In the face of attempts to sway evangelical Christian support away from Israel, prominent leaders within the community have reaffirmed their steadfast backing of the Jewish nation, particularly since the onset of the collaborative U.S.-Israel military initiative against Iran.

Following the implementation of a ceasefire on Wednesday, Dr. Mike Evans, who is the founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and a prominent evangelical supporter of former President Donald Trump, shared his thoughts on the conflict. Evans traveled to Israel on February 26 as tensions heightened in anticipation of the operation.

While in Israel, Evans visited locations affected by missile attacks, interacted with injured civilians and Holocaust survivors, and extended $50,000 in aid to a family that had experienced a tragic loss.

“Anticipating the outbreak of war, I made my way there. Having been present in 41 conflicts, I deliberately visit places where people are suffering so I can offer assistance,” Evans conveyed to Fox News Digital.

Rescue teams and military forces worked to recover the bodies of victims following an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel, on March 1, 2026. (Photo by Leo Correa/AP)

On March 1, an Iranian missile struck the city of Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, killing nine people. Evans arrived at the scene with first responders shortly after the strike. He later visited Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital, where he met Pnina Cohen, who was injured and lost both her husband and mother-in-law in the attack.

“I have been doing this for half a century. This is my life—combating antisemitism and helping the Jewish people,” Evans said. 

Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign [named Roaring Lion in Israel], began on Feb. 28, with the stated goal of “obliterating Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity,” weakening its military infrastructure and preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a White House briefing. The first day of the operation was marked by the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Leading evangelical figures urge President Trump to continue backing Israel. (Graham; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, Mike Evans; Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

According to Israel’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday, since the beginning of the war, 7,183 people have been evacuated to hospitals, of whom 118 are currently hospitalized.

Evans described the U.S.-Israel partnership as unprecedented. “No one could have imagined an American president partnering so closely with Israel against radical Islam,” he said, calling the campaign “historic.”

He said evangelical support for Israel is rooted in religious belief. “The Bible is a Jewish book, and evangelicals believe in a Jewish person, Jesus,” he said. “They see Israel as the biblical land and believe God keeps his promises.”

The Evangelical Christian community, which numbers about 52 million people in the United States, supported Trump’s presidency on the condition that he would back Israel, Evans said.

Beyond political backing, Evans said evangelicals are active online. “We’ve had 127 million views on social media in the last eight weeks,” he said. “We are fighting misinformation and antisemitism because lies can cost lives.”

He emphasized that support is also practical. “We don’t just offer prayers — we provide financial help to those who lost homes and possessions.”

President Donald Trump bids farewell to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the White House after a meeting on April 7, 2025. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Evans acknowledged that a portion of younger evangelicals has shifted away from traditional support for Israel. “A segment has been influenced by universities and online voices,” he said, estimating that about 22% to 23% have shifted. “We are working to reach them and I believe we can.”

American Pastor John Hagee, the founder and chairman of the Christian Zionist organization Christians United for Israel, told Fox News Digital that the evangelical community supports Trump’s decision to seek the end of Iran’s menacing and murderous behavior.

“We will be backing his request to Congress to fund this effort, and we will ensure our elected officials represent the will and morality of the American people by seeing this righteous endeavor to its righteous end,” he said. 

Hagee said that “as Americans, we have a right to defend ourselves against the Islamic Republic’s half-century of terror. As Christians, we are mandated to defend ourselves against evil, to stand with the oppressed against the same, and to stand with the children of Israel at all times.” 

People take shelter as Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israel following the U.S.-Israel attacks. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Evangelical Christians who’ve been raised in the church and are biblically literate are Christian Zionists,” he said.

“The rise of antisemitism on the ‘woke right’ is not a product of evangelical churches, but rather a product of the false doctrine of Replacement Theology, repurposed and used as clickbait,” he continued. 

Any pastor or priest, politician or podcaster, who charges that the modern children of Israel are anything other than the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the beneficiaries of God’s unbreakable covenant with Israel, Hagee said, is not preaching the word of God.

“Operation Epic Fury is making the world a safer and better place for all its inhabitants; stay the course, Mr. President,” he said.

An Israeli fighter jet takes off for strikes in Tehran. (IDF)

Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, an international, evangelical Christian disaster relief organization, said Iran has vowed to wipe the State of Israel off the face of the earth, and with nuclear weapons, they could. 

“If President Trump had not stopped them, this is something this fanatical Islamic regime might have done within the next few months,” he said. 

The Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, speaks during President Donald Trump’s visit to Hurricane Helene-damaged North Carolina on Jan. 24, 2025. (Samaritan’s Purse)

“My message to the American people would be to remember Israel is the only truly democratic nation in the Middle East — the only one. And they have been our nation’s closest ally in the region. I urge Americans to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ as the Bible instructs us,” he continued.

