Having well-developed thigh muscles can significantly lower the risk of falls and injury.
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For those over the age of 60, reassessing thigh strength becomes crucial. At this stage of life, muscle decline accelerates, and your thighs are no exception. Strengthening the quadriceps and hamstrings, the key muscles in your thighs, is essential for enhancing balance and improving how you walk. Furthermore, it substantially reduces the likelihood of falls and injuries.
Dr. Gabriela Van Sickle, PT, DPT, CFMT, WCS, Co-Founder of Functional Physical Therapy, emphasizes, “Pay special attention to the quadriceps at the front of the thigh since they play a vital role in almost every functional activity—whether that’s standing up from a chair, walking up stairs, strolling, or recovering from trips to prevent falls. Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, often impacts the quadriceps, which makes them vital for maintaining independence.” She adds, “But don’t neglect the hamstrings at the back of the thigh, as they are crucial for controlling walking, supporting the knees, and providing power when climbing stairs. Meanwhile, hip adductors (inner thigh muscles) and hip abductors (outer hip muscles) aid in pelvic stability and balance, while the gluteal muscles complement the thigh muscles in absorbing force and managing movement.”
Your thighs are central to your mobility, assisting in walking, running, standing, and rising from a sitting position. They play a crucial role in getting you to your destination. Hence, prioritizing thigh muscle strength should be integral to your fitness regimen.
We consulted with Dr. Van Sickle to learn effective techniques for fortifying your thighs. Below, you’ll find five chair exercises designed to enhance thigh strength more efficiently than lunges for those over 60.
“While lunges are an excellent exercise, they’re not the best starting point for many adults over 60. Lunges require good balance, coordination, hip mobility, ankle mobility, and joint control. If someone isn’t ready for that level of demand, they often compensate with poor movement patterns or avoid the exercise altogether,” explains Dr. Van Sickle. “Chair-based exercises allow people to safely build strength through a larger range of motion while minimizing fall risk. Once strength improves, they can progress to standing exercises like squats, step-ups, and eventually lunges.”
Now, let’s dive in.
Jordan Walker Secures Dramatic Victory Over Kyle Schwarber in Home Run Derby Finale
Jordan Walker’s season of establishing himself as a powerhouse seemed to reach an exhilarating peak during Monday’s Home Run Derby.
Despite starting the event with the third-longest odds to claim victory, Walker triumphed in a thrilling showdown, edging out Kyle Schwarber 12-11 in the finals held at Citizens Bank Ballpark.
With this impressive feat, Walker became the first Cardinal to ever win the Derby, much to the chagrin of Phillies fans who had anticipated a clear win by Schwarber. Their hopes were dashed with each Walker ball that failed to make it out of the park, only to be reignited when he managed to turn the tide.
In a nail-biting conclusion, Walker needed a streak of six consecutive home runs with only one more swing left to take the title—and he delivered. His three home runs during the bonus round sealed his unforgettable victory.
The Cardinals star needed to hit six home runs in a row, with just one swing left, and did just that. He hit three home runs in the bonus round to clinch the victory.
Hitters can keep swinging until the make an out on their final attempt.
Walker tied Willson Contreras for the lead with 13 home runs in the first round before hitting six home runs on eight swings in the semifinals, advancing while still leaving seven swings on the board.
The View’s Sunny Hostin Responds as Son Faces Trespassing Charges: What’s Next?
Sunny Hostin, a familiar face on The View, reportedly invoked her high-profile position during a police encounter involving her son. The incident emerged after her 24-year-old son, Gabriel Hostin, received a trespassing citation in New York last month.
According to The New York Post, Gabriel was spotted jogging along Metro-North tracks, flagrantly disregarding visible ‘no trespassing’ signs. This violation caught the attention of security personnel.
When officers sought to address the situation with Gabriel, Hostin engaged with them via phone. It’s alleged she brought up her association with the renowned talk show, The View, during this conversation.
