The future of trucking rolls forward in Shell’s experimental big rig

January 13, 2025

The Shell Starship Initiative has been on an interesting journey since its inception in 2018, with a mission to redefine energy efficiency in the commercial trucking sector. Starting with diesel engines, the first two versions of the Starship made impressive strides in fuel efficiency, but now with the introduction of the Starship 3.0, we’re witnessing a remarkable shift towards sustainability. This latest iteration features the innovative Cummins X15N natural gas engine, which not only enhances performance but also significantly reduces emissions.

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Starship 3.0 (Shell) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Evolution of the Starship initiative

The Shell Starship Initiative began with a clear goal: to set new benchmarks for energy efficiency in commercial trucking. The first two versions of the Starship were powered by diesel engines, achieving notable fuel efficiencies compared to industry standards. However, the introduction of the Cummins X15N natural gas engine in the Starship 3.0 represents a pivotal shift away from diesel, addressing both environmental concerns and operational efficiency.

The X15N engine, launched in 2024, is designed specifically for heavy-duty applications and overcomes previous limitations associated with natural gas as a fuel source. It provides similar power outputs to diesel engines but does so with enhanced fuel efficiency and significantly lower emissions. This is particularly important as the trucking industry faces increasing pressure to meet stricter environmental regulations.

The future of trucking rolls forward in Shell's experimental big rig

Starship 3.0 (Shell) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Key features of Starship 3.0

The Starship 3.0 is packed with cutting-edge features that set it apart in the world of trucking. From its innovative natural gas power train to its sleek aerodynamic design, every aspect of this vehicle has been meticulously crafted to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. Let’s dive into some of the standout features that make the Starship 3.0 a game-changer for the industry.

Natural gas power train: The switch to the Cummins X15N engine allows the Starship 3.0 to operate on various forms of natural gas, including renewable natural gas. This adaptability not only enhances its eco-friendliness but also positions it as a practical option for fleets looking to transition away from traditional fuels.

Weight reduction: The new engine is approximately 500 pounds lighter than its diesel counterpart, which increases the potential freight-carrying capacity of the truck. This weight reduction is complemented by other lightweight materials used in the truck’s construction, contributing to an impressive ton-miles per gallon efficiency of 183, compared to an industry average of 72.

Aerodynamic design: The Starship 3.0 features a sleek design with curved edges and optimized aerodynamics that reduce wind resistance. Additional enhancements like low rolling resistance tires and integrated aerodynamic panels further contribute to its efficiency.

Advanced lubricants: Shell has developed specialized lubricants tailored for the higher temperatures generated by natural gas engines. The truck uses Shell Rotella NG Plus SAE 5W-30 synthetic oil, formulated specifically for this purpose, alongside advanced transmission lubricants that improve overall performance.

Real-world testing: The input from experienced truck drivers, such as brothers Brian and Eric Rector, has been invaluable in refining the Starship’s design and functionality. Their hands-on experience with all three iterations of the truck has provided critical data that informs ongoing improvements.

Starship 3.0 (Shell) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Performance metrics

The performance metrics achieved by the Starship 3.0 are impressive. It surpassed its predecessors with a freight ton efficiency that is 2.542 times better on a ton-miles per gallon basis, while also achieving an average fuel consumption of 9 mpg (diesel gallon equivalent) while hauling an industry maximum load of 80,000 pounds. Additionally, the emissions reductions associated with using renewable natural gas further enhance its environmental credentials, making it a viable option for fleets aiming for sustainability.

Starship 3.0 (Shell) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The Starship 3.0, with its innovative natural gas engine and impressive performance metrics, showcases how technology can transform the industry while addressing environmental concerns. This initiative not only sets new benchmarks for energy efficiency but also offers a practical roadmap for fleets looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Do you believe that transitioning to natural gas and other eco-friendly technologies is the key to addressing environmental challenges, or do you think there are other solutions that should be explored? Let us know what you think by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Russia and Ukraine Battle Inside Kursk, With Waves of Tanks, Drones and North Koreans

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January 13, 2025

Five months after Ukrainian forces swept across the border in the first ground invasion of Russia since World War II, the two armies are engaged in some of the most furious clashes of the war there, fighting over land and leverage in the conflict.

The intensity of the battles recalls some of the worst sieges of eastern Ukraine over the past three years, including in towns like Bakhmut and Avdiivka, names that now evoke memories of mass slaughter for soldiers on both sides.

The fighting, in the Kursk region of Russia, has taken on a layer of significance for the territory’s potential to play a role in any cease-fire negotiations. Facing the prospect of an unpredictable new U.S. president — who has vowed to end the war swiftly, without clarifying the terms — Ukraine hopes to use Russian territory as a bargaining chip.

Russia, relying on North Korean reinforcements, hopes to knock that territory out of Ukraine’s grasp.

“Here, the Russians need to take this territory at any cost, and are pouring all their strength into it, while we are giving everything we have to hold it,” said Sgt. Oleksandr, 46, a leader of a Ukrainian infantry platoon. “We’re holding on, destroying, destroying, destroying — so much that it’s hard to even comprehend.”

