A Minnesota pastor and father of five has died after suffering a catastrophic spinal injury in a swimming pool aboard a cruise ship.

Stephen Duane Junker, 58, was on a Princess Cruises voyage off the coast of Italy to celebrate his son’s wedding when the tragedy unfolded.

According to a family GoFundMe page, Junker was discovered “face down and unresponsive” at the bottom of the Sun Princess’ pool on August 16.

He was pulled from the water and transported by the Italian coast guard to a hospital in Naples. The circumstances of how he ended up in the pool remain unclear.

Doctors found severe compression on his spinal cord, prompting emergency spinal surgery, and Junker was later placed on a ventilator.

After a long battle in hospital, which initially showed some promising signs, Junker died on September 4.

The fundraisers said that he ‘went to be with Jesus’ surrounded by his family and friends on Friday after ‘further diagnostic testing had revealed injuries that were not treatable.’

Junker, a pastor at Chippewa Lutheran Church in Brandon, is being mourned by his wife Jeanine, alongside their children, his grandson and wider family.

His death comes weeks after Junker underwent emergency surgery on his back.

Despite the operation’s success, the pastor was diagnosed as quadriplegic and was left unable to breathe on his own.

Junker returned home to Rochester, Minnesota, on August 23, where doctors began imaging and testing, the fundraiser created by his daughter Elizabeth said.

Days later, their father remained on a ventilator but was ‘more awake’ and ‘very much here with us.’

‘He’s able to respond to yes or no questions by nodding his head, and communicate through his facial expressions, which has meant so much to all of us. He denies any pain,’ the fundraiser said.

‘His kids have been able to come and say how much he means to them, and he has had some close friends come visit, so there is no doubt in his mind he is loved,’ his daughter wrote. 

‘Nathaniel was able to come sing a song for him today while he was sitting up in bed, which I know meant the world to him.’ 

At the time, Junker still had no feeling below his chest but his family were ‘grateful’ he was awake.

‘As you can imagine, this is an insane situation to navigate, both for the family and for my dad. We are leaning on scripture and prayer to guide us,’ Elizabeth said. 

Within a matter of days, however, Stephen passed away ‘surrounded by his wife, children, parents and friends.’ 

‘We’re grateful to everyone at Mayo Clinic for their excellent care and to everyone who donated to help support Steve and the family. We’re glad we were able to give him the opportunity to receive world-class care and reassured that everything that could possibly be done to help him was done,’ Elizabeth said.  

‘Knowing that Steve is loved by so many people who love him means more to our family than we can put into words.’

The pastor was described as a ‘devoted husband’ to the ‘love of his life’ Jeanine Junker, 54, and a ‘loving father to his five children.’

‘Above all, Steve loved his family,’ his obituary said. ‘Steve faced life and death with a quiet and unshakable faith, never afraid of what was to come. Even in his final moments, his thoughts turned to the church and the people he loved.’ 

Junker began his career as a pharmacist after graduating from Creighton University in Nebraska and ‘dedicated himself to the care of others through medicine.’

He answered a ‘deeper calling’ and attended The Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where he earned his Master of Divinity and became an ordained minister.

‘For nearly a decade, he served the congregation and community at Chippewa Lutheran Church in Brandon, Minnesota, with devotion,’ his obituary said.

‘Being a minister was among the greatest joys and honors of his life. He was known for his animated sermons, his love of a good conversation on nearly any subject, and his readiness to help anyone in need, whether that meant offering counsel or simply producing the right tool for the job from his ever-prepared pockets.’ 

The Chippewa Lutheran Church wrote on Facebook: ‘Mourning the loss of a Pastor for our church family is very difficult to understand. Pastor Steve was a wonderful person, loved by many, and had a great impact on many people through his faith.’

‘Nathaniel Junker has said it best when he sang his worship songs as Pastor Steve was welcomed into Heaven, “He closed his eyes to this life and opened his eyes to Jesus.” What more does anyone want!’

Debi Junker Gregory wrote in his obituary that Stephen would ‘always be my special little cousin since we share the same birthdate.’

‘I remember so many fun times with him growing up. Riding the turtle at Como Park. Him helping me drag a life-size frog through the mall. Playing frisbee baseball in the front yard of his house. Praying for the family at this difficult time. Love,’ she wrote. 