A source relayed to the outlet that the officers intended only to discuss the trespassing issue with Gabriel. However, the situation reportedly escalated when Hostin intervened, questioning their reasons for stopping her son and speaking with him.
In an effort to assert her influence, Hostin is said to have asked the police if they recognized her, preceding her declaration, “I am Sunny Hostin, I am on The View,” as per the source quoted.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Hostin’s representatives for comment.
Sunny Hostin, 57, reportedly referenced her job on The View and asked police officers if they knew who she was, after her son was cited with a trespassing violation in New York last month
The TV star’s son, Gabriel Hostin, 24, was caught jogging along MTA tracks and ignoring ‘no trespassing’ signs, according to The New York Post; Pictured with her son
Gabriel was reportedly stopped on June 16 near 24 Station Plaza in New Rochelle, New York, after he was seen ‘on the right-of-way of the active railroad tracks, in violation of the posted no trespassing signs.’
The Harvard University graduate is set to appear in New Rochelle court on July 31.
Hostin, a former federal prosecutor and lawyer, is listed as her son’s attorney.
Ahead of his court date, Hostin wrote a letter to Westchester Assistant District Attorney Amanda Greene, the prosecutor on her son’s case, asking the case to be dismissed.
‘My client is a 2025 Harvard University graduate with no criminal history or prior contact with the criminal justice system,’ she wrote in the letter, obtained by TMZ.
‘He is an avid runner and former Junior Olympian track athlete who was in the area training. When jogging, he observed what appeared to be a gravel incline that could be used for hill training,’ she went on.
‘Although there was a gate at the entrance of the gravel incline, the gates were standing open. The only “No Trespassing” sign was affixed to the left gate and, because the gates were open, it was not visible to my client as he entered the property,’ she claimed.
‘He reasonably believed the area was accessible and had no intention of entering private property unlawfully.’
The View co-host spoke to officers on the scene over the phone, before allegedly name-dropping the show. ‘She said I am Sunny Hostin, I am on The View,’ a source claimed
The Harvard University graduate is set to appear in New Rochelle court on July 31. Hostin, a former federal prosecutor and lawyer, is listed as her son’s attorney
Ahead of his court date, Hostin wrote a letter to the D.A. asking the case to be dismissed. She said that her son (pictured) was facing ‘unnecessary consequences’ for an ‘honest mistake’
Hostin shares son Gabriel and daughter, Paloma, 20, with orthopedic surgeon Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Hostin, 54. They’ve been married since August 1998; Seen with her husband in 2024
She has been a co-host on The View since 2016; (L-R) Sara Haines, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Karine Jean-Pierre, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Hostin seen in a promotional photo
Hostin – who has been a co-host on The View since 2016 – added that her son was facing ‘unnecessary consequences’ for an ‘honest mistake.’
‘Dismissal would avoid imposing unnecessary consequences on a young man who has demonstrated exceptional character and achievement and who poses no risk to the community,’ she added.
Hostin shares son Gabriel and daughter, Paloma, 20, with orthopedic surgeon Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Hostin, 54.
They’ve been married since August 1998.
U.S. Administration Launches Investigation into UNRWA for Allegedly Employing 1,500 Terrorists
U.S. officials are currently investigating a United Nations agency facing accusations of terrorist connections. The investigation targets over 1,500 employees of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which is designated for Palestinian refugees, probing into their alleged ties with terrorist activities.
Calls for defunding UNRWA have risen among U.S. officials, with longstanding concerns about the agency’s educational content, alleged Hamas tunnels under its schools, and accusations of staff involvement in the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel.
This photo, taken during a media event arranged by the Israeli military on February 8, 2024, shows soldiers inside a vacated United Nations Relief and Works Agency compound in Gaza City. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)
The United Nations conducted an internal investigation in 2024 through its Office of Internal Oversight Services regarding claims involving 19 UNRWA staff in the October 7 incidents. The investigation found no sufficient evidence against 10 employees, but ended in the termination of contracts for the remaining nine employees.
