Since high school, it’s long been assumed that Cooper Flagg would be the top selection of this year’s NBA Draft. Now he knows where he (likely) will be heading.

The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery on Monday, meaning they currently own the first overall selection.

Dallas had an 8.5% chance to pick top-four and a 1.8% to win the lottery.

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The Mavs’ season turned into turmoil when they traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, prompting fan hatred to general manager Nico Harrison, who needed heightened security throughout the rest of the season.

But all of a sudden, all seems OK in Dallas.

The Utah Jazz, with an NBA-worst 17-65 record, had the best odds at the top pick, but they dropped all the way to No. 5. Utah has never selected No. 1 nor have they ever improved their draft standing. Since the NBA changed its lottery system in 2019, the team with the best odds has never selected first.

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Flagg heightened his own expectations by declaring for Duke in high school, and then he lived up to the billing.

Flagg led Duke this season in almost every statistical category, including points (709), rebounds (278), assists (155), steals (52) and blocks per game (1.4). He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game, but his best showing was in January when he set an ACC freshman record with a 42-point performance against Notre Dame. 

Flagg closed out a phenomenal year with a semifinal appearance in the NCAA men’s tournament and was named the winner of the 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Award, becoming just the fourth freshman to be named its recipient, along with Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson.

His Blue Devils lost a late lead against Houston, who returned the favor to Florida in the national championship.

The NBA Draft takes place on June 25, which is when Flagg will know for sure where he’ll be heading.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom released details about his multibillion-dollar plan to tackle the homeless crisis in the Golden State and is pushing cities and counties to take “immediate action.” 

On Monday, Newsom shared a model ordinance for cities and counties to “immediately address dangerous and unhealthy encampments and connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter and services.”

“There’s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets,” Newsom said in a news release.

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The ordinance is backed in part by $3.3 billion in new Prop 1 funding, Newsom’s office announced, adding that the governor is “calling on all local governments to act without delay.” 

Newsom is also encouraging local leaders to use their authority, affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, to address encampments.

“The Governor is calling on every local government to adopt and implement local policies without delay,” Newsom’s office said.

Newsom’s office said this model ordinance draws from the state’s “proven and workable approach,” an approach that between July 2021 and May 2025 cleared more than 16,000 encampments and more than 311,873 cubic yards of debris from sites along the state right-of-way.

“These results demonstrate that the policy is both effective and scalable, offering a sound, adoptable framework for jurisdictions to resolve encampments with urgency and dignity,” Newsom said. 

PROGRESSIVE JOURNALIST SAYS NEWSOM MUST TAKE ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’ FOR HOW HE ‘DESTROYED’ CALIFORNIA

Monday’s announcement is in addition to the release of $3.3 billion in voter-approved Proposition 1 funding, which Newsom’s office said will be made available later today to communities statewide.

Those funds are being used to expand behavioral health housing and treatment options for the “most seriously ill and homeless in California.”

“This model ordinance is not intended to be comprehensive or to impose a one-size-fits-all approach for every city. Tailoring is expected and appropriate to account for local differences and priorities,” Newsom’s office said. 

The guidance doesn’t say whether criminal penalties should be enforced but instead would leave it up to cities to enforce how severely those who violate the ban should be punished.

Newsom’s office said all local approaches should reflect three basic principles, which include:

Newsom’s announcement comes following the Supreme Court’s decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson in 2024, which found laws restricting sleeping in public areas did not violate the constitutional restriction against “cruel and unusual punishment.”

DEM MAYOR FED UP WITH HOMELESS CRISIS PROPOSES JAILING VAGRANTS WHO REFUSE HOUSING

Newsom had encouraged the Supreme Court to take up the case, claiming court decisions preventing the government from punishing vagrants occupying public spaces had created an “unsurmountable roadblock” to addressing the crisis.

Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital that the governor has “actively held communities accountable who do not follow state law to address homelessness”, sharing an example of when the state sued the City of Norwalk in 2024 for “its unlawful ban on homeless shelters.”

The governor’s office added that while the nation’s unsheltered homelessness last year went up by nearly 7%, California’s increase was only 0.45% and was lower than 44 other states.