He and other soldiers, asking to be identified by only a first name or call sign in accordance with military protocol, said that waves of attacking North Korean infantry had made the battles far more ferocious than before.

“The situation worsened significantly when the North Koreans started arriving,” said Jr. Sgt. Oleksii, 30, a platoon leader. “They are pressuring our fronts en masse, finding weak points and breaking through them.”

Russia, with the help of an estimated 12,000 North Koreans, has retaken about half of the territory it lost over the summer. Its assaults over the past week have further eaten into the territory held by Ukraine.

But Ukrainian forces have also gone on the attack in recent days, seeking to secure an area west of Sudzha, a small town in Russia about six miles from the border that has become the anchor for Ukrainian forces, which seized about 200 square miles in August.

“If they keep pressing us and we don’t push back, the enemy will feel a sense of superiority,” said Andrii, 44, a military intelligence officer. “When someone keeps hitting you, and you don’t hit back, the attacker will feel psychologically comfortable, even relaxed.”

The Russians have largely thwarted the assault, but fighting goes on and the situation remains unpredictable, soldiers said.

The intensity of the battles could be glimpsed on the road approaching the Russian border: A steady stream of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles rolled past broken down and blown-up equipment.

Russian bombs and rockets exploded with thunderous force in border villages, and Ukrainian missiles could be seen streaking across the sky in the opposite direction.

Tens of thousands of drones hunted targets, too. They have transformed the battlefield, although Ukraine has improved its electronic warfare abilities, limiting the effectiveness of drones that rely on radio signals. Russia has now flooded the theater with drones guided by ultrathin fiber-optic cables, with a flying range of more than 10 miles.

The best current defense against them is a shotgun, Ukrainian soldiers said.

The renewed fighting comes against a deeply uncertain political backdrop. The U.S. president-elect, Donald J. Trump, spent months on the campaign trail questioning American military assistance to Ukraine. He has said he wants to bring the war to a swift end, but has not indicated how.

Russian forces have been on the offensive for more than a year in eastern Ukraine, making steady advances despite staggering losses.

With its incursion, Ukraine aims to create a buffer zone to protect hundreds of thousands of civilians in the city of Sumy, less than 20 miles from the border with Russia. Ukraine also wants to ease pressure on the eastern front by drawing Russians back onto their own land.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the campaign had sent a powerful message to the world that Ukraine can do more than play defense.

“It’s one of our wins, I think one of the biggest wins, not just last year, but throughout the war,” Mr. Zelensky said on Thursday in Germany, while meeting representatives of nations providing military support to Ukraine.

Still, some military analysts have cautioned that Ukraine’s Kursk campaign could leave its forces increasingly stretched and losing ground in its own eastern Donbas region.

Many soldiers fighting in Kursk believe that the painful losses in eastern Ukraine would have been even worse without their campaign.

“We have to understand the Russians use their most elite soldiers and best reserves in this area,” said Capt. Oleksandr Shyrshyn, 30, a battalion commander in the 47th Mechanized Brigade. “Considering what they could be doing in other parts of Ukraine, it is good.”

He was still bleary-eyed after a battle, a few days earlier, to thwart a large Russian assault.

The Russians attacked Ukrainian positions in six waves, employing more than 50 tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles.

While dozens of enemy soldiers were killed and injured and a large amount of the Russian equipment destroyed, Captain Shyrshyn said, the Russians advanced a couple of miles.

“When the first wave comes, we focus on it, deal with it, and then the next one comes,” he said. There is no time to redirect artillery or other resources as the next wave moves in from a different line of attack.

“We fall behind,” he said. “Then the next wave comes, and one of them manages to reach the required section and accomplish its task.”

It remains difficult, he said, to see how so many in the West view the war in Ukraine like a video game and refuse to see the threat Russia poses to the world.

He acknowledged the decline in Ukrainian morale over nearly three years of war, but said most soldiers still understood why they must fight. “Stopping will mean our death, that’s all,” he said.

North Korea’s entry into the war, some Ukrainian soldiers said, should alarm European nations and their allies.

The North Korean troops have fought as a disciplined, dedicated and fearless force, they said, typically moving in large formations on foot, even through minefields while under heavy artillery fire and being stalked by drones. The Ukrainian authorities on Saturday said that their forces captured two North Korean soldiers and that they were the first to be taken alive so far.

Sgt. Oleksandr, the platoon leader, said the carnage in Kursk was as terrifying as anything he had witnessed since joining the army in 2014.

“You look and can’t fully grasp where you are, seeing every day how many people we destroy,” he said.

He compared it with Bakhmut, when machine gunners had to be regularly replaced because they could not handle the pace of killing. “After two hours of laying down so many people, they couldn’t take it mentally,” he said.

“It’s the same here now,” he said, sharing a cellphone video showing the aftermath of a recent assault. The field was littered with bodies, torn and twisted and piled in ways that made it hard to count the dead.