Amidst ongoing scrutiny, the USAID Office of the Inspector General, independent from USAID’s main operations, is continuing its investigation into UNRWA personnel. Recently, it recommended to the State Department that 108 current or former employees should be barred from engaging with U.S.-funded organizations, as they were connected to the Hamas attack or associated with terrorist factions.
A U.S. diplomatic official briefed by USAID OIG investigators confirmed to News Media that at least 1,500 current or former UNRWA employees are under investigation for ties to foreign terrorist organizations in Gaza.
Aid trucks of The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) deliver aid near Gaza City on June 19. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A senior U.S. official who spoke with News Media said that the USAID OIG investigation “smartly picked up where the U.N. failed” by looking beyond Oct. 7 participation. The official said the USAID OIG investigation is “critical, as U.S. taxpayers should never fund the salaries of aid workers that are members of a foreign terrorist organization.”
The senior official told News Media, “USAID OIG’s investigation is helping prevent terrorists from criss-crossing across aid organizations that have received or are seeking U.S. or Board of Peace funding.”
Hamas was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 1997 by the State Department, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group (SDGT) in 2001.
Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip on Dec. 1, 2025. (Omar Al-Qatta / AFP via Getty Images)
In the press release describing its effort, the USAID OIG said that individuals referred for debarment included “UNRWA school principals, teachers, security personnel, attendants, psychosocial counselors and medical professionals.”
They included two deputy school principals, one of whom served as a Hamas deputy company commander and another of whom was a squad leader. USAID OIG additionally referred a teacher with “expertise as a sniper for Hamas,” and one who tracked explosive device assignments. Another referred individual was a school principal assigned to a Hamas military manufacturing unit. Under his school, there were “three anti-tank positions and a tunnel shaft.”
In the case of Oct. 7 involvement, the USAID OIG specifically mentioned a teacher ordered “to bring two anti-tank missiles to a prescribed location during the Oct. 7 terror attacks,” and a deputy school principal charged with communications.
President Donald Trump attends the inaugural Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., Feb. 19, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The USAID OIG stated that it expects to make further referrals to the State Department in addition to “potential criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.”
As a result of its investigations, the State Department has banned Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa from any future work with U.S. government entities. An UNRWA school principal, Mousa was working with the Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion and “coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the Oct. 7 attacks,” the USAID OIG report explains.
Photos released by the Israeli Defense Force show three individuals that the Israeli military claims are Hamas terrorists inside an UNRWA compound in Rafah. (IDF)
In response to News Media’s questions about whether it will blacklist other identified UNRWA employees, a State Department spokesperson said that “it is no surprise that another 100 UNWRA employees were determined to be involved in the barbaric Oct. 7 attack. President Trump and Secretary Rubio have affirmed time and time again that no State Department funding will be provided to UNWRA, which has been totally infiltrated by Hamas and terrorist sympathizers.”
On July 1, the Board of Peace posted on X that UNRWA “has no place in the new Gaza.”
An official briefed on developments with the Board of Peace told News Media that the USAID OIG’s investigations are “quite concerning to us.”
An American flag and USAID flag fly outside the USAID building in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 1, 2025. (REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon)
The official explained that “we can’t really have an institution operating inside of Gaza where they’re purportedly delivering aid and services to two million people but also allegedly participating in and supporting terrorism. That is anathema to creating a safe and prosperous Gaza for Gazans.” Moving forward without UNRWA will require being “responsible and deliberate in terms of how we transition those services over to ensure there are no gaps in critical aid delivery, whether it’s health services, vaccinations, food, or other goods.”
Last month, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) posted about the infiltration of UNRWA on X, saying, “It is time for the United States to take action to address this growing problem and the systemic radicalization in UNRWA facilities.” Risch said he would work with the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. “to root out the terrorist links at the U.N.”
The U.S. Representative for United Nations Management and Reform, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, told a U.N. meeting in June on UNRWA funding, that it was time “to break this cycle.”
