Earlier this year, more than 25 million Americans began receiving letters from a company most of them had never heard of. The sender was Conduent Business Services, a contractor that processes benefits records and human resources data for state Medicaid programs, employer health plans and government agencies. Between October 2024 and January 2025, ransomware operators pulled names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, medical diagnosis codes and health insurance claim numbers out of Conduent's systems. In February 2026, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it the largest data breach in U.S. history.

The letters ended the way most of these letters end, with an apology, a phone number and an offer of one year of free credit monitoring. Once your data is already out, can you realistically protect your identity on your own, or has it become something most people are better off outsourcing?

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Federal law and tools from the Federal Trade Commission cover more ground than many people realize. None of these cost anything. When used together, they close the most common entry points fraudsters target.

Start by freezing your credit at all three bureaus. A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. It has been free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion since 2018. You can lift it temporarily when you need to apply for credit.

Next, get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS at irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin. This six-digit code blocks fraudulent tax returns filed using your Social Security number. The IRS issues a new one each year.

You should also check your credit reports regularly. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion now offer free weekly access through AnnualCreditReport.com. Checking once every few months can help you catch suspicious activity early.

It also helps to bookmark IdentityTheft.gov. The site creates a personalized recovery plan, generates the affidavit creditors require and provides prefilled dispute letters.

Another simple step is opting out of prescreened credit offers. This removes you from mailing lists lenders use for unsolicited credit and insurance offers. You can do this online at OptOutPrescreen at optoutprescreen.com, which is run by the major credit bureaus. The process takes just a few minutes. Choose a five-year opt-out for a quick fix, or print and mail the form for a permanent opt-out. Once processed, you should see fewer "pre-approved" offers in your mailbox. 

Finally, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for every financial, government and benefits account. Even if someone steals your password, they cannot access your account without the second factor.

For many people, these steps create a strong baseline.

The do-it-yourself approach works until something goes wrong. That is where the gap becomes clear.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center's 2025 Consumer Impact Report, the average victim spent more than 200 hours and $1,343 out of pocket recovering from identity theft. About one in five reported losses above $100,000. Many also reported significant emotional stress.

The financial impact adds up quickly at a national level. A February 2026 report from the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee estimates identity theft tied to major data broker breaches has cost Americans more than $20 billion over the past decade. That estimate includes incidents like Equifax, Exactis, National Public Data and TransUnion.

Free tools also have clear limits. They will not monitor the dark web for your data or remove your personal details from data broker sites. They also cannot contact creditors or dispute fraudulent accounts on your behalf.

Instead, you handle every step yourself. IdentityTheft.gov gives you a roadmap, but you still have to make the calls, file the paperwork and follow up repeatedly.

SSA IMPERSONATION SCAMS ARE GETTING MORE PERSONAL

For anyone whose data was exposed in a breach like Conduent or National Public Data, free tools alone leave real gaps. That is where paid identity protection services come in.

These services run continuous scans for your name, Social Security number, email and bank accounts on the dark web, as well as across data broker and people search sites that resell your home address and family ties. They submit opt-out requests on your behalf and repeat the process when your information shows up again. When fraud happens, many services assign a case manager who works with credit bureaus, banks and creditors to help resolve the issue.

Some plans also include identity theft insurance and dedicated fraud resolution support, which can help cover certain losses and reduce the time it takes to recover.

Paid services have limits. No service can prevent every breach, and even the best monitoring only helps shorten recovery time. The do-it-yourself approach can still work if you are comfortable managing your own checklist. However, for families, for anyone already exposed in past breaches and for those who want less hands-on involvement, adding a paid service on top of free protections can make the process easier to manage.

See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com

Most people can handle the basics of identity protection on their own, at least at first. Free tools cover the biggest risks and help block common types of fraud. However, the situation changes once your data is exposed in a major breach. At that point, monitoring, cleanup and follow-up can turn into a long and frustrating process. That is where paid services can make a real difference. They reduce the workload, track exposure across more sources and step in when fraud happens. Still, no service eliminates risk completely. The decision comes down to how much time you want to invest and how much support you would need if something goes wrong. For many households, a layered approach works best. Start with the free protections, then decide if adding a paid service fits your situation.