“Governor Newsom is the first governor to actively address this issue in our state, and he is reversing a crisis that was decades in the making,” Newsom’s office said. 

In addition to cleaning up homeless encampments, Newsom’s office also announced $3.3 billion in grant funding to create over 5,000 residential treatment beds and more than 21,800 outpatient treatment slots for behavioral healthcare services.

“Californians demanded swift action to address our state’s behavioral health crisis when they voted for Prop 1 in March 2024,” Newsom’s office said.

“Today, we’re delivering our biggest win yet. These launch-ready projects will build and expand residential beds and treatment slots for those who need help. Whether it’s crisis stabilization, inpatient services, or long-term treatment, we’re ensuring that individuals can access the right care at the right time,” the statement continued.

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When fully awarded, Newsom’s office said funding from Proposition 1 bonds is estimated to create 6,800 residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots for behavioral health and will build on other major behavioral health initiatives in California.

“Today marks a critical milestone in our commitment to transforming California’s behavioral health system,” said Kim Johnson, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. “Through these awards, we are investing in bold, community-driven solutions that expand access to care, promote equity, and meet people where they are. These projects are a reflection of our values and vision for a healthier, more compassionate California.”

Newsom’s office also said the Department of Housing and Community Development will oversee up to $2 billion in Proposition 1 funds to build permanent supportive housing for veterans and others who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and have mental health or substance-use disorder challenges.

“This is a generational investment in California’s behavioral health future. We are not just building facilities. We are building hope, dignity, and pathways to healing for thousands of Californians,” said Michelle Baass, director of the state Department of Health Care Services, in a statement.

Harvard University President Alan Garber on Monday sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticizing the Trump administration’s actions against the school while noting both groups share “common ground” on a number of issues. 

“We share common ground on a number of critical issues, including the importance of ending antisemitism and other bigotry on campus,” Garber said. “Like you, I believe that Harvard must foster an academic environment that encourages freedom of thought and expression, and that we should embrace a multiplicity of viewpoints rather than focusing our attention on narrow orthodoxies.”

However, Harvard’s goals are undermined and threatened “by the federal government’s overreach into the constitutional freedoms of private universities and its continuing disregard of Harvard’s compliance with the law,” Garber said. 

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“Consistent with the law and with our own values, we continue to pursue needed reforms, doing so in consultation with our stakeholders and always in compliance with the law,” he wrote. “But Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government.”

Garber’s remarks are in response to a scathing letter last week from McMahon telling the university that it will no longer be eligible for federal grants over its handling of antisemitism on campus. 

“Receiving such taxpayer funds is a privilege, not a right,” she wrote. “Yet instead of using these funds to advance the education of its students, Harvard is engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law. Where do many of these ‘students’ come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country – and why is there so much HATE?”

ISRAEL’S PRESIDENT RELEASES BLISTERING STATEMENT ON US UNIVERSITY ENCAMPMENTS: ‘RESURGENCE OF ANTISEMITISM’

“These are questions that must be answered, among many more, but the biggest question of all is, why will Harvard not give straightforward answers to the American public?” she added. 

The Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in funding to the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. 

TRUMP SAYS HE’LL REVOKE HARVARD’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

In his letter, Garber listed some of the actions Harvard has taken to address issues on campus, including installing new deans and clarifying the school’s discipline structures and procedures. He noted that Harvard, like many universities, has work to do to foster intellectual diversity on campus. 

Garber also pushed back on McMahon’s claims that Harvard is a “partisan” institution. 

“I must refute your claim that Harvard is a partisan institution. It is neither Republican nor Democratic,” he wrote. “It is not an arm of any other political party or movement. Nor will it ever be. Harvard is a place to bring people of all backgrounds together to learn in an inclusive environment where ideas flourish regardless of whether they are deemed ‘conservative,’ ‘liberal,’ or something else, a place where assumptions and claims are tested and challenged, respectfully and thoughtfully, in pursuit of knowledge and truth.”

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin revealed Monday she now “loves” Pope Leo XIV after discovering his “Black” background.

Hostin had previously expressed concerns about the new pontiff on Friday after his comments referencing the “homosexual lifestyle” resurfaced. On Monday, she spoke more optimistically about Pope Leo after learning his maternal grandparents were described as “people of color” on documents, with his grandfather’s original birthplace listed as Haiti.

