Democrats in America are less proud of their country than they have ever been in recent years and that’s a distressing trend for the party, an opinion piece in the Washington Post noted. 

In a Monday opinion article from the Washington Post titled, “This isn’t the same Democratic Party as Trump’s first term,” the piece noted Democrats are “significantly less likely to report being proud of America now than at any other time in recent history.”

The article noted that in 2017, 67 percent of Democrats reported being “extremely proud” or “very proud” of their country, according to Gallup polling.

POLITICAL ANALYST SAYS DEMOCRATS ARE ALREADY WORRIED ABOUT THE ‘BIG PROBLEM’ OF WINNING BACK VOTERS FOR 2028

But in 2025, only 36 percent of Democrats are reportedly proud of their country. 

President Donald Trump, whose first term began in 2017, is the reason for the drop in national pride among Democrats, according to the Washington Post.

“For Democrats, Trump seems to be driving the phenomenon — there were rapid dips in self-described national pride after both his election victories, with a modest rebound after his loss in between,” the article, written by election data analysts Lakshya Jain and Harrison Lavelle, reads. 

The analysis comes amid the rise nationally of far-left candidates like New York City mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani, a self-avowed democratic socialist.

LIZ PEEK: DEMOCRATS’ IDENTITY CRISIS SHOWS NO SIGN OF GETTING BETTER. IT’S ACTUALLY GETTING WORSE

“All in all, the data shows that Democrats simply aren’t dealing with the same voter base they dealt with eight years ago,” the piece reads. “On multiple policy fronts, from immigration to foreign policy, Democrats have steadily moved left — a reality that lines up closely with the party’s changing preferences on the approach to the Trump administration. The attitudinal shift might also explain why the Democratic base is receptive to politicians like Zohran Mamdani, a self-identified Democratic socialist.” 

Jain and Lavelle said the shift could be “ominous” for establishment Democrats, who are desperate to win Congress in 2026 to neutralize Trump’s White House agenda.

“This shift may prove an ominous one for establishment Democrats, particularly as concerns about the overall age of the party’s congressional leaders grow among base voters. Observers and pundits alike will be wise to remember that the Democratic Party of 2026 is not the Democratic Party of 2018, even if the midterm dynamics seem similar.”

A former television financial analyst accused of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars and spending years on the run was sentenced to five years in prison, the Justice Department said Monday. 

James Arthur McDonald Jr., 53, is also expected to be ordered to pay restitution to his victims following his April 7 guilty plea for securities fraud.

“To his victims, [McDonald] seemed to embody the American Dream,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “But looks can be deceiving, and as [McDonald’s] victims learned, their trust had been betrayed.”

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McDonald, who frequently appeared as a guest on CNBC as a financial analyst, was arrested in June 2024 at his Florida home after spending years on the run and extradited back to California, where he was the CEO and chief investment officer of Los Angeles-based Hercules Investments LLC, and Index Strategy Advisors Inc.

Prior to fleeing, McDonald also appeared to have terminated his previous phone and email accounts and told one person that he planned to “vanish,” according to court documents.

In 2020, McDonald “lost tens of millions of dollars of Hercules client money after adopting a risky short position that effectively bet against the health of the United States economy in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election,” prosecutors said. 

He misrepresented how the funds would be used and failed to disclose the “massive losses” Hercules previously sustained.

CALIFORNIA MAN ACCUSED BY FEDS OF SCAMMING $2 MILLION FROM PEOPLE ON DATING APPS

“He misappropriated most of those funds in various ways, including spending $174,610 at a Porsche dealership and transferring $109,512 to the landlord of a home McDonald was renting in Arcadia,” the Justice Department said. 

In total, McDonald lost around $3 million of his clients’ money, prosecutors said. 

With his other company, McDonald allegedly sent clients “false account statements, including for one client who invested approximately $351,000, later needed the money to make a down payment on a home, was informed by McDonald that much of the money had been lost, and never got his full investment back.” 