“The worst is for the infantry,” he said. “When you’re sitting there, and they’re coming at you, and everything is flying at you.”

Anastasia Kuznietsova contributed reporting.

What changes to elections pro-Trump conservatives want now : NPR

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January 13, 2025

Cleta Mitchell, head of the Election Integrity Network, speaks during a May 2024 news conference outside the U.S. Capitol to introduce the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who’s at left.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

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Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

For Donald Trump and his supporters, concerns about election administration quickly dissipated once it became clear he would win the 2024 presidential election, and in surveys since, most Republican voters say the election was run well.

But for the wing of the Republican Party that has been pushing sweeping election reform since the 2020 contest, the work continues.

On Jan. 3, the day the new Republican-led Congress was sworn in, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, reintroduced legislation aimed at stopping noncitizens from voting in federal elections — something that is already illegal and which research has universally shown rarely happens.

The bill, dubbed the SAVE Act, would add new proof-of-citizenship requirements to voter registration that experts say could disenfranchise scores of eligible voters.

It was one of the first bills introduced in the 119th Congress, a sign that what supporters call election integrity policy remains a key part of the GOP agenda, even after Trump’s win.

“American elections belong to American citizens, and the public’s confidence in those elections is the cornerstone of our republic,” Roy said in a statement about the bill.

While Trump’s win in a high-turnout election has led some experts to wonder if conservatives would embrace broader voter access, the legislation and other proposals make it clear that activists will continue to push to make voting more restrictive.

Voters take a selfie after casting ballots at Edsel Ford High School on Nov. 5 in Dearborn, Mich.

An early voting site is seen in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday. Ahead of this year's general election, Donald Trump and Republican allies have zeroed in on the baseless claim that Democrats are encouraging newly arrived migrants to vote for them.

A key architect of those restrictive policies is Cleta Mitchell, a conservative elections attorney who has built a national grassroots election integrity network largely made up of Trump supporters motivated by his 2020 election lies and more recently narratives pushed by him and others last year about widespread noncitizen voting.

NPR acquired audio of an elections panel Mitchell led in December for state lawmakers at a meeting of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which is a conservative organization that helps draft state-level legislation. The recording was provided to NPR by the nonprofit investigative watchdog group Documented.

“We’re going to begin a real effort [in 2025] to educate state legislatures and legislators, as well as members of Congress, to identify the problems,” Mitchell said during the panel’s introduction. “We’re going to be talking … about the things that need to be done to restore voter confidence.”

Throughout the hour-long panel, no one on stage noted that people by and large trusted the election results this cycle.

“Fear is a very effective tool to generate support for policy change,” said Ron Hayduk, an expert on noncitizen voting at San Francisco State University. “So despite all the evidence of the contrary, [Republicans have] many reasons to keep these narratives alive.”

In an email to NPR, Mitchell said election integrity “is about the election process — not just one election.”

“We want election systems in which the great majority of voters trust the results every election, even if they don’t like the outcome, because they are persuaded that the process is lawful and that it is transparent so the voters can be confident that the results are accurate,” she said.

She added that the reason 2024 was trustworthy was because people, like those associated with her group, were watching election officials closer this time around.

Cleta Mitchell’s policy priorities

Noncitizen voting will continue to be the central focus of election integrity efforts in 2025.

Mitchell has been circulating a policy document laying out her goals, which include major access changes like eliminating all early voting and same-day voter registration, but the first bullet point is making sure “only US citizens participate in US Elections.”

People wait in line to vote in the Georgia's primary election on May 24, 2022, in Atlanta.

There has never been evidence of widespread noncitizen voting, but Hayduk says the false narrative has been around more than 100 years and it combines multiple helpful ideas for the right.

“It keeps immigrants in the news as public enemy No. 1,” Hayduk said. “But most importantly, it is a basis to enact legislation that for the foreseeable future hampers the capacity to vote of a whole set of constituents that tend to line up with Democrats.”

Most Americans, on both sides of the aisle, feel only U.S. citizens should vote in American elections. But surveys have shown that legislation requiring proof-of-citizenship documents like a birth certificate or passport to register to vote would probably have a disproportionate impact on eligible citizens of color as well as registered Democrats and independents, versus Republicans.

A focus on officials who oversee voting

In another part of the ALEC panel, Mitchell said she wants to push back against election officials who go out of their way to make voting more accessible or who actively work to register new voters.

“Here is something I think that we need to make clear to election administrators: Your job is to administer the elections according to the law and to treat every voter and group of voters the same,” Mitchell said. “Your job is not voter turnout.”

Every moment an official is spending on turnout, she added, is a moment not being spent cleaning voter rolls and making sure only eligible people are voting.

Sharon Bemis, the managing director of Mitchell’s Election Integrity Network, also urged the lawmakers in attendance to fight any legislation in their states that adds new protections for election workers. Numerous states passed such protections in the wake of 2020 and the surge of threats that followed Trump’s lies.