If your identity were stolen tomorrow, would you have the time and patience to fix it yourself?  Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com

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President Donald Trump signed a 45-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Thursday night after the Senate rejected the three-year extension passed by the House, the White House confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned House leaders Tuesday that including a provision in the FISA extension to permanently ban the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currencies (CBDC) would make it "dead on arrival" in the Senate. As Thune suggested, the three-year extension ultimately failed to pass the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.

As a temporary measure, the Senate approved a 45-day extension of the controversial national security law by unanimous consent. Trump subsequently approved the short-term renewal. 

TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE

Once the 45-day period ends, Congress will be forced to begin the FISA extension process all over again.

FISA allows the federal government to compel phone and internet providers to provide information about foreigners using their platforms without a warrant, including communications with American citizens. 

Civil libertarians long have argued that the law undermines the privacy of Americans and potentially violates the Fourth Amendment. Those working in law enforcement and intelligence agencies, meanwhile, maintain that FISA is an indispensable tool in thwarting terrorism, drug trafficking and ransomware attacks.  

HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE

More than 20 Republicans maintained their opposition to the FISA extension, even with the CBDC ban attached. 

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

"We should all be standing up for the Fourth Amendment," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said during a debate over the extension Tuesday. 

Republican leadership included the CBDC ban to appease conservative holdouts concerned that a government-issued digital dollar could expand federal visibility into Americans’ transactions.

Former President Barack Obama was lambasted for rebuking a new Supreme Court ruling against race-based redistricting in Louisiana, just days after cutting ads for a Virginia effort to transform that state's map into a 10-1 Democratic advantage.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against Louisiana's 2024 mid-decade redistricting that produced a serpentine district represented by Rep. Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge, calling it an "illegal" racial gerrymander, while Obama argued the decision weakened a Voting Rights Act provision prohibiting race-based discrimination.

"Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, freeing state legislatures to gerrymander legislative districts to systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities — so long as they do it under the guise of ‘partisanship’ rather than explicit ‘racial bias’," Obama said.

"Unless it’s Virginia. In that case, it’s great to have a 10-1 gerrymander," Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer replied in a post on X.

SPANBERGER FACES ‘BAIT-AND-SWITCH’ BACKLASH IN FINAL HOURS BEFORE REDISTRICTING REFERENDUM

Fleischer was joined by former North Carolina Congressman and ex-Trump aide Mark Meadows, who addressed Obama to say his rebuke was "beneath you."

Former DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also weighed in, remarking that, to the former president, "disenfranchising millions of voters and forcing 45% of Virginians to be represented by one congressional district and 55% represented by 10 is now 'standing up for Democracy.'

"Is that 'equity'? What a farce."

Obama went on to slam the current makeup of the Supreme Court and its conservative majority, saying its decision in the case is another example of "abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach."

Other critics noted Obama has been mum on his own home state's gerrymandered map, which features several zigzagging districts connecting disparate neighborhoods and suburbs of Chicago, while other Democratic strongholds form serpentine districts around the interior of the state to connect cities like Champaign, Springfield and Moline with other Democratic areas.

Other critics noted how Democrats control every congressional district in New England, plus Hawaii, citing reported figures that all of those states have Republican populations between 32% and 48%, but none of those voters have like-minded representation in Washington.

The 44th president added that setbacks like that can be overcome, calling on Americans who respect "democratic ideals" to vote in record numbers to outweigh any electoral changes brought on by the court's decision.

In his own reading of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Justice Samuel Alito said that when "correctly understood, [it] does not impose liability at odds with the Constitution, and it should not have imposed liability on Louisiana for its 2022 map."

Just days earlier, Obama was front and center in the largely Democratic-led "Vote Yes" campaign in Virginia, where the commonwealth’s Democratic legislative majority and Gov. Abigail Spanberger backed a voter referendum to implement their own mid-decade redistricting that would favor their party for at least the next four years.