Graham said Trump stood with Israel in a way no other American president did in the past.

“We’ve never had a president like President Trump in my lifetime. If he says he’s going to do something, he’ll do it. He warned Iran that if it continued to develop nuclear weapons, the U.S. would intervene, and that’s exactly what he did.”

The whispers about Sydney Sweeney possibly joining the James Bond universe are doing more than just stirring excitement among fans; they are solidifying her status as one of Hollywood’s most promising and bankable new talents.

Even a mere association with the 007 franchise would add significant prestige to Sweeney’s burgeoning career, especially following director Paul Feig’s endorsement. He suggested the talented actress for the legendary role, elevating her profile even further.

“Forget about just being a Bond girl,” Feig reportedly told The Sun. “Why not let Sydney be the super-spy herself? She’s perfect for it.”

Being linked to the legendary James Bond series could transform Sweeney from a rising star into an international sensation, according to branding experts consulted by Fox News Digital.

“Sydney Sweeney has already established herself as a significant figure in Hollywood,” said Ryan McCormick, a reputation management specialist and managing partner at Goldman McCormick PR. “She’s maintained a strong presence in the industry for the past three years.”

“On the contrary, I think that the Bond series would benefit more from Sweeney than vice versa. Her role would likely draw core fans as well as a curious public to see if she has the potential to display a versatility in acting that we haven’t seen yet.”

As talk of a potential shakeup in the James Bond franchise hit the internet, one industry expert drew a sharp line between two of its most recognizable roles.

A crisis and reputation management expert argued the “Bond Girl” role has historically limited careers, while being cast as James Bond himself could redefine a career entirely.

“There’s a huge distinction between being Bond and being a ‘Bond Girl,’” Dave Quast, president of EDQ Strategies, told Fox News Digital.

“The latter has historically boxed-in and typecast some actresses, but stepping into the role of Bond itself would be far more iconic and career-defining. If she were cast as Bond, it would elevate her profile significantly rather than limit it.”

While a rumored connection puts Sweeney in a different tier of conversation, Quast told Fox News Digital that the rumor doesn’t automatically elevate the “Euphoria” star into a “fully realized global brand.”

“That kind of shift doesn’t happen on speculation — it takes actually landing the role and delivering, and avoiding, going forward, the kind of polarizing domestic political controversies that can quickly become reputational liabilities,” he explained.

Still, Quast said the real upside may lie less in the speculation itself and more in the signal it sends about Sweeney’s standing in the industry.

“There’s very little downside to being publicly tied to a legendary franchise like Bond,” he said. “It signals that she’s being considered at the highest level, and given some recent image challenges she’s brought on herself, simply being part of that conversation helps reinforce her relevance and momentum.”

Long before Bond rumors, Sweeney was already building a business empire — suggesting her rise isn’t dependent on any single role. Sweeney launched her lingerie brand, SYRN, in January 2026.

The launch leaned heavily on Sweeney’s personal brand and viral marketing fueled by the actress’ Instagram persona. Prior to her foray into the celebrity lingerie market, Sweeney partnered with American Eagle for a jeans campaign.

“Sydney’s lingerie line and successful American Eagle Outfitters campaign (which added an estimated $400 million in market value and helped the stock surge over 170%),” said McCormick, “are just two examples that show that she is more than just an ‘it girl.’”

So, what happens next?

“If Miss Sweeney can land the Bond franchise and her particular film achieves commercial success and critical acclaim, it will take her career to a different level,” McCormick explained.

“Ms. Sweeney’s stock is rising because she’s seen as a safe bet.”

In Palo Alto, California, a father has taken an unconventional route in his battle against prominent university systems, claiming his son’s college rejections were unjust. Frustrated by the lack of legal representation, he has turned to artificial intelligence as his primary tool in this quest for justice.

The roots of this legal struggle trace back to 2023 when ABC7 News in San Francisco reported on Stanley Zhong, an exceptional Gunn High School student. With an impressive 4.4 GPA and a near-perfect SAT score of 1590, Stanley faced rejection from 16 out of the 18 colleges he applied to. Despite these setbacks, his talents were soon recognized, leading to his recruitment as a software engineer at Google.

Now, over two years later, Stanley’s father, Nan Zhong, maintains that racial discrimination played a significant role in the college rejection process. In an exclusive interview with ABC7 News anchor Kristen Sze, he shared his family’s ongoing belief in this claim.

Stanley, now 20, has found success and satisfaction in his role at Google. “In 2025, he received an outstanding impact performance rating,” his father proudly noted, emphasizing that this achievement surpasses the performance of most Google engineers.

Despite their son’s career achievements, the Zhong family remains unsettled by the college rejections. They initially spent a year engaging with University of California officials to address their concerns, but their efforts bore little fruit. The pivotal moment occurred when a UC admissions director dismissed their claims of racial discrimination, pointing out that California law prohibits such practices.