The panelists all seemed to agree, however, that the threat environment for election officials was overblown by the media.

“I think you’ll find in your states that it’s unfounded if you ask for police reports,” Bemis said. “I think you’ll find that it’s very rare.”

It is true that not all election officials have faced threats — law enforcement has said they’re concentrated in swing states — but officials across the political spectrum agree election workers face more harassment and pressure now than before 2020.

Pairs of election workers from different political parties open and inspect mail ballot envelopes inside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Still, Bemis told lawmakers to help with “shutting down the threat narrative” by “not passing bills that specifically call out election administrators for being attacked.” Bemis and Mitchell say election officials don’t need more protections from harassment or threats than other people.

Panelists also discussed working to expand the role of local election boards in the certification process and tightening voting access for overseas Americans, both controversial topics that came up a lot as the 2024 election neared.

Watch for action at the state level

The federal SAVE Act could have a hard time getting past the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, but restrictive policy initiatives may have more success in Republican-led states.

“Obviously we hope that there will be some federal election reform … but we can’t count on that,” Heather Honey, a Pennsylvania election activist who works with Mitchell, told state lawmakers during the ALEC panel. “So states have to take this opportunity to modernize the laws.”

Proof-of-citizenship requirements specifically could, however, take states into murky legal territory.

Kansas’ effort to institute a proof-of-citizenship law a decade ago was ruled unconstitutional after a lengthy and politically damaging legal battle, and Arizona is now forced to maintain separate registration lists for federal and state elections due to a court ruling about its law. New Hampshire also passed a citizenship documentation requirement last year that is facing legal challenge.

Election officials usually say noncitizen voting has never been shown to be a real issue, so there’s no need for further tightening on top of the current system, which requires would-be voters to attest to their citizenship. If a noncitizen illegally registers and votes, they risk arrest and they potentially eliminate the chance they will ever become a U.S. citizen.

More broadly, it remains to be seen just how busy 2025 will be when it comes to election legislation.

The last year following a presidential year, 2021, was historically packed, as states rushed to either codify or roll back COVID-era voting changes. And off-federal election years are generally the best time to pass new voting changes because officials have more time to implement them, says Roy Blunt, a former secretary of state and Republican U.S. senator from Missouri.

This year could potentially be an especially productive time for legislators, he said, as tensions about voting seem to be easing a bit.

“It’s given us a little reprieve here of being skeptical about every election, every time,” said Blunt, who is now an executive fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “It’s a good time to say, ‘what in our state law prevents us from doing things as well as we’d like to do them?'”

An open question is how much sway advocates like Mitchell, who want wholesale reforms versus incremental tweaks, will have in those negotiations.

JASON CHAFFETZ: Five keys to Biden’s failed presidency | Fox News

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January 13, 2025

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As he leaves office next week, President Biden will primarily be remembered for his astounding incompetence. As a new generation of officeholders from both parties battles the devastating consequences of his failed leadership, his destructive impact on his own party, agenda and voters will cast a long shadow.

Among the myriad failures, five stand out as a cautionary tale for future leaders.

Breathtaking dishonesty

Even in the corrupt world of politics, Biden stood out for his obvious lack of integrity. His administration will be synonymous with gaslighting and influence-peddling.

President Biden failed on the basic principles of presidential leadership. Our enemies did not fear us. Our allies took advantage of us. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

He lied about small things – like graduating in the top half of his law school class or leadership in the civil rights movement. He lied about personal things – like falsely claiming his son died in Iraq, and that members of his family were killed by a drunken driver.

WHY WE MUST EXPOSE THE CRIMINAL FRAUD OF THOSE BEHIND BIDEN’S DISASTROUS PRESIDENCY

He lied about blatantly obvious things, like inflation rates, student loan forgiveness and his promise not to pardon his son’s many crimes. He lied about matters of global significance – like the border being secure, the Afghanistan withdrawal being a success, and his own direct involvement in his family’s influence peddling.

Nothing from his administration could be trusted – not even the jobs numbers.

He was an absentee president

He governed the way he campaigned in 2020 – from the figurative basement. We seldom saw him. He would occasionally choose to bloviate on some issue to propagate a narrative, but he seldom took questions.

THE THREAT FROM RADICAL ISLAM IS NOW INSIDE OUR GATES. BIDEN IGNORED IT. TRUMP MUST ACT

He rarely interacted with the media and when he did, it was with a pre-scripted select few. His incessant vacations rarely appeared to involve any actual work. He demonstrated little familiarity with facts.

It is unclear to what degree he was even engaged in making decisions. He spent roughly 40% of his time away from the White House.

He demonstrated no leadership

He failed on the basic principles of presidential leadership. Our enemies did not fear us. Our allies took advantage of us. Our bureaucracy was weaponized against us.

BIDEN KEEPS INSULTING AMERICANS WITH LAST MINUTE MOVES. REPUBLICANS CAN STOP IT

Biden made no attempt to bridge political divides. The justification for his candidacy was his knowledge of Washington and his promise to unite. There is no evidence any success bringing the country together.