DEMOCRATS WIN VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING FIGHT, THREATENING REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY

The approved map would transform Virginia’s 6-5 Democratic congressional majority into a likely 10-1 split by redrawing rural districts to include Washington, D.C., suburbs or the Richmond-Petersburg metro area, which proponents like Obama said is needed to restore fairness on a national level.

"By voting yes, you have a chance to do something important, not just for the commonwealth but for our entire country. By voting yes, you can push back on the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms," Obama said.

Obama claimed in a pro-Yes ad that supporters could "level the playing field."

CARVILLE AND CO-HOST LAMENT THAT TRUMP SPARKED A REDISTRICTING WAR, MAKING BOTH PARTIES LOOK CYNICAL

While largely a Democratic concern, and as newly drawn districts in Louisiana and Alabama favored Democrats, Virginia's "yes" campaign did have support from a handful of non-Democrats such as anti-Trump former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.

Like Louisiana’s map, Virginia’s plan has been subject to dueling litigation, including a recent move by a circuit judge in Tazewell County in the western mountains to place a hold on certification of the "Yes" vote, while the state Supreme Court considers a case over the referendum’s legislative process and legitimacy.

In a statement, Fields said Wednesday’s high court decision "dismantled" decades of settled law and was not a "neutral reading" of the Voting Rights Act.

"Today's majority has resurrected exactly that standard — and the practical effect is to make it far harder for minority communities to challenge redistricting maps that dilute their political voice," Fields said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama for comment on criticisms.

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report.

Want a hotter, fresher Whopper? Burger King fans say one simple request could make the difference.

Fans of the fast-food chain swear by ordering the burger "hot off the broiler" — whether you're ordering at the counter, going through the drive-through or getting delivery — to help ensure a freshly cooked patty rather than one that has been sitting on a warming tray, Tasting Table recently reported.

The request is not just an off-menu hack, as Burger King's online ordering system lists "Hot Off The Broiler" as one of its customization options — though some customers may not realize it can also be requested in person.

TOP BUTCHERS REVEAL THE 3 FAST-FOOD CHEESEBURGERS THAT ACTUALLY USE REAL, QUALITY BEEF

The catch, however, is that the request could tack on a few extra minutes to your wait.

But plenty of burger lovers say it's worth it.

On Reddit, where Burger King customers often share and debate ordering tips and tricks, some users said a Whopper ordered "off the broiler" came noticeably hotter, with a better char, texture and more melted cheese.

MCDONALD'S CEO DRAGGED AGAIN AFTER ANOTHER AWKWARD FOOD VIDEO: 'NUGGET BITE WAS WORSE'

"It’s piping hot, and it still has a crust that hasn't steamed over," one Reddit user wrote recently, alongside a photo of a double Whopper stacked high with toppings and oozing melted cheese. 

"I'm converted."

"Did this today and what a difference," another commenter wrote in a recent thread. "The taste and tenderness of the beef patty was way better."

Another user called it "the only way to order a Whopper."

AMERICA'S 5 BEST FAST-FOOD CHEESEBURGERS RANKED, FROM ICONIC CLASSICS TO NEWCOMERS

While some said they feel bad asking workers to go out of their way, self-identified current and former employees said the request is generally not a problem, as long as customers are polite and understand the order may take longer.

Several commenters noted that it is easier for staff when the request is made right away.

Not everyone was convinced, however.

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Some Reddit users said results can vary widely by location, with a few claiming the request is sometimes ignored during busy periods or depending on the store.

"Honest answer, it will depend on the kitchen and the manager," one commenter said.

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"Take my word for it, if you check this box, nothing changes in the preparation of your burger," another chimed in.

Others argued that if a restaurant is already following proper procedures, the difference between a fresh patty and one recently placed in a warming tray will be minimal.

"If the kitchen crew is properly doing things, you couldn't tell between 'fresh off the broiler' or not," one said.

But the hack isn't the only one fans recommend.

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Burger King's customization system includes other no-extra-charge options, such as extra pickles, additional onions, sauces or having a Whopper cut in half — letting customers truly "have it your way," as Tasting Table also reported. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Burger King for comment.