Vicki Storm, a community member, said: ‘Pastor was there with my family as my husband was dying. It was a very special moment as Pastor prayed over Paul when his time was near and as he entered into the glorious arms of Jesus. 

‘I can’t think of anything more special than that moment with Pastor Steve’s quiet prayer of comfort, faith and joy for Paul. God bless Pastor Steve’s memory. He will be dearly missed.’

The Daily Mail reached out to the Chippewa Lutheran Church, Princess Cruises, the Italian Coast Guard and attempted to reach Junker’s family for comment. 

The Transportation Security Administration has introduced a new program that lets eligible TSA PreCheck members who are not traveling pass through airport security at select US airports, giving them access to secure gate areas to welcome arriving passengers or say farewell to departing family and friends.

Through the program, approved TSA PreCheck members without airline tickets may clear security and enter concourses and gate areas, restoring a type of airport access that was sharply curtailed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks prompted sweeping changes to airport security.

The initiative could revive the gate-side goodbyes and emotional reunions that were once a familiar part of flying before 9/11. It also gives visitors a way to meet someone during a layover or spend time at airport restaurants and shops beyond the checkpoint.

Since 9/11, access past airport security checkpoints has generally been reserved for ticketed passengers, though airlines have been able to provide gate passes in limited situations.

“As an exclusive benefit for our most trusted travelers, this new program makes it easier to return to the gate for welcomes and send-offs, meet friends during a layover, and enjoy dining and shopping along the way, bringing back the moments that once defined air travel,” the TSA said on its website.

The program, Gateside by TSA PreCheck, is free, but members interested in a guest pass must apply online at least one day and no more than three days before their planned visits and receive approval before showing up at the airport.

If approved, guests can enter security using a TSA PreCheck lane with an acceptable form of identification.

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Visitors who do not have an acceptable form of identification can use TSA ConfirmID to attempt to verify their identity for a $45 fee. TSA does not guarantee that it will be able to verify their identity.

The passes are valid for only one calendar day, although reentries are permitted for that day.

Children can also go through security but must be included on their parent or guardian’s application.

The TSA said members of other trusted-traveler programs who have a Known Traveler Number may also apply for access to the gates.

The initial rollout applies to 13 airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

The other participating airports are Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Will Rogers International Airport and Eppley Airfield.

But the agency said it plans to expand the program to additional airports in the coming months.

This comes as 21 airports across the country have adopted policies allowing non-ticketed visitors to receive a guest pass to move through airport security and into the terminal at no charge, with Pittsburgh International Airport being the first major US airport to enact such a policy in 2017.

A leading figure in Spain’s opposition sharply attacked the country’s Socialist prime minister, accusing him of betraying Spain over the government’s response to a surge of migrants entering a North African enclave.

Santiago Abascal, who heads the right-wing Vox party, made the remarks during a session of parliament, questioning whether Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was facing pressure or blackmail from Morocco as tensions mounted over the migrant crisis in Ceuta.

In the confrontation, Abascal denounced Sánchez as a “traitor” and also referred to him as “a dog.”

Sánchez fired back during the tense exchange, responding: “I may be a dog, but I have no master.”

Abascal then held up sheets of paper one by one that spelled out “Traidor,” Spanish for “Traitor.” Sánchez then sat down.

READ MORE: Nicolas Cage Sinkhole Crisis Forces Neighbors From Homes

Spain has seen major protests in response to the migrant arrivals in Ceuta, with critics blaming Sánchez for the crisis and some accusing him of pandering to Morocco.

More than 70,000 migrants poured into Ceuta in July. Most of them have returned to Morocco, but many remain in the enclave, with some living in tent encampments on the beach.

Meanwhile, Spain’s national intelligence agency issued multiple warnings before the mass crossing of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta in late July, according to declassified documents released by the government on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

On July 29, a day before people began crossing into Ceuta, the National Intelligence Center (CNI) sent an alert via WhatsApp to the Spanish government’s delegation in Ceuta about calls on social media “for an assault on the fence and by sea tomorrow at 8 p.m.”

“There are two different groups with a total of 180,000 followers,” the declassified WhatsApp message said, “just to give you an idea of its scale.”

Residents living near Nicolas Cage’s Malibu beachfront property have been told to leave their homes after a large sinkhole tore open along his street and consumed the driveway of his $10.5 million oceanfront mansion.

The damage was uncovered early Tuesday when firefighters arrived in the area to investigate a possible gas main rupture, a public information officer told KTLA.