Rather than laying the groundwork for a prosperous future, he spent his political capital going after his political opposition. Most destructive to his party was his failure to lay the groundwork for a new generation of Democratic leadership.

Biden seen delivering a speech in Philadelphia while flanked by Marines

President Biden deliverd a speech in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia on Sept. 1, 2022, that was criticized as dark and divisive. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

He embraced policies that don’t work

Even a great leader could not succeed on an agenda that imports rampant criminality, maintains unprecedented spending levels, pursues economically devastating energy policies, and prioritizes foreign aid over American prosperity.

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If Democrats have policy ideas that actually work, Biden apparently never embraced them. Immigration, crime, foreign policy, woke policies and, of course, the economy all failed and were rejected resoundingly by the voters four years later.

He sabotaged our future

Biden will be remembered for looting the treasury on his way out the door.

In an undercover video, one EPA adviser described Biden’s approach to climate initiatives as “throwing gold bars off the Titanic” – a metaphor we are likely to find described most of government in the waning days of the Biden administration.

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In a petty effort to sabotage his successor, Biden has locked in regulations that prevent offshore drilling, commit the United States to costly climate initiatives, obligate us in long-term international conflicts, flood the country will millions who are here illegally, and embed loyalists in the bureaucracy while ensuring many didn’t need to come into the office in the next five years. These efforts not only undermine the future administration, they undermine American prosperity.

As bad as it all looks now, the generational impacts of Biden’s failures will etch his legacy of failure in stone.

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Confirmation hearings for President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks begin Tuesday

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January 13, 2025

As a Republican-controlled Senate prepares to hold confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet picks, NPR asks Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Report which proceedings she’ll be watching closely.

Prince William ‘under pressure’ to save monarchy after ‘brutal’ year: expert

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January 13, 2025

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As King Charles continues his battle with cancer, his heir, Prince William, is preparing to be the future monarch – and no one will get in his way.

British royal expert Hilary Fordwich made the claim, saying that the Prince of Wales feels the future of “The Firm” looming over his head.

“Prince William is dedicated to duty, as imbued in him by Queen Elizabeth II, who tutored him every Sunday regarding his royal duties,” Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “He’s also under huge generational pressure since the increasing public popularity of the monarchy ranks highest for both him and Princess Catherine.”

PRINCE WILLIAM CELEBRATES KATE MIDDLETON’S 43RD BIRTHDAY WITH RARE MOVE AS HE DECLARES HIS LOVE

Prince William, the elder son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, is heir to the British throne. (Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace via Getty Images)

Fordwich also claimed that Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are “wary of his wrath.”

“Harry’s whinge fest ‘Spare,’ with its acerbic accusations against the royal family, particularly his denigration of the Princess of Wales, rendered it the ‘final straw’ as William told those around him,” Fordwich claimed.

She noted that William feels he and his wife were “bitterly attacked” in Harry’s tell-all. As for the disgraced Duke of York, William believes he “has put the family in jeopardy” over his controversial ties to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

From Left: Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the annual Remembrance Sunday memorial on November 12, 2017, in London, England. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

“As a millennial, he won’t and can’t risk public association with disastrous members of the family who merely serve as distractions from public duty,” Fordwich added.

Fordwich’s claims came shortly after sources told In Touch that the father of three has been putting his foot down when it comes to decisions about the monarchy’s future.

“It’s no secret that anyone who pushes back against him will be swiftly shown the door,” a palace insider told the outlet. “He’s not willing to take any nonsense, and the word is he’s already on his way to being the toughest ruler the family has ever seen.”

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Prince William touching King Charles' crown on his head.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, touches the St Edward’s Crown on his father’s head during the coronation ceremony inside Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023, in London, England. (Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Sources also claimed to the outlet that William has “never been more influential” than he has been in recent months. The 42-year-old, they said, isn’t shying away from “making decisions that he feels will benefit the Crown in the long run.”

“I talk to people close to him who say he is very tough to work with and relentless in his desires to achieve,” said royal expert Ian Pelham Turner. “He does not suffer fools gladly.”

“It has often been said that King Charles finds it very hard to make decisions, especially about his two sons and how to deal with Harry,” said Pelham Turner. “William is far more forthright, like his grandfather Prince Philip, who would push people out of the way if they stood in front of him. . . . He is extremely ambitious.”

Kate Middleton smiling as King Charles waves

King Charles III and Kate Middleton were diagnosed with cancer in 2024. (Karwai Tang/Getty Images)

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that William is determined to revamp the monarchy’s reputation. Last year proved to be a “brutal” one for the prince, as he admitted, due to his family’s health saga.

Both Charles and his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton were diagnosed with cancer in 2024. In September, the Princess of Wales announced that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.

“Prince William is only too aware that the royal family has taken a battering over the past few years, from members of his family creating unnecessary chaos, family illness and the negative buzz surrounding royal finances,” Chard explained.

