Former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire recently criticized her Democratic colleagues in the state legislature, following the introduction of a new tax targeting millionaires.

Speaking at the Association of Washington Business 2026 Spring Summit on May 6, Gregoire, who led Washington from 2005 to 2013, was questioned about her views on whether the state lawmakers fully grasp the repercussions of their economic decisions.

“Frankly, I don’t think they do,” Gregoire remarked, citing the estate tax as an example.

“I had debates with some individuals regarding the estate tax. We were already the highest in the nation, matched only by Hawaii at 20%. Then we jumped to 35%. We’ve not only set a record; we’ve surpassed it,” she explained.

Although the estate tax rate was initially increased to 35%, a new bill passed in April has since reverted it back to 20% following public outcry.

“And I said now, you understand the consequences of this?” she continued.

“Can I see your fiscal note? Because I’d like to help it. Because here’s what you can expect. Those people are not homeless. They will not pay. They’re leaving. When they leave, they stop paying capital gains.

“When they leave, they stop giving significantly to philanthropy, which would otherwise be necessary by government. So you understand, do you see the consequences of what you’re doing? And the answer is no.”

Gregoire also called out Democratic state House members for a lack of business experience in understanding the impact taxes have on small businesses.

“I would suggest to you, we don’t really have an income problem,” she said. “We have a spending problem, and we’re answering it by stacking one more tax, one more rule, one more regulation.

“And the one thing that the business community doesn’t need is that lack of predictability. That’s how businesses grow, that’s how they thrive. That’s not healthy for our business community at all.”

Pushed through by the Democratic majority during the 2026 session, the millionaires’ tax imposes a 9.9% tax on annual income exceeding $1 million for individuals or households.

While the tax was signed in March 2026, it is not scheduled to take effect until Jan. 1, 2028, with the first payments due in 2029.

After the tax was passed, Starbucks, which originated in Seattle, announced that it would be moving 2,000 corporate jobs to a new regional headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

The tax also came as Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, a self-described socialist, faced criticism for her dismissive attitude toward the idea of millionaires leaving the state.

Elon Musk has sparked controversy by alleging that director Christopher Nolan chose Lupita Nyong’o and transgender actor Elliot Page for roles in his forthcoming Greek epic, “The Odyssey,” solely to garner awards.

The 54-year-old entrepreneur voiced his opinions on social media, responding to troubling remarks that questioned Nyong’o’s attractiveness as a Black woman and dismissed Page’s gender identity, ahead of the film’s premiere on July 17.

In an insightful profile of Nolan by Time Magazine released on Tuesday, it was unveiled that the 43-year-old Nyong’o will take on the iconic role of Helen of Troy, famed as the most beautiful woman in Greek mythology.

Additionally, Nyong’o will assume a dual role in the eagerly awaited movie, also portraying Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, who is wed to Agamemnon.

Conservative pundit Matt Walsh wasted no time in criticizing Nyong’o on X, bluntly claiming, “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’”

‘But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave ‘the most beautiful woman’ role to a white woman,’ he added. 

‘Nolan is technically talented but a coward. Too afraid to do anything that even slightly challenges the spirit of the age.’

The Tesla chief responded to Walsh’s comment with a simple: ‘True.’

Elon Musk blasted Christopher Nolan and his casting of Lupita Nyong’o and transgender actor Elliot Page in his upcoming Greek epic The Odyssey

Nolan revealed that 43-year-old Nyong’o will play Helen of Troy on the big screen, the most beautiful woman in Greek mythology

Musk accused Nolan of casting both of the stars because ‘he wants to win awards’

Pictured: Matt Damon as King Odysseus 

In another post, a user asked: ‘Why is Christopher Nolan like so many other directors so keen to race swap white characters?’ Musk replied, ‘He wants the awards.’

Walsh shared another post in which he claimed people would be ‘driven to murderous violence’ if Sydney Sweeney had been cast in a film as ‘the most beautiful woman in Africa.’

‘Absolutely true,’ the billionaire wrote. ‘Such hypocrisy in Hollywood.’ 

Rumors swirled earlier this month that 39-year-old Page had been cast as Achilles, the legendary hero of the Trojan War – a prospect that seemingly also drew the ire of Musk.

Responding to the unconfirmed rumors on X, he wrote that the idea was ‘one of the dumbest and twisted things I’ve ever heard.’

Even after it was announced that Page will portray the character Elpenor, Musk reposted a wildly offensive tweet that read, ‘I’m not mocking her masculinity. I’m denying its existence.’