Watching videos about chocolate cake, burgers and other junk foods might sound like a bad idea for anyone trying to diet — but new research suggests it could actually help some people resist cravings.

Researchers from the University of Bristol in England and the University at Buffalo in New York found that people actively trying to suppress food cravings were more likely to spend time watching indulgent food content online — yet ended up eating less of it afterward.

"It may sound counterintuitive, but our findings show that people, particularly those trying to control their diet, can use visual food content as a self-regulation tool," lead author Dr. Esther Kang of the University of Bristol said in a statement.

YOUNG ADULTS MAY BE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO OVEREATING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS, STUDY FINDS

The motivation behind the study was the growing prevalence of food content in digital media and the assumption it promotes overeating, Kang told Fox News Digital.

"At the same time, many individuals in modern society are actively trying to restrict their food intake," she added. "We wanted to understand how these two trends interact and whether digital food content could play a more nuanced role in self-regulation."

The research, published in March in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, included several experiments involving 840 participants ages 19 to 77.

WHY YOUR SUGAR CRAVINGS WON’T GO AWAY, EVEN IF YOU STOP EATING SWEETS

In one experiment where participants viewed short food clips showing both high-calorie and lower-calorie chocolate desserts, dieters spent about 30% longer looking at the unhealthier options than non-dieters did. 

But when later presented an actual bowl of chocolates, the dieters consumed less of it than non-dieters.

Researchers said the behavior may reflect what they call "cross-modal satiation," meaning visual exposure to tempting foods can partially satisfy the desire to eat them.

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The findings challenge the common assumption that digital food content inevitably encourages overeating, researchers said.

"For individuals who are actively trying to control their eating, viewing such content may partially satisfy cravings and reduce subsequent intake," Kang told Fox News Digital. "In everyday life, this indicates that brief and mindful engagement with food imagery may help some dieters manage cravings."

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The study, however, has some limitations. 

The experiments measured short-term behavior in controlled settings, including a lab test focused only on chocolate — and did not show whether the effect lasts over time or translates into real-world dieting success.

Kang noted that while the results were consistent across experiments, they reflect short-term behavior in controlled settings and should not be overgeneralized without further research.

Lori Bohn, a California-based board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and medical director at Voyager Recovery Center, said the findings make sense in some contexts. (She was not involved with the new research.)

"This research shows us that motivation does matter; when a person is intentionally dieting, they're likely to use these visual cues as tools rather than as stimuli for excessive consumption," Bohn told Fox News Digital.

She added that simply looking at foods can help reduce cravings because the brain starts to feel like you’ve already experienced eating them.

But Bohn cautioned that the effect may not work for everyone.

"There are individuals — those struggling with impulsive eating or binge patterns — for whom viewing high-palatability food video content will actually enhance cravings as opposed to decreasing them," she said.

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Bohn added that watching food videos may serve as a temporary coping tool for some people, but that this should be paired with balanced meals, awareness of emotional triggers and enough flexibility, so that "forbidden foods" do not gain too much psychological power.

Pro wrestler Luca Crusifino revealed last week he was among those who departed WWE in the company’s most recent wave, and on Monday, he announced he was retiring from the sport.

The 25-year-old Pennsylvania native, whose real name is Roman Macek, wrote on social media that he was leaving professional wrestling for good.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

"After much reflection, I’ve decided it’s time to close this chapter of my life," he wrote on X. "Being a part of the WWE has been a dream ever since I was a child. Getting the chance to live out my dream in front of the world is something I’ll never take for granted. To the fans… thank you for every cheer, every boo, every moment of support. You made this journey unforgettable.

"I am forever grateful for the friendships that I made along the way. From talent, to coaches, to the creative team, to every single person I came in contact with at the performance center … thank you! Thank you for pushing me, believing in me, and sharing the ring with me. I’ve learned more than I can ever put into words and met some of the greatest people that will be friends for life."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

He wrote that the decision wasn’t an easy one.

"As of today, I’m officially stepping away and retiring from professional wrestling. It’s not an easy decision, but it’s the right one for me," he added. "This isn’t goodbye, just the end of one incredible chapter.

