their kids. Some doctors are even sharing that they feed their babies meat-forward meals, The Wall Street Journal recently reported.

Facebook groups are catering to carnivore families and parents are sharing tips on school lunches – rotisserie chicken, pork rinds and hard-boiled eggs among them. Meanwhile, others seek insight on trying to conceive while eating only meat.

THE GREAT EGG DEBATE IS OVER AS SCIENCE WEIGHS IN ABOUT THE FOOD CHOLESTEROL IMPACT

Dariya Quenneville, a mother in Ontario, Canada, told the publication that she started feeding her daughter raw egg yolks and puréed chicken liver as soon as she could eat solid foods and then moved on to sardines, bone broth ice pops, leg of lamb, beef heart and tongue.

Lorraine Bonkowski, a registered dietitian from Michigan, and her one-year-old daughter are both on carnivore diets, Bonkowski told The Wall Street Journal.

 The little girl licks butter off a spoon, gets a bottle full of bone broth and uses her four teeth to gum ribeye steak.

Bonkowski said she introduced fruit to her daughter's diet because her baby was getting constipated from all the meat.

GUT HEALTH AT STAKE AS RESEARCHERS PUT BEEF AND CHICKEN TO THE TEST

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends feeding children over 12 months a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and dairy products.

While the carnivore trend has been firing up – U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently shared that he follows it – others have been pushing it for years.

STUDY CLAIMS VEGETARIANS MORE 'AMBITIOUS' AS MEAT EATERS CALL OUT 'OVERSIMPLIFICATION'

In 2021, Dr. Robert Cywes, a Florida-based pediatrician, and his wife, Janae, said in a YouTube video that they started giving their son meat at 4 months old. 

His first real meal, they said, was a ribeye steak.

"From a functional perspective, from a milestone perspective, he's right on target," Cywes claimed at the time.

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Dr. Shawn Baker, the Washington-based author of the book "The Carnivore Diet," boasted in a YouTube video last year that his baby ate a carnivore diet for six months, was walking at 10 months old and grew to be "strong and tall."

Some doctors claim the practice has been used for centuries.

"This is actually the original way that humans fed their babies 100 years ago, 500 years ago, 5,000 years ago," Dr. Ken Berry, a family physician in Tennessee, told Fox News' Dana Perino on "America's Newsroom."

"The first food for a baby, when it was ready to wean off the breast, was meat … gnawing on a bone," Berry said.

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Meat ensures that babies get certain nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids, he added, slamming puffs and other kids' snacks as "junk."

However, Berry did recommend moderation by pairing meat with whole foods like berries.

Fox News' senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel said introducing kids to meat gets them plenty of protein and iron, yet without fruits and vegetables, the diet can become an "addiction."

"It's a high-inflammation diet, which means later on, when you get to be an adult, you end up with heart disease, you end up with cancer, you end up with diabetes and you end up with obesity," Siegel said on "The Faulkner Focus." 

"This is a very bad diet to get addicted to as a kid," he said.

Lauren Manaker, a registered dietitian nutritionist and mom in South Carolina, told Fox News Digital that while the carnivore diet provides "many options" that are "fantastic for babies," she said it "isn't ideal for little ones."

"Babies need a variety of nutrients to grow and thrive, and a diet that cuts out or limits plant-based foods like fruits, veggies and grains can leave some big nutritional gaps," she cautioned.

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Former Vice President Mike Pence defends Trump's crime crackdown in DC

Former Vice President Mike Pence said he supported President Donald Trump’s action to crack down on crime in Washington, D.C., when asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday.

During an appearance on "State of the Union," Pence was asked what he thought about Trump sending hundreds of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, after Trump faced criticism for how he responded to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

"Here in Washington, D.C., President Trump has deployed the National Guard and other federal troops, ostensibly in response to emergency of lawlessness and high crime in D.C.," Tapper began in his question to Pence.

"I am curious what goes through your mind when you see the president aggressively pushing out the National Guard when he didn‘t do so on January 6th, 2021, as the Capitol was under attack, a mob was trying to lynch you and your family was in danger?" Tapper asked.

CNN’S DANA BASH ROASTED FOR CALLING JAN. 6 ‘MOST VIOLENT MOMENT IN RECENT HISTORY’ AFTER TRUMP CRIME PRESSER

Pence called January 6 "a tragic day," before praising Trump’s efforts to combat crime in the city. 

He defended the president temporarily taking control of D.C.'s police force as an "important" step to tackle the city's high homicide rate.

"Well, January 6th was a tragic day. But I know we did our duty that day, and I wish the president would have done more. But I welcome his decision to deploy the National Guard and essentially federalize the D.C. police department," Pence said. "I know that it‘s all now working in a very cooperative way."

FORMER CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF SAYS CRIME BY ‘GANGS OF YOUTH’ IN DC HAS SPIKED, ESCAPED ‘CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS’

"Jake, if the District of Columbia was actually a state, it would have the highest homicide rate in the country," he added. "And this is where our national government has to operate, where tens of thousands of people, you included, work every day. I think it’s important what the president is doing. I fully support it. And I think the American people welcome the president taking decisive action to ensure the streets of our nation’s capital are safe and also continue to provide resources across the country to make all of our cities and towns and communities safe."