In total, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said McDonald “raised more than $5.1 million from 23 investors and clients, and misappropriated more than $2.9 million of those funds for personal expenses and Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors.” 

A federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonald in 2022 after he was charged with securities fraud.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a champion of the progressive left, is praising democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s focus on affordability as he runs for mayor in the nation’s most populous city as a model for the Democratic Party.

Asked by Fox News as she teamed up at a campaign event at a union headquarters on Monday with the Democratic Party’s New York City mayoral nominee if Mamdani was what the future of the party should look like, Warren answered “you bet.”

“The Democratic Party needs to stand up and be clear. We are the party that fights for affordability, for working families, that means child care. That means housing. It means health care. It means making this country work better for the working people who make this country work,” Warren said.

And pointing to Mamdani, Warren said, “Democrats are the ones who every day don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk to make our country more affordable for working people, and I’m here with the guy who’s walking the walk right now.”

MAMDANI, CUOMO, CLASH OVER POLICE SUPPORT FOLLOWING NYC MASS SHOOTING

Mamdani, the 33-year-old Ugandan-born state lawmaker from the New York City borough of Queens, shocked the political world in late June by coming from behind to top former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party mayoral nomination in the overwhelmingly blue city.

Thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living, along with a massive grassroots army of supporters, and the backing of progressive champions Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Mamdani surged to a primary victory.

MAMDANI FACES BACKLASH FOR OPULENT WEDDING CELEBRATION

Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He also proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores.

He is now the clear frontrunner in November’s general election as he aims to make history as New York City’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor.

Republicans have targeted Mamdani and tried to turn him into the new face of the Democratic Party, highlighting multiple radical policy positions he has pushed, including defunding police, anti-Israel rhetoric, and “kick[ing] the fascist ICE out of New York City.” They aim to anchor him to vulnerable Democrats across the country running in elections this year and next year.

Even though he was defeated for the Democratic Party nomination, Cuomo is running in the general election as an independent candidate. Cuomo, who stepped down as governor in 2021 during his third term amid multiple scandals, is aiming for a political comeback.

Also on the general election ballot are Mayor Eric Adams, the embattled incumbent who announced earlier this year that he would seek re-election as an independent candidate rather than seek the Democratic Party nomination amid cratering poll numbers, and Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee.

Warren took aim at Cuomo, arguing that the former governor’s “whole path here seems to be to go to a handful of billionaires, have them give you a bunch of money, and hope that you will be able to flood the city with a bunch of negative ads.”

Cuomo, at a campaign event on Monday, continued to target Mamdani as he unveiled his own public safety proposal for the city.

The former governor has called Mamdani “anti-police,” arguing he “doesn’t understand the need for public safety.”

Mamdani, in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in a midtown Manhattan office building, has faced renewed scrutiny over past statements made on social media in 2020 when he called for defunding the police multiple times.

Warren’s event with Mamdani was part of a multipronged push to support him in his push for New York City mayor. 

The senator, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, also released a social media video praising Mamdani and wrote an opinion piece that appeared in Rolling Stone.

Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this story

Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley did not accept President Donald Trump’s invitation to serve on his Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, he told reporters on Monday at training camp. 

Trump signed an executive order on July 31, which reestablished the council as well as the Presidential Fitness Test. In signing the order, Trump planned to address the “widespread epidemic of declining health and physical fitness with a time-tested approach celebrating the exceptionalism of America’s sports and fitness traditions.”

Trump was surrounded by several athletes during the signing, including New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. 

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And during a news conference announcing the order, Trump named Barkley among the members of the council as well as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa, Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, and Butker. 

But Barkley set the record straight on Monday when asked about his role with the council. 

“A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council, so I’m not really too familiar with it,” he said, per NBC Philadelphia. “I felt like I’m gonna be super busy, so me and my family thought it was probably in best interest to not accept that. So, [I] was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned, but I’m assuming it’s something great. I appreciate it, but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.” 