Elpenor, the youngest member of Odysseus’s crew, dies on Circe’s island after falling from a roof while drunk and left unburied – an event that later haunts Odysseus on his journey home. 

While initially troubled by his death, Odysseus is later confronted by Elpenor as the first figure he encounters in the Underworld, a moment that becomes a moral turning point in the story.

Musk liked posts ‘denying’ Page’s masculinity, who will portray the character Elpanor

The Odyssey, which is set to hit theaters on July 17 (pictured: filming in Morocco)

He realizes his crew is more important to him than his own glory as Elpenor begs not to be left unburied, and he ultimately returns to bury his shipmate at the edge of the Underworld. 

Meanwhile, this marks the latest outburst from Musk over casting in The Odyssey, after whispers began growing in February that Nyong’o, an Oscar-winning actress, would be portraying the iconic character.

He amplified an X user who claimed that casting her as the Helen of Troy would be ‘an insult,’ to Homer, the novel’s author.

The user’s reasoning, they said, was because the Greek poet described the fictional character as ‘fair skinned, blonde and “the face that launched a thousand ships” because she was so beautiful that men started a war over her.’ 

Musk later appeared to agree, writing: ‘Chris Nolan has lost his integrity.’

The Lebanese government has lodged a strongly worded complaint with the United Nations, accusing Iran of misusing diplomatic immunity. This comes after Iran’s refusal to recall its ambassador from Beirut, despite Lebanon’s request for his expulsion amid allegations of Iran’s involvement in terrorist activities within Lebanese borders. This information was revealed in a letter dating back to late April.

The release of this letter marks a potentially groundbreaking action by Lebanon, coinciding with ongoing talks in Washington. These discussions, now in their second day, aim to normalize relations between Israel and Lebanon—two nations technically still at war—and address the presence of the Hezbollah movement, which is backed by the Iranian regime, within Lebanon.

A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department informed Fox News Digital on Friday that the talks facilitated by the United States between Israel and Lebanon have resumed and are progressing. The spokesperson added, “The atmosphere of talks has been very positive, even exceeding expectations.”

In the image, a mourner holds a portrait of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral procession on March 5, 2026, for members of Iraq’s pro-Iran paramilitary group Kataeb Hezbollah, who were killed in a strike in Baghdad the previous day. (Ahmed Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images)

State Department representative Tommy Pigott shared on X that on May 14 and 15, the United States facilitated two days of highly productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. He announced that the truce declared on April 16 will be extended by 45 days to allow for further advancements. Additionally, the State Department plans to resume political negotiations on June 2 and June 3.

He added that, “In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries. We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border.”

As the sides report back to their capitals, the potentially game-changing letter in which Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Ahmad Arafa, slammed Iran for inserting alleged terrorists from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into Lebanon “under the guise of diplomatic activity,” has given hope to critics of Iran and Hezbollah.

Arafa said, according to the letter, that Iran committed “unlawful acts in blatant defiance of the decisions of the Government of Lebanon.” He continued, “This Iranian conduct constitutes direct and blatant interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and drags the country into a war it did not choose to become involved in.”

Michael Needham, counselor for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

The U.S. and the European Union have classified the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

The letter took the Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, to task for “blatant interference” in Lebanon.

According to Lebanon’s U.N. letter, Beirut argued that Iran is violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and interfering in Lebanon’s state of affairs.

Iranian protesters carry flowers in front of a large banner of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah during a protest in Tehran on Sept. 30, 2024, condemning an Israeli air strike on Hezbollah’s Beirut headquarters and the killing of Nasrallah and IRGC Quds Force commander General Abbas Nilforoushan. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

When asked about the details of the letter, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. declined to comment. The spokesperson also declined to weigh in on the current talks with Israel in Washington.

Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital that “Many have considered the Lebanese memo to the U.N. as the start of the Lebanese government change of attitude towards Iran and a sign of escalation by Beirut. While the tone of the letter and its narrative make people feel that there is a government resistance to Iran and Hezbollah reality is still lesser.”

He added that “The subject of the last quarrel is a legal change of status regarding the presence of Iranians on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese government has decided not to grant Iranians, government, and private citizens an automatic visa waiver, which upset Iran and Hezbollah. Besides, Tehran is furious at the fact that the Lebanese government has not been helpful in dealing with the elimination of a number of IRGC members killed in Lebanon by Israel. Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran.”‘

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on April 5, 2026. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

According to Phares, “Raggi represents a Lebanese Christian bloc in the parliament, who is not sympathetic to the regime. However, the actual talks in D.C. are designed by the Lebanese government to show the Trump administration that the ‘state wants to talk’ but not to reach an agreement that would trigger Hezbollah’s wrath. The leaders of the Lebanese state are not yet where the U.S. and Israel expect them to be.”