“There’s one other thing that’s very interesting to me because President Trump, as you remember, called Haiti a certain type of country,” Hostin said. “As it turns out, our new American pope has Haitian and Black roots! So, we actually have a Black pope, apparently. It’s a chef’s kiss for me.”

After Pope Leo was announced on Thursday, Hostin said she was “concerned” about the LGBTQ community based on a statement he made in 2012 as a bishop where he described how pop culture had fostered “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel,” including the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.”

VATICAN GOES VIRAL: TIKTOKERS FASCINATED BY POPE ELECTION

Hostin on Monday said she was more encouraged by Pope Leo based on comments from 2023 which she thought showed he had completely changed his position.  

“He said, you know, he believes what Pope Francis believed is that a church is a church for everyone. The church is very inclusive. So, I’m liking this guy a lot! I’m loving the pope,” Hostin said.

Her co-hosts Ana Navarro and Whoopi Goldberg also praised Pope Leo after he gave a speech earlier that morning voicing support for imprisoned journalists.

“He said he stands in solidarity with journalists who are imprisoned for reporting the truth and urged them to avoid ideological or partisan language. I like that. I’m digging him,” Goldberg said.

“I love that one of his first acts was to meet with journalists and defend the right of journalists to be journalists and uncover the truth,” Navarro added. “And I think it’s so timely that we have an American pope because we are going through things in this country, and it is good to show the world that not all American leaders are the same. It’s good to have an American that can denounce the things happening against immigrants here.”

NANCY PELOSI WANTS NEWLY ELECTED AMERICAN POPE LEO TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS

“And it’s good to have a Black pope,” Hostin chimed in. 

She again touted that he is a “Black pope” when other co-hosts shared their excitement about Pope Leo. 

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The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sounding the alarm on a dangerous drug referred to as “gas station heroin,” that can lead to serious harm, including death.

FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary sent a letter to his colleagues last week to draw their attention to what he called a “dangerous and growing health trend” facing the nation and young people. Makary said there is an increasing number of adverse events involving products that contain tianeptine.

Tianeptine, often called “gas station heroin,” is sold in gas stations through a variety of products, despite the drug not being approved by the FDA.

“I am very concerned,” Makary wrote. “I want the public to be especially aware of this dangerous product and the serious and continuing risk it poses to America’s youth.”

‘GAS STATION HEROIN’ IS GROWING THREAT IN NEW JERSEY, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN: ‘DANGEROUS AND ADDICTIVE’

The products are typically sold at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and online retailers, and go by names like Tianaa, ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and TD Red.

Makary said the FDA is following the distribution and sale of products that contain tianeptine but called on his colleagues to disseminate information about the drug while appreciating the magnitude of its underlying danger.

Tianeptine is licensed and marketed in some countries as an atypical antidepressant, and in countries where it is approved, the typical labeled dose to treat depression is 12.5 mg orally, three times per day, Makary said.

When higher doses are taken, they can produce euphoria. Some countries have taken steps to restrict how tianeptine is prescribed or dispensed and have even revised the labels to warn people of its potential addiction.

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In the U.S., though, tianeptine is not listed as part of the Controlled Substances Act.

The drug is often taken recreationally, though if stopped abruptly, users could experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those associated with opioid withdrawal – craving, sweating, diarrhea and more.

If tianeptine is ingested, Makary wrote, adverse events could include agitation, coma, confusion, death, drowsiness, hypertension, nausea, respiratory depression, sweating, tachycardia and vomiting.

Two years ago, New Jersey health officials warned that two products sold as dietary supplements in gas stations and online – Neptune’s Elixir and ZaZa Red – had caused a spike in illnesses.

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Between June and November 2023, there were 20 reported cases of tianeptine causing “severe clinical effects” in New Jersey, as noted in a Feb. 1 alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

In 2023, the FDA posted an alert warning of the dangers of Neptune’s Fix or any other product containing tianeptine.

“FDA has received severe adverse event reports after use of Neptune’s Fix products, including seizures and loss of consciousness leading to hospitalization,” the agency stated.

“FDA considers tianeptine to be a substance that does not meet the statutory definition of a dietary ingredient and is an unsafe food additive. The FDA is aware of several serious adverse event reports associated with tianeptine.”