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REESTABLISH PRESIDENTIAL FITNESS TEST

Also present at the signing were current and former stars in other sports, including WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, LPGA Tour legend Annika Sorenstam and LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau, who will serve as chair of the council. Vice President JD Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Education Secretary Linda McMahon were also present. 

“We have an opportunity at being the 70th anniversary of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, to literally change the fabric of kids’ lives,” DeChambeau said. “Our first initiative is to bring back and reignite the president’s fitness test and also reestablish some key guidelines on building communities.”

This council will be tasked with advising and recommending actions in terms of reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test, and much more in terms of impacting the fitness goals of American youth. 

The President’s Council on Youth Fitness was founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the Presidential Physical Fitness Award was created in 1966 by Lyndon B. Johnson. 

When the program was first created, children had to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test.

The Presidential Fitness Test was retired by President Barack Obama, and the council under his presidency established the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. 

TRUMP SETS UP PRESIDENTIAL FITNESS TEST FOR ANOTHER REVAMP AFTER OBAMA RETIRED IT DURING PRESIDENCY

“We need to re-instill the spirit of competition and that spirit and that commitment to nutrition and physical fitness,” Kennedy added.

Barkley, who helped the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX title during the 2024 NFL season, his first year in Philadelphia, has participated in some athletic activity with the 47th president in the past. They were spotted at Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, ahead of the team’s visit to the White House to celebrate their win over the Chiefs. 

Barkley was criticized for golfing with Trump and for taking Air Force One back with the president to Washington D.C. He slammed those critics via social media.

“lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley tweeted at the time. “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago… and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.”

Trump also had glowing praise for Barkley, calling him a “nice guy.”

“I wanted to race him, but I decided not to do it,” the president joked. 

Barkley’s focus is on defending the Vince Lombardi Trophy after having his best year in the NFL, following his first six with the New York Giants. The Penn State product led the NFL in rushing yards (2,005) and scrimmage yards (2,283) with 15 combined touchdowns during the regular season. 

As a result, Barkley won the Offensive Player of the Year, while earning First Team All-Pro honors and his third Pro Bowl selection. 

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.

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Israel’s Security Cabinet is set to meet on Tuesday to discuss next steps in the nearly two-year-old war with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, including the possibility of taking full control of the Palestinian enclave and operating militarily in areas they have refrained from entering until now, the local media reported.

Israeli journalist Amit Segal, a commentator for Channel 12, the country’s highest-rated news broadcast, quoted a source from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that the “decision has been made… we are going to occupy the Gaza Strip.” 

“Hamas will not release hostages without total surrender, if we do not operate now the hostages will die of starvation and Gaza will stay under Hamas’ control,” Segal quoted the official as saying. 

HUCKABEE, WITKOFF WENT INSIDE GAZA TO ASSESS GROWING FAMINE CONCERNS

“Israel for months was at a crossroad and, let’s be honest, it was not achieving victory or the hostages. The mandate for a deal was broad, but we did not get agreement, so we will go for occupation,” he quoted.

The reports of deepening the military operation in Gaza come after months of mediated ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appeared to have collapsed this week and despite assurances by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Israel over the weekend, that he was working on a plan that would end the war. 

It also comes after Hamas, the designated terror group whose October 7, 2023, mass attack in Israel sparked the war, shocked the Israeli public with propaganda videos of emaciated hostages, including one who was forced to dig his own grave.

Additionally, international pressure on Israel to end the war has ramped up in recent weeks amid accusations that is aid policy is causing famine in Gaza and after images of severely malnourished children – some of whom were later proven to be children with pre-existing medical conditions – went viral. 

