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Exorcist priest accused of ripping out teen's hair, 'growling' in bizarre spiritual cleansing

8 February 2025 at 13:00

A Michigan priest known for leading religious relic tours and hosting an exorcism podcast has been charged after allegedly placing a teenage girl's hair in his mouth and proceeding to floss his teeth with it.

Father Carlos Martins, a member of the Catholic Church and the co-host of "The Exorcist Files" podcast, was charged with misdemeanor battery in Illinois for the incident in November.

"The Exorcist Files" podcast, which is accompanied by a book with the same title, boasts of Martins' ability as an expert in exorcism and relays his personal stories.

The incident unraveled during a relic of St. Jude's tour at the Queen of Apostles parish in Joliet, Illinois, on Nov. 21, 2024.

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Martins "grabbed the hair" of a 13-year-old girl and placed it "in his mouth" in a "flossing motion," according to the criminal complaint, reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The Joliet Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that following the bizarre interaction, Martins proceeded to sit behind the teen girl and "make a growling noise."

Following the interaction, the religious tour was promptly shut down, and local law enforcement were called to the scene to intercede.Β 

The priest was confronted by employees of the Diocese of Joliet, and he was told that "he must depart from our parish and out of our Diocese."

"In an abundance of caution, the veneration of the relic and evening mass were canceled," the diocese said in a release.

Martins was processed by the Joliet Police Department, arraigned, and released as he awaits his pretrial hearing, court records from the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court in Will County showed.

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Martins' next court date is set for Feb. 24, though he is not required to appear at that pretrial hearing, Will County officials said.

In a statement, the Companions of the Cross, the religious order that Treasures of the Church is affiliated with, said Martins agreed to withdraw from his pastoral duties after the church was informed of the allegations.

"He remains entitled to due process, as is any accused," the church said. "The Companions of the Cross look upon allegations of misconduct as an urgent matter that requires serious attention. We pray for all those who are affected by this painful situation."

Martins’ status with the Archdiocese of Detroit is now listed as "Ministry revoked," according to the church’s website.

Martins' attorney could not be reached for comment.

Michigan Dem who refused to back Harris due to Israel support now blasting Trump Gaza proposal

5 February 2025 at 16:02

A Michigan Democratic congresswoman who refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential run due to the Biden-Harris administration's stand on Israel is now lashing out against the Republican who defeated her, citing his proposal on ending the Gaza conflict.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib blasted President Donald Trump for his comments on the war in Gaza and urged her allies to ramp up a push for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

"This president can only spew this fanatical bulls--- because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing,"Β  Tlaib said on Twitter Tuesday. "It’s time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak."

Tlaib's comments came after Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of war-torn Gaza following the war, saying that Palestinians could be resettled to other countries.Β 

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But Tlaib’s calls for other lawmakers to "speak up" comes after she declined to take a stance on last year’s presidential election.

Tlaib’s decision not to endorse a candidate in the presidential race came during a time of severe backlash against the Biden administration’s policies in Gaza by many constituents in her district, with some Muslim leaders going so far as to endorse Trump despite their traditional support for Democratic candidates.

One such leader, Bishara Bahbah, chaired a group known as Arab Americans for Trump. But Bahbah announced on Wednesday that he was changing the name of the group, according to a report from the Associated Press, citing Trump’s comments on Gaza.

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"The talk about what the president wants to do with Gaza, obviously we’re completely opposed to the idea of the transfer of Palestinians from anywhere in historic Palestine," he said in a statement announcing the group’s name would be changed to Arab Americans for Peace. "And so we did not want to be behind the curve in terms of pushing for peace, because that has been our objective from the very beginning."

But the sudden outcry in reaction to Trump’s comments wasn’t well received by all Democrats, with Democratic strategist Julian Epstein telling Fox News Digital that Trump’s proposal was a lot more positive than anything Tlaib appears to be offering as a solution.

"Whether you agree or disagree with Trump’s proposal, at least he is proposing something that could lead to a bright future for Gaza," Epstein said. "Tlaib, on the other hand, has advocated for policies that would keep the neo-Nazi, terrorist, race-hating Hamas in power while mimicking their rhetoric rom β€˜river to sea,’ for which she was sanctioned by the House, including with Democratic support."

Famed NFL coach Tony Dungy shuts down speculation that he was considering Senate run

1 February 2025 at 14:35

Tony Dungy is no stranger to making his political stances known, but that's about as far as he'll take it.

The former NFL coach has attended conservative rallies, including March for Life, and has been very open about his faith.

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He even criticized Democrat nominee Kamala Harris in this past election cycle for her stance on abortion rights.

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Earlier this week, a post on X surfaced that Dungy was considering a run for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat next year as a Republican.

But the rumor was unfounded, the NBC analyst said.

"Not sure where this idea came from but it didn’t come from me," Dungy said.

"I love my home state of Michigan. I pray they will elect a Senator who honors the Lord and leads the people well. But I can assure you it won’t be me."

Dungy then gave some pretty decent reasons as to why he won't run.

"Number 1, I’m not a politician and Number 2 I live in Florida."