A regional official well-versed in the U.N. dispute told Fox News Digital that Lebanon “argued that Iran had not given the Lebanese foreign ministry the list of all Iranians and the details about their place of stay. And that’s why Israel targeted that hotel in Lebanon in which six were killed, which is true.”

The official said that “Iran had not told the foreign ministry of Lebanon about those six people.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rylee White, a 27-year-old screenwriter, was unfamiliar with the dynamic game of handball until her roommate showed her a TikTok video about open tryouts for the U.S. Olympic women’s team in Los Angeles — no prior experience required.

Compelled to give it a shot, White wasn’t alone. The viral video drew over 150 women to the January tryouts, a number that marked a significant increase, multiplying previous attendance by five.

In the months since, White has joined a select group of women who have relocated to Florida, joining USA Handball’s national residency program. Their goal is to earn a spot on the U.S. team for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Handball is popular overseas but not in the US

As the host country, the United States is granted automatic entry into every sport.

The U.S. last fielded a women’s handball team in the 1996 Olympics. Securing the funding and resources to build a competitive squad remains a formidable task, with many athletes being dual citizens who compete professionally in Europe.

While handball is little known in the U.S., it is popular in Germany, France, Norway and Denmark as well as Balkan nations in southeastern Europe. These countries usually dominate at the Olympics.

Men’s handball was introduced in the 1936 Olympics, and women started participating at the 1976 Games. But while many Olympic athletes start training in childhood to compete for their country, handball athletes in the U.S. often pivot to the sport later in life.

The game involves two teams of six players who use their hands to pass a ball — covered in a sticky resin — to get it into the other team’s goal, protected by a goalkeeper. It’s fast, full-contact and can draw tens of thousands of spectators overseas.

Former athletes take a gamble

Many female handball players were Division One athletes in college or are former professional basketball players. Most are in their 20s and 30s, but some play into their 40s.

White had hoped to have a college athlete career playing basketball and lacrosse but was hindered by injuries and several surgeries on her knees. Handball felt like her chance to play competitive sports again.

“I think a lot of people would describe me as the most competitive person they’d ever met,” White said. “I definitely was raised in a house where we had big, big dreams.”

She told the coach after tryouts: “I’m ready to go do this and I will work as hard as you want me to work.”

The goal of the residency is for players to improve enough to be paid to play professionally overseas.

Many have left partners behind to pursue their dreams, including White.

“I told him I’m going to take him to Europe with me,” she said.

As for the Olympic team roster, that won’t be finalized until a few months ahead of the LA Games. While dozens of women are training in the residency, only about 14 to 18 can represent the country in a tournament. It’s a big gamble.

Multisport athletes tend to make the best handball players

Sarah Gascon, who played on the women’s national team for years, recently became its head coach. Her goal is to rebuild the team and the program in the U.S. after years of decline.

“We’ve had great successes in my career and some really great moments but still didn’t get an opportunity to play in the Olympic Games because we just weren’t good enough,” Gascon said.

The best players, Gascon has found, are multisport athletes. Basketball teaches you how to dribble, volleyball teaches you how to block a ball when someone is shooting, and softball or rugby teaches you how to throw. Handball incorporates all of these skills.

“It’s really about their athleticism,” Gascon said. “Do they have a good foundation that we could build upon? And how are they able to adapt with learning something new at 22 or 23 years old?”

A lack of funding is the biggest hurdle

While Gascon has rounded up enthusiastic athletes in Florida, the biggest challenge they face is resources.

Gascon and her staff are all volunteers, and the athletes have to work full-time while training.

“Some of our best athletes haven’t been able to go to tournaments or go to events because they can’t afford it,” Gascon said.

Devyn Holbrook had also never heard of handball before the tryouts.

The 30-year-old self-proclaimed “queen of side quests” grew up doing ballet, soccer, basketball, softball, and javelin for track and field. She quickly became obsessed with handball after playing for just a few days.

“I just loved it and then I couldn’t stop watching videos online of past Olympic Games,” Holbrook said. “You don’t get a lot of chances to do like women’s team sports later in life.”

She figured she had nothing to lose.

“There will never be a chance again that I could go to the Olympics in this capacity,” Holbrook said. “So why not give it everything that I have? And if I don’t make it, then I don’t make it.”