EUROPEAN LEADERS DECRY HAMAS VIDEO OF ISRAELI CAPTIVES: ‘UNLIMITED INHUMANITY’

Pressure in Israel to end the war and return home some 50 hostages, both dead and alive, who remain in Gaza has also been growing, with the country’s leadership divided over the best way to achieve this. 

Some ministers in Netanyahu’s government, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have been pushing for Israel to re-occupy Gaza and rebuild Jewish settlements that were dismantled 20 years ago. 

The Israeli military, however, has argued against that plan and, according to media reports, is expected to present some alternatives at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. 

EXCLUSIVE: Attorney General Pam Bondi directed her staff Monday to act on the criminal referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard related to the alleged conspiracy to tie President Donald Trump to Russia, and the Department of Justice is now opening a grand jury investigation into the matter, Fox News Digital has learned.

Bondi personally ordered an unnamed federal prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings and the prosecutor is expected to present department evidence to a grand jury, which would allow the department to secure a potential indictment, according to a letter from Bondi reviewed by Fox News Digital and a source familiar with the investigation.

A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the report of an investigation but said Bondi is taking the referral from Gabbard “very seriously.” The spokesperson said Bondi believed there is “clear cause for deep concern” and a need for next steps.

DNI GABBARD CLAIMS ‘DEEP STATE ACTORS’ DIDN’T WANT TRUMP-RUSSIA INFORMATION TO ‘SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY’

The DOJ confirmed two weeks ago it received a criminal referral from Gabbard. The referral included a memorandum titled “Intelligence Community suppression of intelligence showing ‘Russian and criminal actors did not impact’ the 2016 presidential election via cyber-attacks on infrastructure” and asked that the DOJ open an investigation.

No charges have been brought at this stage of the investigation against any potential defendants.

The revelation that the DOJ is moving forward with a grand jury probe comes after Gabbard declassified intelligence in July that shed new light on the Obama administration’s alleged determination that Russia sought to help Trump in the 2016 election.

DOJ RECEIVES GABBARD’S CRIMINAL REFERRAL ON BOMBSHELL CLAIMS OBAMA ADMIN ‘MANUFACTURED’ RUSSIAN COLLUSION HOAX

Former President Barack Obama and his intelligence officials allegedly promoted a “contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn’t,” Gabbard said during a press briefing of the intelligence.

Among the declassified material was a meeting record revealing how Obama allegedly requested his deputies prepare an intelligence assessment in December 2016, after Trump had won the election, that allegedly detailed the “tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.” 

That intelligence assessment stressed that Russia’s actions did not affect the outcome of the election but rather were intended to sow distrust in the democratic process.

Gabbard has alleged that Obama and his national security officials laid the “groundwork” for a narrative that then-candidate Trump and his campaign colluded to help him win the 2016 election. An FBI investigation and two special counsel investigations loomed over much of Trump’s first administration.

It is unclear whom the grand jury is expected to target and what charges could be in play given the statutes of limitations for much of the activity from nearly a decade ago have lapsed.

Former Obama intelligence officials, including John Brennan, James Clapper and James Comey, have drawn scrutiny from Trump officials for their alleged involvement in developing intelligence that undermined Trump’s 2016 victory.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A federal court fight over President Donald Trump’s authority to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court for review, legal experts told Fox News Digital, in a case that has already proved to be a pivotal test of executive branch authority.

At issue in the case is Trump’s ability to use a 1977 emergency law to unilaterally slap steep import duties on a long list of countries doing business with the U.S.

In interviews with Fox News Digital, longtime trade lawyers and lawyers who argued on behalf of plaintiffs in court last week said they expect the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a matter of “weeks,” or sometime in August or September – in line with the court’s agreement to hear the case on an “expedited” basis.

The fast-track timeline reflects the important question before the court: whether Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) when he launched his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs.

FEDERAL JUDGES GRILL TRUMP LAWYERS OVER ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS ON EVE OF ENFORCEMENT
 

Importantly, that timing would still allow the Supreme Court to add the case to their docket for the 2025-2026 term, which begins in early October. That could allow them to rule on the matter as early as the end of the year. 