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Prince Harry and Prince William looking at each other in matching suits

Prince Harry’s relationship with his older brother Prince William is said to be nonexistent. (Getty Images)

“The last year has been the hardest in his life,” she said. “Yet, he has emerged with renewed energy and purpose. Prince William is very much a self-assured family man. He is also redefining his role as the future heir to the throne. With his revamped relaxed image, he continues to help people through charitable service, using his platform for meaningful good.”

“He supports King Charles, carrying out state and national duties regularly,” Chard continued. “He has surprisingly taken to the role like a duck to water, commanding center stage at every event.

“His future role as king is in sight. However, he doesn’t believe all his father’s tenets are gospel. He is his own man and wishes to show a more modern, encompassing face to the monarchy.”

WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON, PRINCE WILLIAM ‘PLANNING THEIR LEGACY AMID ‘ENDGAME’

Sources claimed to In Touch that William is “seizing” more power from King Charles.

But experts told Fox News Digital that the king is happily letting his eldest son take over the reins.

Prince William standing behind his father, King Charles III, at Queen Elizabeth's funeral, in September 2022.

British royal expert Hilary Fordwich claimed that King Charles is “relieved and delighted” that Prince William “has taken such a dutiful, dedicated approach to the monarchy.” (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

“King Charles is purported to be both relieved and delighted that Prince William has taken such a dutiful, dedicated approach to the monarchy,” said Fordwich. “He’s not the playboy of many past Princes of Wales, ancestors of his who didn’t either take the role seriously and/or were seriously dedicated to the debauchery.”

Sources believe that with the king, 76, continuing his cancer treatment, William has acknowledged that “his time to rule will be sooner, rather than later.”

Chard said that William’s goal is to improve the family’s image.

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Prince Andrew has been attempting to keep a low profile after his controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein came to light. (Steve Parsons/Getty Images)

“He is making strategic decisions that will benefit the crown,” said Chard. “He values loyalty and will not allow anybody to further tarnish the family name. The Sussexes and Prince Andrew, and in fact, anyone who oversteps the mark, will be kept at a distance.”

“Prince William is currently working towards a cull of unnecessary royal family expenditure and achieving sustainability in general,” Chard shared. “The Sovereign Grant is set to go up by nearly $56 million.

“The royal family must show value for [that] money. He is alerted to the fact the public is calling for more financial transparency. Prince William shows strength of character as he steers the ever-evolving monarchy into clear waters.”

Queen Elizabeth II with Prince William and Kate Middleton

Prince William was trained by Queen Elizabeth II. England’s longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96. (Geoff Pugh/Getty Images)

Fordwich added that William wants to be seen as a “hands-on” king who makes positive changes to the UK. His charities and causes — from mental health to the environment — have given hints of what sort of monarch he might one day be.

“One can look at projects he’s leaned into so far, such as the Earthshot Prize, his aim to reduce homelessness within five years . . . as well as other programs regarding mental health issues,” said Fordwich.

A close-up of Prince William looking serious in a dark blazer and blue shirt with a red pin.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, is seen here in Cape Town, South Africa on November 7, 2024. During his visit, the Prince of Wales attended the fourth annual Earthshot Prize Awards and engaged in various environmental initiatives. (Chris Jackson – Pool/Getty Images)

William previously shared that he and his wife, 43, are “committed to service.”

“For us, that’s not telling people what to do,” he said. “It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they think best.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

With South Korea in Crisis, Eight Justices Will Decide President’s Fate

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January 13, 2025

For six weeks, South Korea has lurched through its worst political crisis in decades, throwing the resilience of the country’s democracy into question. On Tuesday, it takes the biggest step toward a resolution, when the Constitutional Court begins deliberating whether to remove or reinstate the country’s impeached president.

The eight justices on the court will be the final arbiters on the fate of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and suspended from office on Dec. 14 by the National Assembly for his short-lived declaration of martial law 11 days earlier.

The stakes are high. Rival groups of citizens have rallied for weeks, some in front of the court, either calling for Mr. Yoon’s ouster or demanding his return to office. Hard-liners on both sides have warned of “civil war” if the court does not rule in their favor.

If Mr. Yoon is removed, it will be another crushing blow to the country’s conservative camp: He will be the third conservative president in a row to be ousted, imprisoned or both before or after their term ended.

But if the deeply unpopular leader is allowed to return to office, it could set a precedent for future leaders to use martial law as a political tool, said Ha Sang-eung, a professor of political science at Sogang University in Seoul.

“I wonder what other democracies around the world would think of that happening in South Korea,” Mr. Ha said.

Mr. Yoon has vowed to triumph at the Constitutional Court. But his lawyers have said he will not attend the first hearing on Tuesday, citing fears that criminal investigators might try to detain him for questioning on insurrection charges if he leaves his fortified residence in central Seoul. His absence is expected to cut the Tuesday hearing short. But the court can proceed with its deliberations from the second hearing, set for Thursday — with or without him.

“President Yoon will defend himself at court as often as is necessary,” said his lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun.