On Jan. 28, 2024, Neptune Resources, LLC, the maker of Neptune’s Fix, issued a voluntary recall of its products due to the presence of tianeptine — but experts are warning that other products may also contain the drug.

Anyone who is using tianeptine or a product containing tianeptine and is experiencing withdrawal symptoms can call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency medical assistance, experts advised.

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.

WARNING: This article contains graphic images. Reader discretion is advised.

The well-preserved body of an early modern saint was put on display in Spain on Sunday, months after she was discovered “miraculously incorrupt” last year.

St. Teresa of Jesus, also called St. Teresa of Avila, was a Discalced Carmelite nun who was born in 1515 and died in 1582. This weekend, her body was put on public display in Alba de Tormes, Spain, for the first time since 1914.

Pictures show Catholics visibly taken aback by the display, which was part of the opening ceremony of public veneration, on Sunday. 

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Observers were seen covering their mouths, crying and praying at the sight of the Spanish saint.

The body of St. Teresa was dressed in a nun’s habit during the showing. Though the remains appeared mostly skeletal, certain areas appeared extremely well-preserved, including her foot.

In September, officials from the Diocese of Avila opened St. Teresa’s tomb and reported that she appeared exactly the same as when her tomb was first exhumed in 1914.

“The uncovered parts, which are the face and foot, are the same as they were in 1914,” Fr. Marco Chiesa said at the time. 

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“There is no color, there is no skin color, because the skin is mummified, but it is seen, especially in the middle of the face.”

He added, “[It] looks good. Expert doctors see Teresa’s face almost clearly.”

Researchers were also able to uncover insight into the female saint’s medical history, as she had suffered from chronic pain that eventually rendered her immobile. 

Chiesa found calcareous spines, or heel spurs, that “made walking almost impossible” for St. Teresa.

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The Catholic official said, “Sometimes, looking at a body, you discover more than the person had [spoken about].”

He added, “She walked [to] Alba de Tormes and then died, but her desire was to continue and move forward, despite the physical defects.”

In March, Spanish newspaper Salamanca RTV Al Día reported that the Discalced Carmelites received a 53-page preliminary analysis of the saint’s condition, which a professor described as “perfectly preserved.”

“The right foot, left hand, heart and left arm are perfectly preserved, with intact skin, subcutaneous tissues and muscles in place and no signs of degradation,” Italian anthropology professor Luigi Capasso said to the outlet.

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Preserved strands of brown hair were also reported by officials, though they appeared to be covered by the nun’s headdress on Sunday. 

The saint also still retains one right eyelid and a dark iris, along with nasal tissue, according to Salamanca RTV Al Día.

Officials believe that St. Teresa remained in such extraordinary condition due to the dry atmosphere of her tomb. 

Excessive moisture typically accelerates the decomposing process, and Capasso reported that he had taken care to “block any future degradation, mechanical or biological.”

“This preservation, more than 400 years after her death, transmits a serenity that reflects how she faced her departure,” the professor said. 

“It is a truly unique natural phenomenon.”

A federal judge on Monday denied an injunction request to prevent the Department of Homeland Security and Internal Revenue Service from partnering to permit U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) to access taxpayer information to locate illegal immigrants subject to deportation. 

The order by U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich came amid a lawsuit by Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and other immigrant-rights groups against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 

“Plaintiffs Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, and Inclusive Action for the City bring this action seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from sharing personal tax information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes. Before the Court is the plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction, Dkt. 28. For the reasons that follow, the Court will deny the motion.”

“At its core, this case presents a narrow legal issue: Does the Memorandum of Understanding between the IRS and DHS violate the Internal Revenue Code? It does not,” the order continued. 

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Nonprofits Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, representing immigrant workers in the Chicago area, brought the lawsuit against Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, the IRS, and Commissioner of Internal Revenue Melanie Krause, seeking to block the disclosure of personal information of taxpayers and other confidential tax records to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary of public affairs, said information shirring across all federal agencies to identify illegal immigrants is essential in order to “determine what public safety and terror threats may exist so we can neutralize them, scrub these individuals from voter rolls, as well as identify what public benefits these aliens are using at taxpayer expense.”