Later that day, Malibu officials issued an emergency order, warning of an “imminent danger” for people living on Sea Level Drive, the road where Cage’s home is located.

By that point, seven properties had been red-tagged, a designation that means the buildings were deemed unsafe to occupy because of hazardous conditions caused directly by the sinkhole.

City officials said another 24 homes were also expected to be red-tagged because the damaged roadway had blocked safe vehicle access to the properties.

Cage, who purchased his home on Sea Level Drive in 2024, is not known to have been spotted in the vicinity of the property since the crater appeared.

The Daily Mail has contacted Cage’s representative for comment.

The sinkhole, according to the City of Malibu, had an astonishing estimated width of 30 by 60ft and a depth of approximately 25 to 30ft. 

Such a ‘large portion’ of Sea Level Drive has ‘collapsed’ that large emergency vehicles like fire trucks can no longer get through, the proclamation said.

‘Gas service to the affected area has been shut off, and water service may also be discontinued as conditions warrant,’ the authorities noted.

The scale of the threat was compounded by the intensified tides and rainfall caused by Hurricane Marie, as well as a particularly strong El Nino that a government forecast has given a 90 percent chance of escalating into a ‘super’ event.

Evacuees will be able to take refuge at a temporary shelter the American Red Cross is setting up at Malibu High School, the City of Malibu advised on its website. 

Photos of the destruction Tuesday showed the once-palatial property sitting on the edge of a massive crater that has taken down the driveway, a portion of the adjacent street and a portable restroom. 

The luxurious residence had been sectioned off with construction cones, and workers could be seen assessing the situation in the sinkhole and along the street.

The hole was reportedly the result of coastal erosion. 

KTLA reporter Rich Prickett, who was reporting on the incident from the air, said no one appeared to be inside Cage’s residence at the time. 

‘Substantial damage done to this home, or at least the driveway to this home here in Malibu,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t appear that anybody was home. As a matter of fact, the house looks like it is under some sort of renovation.’ 

No one has been reported to have been injured, according to KTLA. 

Located in a highly desirable oceanfront setting, the home contains a rooftop deck with jacuzzi, soaring glass walls, multiple bedrooms and was the previous owner’s ‘happy place.’

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The home was built in the 1990s by the late Jose Liberman, co-founder of the Liberman Broadcasting, and remained in his family until it was sold to Cage.

‘Yes, Nicolas Cage bought our home in Malibu,’ Lenard Liberman, Jose’s son and Liberman Broadcasting co-founder, told The New York Times in 2024.

‘My parents would go on weekends and it was my father’s “happy place”, he explained.

‘My father passed away and my mom just couldn’t go to the house anymore. Too many memories,’ he added.

The residence contains access to an isolated beach, chef’s kitchen and garage with elevator access. 

An Oscar winner, Cage is a member of a Hollywood dynasty.

Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, Cage is the son of the late American academic and author August Coppola as well as the nephew of film-maker Francis Ford Coppola and his actress sister Talia Shire. 

The family includes Cage’s cousins, film-maker Sofia Coppola and actor Jason Schwartzman. 

His grandparents were composer Carmine Coppola, who scored many of Francis’s films, and Italia Coppola, who also appeared in her son’s Godfather films. 

Over the decades, Cage carved out a wildly impressive acting career with roles in films Moonstruck, Raising Arizona, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure and an Oscar win for Leaving Las Vegas.  

Last year Cage legally changed his name to ‘Nick Cage’ to avoid being the Coppola ‘clown cousin.’

‘I am Nick Cage. I changed my name legally last year,’ he told Variety. 

The name was inspired by Marvel character Luke Cage, a last name he thought was ‘cool.’

‘I’m Nick Cage in life, and I’m Nick Cage on camera. ‘Tis better to be the patriarch of my own little family than the clown cousin on the margins of someone else’s, so I decided I’m going to bring it on and be “Cage.”

‘”Cage” is a name that I liked coming across in the comics – I just thought he had a cool name – and I grew up in a very avant-garde, artsy family and there was talk about John Cage and the experimental compositions that he did. I was looking for something like “James Dean”; I was looking for something short and sweet. 

‘I thought, well, I’ll keep the name “Nicolas” because my father named me Nicolas -with French spelling, which has always frustrated me, because everyone adds an “h.” I don’t know why he gave me the French spelling! But he did.’