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Democrat senator Gary Peters will not be seeking a third term next year. He was first elected in 201 and won re-election six years later but in a much tighter race. He earned 49.9% of the vote against 48.2% by John James in 2020 after defeating Terri Lynn Land in convincing fashion, 54.6% to 41.3%.

Georgia is the other state that will have a Dem-held seat up for election in 2016, in a state won by President Donald Trump back in November.Β 

Republicans have not won a Michigan U.S. Senate race in over 30 years, and Peters' seat has been blue since 1972.

Follow Fox News Digital’sΒ sports coverage on X,Β and subscribe toΒ the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

'Horrible': Michigan Five-Year-Old Killed in Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion

31 January 2025 at 14:55

A little boy was killed and his mother injured early Friday when a hyperbaric chamber exploded inside a medical facility in Troy, Michigan.

The post β€˜Horrible’: Michigan Five-Year-Old Killed in Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion appeared first on Breitbart.

Trump backed 2024 Republican Senate nominee in Michigan moves closer to making another run in 2026

30 January 2025 at 12:34

Former Rep. Mike Rogers is "strongly considering" a second straight Republican run for the Senate in the crucial battleground state of Michigan.Β 

The announcement from Rogers comes two days after two-term Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced he wouldn't seek re-election in the 2026 midterms, which will force the Democrats to defend a key swing state seat as they try to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans.

Rogers won the 2024 GOP Senate nomination in Michigan but narrowly lost to Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrats' nominee, in last November's election in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired. Slotkin, who vastly outspent Rogers, edged him by roughly 19,000 votes, or a third of a percentage point.

The 61-year-old Rogers made his news in a social media statement released on Thursday in which he spotlighted his relationship with President Donald Trump and the "support" he has received from Michiganders.

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Rogers is a former FBI special agent who later served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee during his tenure in Congress. A one-time GOP Trump critic who mulled a White House run of his own in 2024, Rogers later became a strong supporter of the then-Republican presidential nominee and won his endorsement last year.

"I’ve spent the last two years traveling across Michigan with the support of President Trump and millions of voters," Rogers wrote in a social media post on Thursday. "What I learned more than anything is that hard-working Michiganders deserve strong and honest representation that will have President Trump’s back."

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Pointing to his 2024 showing, Rogers noted that "since receiving more votes than any other Republican candidate that has ever run for Senate in Michigan, the tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement I've received since November proves that our mission to send a real fighter to the US Senate has just begun."

He added that he and his wife Kristi "are strongly considering joining the fight once again ― to be the ally that President Trump needs and the leader that Michigan deserves. Good news is coming soon."

Peters, a former House member first elected to the Senate in 2014, announced in a social media post that he would not seek re-election.

"Serving Michigan in the Congress has been the honor of my life. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity the people of my home state have given me," Peters, who steered the Senate Democrats campaign committee the past two elections cycles, said.

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Peters was one of three Democratic senators up for re-election in the 2026 midterms that the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) was planning to heavily target as they aim to expand their current 53-47 majority in the Senate. The other two Democrats are Sens. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.

While Rogers is the first Republican to publicly make a move toward launching a 2026 Senate campaign in Michigan, GOP sources tell Fox News others who may consider running are Rep. John James -who's in his second term in the House and was the GOP Senate nominee in Michigan in 2018 and 2020 -, longtime Rep. Bill Huizenga, and former NFL head coach Tony Dungy.

Hours after Peters' announcement, there were developments in the race for the Democratic Senate nomination.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who moved his residency from Indiana to Michigan a few years ago, signaled that he's mulling a Senate bid.

"Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve. He’s honored to be mentioned for this, and he’s taking a serious look," a source familiar told Fox News.

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan quickly took herself out of consideration.

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"Governor Whitmer is grateful for Senator Peters' service. She is proudly serving the people of Michigan as governor and is not running for this seat in the Senate," a spokesperson for her political action committee, Fight Like Hell PAC, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Responding to Peters's news, NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina argued in a statement earlier this week that "Gary Peters is reading the room. After spending years ignoring illegal immigration and destroying his state’s auto industry, Michigan is better off without him."

Scott emphasized that "we’re committed to giving them a fighter that will stand with President Trump to restore the economic prosperity and security of our country."

The rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee noted that "no Republican has won a Michigan Senate race in 30 years – including last cycle when Democrats won an open Senate seat even as Trump won the state."

And DSCC spokesman David Berstein also pledged that "Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026."Β 

Peters, in his statement on Tuesday, pledged "although I will not be on the ballot next year, I will not just walk away. I plan to actively campaign to ensure we elect a dynamic Democratic candidate to be the next U.S. Senator from Michigan."

Senate Democrats faced an extremely difficult map in the 2024 cycle as they lost control of the majority. And while an early read of the 2026 map indicates they'll play defense in Michigan, Georgia, and New Hampshire, they may have a couple of opportunities to go on offense.

GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is up for re-election in a reliably blue state. And Sen. Thom Tills of North Carolina is also up in 2026, in a battleground state Trump narrowly won this past November.

Fox News' Julia Johnson and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report

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