“When I got that line, I kept scratching my head,” Zhong said. “They’re saying there cannot be any noncompliance if there’s a law banning it, but we’re exactly accusing them of breaking the law secretly. So that is the point where I realized there’s nothing we can achieve by having a conversation with them.”

Zhong said conversations with state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom also went nowhere, prompting the family to sue the University of California, the University of Washington, the University of Michigan and Cornell University.

He said they struggled to find legal representation. “We’ve been talking to local law firms, national law firms. By my account, we probably talked to dozens of legal organizations and law firms. None of them took it,” Zhong said. With statutes of limitation approaching, he said the family decided to represent themselves.

“Of course, being somebody with no legal experience at all, we naturally turned to AI,” he said. “It turned out to be a boon that we never anticipated to be so effective.”

Zhong said they use multiple AI models simultaneously to analyze legal questions, compare answers and prevent errors. “It’s like having a team of deep lawyers, top lawyers, all working for you,” he said.

He pointed to a recent ruling in the University of Washington case, where a judge rejected the university’s motion to stay the case. Zhong said the decision underscored a challenge in bringing admissions lawsuits: students often lose legal standing once they reach their junior year of college.

“Here, Stanley has a unique advantage. He’s not going to college yet. He may go at any time,” Zhong said. “So, in some ways, he has evergreen legal standing that allows us to bring the lawsuit.”

Zhong said the broader admissions landscape has shifted since Stanley’s rejections, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling banning affirmative action in the Harvard case and increased scrutiny of elite universities. He said the family has spent significant personal funds and continues to pursue the cases because they believe the issues extend beyond their son. They have launched a nonprofit, SWORD, Students Who Oppose Racial Discrimination, to advance their cause. And they have received some financial support through GoFundMe.

“We think we have a unique advantage, and we don’t want to let that go,” he said.

A coroner from Los Angeles has entered a no contest plea following allegations of pilfering from deceased individuals over the course of a year.

Adrian Muñoz, 36, on Friday, acknowledged one felony charge of grand theft and a misdemeanor charge of petty theft, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Pleading no contest, or nolo contendere, indicates that while Muñoz neither confirms nor denies the charges, he consents to being treated as though he is guilty for sentencing purposes, foregoing his right to a trial.

The investigation revealed footage from a surveillance camera dated January 6, 2023, capturing Muñoz removing a gold crucifix necklace from a deceased individual while attending to a case.

The incident occurred during Muñoz’s response to a case involving a warehouse employee who suffered a fatal heart attack while at work.

The footage revealed that Muñoz placed the crucifix in his medical bag but never returned it or documented it on the property receipt, prosecutors said. 

Authorities then searched Muñoz’s desk and discovered rare antique coins. The receipt for the coins matched the name of a man who died on November 12, 2022. 

Prosecutors discovered that Muñoz had also handled that man’s death investigation. 

A coroner with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, pictured above, has pleaded no contest after he was accused of stealing valuables from the dead 

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, pictured above, said Muñoz ‘chose greed’ in a scathing statement 

‘There is something especially appalling about stealing from the dead. During a time when dignity and respect should be absolute, Mr. Muñoz chose greed,’ Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. 

He added that the plea was ‘a step toward justice, but it cannot undo the additional trauma inflicted on families who were already dealing with loss.’

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office was closed when reached for comment due to staffing shortages.   

The warehouse worker was previously identified by his family as Miguel Solorio. They told the Los Angeles Times in 2023 that he had worn the necklace for decades.

His daughter-in-law, Rosalba Solorio, told the publication at the time that her family asked authorities after his death what had happened to the necklace. 

They were later given one that was not Solorio’s and reported it, which led to the discovery. 

Rosalba told the Times that her family was devastated after her father-in-law’s sudden death. 

‘Finding out what happened with the chain was insult to injury,’ she said at the time. ‘Somebody who should be helping the family did this, and it’s just unexplainable.’ 

Muñoz started working at the medical examiner’s office, pictured above, in 2018 and was making a yearly salary of $92,615 when he was suspended in 2023 

Authorities said at a 2023 press conference that Muñoz had been suspended from his role at the medical examiner’s office. 

Chief Medical Examiner Dr Odey Ukpo said he was ‘very disappointed.’ ‘We rely on the trust of the community,’ he added. ‘Certainly, this will have shaken that trust.’

According to LA County employee records, Muñoz had started at the medical examiner’s office in 2018. 

Before his suspension in 2023, Muñoz was making $92,615 a year. His base earnings were $0 in 2024, according to public records.

Muñoz will be sentenced at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center on June 5. He is expected to receive two years of probation, 180 days in Los Angeles County jail and was forced to resign from the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). 

Muñoz has also been ordered to pay restitution to the families of the victims he was accused of stealing from.