Whether he prefers ‘Nick’ or ‘Nicolas,’ the actor told Variety: ‘I’m both! I think people know me as both.’ 

In 2021, Cage walked down the aisle a fifth time when he wed his much-younger wife Riko Shibata, now age 31. They welcomed daughter August Francesca in 2022.

The actor also has sons Kal-El, 18, with ex-wife Kim and Weston, 33, with ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton.

Chris Rock, the celebrated actor and comedian, said President Trump may have been right about at least one thing: his repeated criticism of the news media as “fake.”

Rock made the remarks in an interview with Variety while discussing his upcoming film, “Misty Green,” and sharing unfiltered thoughts on the entertainment business.

In the profile, Variety observed that Rock still carries the same “opinionated, incendiary persona that caught Eddie Murphy’s eye at a New York comedy club one night when Rock was just 19.”

The outlet also noted that Rock was among the rare celebrities who publicly predicted Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election.

Asked about Trump now, Rock told Variety, “I’m not a fan. But it’s weird when somebody gets one thing right, and the one thing almost clears them of all their other sins. The news is fake. He got that right.”

Curtis Houck, managing editor of the Media Research Center’s NewsBusters, responded to Rock’s comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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“In this day and age, we often find ourselves feeling like we’re approaching cats-and-dogs living together on certain issues, and that includes the acknowledgment that the legacy, elitist media have failed to serve the public,” Houck said. 

“The widespread awareness of both media bias and press ineptitude will be one of President Trump’s longest-lasting legacies. Chris Rock certainly seems to be on the president’s wavelength.”

In 2023, Rock raised eyebrows by warning US lawmakers that arresting Trump would only make him “more popular.”

Rock had made the comments while in Washington, D.C., for an event honoring Adam Sandler.

He began poking fun at the well-connected crowd, which included former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of President Biden’s administration.

“Are you guys really going to arrest Trump?” Rock asked. “Do you know this is only going to make him more popular. It’s like arresting Tupac. He’s just gonna sell more records. Are you stupid?” 

DALLAS — President Donald Trump closed the first night of an unconventional Republican midterm convention on Wednesday with a blistering attack on Democrats, casting them as extremists while forcefully defending the war in Iran. He also made a remarkable campaign-season promise: every adult American would receive $5,000 if Republicans keep control of both the House and Senate after November.

The idea, which could carry a price tag of at least $1 trillion, appeared highly unlikely from both a fiscal and political standpoint. Still, it underscored Trump’s belief that dramatic promises may be needed to improve Republican midterm prospects as Democrats look to capitalize on his weak approval ratings in competitive races nationwide.

Trump leaned into the notion that the November elections are, in many ways, a referendum on him — even as it remains uncertain whether that dynamic will energize Republicans or complicate their path. A number of GOP figures are staying away from the two-day gathering in Dallas, while others see the convention as a chance to step onto the national stage and motivate Trump’s base in a midterm year when he is not on the ballot.

“If we hand America’s future to the radical-left Democrats, our nation will spend the next decade just getting back on its feet,” Trump said. “Vote Republican and we will leave the world in our dust for generations to come.”

The president encouraged supporters to approach November as though he were running himself, pointing to roughly 35 pivotal Senate and House contests that could determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress. He vowed “to go to every one of those states,” indicating that some could see him more than once before Election Day.

But Trump also frequently mentioned the unpopular war in Iran, even seeming to acknowledge that it had hurt the U.S. economy. “We were doing great,” he said before he approached his economic advisers to say, “I hate to do this to you,” explaining that he needed to start the conflict because Iran was perhaps “two, maybe three weeks away from having a nuclear weapon.”

Trump similarly defended imposing sweeping tariffs on U.S. trade partners, insisting that the resulting economic turmoil would be worth it in the long run.

His most dramatic comments, however, were to promise, “If the Republicans win the Senate and House, because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.”

The president said the only caveat would be that recipients spend the money in the U.S. He provided no details on how such a plan would be implemented but declared, “It will be called the Trump dividend.”

The gathering took place as Republicans try to boost enthusiasm heading into the final stretch before Election Day, despite voters’ economic concerns and dissatisfaction with the war in Iran. The event described Democrats as communists, anti-American or even evil. Republicans called themselves a “common sense” alternative.

Trump used several minutes of his speech to praise Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is in a tough Senate race in what is normally America’s largest red state.