Top Democrats across the country have pushed back on Trump’s actions, claiming that violent crime is at a 30-year-low, a statistic challenged by some law enforcement experts.

"Violent crime in Washington, D.C., is at a thirty-year low," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said on Monday. "Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. And zero credibility on the issue of law and order. Get lost." 

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During a press conference on Monday, President Trump claimed the homicide rate in D.C. is higher than that in notoriously violent cities in nations across the world.

"The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogota, Colombia, Mexico City, some of the places that you hear about as being the worst places on Earth, much higher," Trump said Monday. 

"This is much higher. The number of car thefts has doubled over the past five years, and the number of carjackings has more than tripled. Murders in 2023 reached the highest rate, probably ever. They say 25 years, but they don't know what that means because it just goes back 25 years can't be worse," he added. 

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With Rush Week back in the spotlight, here is the real price tag of joining a sorority

The price of joining a college sorority is climbing nationwide, with some recruits paying tens of thousands of dollars for coaching, outfits, registration fees and housing to vie for spots in the country's most coveted chapters.

As Rush Week kicked off this month, the recruitment process is drawing renewed attention, fueled by the viral "RushTok" trend on TikTok and pop culture portrayals of Greek life, including the HBO documentary "Bama Rush" and Lifetime’s "A Sorority Mom’s Guide to Rush!"

"Costs and expectations have increased with the viral exposure coming from TikTok, TV shows, and documentaries," said Michael Ayalon, CEO and founder of Greek University, a Tennessee-based speaking and consulting business for fraternities and sororities.

SORORITY GIRLS PUT THROUGH 'PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE' IN BAMA RUSH RECRUITMENT: COACH

"On the one hand, it has made recruitment more transparent and even accessible," Ayalon told Fox News Digital. "Potential new members at any school can learn tips and demystify the process by watching others’ experiences. On the other hand, what people see online is a ‘highlight reel’ that emphasizes aesthetics over substance," he added.

The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is the governing body for 26 national women’s sororities, including most of the big-name Greek chapters at U.S. colleges, like Alpha Chi Omega and Delta Gamma. 

To rush a NPC sorority, hopefuls pay non-refundable registration fees, according to university and National Panhellenic Conference websites. At the University of Alabama, it costs $375; at the University of Arkansas, $330; and at the University of South Carolina, $185.

BAMA RUSH: 5 SORORITY RECRUITMENT TIKTOK TRENDS GOING VIRAL

If accepted, students must then pay new member dues, according to university websites. At Alabama, active-member dues can be more than $5,000 per semester. Louisiana State University lists new member dues averaging $2,200 — and up to $3,270 for some chapters, according to the school's website.

 Clemson University has new member costs of about $820. Lehigh University in Pennsylvania has new member fees of more than $1,600. UCLA has new member dues as high as $1,700.

The average new-member cost at the University of Oklahoma is $4,605, up nearly 25% from 2021, The Oklahoman recently reported.

BAMA RUSH: INSIDE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA'S WILD AND ‘CUTTHROAT' SORORITY RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The numbers continue to rise with the addition of housing and yearly dues. At University of Oklahoma, the average cost of living in the sorority house is over $12,200. At Alabama, it can cost upwards of $15,000 to dorm in the sorority house.

Recruitment preparation has become its own industry with coaches, stylists, and social media strategists charging up to $5,500, The Cut recently reported. TikTok "outfit of the day" videos reveal wardrobes that can top $10,000, with girls sporting luxury brands like LoveShackFancy, where a frilly, pastel-colored dress can cost nearly $500, and Golden Goose, where sneakers can cost more than $600.

Extra costs can run up the bill another $1,000. If girls arrive on campus early, they might have to pay early move-in fees clocking of $180 per week. They are also recommended to bring emergency kits filled with items like personal fans, blotting powder, compact mirrors, deodorant and electrolyte powder, which can tack on $100.

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"Sorority rush is downright cruel," said Daniel Karon, an Ohio-based attorney who serves as a chapter advisor for a fraternity, was a member himself, and whose son and daughter both graduated from Greek organizations.

"It can involve dances, skits, dressing a certain way, interviews, resumes, recommendation letters, touring each sorority house, and suffering through a mutual selection [ranking] process," he told Fox News Digital.

"It’s a punishing, unnecessary, and twisted process that does nothing to foster the mental health that’s so essential to freshmen women," Karon said, adding that national organizations should tamp down on the outlandish requirements.

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Ayalon warned that unchecked costs can make sororities more socioeconomically exclusive, fostering status-driven cultures linked to hazing and unhealthy environments.

Despite the demands, many say Greek life is worth the investment, paving the way for leadership opportunities, alumni networking, community service, and lifelong friendships.