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the government is finally doing what it should have all along—sharing information across the federal government to solve problems,” she said. “Biden not only allowed millions of illegal aliens—including gang members, suspected terrorists, and violent criminals—to flood into our country, but he also lost them due to incompetence and improper processing.”

“Information sharing across agencies is essential to identify who is in our country and determine what public safety and terror threats may exist so we can neutralize them, scrub these individuals from voter rolls, as well as identify what public benefits these aliens are using at taxpayer expense.

 “Today’s ruling is a victory for the American people and for commonsense.”

An earlier memorandum of understanding between DHS and the IRS outlines a process to ensure that sensitive taxpayer data information is protected while allowing law enforcement to pursue criminal violations, a senior Treasury Department official said at the time the deal was reached in April. 

The deal allows DHS to ask the IRS to confirm the home addresses of illegal immigrants suspected of violating deportation orders. The IRS can share data to aid criminal investigations but is prohibited from sharing information related to civil matters, such as facilitating deportations. 

The Treasury Department is committed to protecting the privacy of law-abiding taxpayers, but a criminal exception obligates the agency to assist law enforcement, the official told Fox News Digital at the time. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the IRS, DHS and the legal team for the groups involved in the lawsuit. 

The deal would allow ICE to submit the names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS, who could then cross-check those immigrants’ tax records and provide the immigration agency with current address information.

“The Court agrees that requesting and receiving information for civil enforcement purposes would constitute a cognizable injury, but none of the organizations have established that such an injury is imminent,” Friedrich wrote. “As the plaintiffs acknowledge, the Memorandum only allows sharing information for criminal investigations.”

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As the Memorandum provides, its purpose is to establish procedures enabling “requests for addresses of persons subject to criminal investigation,” the order said. 

The agreement comes as President Donald Trump has continued to ramp up the deportation effort he promised on the campaign trail.

The Pentagon is immediately halting all gender transition treatments for transgender troops as it moves to remove them from the military, according to a new memo. 

“I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance,” Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, wrote in a memo dated May 9.

Now the Pentagon will only cover mental health and counseling for gender dysphoria. All other gender dysphoria-related treatments will be referred to the private sector. 

All scheduled and planned transgender surgeries will be canceled, but cross-sex hormone therapy for service members that began prior to the memo may be continued until they separate to prevent health complications. 

Last week, transgender troops were given between 30 and 60 days to leave or risk being removed “involuntarily.” 

PETE HEGSETH DIRECTS MILITARY ACADEMIES THAT ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS WILL BE BASED SOLELY ON MERIT

Active-duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court’s ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7. 

The development follows a Supreme Court order that allowed a previously blocked ban on transgender military service to move forward.

The Supreme Court’s decision effectively paused a lower court’s injunction, clearing the way for the Defense Department to implement the policy. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the ruling allows the department to resume policies focused on “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added in that memo that those diagnosed with or showing symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may choose to leave voluntarily. If they do not, they may face mandatory separation.

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The Supreme Court did not rule on the underlying legal arguments but allowed President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order barring transgender individuals from military service to take effect.

A lower court had temporarily blocked the policy, but Trump administration officials argued that delaying its implementation could harm operational readiness.

Officials defending the policy have said it supports the military’s need for unit cohesion, readiness, discipline and cost efficiency.

Trump’s executive order also directed the Pentagon to revise its medical standards to emphasize combat preparedness and eliminate the use of gender identity-based pronouns within the department.

The blanket ban on transgender individuals serving in the military had previously been lifted under President Barack Obama in 2014.

The latest policy shift comes as Pentagon leadership under Hegseth moves to dismantle most diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Last month, he stated that 99.9% of DEI-related policies had been removed. He also announced changes to fitness standards to ensure male and female troops are held to the same requirements for combat readiness.

A Miami football player was found to be the driver in a two-car crash that killed three people in the other vehicle, two of which were children, police said on Monday.

Linebacker Adarius Hayes was injured in the wreck, but was released from the hospital.

The people killed in the Kia Soul were aged 78, 10, and 4.

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“We are deeply saddened to learn the crash resulted in three fatalities, as confirmed by Largo Police, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those lost,” the Hurricanes said in a statement.