Both Trump administration officials and lawyers for the plaintiffs said they plan to appeal the case to the Supreme Court if the lower court does not rule in their favor. And given the questions at the heart of the case, it is widely expected that the high court will take up the case for review.

In the meantime, the impact of Trump’s tariffs remains to be seen. 

Legal experts and trade analysts alike said last week’s hearing is unlikely to forestall the broader market uncertainty created by Trump’s tariffs, which remain in force after the appeals court agreed to stay a lower court decision from the U.S. Court of International Trade. 

Judges on the three-judge CIT panel in May blocked Trump’s use of IEEPA to stand up his tariffs, ruling unanimously that he did not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs under that law. 

Thursday’s argument gave little indication as to how the appeals court would rule, plaintiffs and longtime trade attorneys told Fox News Digital, citing the tough questions that the 11 judges on the panel posed for both parties.

TARIFF FIGHT ESCALATES AS TRUMP APPEALS SECOND COURT LOSS

Dan Pickard, an attorney specializing in international trade and national security issues at the firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, said the oral arguments Thursday did not seem indicative of how the 11-judge panel might rule.

“I don’t know if I walked out of that hearing thinking that either the government is going to prevail, or that this is dead on arrival,” Pickard told Fox News Digital. “I think it was more mixed.”

Lawyers for the plaintiffs echoed that assessment – a reflection of the 11 judges on the appeals bench, who had fewer chances to speak up or question the government or plaintiffs during the 45 minutes each had to present their case. 

“I want to be very clear that I’m not in any way, shape or form, predicting what the Federal Circuit will do – I leave that for them,” one lawyer for the plaintiffs told reporters after court, adding that the judges, in his view, posed “really tough questions” for both parties.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who helped represent the 12 states suing over the plan, told Fox News Digital they are “optimistic” that, based on the oral arguments, they would see at least a partial win in the case, though he also stressed the ruling and the time frame is fraught with uncertainty.

In the interim, the White House forged ahead with enacting Trump’s tariffs as planned.

Pickard, who has argued many cases before the Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, noted that the oral arguments are not necessarily the best barometer for gauging the court’s next steps – something lawyers for the plaintiffs also stressed after the hearing.

JUDGES V. TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

Even if the high court blocks the Trump administration from using IEEPA, they have a range of other trade tools at their disposal, trade lawyers told Fox News. 

The Trump administration “has had more of a focus on trade issues than pretty much any other administration in my professional life,” Pickard said. 

“And let’s assume, even for the sake of the argument, just hypothetically, that the Supreme Court says this use of IEEPA exceeded your statutory authority. The Trump administration is not going to say, like, ‘All right, well, we’re done. I guess we’re just going to abandon any trade policy.’

“There are going to be additional [trade] tools that had been in the toolbox for long that can be taken out and dusted off,” he said. “There are plenty of other legal authorities for the president. 

“I don’t think we’re seeing an end to these issues anytime soon – this is going to continue to be battled out in the courts for a while.”

Both Pickard and Rayfield told Fox News Digital in separate interviews that they expect the appeals court to rule within weeks, not days. 

The hearing came after Trump on April 2 announced a 10% baseline tariff on all countries, along with higher, reciprocal tariffs targeting select nations, including China. The measures, he said, were aimed at addressing trade imbalances, reducing deficits with key trading partners, and boosting domestic manufacturing and production.

Ahead of last week’s oral arguments, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said lawyers for the administration would continue to defend the president’s trade agenda in court.

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Justice Department attorneys “are going to court to defend [Trump’s] tariffs,” she said, describing them as “transforming the global economy, protecting our national security and addressing the consequences of our exploding trade deficit.”

“We will continue to defend the president,” she vowed. 

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is on the rise in some parts of the U.S., public health departments have reported.