"Affiliated women tend to have higher retention and graduation rates," Ayalon added. 

For those deterred by price, there are more affordable paths. Some organizations offer scholarships, grants, payment plans, and lower-cost options like Continuous Open Bidding, which skips rush-week wardrobes and early move-in fees, Ayalon said. 

Others limit decorations and event spending through "No-Frills Recruitment" or offer shared wardrobes and clothing swaps.

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Legendary surfer Dale Webster, who surfed every day for 40 years straight, dead at 76

Surfing icon Dale Webster, a California native who set the record for most consecutive days surfing, has died.

Webster, also known as the "Daily Wavester" because of the incredible feat, passed away in Rohnert Park, Calif, his family confirmed to the New York Times and other outlets. 

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No cause of death was confirmed, but Webster’s brother told the outlet that the surfer had been dealing with a decline in health in recent years. 

Webster was best known for setting the world record in February 2004 when he hit 10,407 consecutive days of surfing. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, that mark consisted of him surfing at least three waves to shore every day. 

In an interview with SURFER in 2015, Webster told the magazine that the idea for surfing came about from a friend after he had already been on the board every day for more than two months. 

PRO SURFER MAKAI MCNAMARA PLACED IN MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA FOLLOWING TERRIFYING WIPEOUT

"There was a solid south swell in September, and I surfed every day during the swell," Webster said at the time. "Each day the waves got better and better. After surfing 85 days straight, my friend said, ‘You should try to surf for 100 consecutive days.’ When I got to 100, the story was in the local newspaper. That publicity gave me a little pat on the back to make it to a year. So then the challenge became a year. And so forth."

Webster began his journey on Sept. 3, 1975, in Bodega Bay, California. By the time he finished, he had surfed 14,642 days consecutively before having to break the record because of a minor medical procedure. That time totaled over 40 years of consecutive surfing. 

"He was a surfer, that was his main thing, that was his life ambition. I don’t think he ever second guessed it," William Beal, a close friend of Webster’s, told the SFGate following the news of his passing. "I know he had a lot of good years here when it was not that crowded. I think he had a pretty well-lived life."

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Hawley opens probe into Meta after reports of AI romantic exchanges with minors

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is launching an investigation into Meta after reports found that the company green-lit internal rules that allowed AI chatbots to have "romantic" and "sensual" exchanges with children. 

Hawley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, wrote in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that his committee will dive into whether Meta's generative-Al products enabled exploitation, deception or other criminal harms to children. Further, the probe will look at whether Meta misled the public or regulators about its safeguards on AI.

REPUBLICANS SCRAP DEAL IN 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' TO LOWER RESTRICTIONS ON STATES' AI REGULATIONS

"I already have an ongoing investigation into Meta's stunning complicity with China — but Zuckerberg siccing his company's AI chatbots on our kids called for another one," Hawley told Fox News Digital. "Big Tech will know no boundaries until Congress holds social media outlets accountable. And I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can agree that exploiting children’s innocence is a new low."

Hawley demanded that the company must produce a trove of materials related to internal policies on the chatbots, communications and more to the panel by Sept. 19.

His announcement on Friday comes after Reuters first reported that Meta, which is the parent company to Facebook, had given the go-ahead to policies on chatbot behavior that allowed the AI to "engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual."

SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT HIT WITH SCATHING AD CAMPAIGN AMID ANGER OVER AI CHATBOTS SEXUALLY EXPLOITING KIDS

Hawley noted that Meta acknowledged the reports and charged that the company "made retractions only after this alarming content came to light" in his letter to Zuckerberg.

"To take but one example, your internal rules purportedly permit an Al chatbot to comment that an 8-year-old's body is ‘a work of art" of which ’every inch... is a masterpiece — a treasure I cherish deeply,’" he wrote.

"Similar conduct outlined in these reports is reprehensible and outrageous and demonstrates a cavalier attitude when it comes to the real risks that generative Al presents to youth development absent strong guardrails," Hawley continued. "Parents deserve the truth, and kids deserve protection."

A spokesperson for Meta confirmed to Fox News Digital that the document reviewed by Reuters was real but countered that "it does not accurately reflect our policies." 

SCHUMER CLAIMS TRUMP ADMIN WITHHOLDING EPSTEIN FILES, THREATENS TO SUE

"We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors," the spokesperson said. "Separate from the policies, there are hundreds of examples, notes, and annotations that reflect teams grappling with different hypothetical scenarios. The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed."

The document in question, known as the "GenAI: Content Risk Standards," included over 200 pages of rules that outlined what workers at Meta should consider as acceptable behavior when building and training chatbots and other AI-generative products for the company.

Hawley demanded that the company produce all iterations of the GenAI: Content Risk Standards, all products that fall under the scope of the guidelines, how the guidelines are enforced, risk reviews and incident reports that reference minors, sexual or romantic role-play, in-person meetups, medical advice, self-harm, or criminal exploitation, communications with regulators and a paper trail on who decided and when to revise the standards and what changes were actually made. 

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