The school is still working to gather further information.

Another passenger in the Kia was hospitalized with serious injuries, police said.

“There were no signs of impairment with either driver of the vehicles,” Largo Police public information officer Megan Santo said in a statement distributed Sunday.

The Orlando Sentinel noted that Hayes has a history of driving citations, including several instances of speeding, and another for careless driving that resulted in a separate crash.

Hayes played in 12 games as a freshman for Miami last season, mostly on special teams. He was a four-star recruit coming out of Largo High and picked Miami after drawing interest from Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State, among others.

Largo is about 20 miles east of Tampa and about 15 miles north of St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf coast

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A Christian church is fighting a New Jersey town for attempting to seize their property, alongside other land, and turn it into a waterfront park. 

Christ Episcopal Church is fighting plans from Toms River, NJ officials to seize their church property, alongside three other town marinas, as part of the township’s plans to revitalize the downtown community. 

Bishop Sally French, in a letter to parishioners, told churchgoers that on April 30, about a day before a scheduled town meeting, officials were alerted by a concerned community member that the church’s property had been “added to a proposal for an eminent domain ordinance.” The church, which has been a part of the community for 160 years, says the action comes amid trying to build a homeless shelter on their property. 

“As a Christian leader and a resident of New Jersey, I am troubled by the township’s move to block the faithful ministry of Christ Church and their care for those in need, and I am saddened that the mayor and township council are prioritizing pickleball courts over responding to hunger and homelessness,” Bishop Sally French said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “I ask that Toms River lift the burden these proceedings have placed on our parish and diocese, and I pray that we can move forward in serving our neighbors.” 

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Republican Mayor Rodrick told Fox News Digital he feels the plan is in the best interest of the constituents because children do not have a playground in the immediate area. The town ordinance allows officials to enter into negotiations to secure the areas or acquire them by eminent domain should the church not want to sell the property.  

“We have about 20,000 residents, 5,000 households within a stone’s throw of the Episcopal church,” he said. “The property is very large, it’s a 10-acre parcel and has a tremendous amount of parking and the parking, we would never be allowed to make that much parking on a property that size anymore. It would be very difficult… so it would be great for the kids in the local area and the families in that area to have a park that they can walk to with their kids and a playground. We’re also interested in doing a skate park there.” 

Rodrick argued that the project, which he believes would benefit both residents and businesses, is part of a larger plan to “redevelop downtown” and make it more of a “destination” for residents. The agenda would “enhance business downtown” by bringing more customers to the area. 

He also spoke to Fox News Digital about how he is proud of his budget as mayor, explaining they were “DOGE before DOGE was cool” as they cut the budget from $146 million to $135 million.

The Episcopalian church has a different take on the matter, with the bishop offering her full support to the community church. 

“The people of Christ Episcopal Church have my support and gratitude for their Gospel ministry of feeding the hungry and providing shelter to unhoused people,” she said. “Jesus tells us to care for the poor and vulnerable as we would care for him, and the people of Christ Church are putting that commandment into action.” 

Should the town acquire the property, Rodrick says the church would have time to purchase another property or may choose to consolidate churches according to the church leader’s digression, pointing to there possibly being a silver lining to consolidation for the church due to the high value of the property compared to liabilities. 

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“Nationwide, the Episcopal church is in steep decline. I think they lost 40,000 members last year. A lot of these Protestant churches have seen big decreases in membership. They still have a lot of these legacy costs and pensions for their pastors that they need to make payments on and it costs a lot of money. So, if you have 75 people put $10 in, and you bring in $3,000 a month, do you know what it must cost to heat a 20,000-square-foot church? So, they could probably benefit from some consolidation and many of the smaller Protestant denominations are doing that.” 

The church is standing alongside “approximately 150 church members, community members, clergy” and others in their fight against the ordinance, according to the website.

“Christ Church Toms River is a vital resource in the community,” Mother Lisa Hoffman, rector of Christ Church in Toms River, told Fox News Digital. “Our outreach includes nearly 20 12-step meetings per week. While the members of Christ Church are disappointed with this situation, we are determined to protect our Gospel ministry.” 

As for next steps, the council has already voted four to three and “anticipates” it will pass for a second time four to three, according to the mayor.