The highly contagious viral illness is most prevalent among children under 5, but people of all ages can become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In Virginia, the Fairfax County Health District has published an alert of six HFMD outbreaks earlier this year, mainly affecting children 4 and younger.

RARE TICK-BORNE VIRUS CAUSING NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS DIAGNOSED IN NORTHEASTERN STATE

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health has confirmed 189 cases of the disease in St. Thomas, including a possible fatal case involving a toddler.

In March, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert urging member states to “strengthen the prevention and control of hand, foot and mouth disease, especially in children, due to their high vulnerability and the risk of serious complications in the central nervous system.”

Tina Q. Tan, M.D., an attending physician at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said that HFMD most commonly occurs during the summer and early fall when the weather is warmer. 

“We are seeing more cases at this time,” she told Fox News Digital. “It is a very common infection that is usually mild.”

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The viruses that most commonly cause the illness are the Coxsackie and Enteroviruses, the doctor said.

HFMD can be transmitted through viral particles while sneezing, coughing or talking, the CDC says.

People can also spread the virus after touching contaminated objects and surfaces. In the case of blistering rashes, the fluid from the blisters can also spread the virus.

“The illness is very contagious, so it can spread quickly in daycare and school settings,” Tan said. “Persons are most contagious during the first few days of the illness, but it can also be spread through stool for several weeks.”

Infants and children can continue to go to daycare and school as long as they have no fever, are feeling well enough to drink and participate in activities, and have no open lesions or copious drooling when they have the mouth sores, according to Tan.

The primary symptoms of HFMD include fever, skin rash and painful, blistering mouth sores, per the CDC. 

“The rash is most commonly found on hands and feet, appearing as raised or flat red spots that can turn into blisters,” Tan told Fox News Digital.

“The painful mouth sores, blisters or ulcers can occur on the tongue, gums and mucous membranes,” she added.

Most people only experience mild illness and get better without treatment within seven to 10 days.

People can manage pain and fever with over-the-counter medications. They should also drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, the CDC recommends.

While complications are rare, the CDC advises that pregnant women see a doctor if they contract HFMD.

“Patients or parents should seek medical care if they feel they are uncomfortable with the symptoms that they or their child are having and the symptoms are worsening; if they are unable to take adequate fluid and there is a decrease in urine output; or anytime they feel that there is a change in mental status,” Tan said.

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The most common complication of HFMD is dehydration due to painful mouth lesions that prevent adequate fluid intake, according to the doctor.  

“It can also cause nail loss in those individuals who had involvement of fingers,” she said. “Very rarely, it can cause serious complications like viral meningitis, encephalitis and paralysis.”

To prevent the highly contagious virus, the CDC recommends washing hands frequently with soap and water.

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People should also clean and disinfect common surfaces and shared items, such as doorknobs and toys, Tan advised.

There is not currently a vaccine for HFMD in the U.S.

Though Loni Anderson’s talent on screen earned her mega success, her life behind the scenes got just as much — if not more — attention. 

Dubbed a “sex symbol” for decades, Anderson, who died on Sunday after battling a prolonged illness, embraced her sexuality and public romances, including her relationship with the late Burt Reynolds. 

The former couple first met on a talk show and co-starred in “Stroker Ace” in 1982. 

LONI ANDERSON, ‘WKRP IN CINCINNATI’ STAR, DEAD AT 79

“Whether this relationship will go any further than it has right now, I have no idea,” Reynolds told People that same year. Loni and I are both trying very hard to get acquainted and to like each other without too many explosions and broadsides from the press.”

The pair, who adopted their son Quinton Anderson Reynolds in August 1988, tied the knot that same year, but surprisingly divorced in 1995. 

In 2015, Reynolds told People that it was a “really dumb move” to marry Anderson. 

“I should have known that you don’t marry an actress,” he said at the time. “It wasn’t lollipops and roses.”