Mr. Yoon’s martial law lasted only six hours after being voted down by lawmakers in the opposition-led National Assembly. But his attempt to put South Korea under military rule for the first time in four decades has unleashed a prolonged political uncertainty in a key ally of the United States, which has expressed concern over Mr. Yoon’s move.

While Mr. Yoon faces a parallel criminal investigation on charges of insurrection, the focus for resolving his presidency now shifts to the Constitutional Court: Its decision could help dispel some of that uncertainty, or it could add to the turmoil if its decision angers the public.

As the country’s political polarization has deepened in recent years, the court has handled a growing number of cases only it can settle: officials, prosecutors and judges impeached by the National Assembly. Mr. Yoon is the third South Korean president in the past two decades to be impeached.

In 2004, President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached by the National Assembly for violating election law, but he was reinstated by the court, which ruled that his offense was not serious enough. In 2017, the court ousted Park Geun-hye, another impeached president, for corruption and abuse of power.

“When the country is drifting without a skipper or without knowing who the skipper is, the Constitutional Court sets it back on course,” said Jung Ji Ung, a lawyer and president of a bar association for Gyeonggi, the populous province that surrounds Seoul.

South Korea has a separate Supreme Court, but it created the Constitutional Court in 1987 as the ultimate interpreter of its Constitution. Located in Seoul’s quiet old town, the court has often attracted rival activists holding banners and loudspeakers when it neared historic verdicts.

In 2005, it abolished a centuries-old practice of allowing children to adopt only their father’s family name. In 2009, it voted against a ban on nighttime protest rallies, allowing citizens to gather after hours to express their grievances, as they have in recent months for and against Mr. Yoon. In 2015, the court decriminalized adultery. In 2019, it struck down a 66-year-old law that made abortion a crime punishable by up to two years in prison.

As the number of impeachment cases grows, the court has become more politically important and so have its nine justices, who each serve a term of six years. Three are chosen by the president, three by the chief justice of the Supreme Court and three by the political parties.

The current court has eight justices, and one vacancy. Two were selected by Mr. Yoon and his party; three by the former and current Supreme Court chief justices; and three by Mr. Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in, and his Democratic Party, the current opposition.

Mr. Yoon can be removed from office if six or more justices agree he should be, but he might not be able to rely on partisanship in the court to save him. In the past, the justices have not always voted based on who backed their appointments: The court ruled unanimously to remove Ms. Park, even though some of them had been appointed by her or her party.

The court’s ruling will depend on the gravity of any constitutional and legal offenses found to be committed by Mr. Yoon, said Bang Seung-Ju, a professor at Hanyang University School of Law in Seoul. It will also weigh whether a decision not to expel him would pose a greater disadvantage to the constitutional order and national interest than would his removal, such as by furthering political instability, he said.

Prosecutors to the court are appointed by the National Assembly and say that Mr. Yoon committed insurrection when he sent armed troops into the Assembly, ordering them to seize the parliament and detain his political enemies. Since he took office in 2022, Mr. Yoon has been locked in a standoff with the National Assembly, which he called “a den of criminals” when justifying his martial law decree.

Mr. Yoon also violated the Constitution by banning all political activities and placing the news media under military control, prosecutors say.

State prosecutors have already arrested a former defense minister and several military generals on charges of helping Mr. Yoon commit insurrection. Mr. Yoon ordered the generals to break down the doors at the National Assembly, “by shooting if necessary,” and “drag out” lawmakers, the prosecutors said.

Mr. Yoon Kab-keun, the president’s lawyer, called those testimonies “corrupted.”

But legal analysts including Noh Hee-bum, a former research judge at the Constitutional Court, expect the court to unseat Mr. Yoon as early as February, in order to help ease the country’s political uncertainty and because there is enough evidence against him.

“It’s a matter of time,” Mr. Noh said.

Is your favorite pop star spreading propaganda?

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January 13, 2025

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter-themed NFL halftime show performance showcased Black Americana, and drew in millions of viewers, but it left some viewers asking: Is she America’s greatest propagandist? And which version of America is she promoting?

Brittany Luse is joined by music and Black feminism scholar Daphne A. Brooks and mass communication historian Nick Cull, to unpack what is and isn’t propaganda, and how we can sift through political messaging to be more savvy consumers of media.

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Priscilla Presley remembers late daughter Lisa Marie on 2-year anniversary of her death

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January 13, 2025

Priscilla Presley at 2024 Emmys

Priscilla Presley walks the red carpet at the 2024 Emmy Awards, where her granddaughter, Riley Keough, was nominated for her role in “Daisy Jones & the Six.”

Priscilla Presley and granddaughter Riley Keough remembered Lisa Marie Presley on the two-year anniversary of her death.

Lisa Marie, the only daughter of Elvis Presley and wife Priscilla, died on Jan. 12, 2023, due to a small bowel obstruction, according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s office. She was 54.

Presley shared an image of Lisa Marie on Instagram with “You Were Always on My Mind” playing in the background, a song originally made famous by the “King of Rock and Roll” in 1972.