“He may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” Trump said of Paxton, while adding, “he deserves to be your next senator.”

The convention got a boost from an unlikely source, Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who said in a video message that “I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism.” Fetterman, who has clashed with his party’s leaders, referenced his state’s steel industry in pledging to “work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life.”

Normal political conventions are held every four years and serve a purpose beyond pomp and circumstance, with parties formally nominating their presidential picks. This week’s convention, by contrast, is The Trump Show, through and through.

The walls of the arena where the Dallas Mavericks play were covered with photographs of Trump, even in the elevators. Plenty of attendees wore cowboy hats and boots and many sequins were on display – as well as “Make America Great Again” and American flag caps and other gear.

People in the crowd waved signs reading “Republicans Are Fixing Democrats’ Mess,” despite Republicans controlling the U.S. House, Senate and presidency.

Trump will follow up Wednesday’s address with closing remarks on Thursday, after Vice President JD Vance gives his own speech.

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“I’m not doing a big deal like this,” Trump said, wrapping up his opening night address that approached the two-hour mark.

Ray Washburne, co-chair of the Dallas host committee, said the event is expected to draw roughly 30,000 people across both nights, but getting airtime was challenging. The NFL season kicked off Wednesday with a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. On Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams will play in Australia.

Speakers included Republican congressional leadership and Cabinet members. Attorney General Todd Blanche also spoke, which is uncommon for the nation’s top law enforcement official, as Justice Department leaders don’t typically address such events given the agency’s tradition of political independence.

Blanche said Trump and Vance “put American families first. They prove that order and prosperity go hand in hand.”

Republican Michigan Senate nominee Mike Rogers, who is facing off against Abdul El-Sayed, isn’t giving his speech until Thursday night. However, many opening night speakers singled out El-Sayed as a sign Democrats were too radical.

There are 12 hours of programming over two nights, with 100-plus speakers and segments focused on subjects such as tax cuts, fraud allegations and border security.

Trump also hinted that he’d talk a lot about Iran even before leaving for Dallas. As he spoke to reporters on the tarmac prior to boarding Air Force One, the president said that oil prices – which have surged because of the conflict – likely won’t come down until after the midterms, a bit of economic forecasting that could darken his party’s fortunes.

“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” he promised, as oil prices jumped more than 3% Wednesday.

Some Republicans balked at high attendance fees. Republican House members were being asked to pay $25,000 for convention tickets and lodging, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to speak frankly about the private arrangement.

An additional 2,000 tickets were distributed by the National Republican Congressional Committee, largely to donors and others to attend the convention. Other tickets were allocated to state parties to distribute as they saw fit.

“Per the RNC, this is a ticketed fundraiser and rally, not a traditional national convention,” the Denton County Republican Party in Texas wrote in a Facebook post, which advertised packages from $5,000 to $20,000.

Trump’s political operation, which has been sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars, began spending heavily through a new group, the No Going Back PAC Inc., the New York Times reported Wednesday. The group has reserved $49 million in six competitive Senate races and one competitive House race.

That’s in addition to the $10 million that MAGA Inc., Trump’s super PAC, has spent on the Texas Senate race.

___

Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Dallas, Steven Sloan, Aamer Madhani and Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia contributed to this report.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday that a 15-year-old was the only person found alive after three boaters were reported missing earlier this week in Alaska waters.

Search-and-rescue crews located the teen Monday off the Alaska coast, where he was discovered holding onto an overturned skiff. Officials said he was in urgent need of medical attention when rescuers reached him.

According to the Coast Guard, the survivor was pulled from the capsized boat while showing signs of hypothermia.

Authorities said the two other mariners were later found dead after their 18-foot fishing vessel capsized roughly 4 miles east of St. Lawrence Island.

The Coast Guard said crews initiated a search mission early Monday after Alaska State Troopers notified the Coast Guard of an overdue boat Sunday evening. The vessel was expected to return Sunday at 3 a.m.

Officials said crews were unable to launch a rescue mission until Monday morning due to weather and poor visibility.

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After launching an aircrew, personnel spotted the survivor and deployed a raft with survival equipment.

Officials said a good Samaritan vessel also stepped in, rescuing the 15-year-old survivor and recovering the bodies of the two deceased mariners from the water.

The two mariners and the teen survivor were then brought to Nome, Alaska, officials said.