“This year, you have the choice to stop underwriting an organization that has become a subsidiary of Hamas, whose employees took part in one of the most barbaric terrorist attacks in human history on Oct. 7, 2023,” Bartos said. “This year, you have the choice to give the Palestinian people living in Gaza the opportunity to find durable solutions and prosper, instead of subjecting them to endless cycles of dependency and forever refugeehood.”
Hamas’ theft of aid is continuing to cause harm in Gaza. While not calling out Hamas by name, on Sunday, the U.N. Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov released a statement strongly condemning the “obstruction of humanitarian operations in Gaza by the de facto authorities.” He noted that the previous day, “armed personnel affiliated with the de facto authorities forcibly entered the Abu Rashid food distribution point in Jabalia,” and additionally “entered a [World Food Programme] warehouse and reportedly assaulted two truck drivers who were delivering humanitarian supplies.”
Alakbarov said the incidents “are not isolated” and “reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations.”
News Media reached out to UNRWA for comment.
Discover the Only U.S. National Park Requiring a Passport for Entry
Nature lovers eager to explore the United States’ expansive national parks might find themselves surprised to learn that one particular location necessitates a passport for entry.
Situated approximately 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii, the National Park of American Samoa stands as one of the most isolated parks in the U.S. network.
Visitors can reach this remote destination by flying into Pago Pago International Airport on the island of Tutuila. From there, connecting flights can take travelers to the islands of Ta’ū and Ofu, as the park extends over these three islands.
The U.S. Department of the Interior advises that visitors must present a valid U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate to prove American nationality, aligning with the limited travel options available.
Preparation is key when embarking on this adventure, as the park is known for its tropical, humid climate year-round, with downpours common during the wet season from October to May.
Islands to explore
National Park Service officials share details on opportunities to explore each island in the park.
- Tutuila: Discover scenic trails like the Mount ‘Alava Trail, coastal beauty along the Le’ala Shoreline, and opportunities to experience Samoan culture in the villages.
The park offers incredible hikes through lush rainforests and to stunning viewpoints, though some trails can be steep and muddy, according to the National Park Service.
Along with this comes over 4,000 acres of underwater landscape, offering various wildlife and environments to explore, including diving and snorkeling.
Thankfully, the park is open year-round and there are no entrance fees to visit.
It is important to come prepared for the park’s varied weather and terrain, as park officials encourage visitors to plan their travel.
Jason Tartick and Kathryn Hurley Announce Engagement Seven Months After Going Public
ICE Officer Cites Public Safety Concerns After Fatal Shooting of Driver in Maine
BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — On Monday, a federal immigration officer in Maine fatally shot a motorist. This marks the second instance within a week where agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have resorted to lethal force, making it the ninth such occurrence since President Donald Trump intensified immigration measures.
Advocacy groups for immigrant rights have identified the deceased individual as a 26-year-old originally from Colombia.
According to a statement on X from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers were conducting surveillance at a location associated with an individual who had a final deportation order. When officers attempted to intercept a vehicle leaving the said address, the vehicle allegedly tried to escape. An officer, fearing for public safety, fired his weapon, explained the department.
U.S. Senator Angus King mentioned that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin informed him about the incident. Mullin narrated that in Biddeford, a city located about 15 miles southwest of Portland, the officer opened fire after the motorist reportedly used the vehicle aggressively against the ICE agents. Unfortunately, the officers involved were not equipped with body cameras.
Questioned about these differing reports, Senator King conveyed to CNN that clarifying these discrepancies is precisely the purpose of the ongoing investigation.
“Did this young man actually try to run over an ICE agent or was he in danger of running over other people in the street?” he said. “Was there a reasonable expectation of bodily harm or deadly force to justify this shooting?”
DHS did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarity on what led up to the shooting.
King, a Maine independent, said Mullin also told him the officers were in Biddeford to serve an arrest warrant but that it was not for the person who was shot. King said Mullin told him that earlier information that the man was the target of an enforcement action was incorrect.
Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said Mullin told her the Homeland Security Department’s Office of Inspector General is investigating in cooperation with the FBI.