"Again, I cannot say this enough… Thank you! What an amazing last 4 years and don’t worry about me… I’ll figure it out."

And don’t worry, Crusifino made clear he wasn’t about to make an OnlyFans.

Crusifino was a college football player at Duquesne before he joined WWE. He entered with a lawyer gimmick and would later join The D’Angelo Family as their consigliere.

In 2025, he would attack his family members Tony D’Angelo and Channing Lorenzo and end up leaving the family. He was reintroduced into WWE Evolve with a new raver gimmick. But it didn’t last as he departed the company last week.

Pittsburgh didn’t just host the NFL Draft. It hosted the exact kind of three-day football festival the league has been chasing for years, and it did it on a massive scale. The 2026 draft footprint stretched across Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium (still Heinz Field in the hearts of civilized people) and by the end of the weekend, the city had hosted one of the biggest football parties in human history.

The final attendance number was absurd: 805,000 fans over three days, per the league's entry count. That broke the all-time draft record and moved Pittsburgh past Detroit’s 775,000 from 2024. Pittsburgh also set a Round 1 record with more than 320,000 fans on Thursday night alone.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Before the event, NFL officials and event organizers projected Pittsburgh would welcome 500,000 to 700,000 fans. Instead, it blew past the high end of that range and climbed above Green Bay and Nashville, which each drew about 600,000 in 2025 and 2019, respectively.

At this point, the NFL is not even pretending the draft is about the handful of prospects sitting in the green room. Pittsburgh had 16 prospects attend in person, but the real stars were the fans flooding the North Shore and Point State Park. That's not a complaint, either. The league figured out that turning the draft into an outdoor festival is better business, better television and, frankly, better for the cities that get to host it.

So now the obvious question is whether any city can actually take this thing to 1 million.

Most cities? No. Not even close. The NFL has held the draft in 10 different cities since leaving New York following the 2014 version. Pittsburgh set the record with 805,000 attendees, meaning 1 million would require the most-attended draft to increase attendance by nearly 25%.

But 1 million people is not just a big number; it would push the NFL Draft into a new stratosphere with regard to public events. To get there, a city needs a gigantic outdoor footprint, real tourism appeal, public transit, adequate hotel inventory, and a backdrop that makes people want to show up even if their team is picking 24th and taking an offensive lineman.

There is one city that feels like it has a chance, and the NFL already has it lined up. The 2027 draft is headed to Washington, D.C., where the event is scheduled to use the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. In the official announcement and White House event around it, Roger Goodell said the league believes attendance will be "well over a million" over three days, and Commanders owner Josh Harris said he believes the event will get over a million people.

That's why Pittsburgh’s impressive record might not last more than a year. The National Mall is a different animal from a normal downtown draft footprint. If the weather cooperates and the setup works the way the league believes it can, D.C. has a legitimate shot to become the first seven-figure NFL Draft city.

That's an important caveat, though.

Weather in the northeast in April is notoriously unpredictable. Rain, and even snow (or just freezing temperatures), are not out of the question and could quickly put a damper on the hopes of a record-breaking performance.

FERNANDO MENDOZA, THE NO 1 PICK OF NFL DRAFT TO THE RAIDERS, TASKED WITH RETURNING A LEGACY FRANCHISE TO GLORY

Beyond D.C., the list gets very short. Remember that the league wants the NFL Draft in cities that have an NFL franchise and, generally, are unlikely to host a Super Bowl. A city like Los Angeles might be able to do it, based on sheer volume and perfect weather, but LA is a frequent Super Bowl host.

Nashville is still the blueprint for pure draft atmosphere and drew more than 600,000 when it hosted in 2019. Philadelphia’s 2017 event pulled 250,000 and helped prove the outdoor model could work in the first place. Green Bay then showed that even the league’s smallest market could hit 600,000-plus if the event is built the right way. Those are enormous numbers. But they also show just how hard 1 million really is.

So yes, Pittsburgh broke the record. And yes, a city can probably surpass 1 million.

But the answer is not "any city."

Right now, it looks like that city is the capital of the United States. Will it happen?

Fortunately, fans only have to wait one year to find out.