LONI ANDERSON SAYS SHE MADE PEACE WITH BURT REYNOLDS BEFORE HIS DEATH: ‘THERE ARE LOTS OF MEMORIES THERE’

In 1995, Anderson told the Associated Press that the marriage was far from perfect. 

“There was pain,” she said at the time. “There was some abuse. There was drug addiction, on his part. There was always me trying to save it and feeling very empowered that I thought I could. And there was great love on my part.”

After announcing their divorce, Reynolds alluded to a lack of sexual chemistry as a catalyst. 

“I don’t see how she can be in total shock when you have not … if your husband has not touched you in the biblical sense … in almost three years,” he said during an appearance “Good Morning America: Evening Edition” at the time. “How can you be surprised?”

Reynolds also alluded to infidelity. 

“I caught her cheating on me,” he said. “And so I just … I made the decision to call it off,” he claimed.

At the time, Anderson replied, “I do not intend to engage in a media war. I have to consider the welfare and best interests of my little boy.”

Anderson admitted the public breakup was a daunting experience.

“I used to say to him, ‘Why did you say that?’” she said in a 2018 interview with Closer Weekly about Reynolds’ comments about their relationship to the press. “People don’t realize that [in the worst times] we always kept in contact.”

In 2019, Anderson said she and Reynolds – who died in 2018 from a heart attack – made peace before his death with the help of their son.

“We were friends first and friends last,” Anderson told Closer Weekly in 2018. “It’s time to move on.”

The “WKRP in Cincinnati” actress insisted she and Reynolds put aside the hostility they endured when the marriage came to an end for the sake of Quinton.

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“We have this wonderful child together,” she said. “Having a son was a big event in our lives and so everything revolved around him.”

According to Closer Weekly, it was Quinton who served as a peacemaker and even brought his parents together one last time before Reynolds passed away.

“We went out to dinner and [Burt] brought me flowers,” recalled Anderson. “Burt could be quiet, shy and self-deprecating. He was a bookworm and loved to read mysteries aloud to one another so that we could share them.”

Anderson added that together, they’d spend many hours guessing about the ending of those stories.

“He was a voracious reader,” she said.

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Reynolds spent the final years of his life in Florida, where he first returned in 1968 after several years in California.

At the time of Reynolds’ death, Anderson and Quinton said they would “miss” the late actor and “his great laugh.”

“Quinton and I are extremely touched by the tremendous outpouring of love and support from friends and family throughout the world,” Anderson said in a statement to Fox News hours after Reynolds died.

The statement continued: “Burt was a wonderful director and actor. He was a big part of my life for 12 years and Quinton’s father for 30 years. We will miss him and his great laugh.”

In 2021, Anderson reflected on her life and revealed the advice she’d give her younger self. 

“I would tell her, ‘Don’t keep looking forward to what’s coming, enjoy the climb.’ There’s nothing more wonderful than the climb, you know? The looking forward to each day and creating something new, getting that job, going on an audition, putting yourself out there – that’s all great. But you can’t forget to enjoy the climb. I guess that’s the best thing you could do when it comes to your life. Don’t forget to enjoy the day while you’re looking forward to what’s going to happen next week.”

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report. 

South Africa is preparing to diversify its export markets in response to the looming 30% tariff imposed by the US, which government officials say will cost jobs and shave 0.2% off economic growth.

The country is one of several facing punitive tariffs from the US as it moves to protect its own manufacturers and labour force. President Donald Trump announced the tariffs in April but delayed them for 90 days to allow countries to negotiate better deals. In July, he confirmed that they would take effect on 1 August. This has now been pushed back seven days.

“The 30% tariff set by the US is unfortunate and presents a setback in resetting bilateral trade,” International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola told a media briefing on Monday.

“We have been strengthening trade and investment partnerships with various trade partners. These efforts are bearing fruit, targeting markets across Africa, as well as in Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Americas.”