Messages seeking comment were left for the inspector general’s office and the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The Maine attorney general’s office, which is also investigating, said initial statements suggest the motorist was trying to flee in the direction of the agent. The office said the agent who killed him has been placed on leave.
Witness says he heard driver say, ‘I tried to stop’
Daniel Boucher said he looked out his third-floor window after hearing a “pop, pop, pop” sound and saw a small car “turned 90 degrees to the curb” with an SUV behind it. The driver was wounded and the car started moving down the street until the SUV hit it again, Boucher said.
“His face was bloody. His head was bloody,” Boucher said, getting choked up. “I clearly heard the victim say, ‘I tried to stop.’”
Boucher said he saw an ICE officer bring a medical bag to where the man was lying before an ambulance and fire truck arrived. At one point, Boucher said, the agent who shot the man walked close to him.
“I was emotional and I just let him have it, and he looked at me and said, ‘He tried to run me over,’ or something to that effect,” Boucher said. “I don’t remember his exact words.”
Video from a security camera at a nearby business, obtained by the AP, shows a white vehicle approaching an intersection at a moderate pace before making several slow circles. A law enforcement SUV blocks its path and two officers open the driver’s door and drag out a limp body.
It was not clear from the video at what points shots were fired.
The man was authorized to work in the US, advocates say
Two advocacy groups — the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! — said the man who was killed was authorized to work in the U.S.
After the shooting, his family contacted the Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, but they aren’t ready to speak publicly about the shooting, said the group’s executive director, Mufalo Chitam.
Mary Hayes, who lives close to where the shooting happened, said the man lived nearby with his wife and daughter.
“I watched a wife fall to her knees looking at her husband’s dead body on the ground,” Hayes told the AP as she held a piece of cardboard with “No ICE Stop ICE” written on it. “I watched a little girl crying with a little pink backpack on because she’s never going to see her father again.”
The Colombian Embassy said it is in contact with U.S. authorities and “working to formally confirm the individual’s identity and nationality.”
Sadie Dilboy said the man killed in the shooting regularly came to her laundromat and would bring his daughter, who he’d give quarters to buy candy from the vending machine.
“He was such a good person,” she said. “He was always cleaning up.”
Anti-ICE protesters gather near the scene
Several hundred demonstrators gathered in Biddeford on Monday night to wave anti-ICE signs and call for the agency to be abolished.
“We will always be a city of immigrants,” said Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat from Biddeford.
A handful of pro-ICE and pro-Trump protesters demonstrated across the street.
Some demonstrators had gathered in the city within hours of the shooting.
Amy Goodman arrived with a sign that said “Stop Killing Us” and directed it toward police working at the scene.
“Sadly, it’s something we’re seeing a whole lot more often lately, and I’m mad about it,” she said.
A recent uptick in Trump’s immigration crackdown
On July 7, an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, of Houston, after federal agents driving unmarked vehicles pursued him while he was taking his construction crew to a job site.
The shootings come amid a Trump administration push to carry out its mass deportations agenda. During the five-day period at the end of June, ICE arrested more than 10,000 people.
The figures indicate that while the administration is no longer cracking down on individual cities, the arrests are surging. The administration’s enforcement efforts were widely condemned last winter after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.
Hundreds of Maine ICE arrests since Trump’s return
ICE had a significant presence in Maine earlier this year, which prompted several protests. Immigration officials later said in late January that they had ceased “enhanced operations” in Maine after hundreds of arrests.
A Homeland Security spokesperson said at the time that some Maine arrests were of people “convicted of horrific crimes” including aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Court records show that while some had felony convictions, others had unresolved immigration proceedings or had been arrested but never convicted of a crime.
ICE arrested 546 people in Maine between the start of Trump’s second term and March 11, 2026, the most recent data available, according to ICE arrest data provided to the University of California, Berkeley Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the AP.
About 45% of arrested people had criminal backgrounds. During the equivalent 416-day period before Trump took office, roughly 69% of those arrested had criminal backgrounds, the data shows.
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