LISA MARIE PRESLEY SAYS ELVIS CAUSED ‘NERVOUSNESS’ AMONG STAFF DURING PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough honored Lisa Marie Presley on the second anniversary of her death. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin)

“I miss you more than words can say,” Priscilla wrote online. “I wish I could hold you, talk to you, see your smile just one more time.

LISA MARIE PRESLEY ‘HAD A SENSE’ ELVIS WOULD DIE THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS PASSING, DAUGHTER RILEY KEOUGH SAYS

“I wish you could see how much you are still loved, how deeply you are missed by all of us who carry you in our hearts.”

Lisa Marie’s daughter, actress Riley Keough, shared a screenshot of a FaceTime call with her late mom and included a heart emoji toward the bottom.

“I wish you could see how much you are still loved, how deeply you are missed by all of us who carry you in our hearts.”

— Priscilla Presley

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Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough screenshot FaceTime call.

Actress Riley Keough shared a memory of her mother, above, on the two-year anniversary of her death. (Instagram/Riley Keough)

Lisa Marie, a singer-songwriter, had a half brother, Navarone Garibaldi, from Priscilla’s 20-year relationship with Marco Garibaldi.

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“Can’t believe it’s been 2 years. Sending love and thinking of you today,” Garibaldi wrote on Instagram. “People seem to love to judge or have an opinion on our relationship but I do truly miss the good times we had. When things were harmonious things were great.

“It unfortunate that I even have to bring up the unharmonious times… but ya know somebody’s gonna say something negative (and probably still will anyway) about something I said one time … but anyway. I love you and miss you sis. Much love.”

Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough posing together

Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough mourned the loss of Lisa Marie Presley on Sunday. (Eric Charbonneau)

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In addition to Riley, Lisa Marie is survived by twins Harper and Finley, who she co-parented with their father, Michael Lockwood. Lisa Marie and Michael were married for 11 years before their divorce was finalized in 2021.

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An autopsy showed the singer experienced a small bowel obstruction, leading to her death in 2023. The obstruction was a common complication from a bariatric surgery procedure Lisa Marie had undergone.

The report noted she had been complaining of stomach pain earlier in the day.

Elvis and Priscilla Presley with their newborn daughter Lisa Marie

Lisa Marie was the only daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. (Michael Ochs Archives)

Lisa Marie Presley memorialized at Graceland

Lisa Marie Presley died on Jan. 12, 2023, at the age of 54. (Christopher Polk)

Lisa Marie was buried next to her son, Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide in 2020, and her famous father at Graceland, the family estate in Memphis, Tennessee.

When Lisa Marie was 9 years old, her father died of a heart attack linked to his drug use at his Graceland mansion in 1977.

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Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to [email protected].

Alleged California wildfire looters all from ‘out of town’

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January 13, 2025

The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) recently released the identities of nearly a dozen attempted burglary suspects within Palisades Fire evacuation zones in Santa Monica, none of whom live in the town, police said.

Six of the 10 suspects were in possession of “burglary tools,” according to officials. All traveled to the disaster area from out of town.

The department has arrested 39 people in evacuation zones since the start of the Palisades Fire, SMPD told Fox News.

Those not charged with attempted burglary were picked up for curfew violations, drug possession, warrants, parole and probation violations and other charges.

LOOTERS POSING AS FIRE OFFICIALS, UTILITY WORKERS TO RANSACK ABANDONED LA HOMES

From left, Joshua Kaliel Love, Miguel Angel Dorantes, Gabriel Asaih Stokes and Dominic Pachecomanga were four of 10 suspects charged with burglary within the Palisades Fire evacuation zones in Santa Monica. (Santa Monica Police Department)

None of the 39 arrested are from Santa Monica, officials said.

One of the burglary suspects, Joshua Kaliel Love, 29, ran from officers and was caught with a dagger, window-breaking tool, mask, gloves and narcotics, according to police. He was on probation at the time of his arrest.

LAPD RESPONDS TO KAMALA HARRIS’ CALIFORNIA HOME IN PALISADES FIRE EVACUATION ZONE, 2 MEN DETAINED: REPORTS

Two other burglary suspects, Dominic Pachecomanga, 18, and Miguel Angel Dorantes, 22, were traveling in a van without ID and had gloves, burglary tools, dark clothing, ski masks and large tote bags, officials said.

Palisades Fire burning in the Los Angeles area

This view shows burned properties after the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 10, 2025. (REUTERS/Daniel Cole)

Pachecomanga and Dorantes allegedly had the Watch Duty app, which tracks fire and evacuation zones, opened on their phones, according to police.

Gabriel Isaih Stokes, 27, was arrested after a plate reader marked the car he was driving in Santa Monica as a stolen vehicle, according to the department. He was found with a stolen California ID, other fake IDs, burglary tools, a black beanie and ski mask and large bags, police said.

Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor’s fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025. (AP/Jae C. Hong)

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Stokes was previously charged with burglary, robbery and grand theft, officials said.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

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