Affected sectors include agriculture, automotive and textile — all of which have benefited from duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). The government has said it will not retaliate against the US but has acknowledged the urgent need for the country to diversify its export market. 

“South Africa seeks to conclude deals that promote value addition and industrialisation rather than mimic extractive colonial-era trade patterns,” Lamola said, adding that talks with Washington were ongoing, with the government applying a principled approach through diplomatic channels.

He said the 30% tariff had been factored into economic projections, with economists estimating a 0.2% reduction in growth. “This depends on our ability to find alternative markets. Notably, 35% of exports remain exempted from the tariffs.”

The director general in the trade department, Simphiwe Hamilton, said approximately 30 000 jobs would be at risk once the tariffs kick in.

Lamola said value addition and beneficiation have been the government’s priorities in its proposed trade framework, adding that its relationship with the US must be “mutually beneficial and respectful”.

The country is also pursuing other options including a clean energy trade and investment partnership with the EU, which has unlocked a R90 billion investment package for the export of sustainable aviation fuel by Sasol and of hybrid and electric vehicles.

“We’ve made significant progress in opening up vast new markets, like China and Thailand, securing vital protocols for products like citrus and others. With China alone being a $200 billion market, we are confidently expanding our reach and creating new opportunities for our agricultural producers,” Lamola said.

“Our government has not been idle; we are proactively and collaboratively diversifying our trade portfolio.”

He said under the coordinated leadership of the presidency, the department of international relations and cooperation and that of trade, industry and competition, South Africa was “making significant inroads into new, high-growth markets across Asia and the Middle East, including the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia”.

Trade minister Parks Tau told the same briefing that calls from some South Africans urging the country not to negotiate with Washington were irresponsible, while conceding that the US had not responded to the country’s proposals.

“We can only make an offer, sit and wait, and hope. That is the reality,” Tau said.

Asked about the potential for increased trade with China, Tau said negotiations were ongoing through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China has offered a memorandum of understanding on green energy and industrialisation.

Lamola said diversification efforts would include exporters collaborating to develop infrastructure, share market intelligence and coordinate activities to improve competitiveness.

“These efforts can help achieve economies of scale and efficiencies that enable them to be competitive,” he said.

The department of trade, industry and competition has set up an export support desk as part of a diversification strategy “to create resilience” in the economy. The desk is collaborating with export councils, industry associations and major exporters to the US to assist in accessing alternative markets.

On Monday, acting deputy director for export in the trade department, Willem van der Spuy, said producers, mostly from the Western Cape, had been requesting clarity on when the tariffs would take effect and what support measures were in place.

“The issue is to create resilience in our international trade environment. And through this support desk, we will add practical areas of cooperation. We will link them up with embassies, we will link them up with potential buyers, we will take the journey with them in terms of the trade barriers,” Van der Spuy said.

Lamola said the desk would “provide updates, advisory services, guidance on market entry and linkages to South African embassies and high commissions”.

According to Tau, the tariffs also presented an opportunity to accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, a pact which aims to create a single market for goods and services across the continent. It seeks to boost intra-African trade, reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers.

Lamola echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s view that South African exports are not a threat to US industry: “Our exports are crucial inputs that support America’s industrial base. Our agricultural exports are counter-seasonal — they fill gaps, not compete.”

In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa stressed that the US tariffs underscore the urgency of diversifying South Africa’s exports and reducing reliance on select markets. He said the two countries had historically maintained complementary trade relations, adding: “Our exports are inputs into US industries.They support the US industrial base.”

He cited citrus exports as an example: “They are counter-seasonal and don’t threaten US production. The US sector has been in decline due to factors unrelated to imports — such as disease and low yields. Our citrus fills that gap.”

South African firms also invest heavily in the US, including in mining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food, said Ramaphosa, adding that this makes the country the largest African investor in the US.

Tau said Wednesday’s cabinet meeting would finalise the export support package.