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Sean 'Diddy' Combs files motion to dismiss revenge porn, human trafficking claims in sexual assault suit

Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team filed a motion Friday to dismiss a number of claims waged against the music mogul from a sexual assault lawsuit established in November.

In the filings, Diddy's lawyers argued "numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations" were brought against Combs and his companies in a lawsuit filed by Joi Dickerson-Neal "under statutes that did not exist at the time the alleged misconduct occurred and against corporate entities that were not formed or in existence."

Dickerson-Neal alleged that the influential rapper drugged, sexually assaulted and abused her while she was attending Syracuse University in 1991, according to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital.

Dickerson-Neal claimed Combs intentionally drugged her while on a date, recorded the sexual assault and "distributed" the tape, making her a victim of "revenge porn."

SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS' ASSOCIATE PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGES FOLLOWING ARREST AMID HOME RAIDS

His legal team argued that New York State Revenge Porn Law became effective in December 2017, and therefore couldn't be retroactively applied to a lawsuit stemming from an incident that allegedly happened in 1991.

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The third cause of action in Dickerson-Neal's suit alleges a claim under the New York Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Law (VHTL). His lawyers argue that the VHTL became effective on Nov. 1, 2007, which was approximately 16 years after the alleged sexual assault. 

Dickerson-Neal's claim was filed against Combs, his Bad Boy Entertainment group, Bad Boy Records, and Combs Enterprises, LLC.

His lawyers provided evidence from the New York Department of State, Divisions of Corporations showing Combs established Bad Boy Entertainment Holdings, Inc. in 1992, one year after the alleged incident happened.

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A similar form was provided for Combs Enterprises, LLC., which listed the initial filing date for the entity as Nov. 17, 2004.

Diddy's team also invoked a recent ruling in another New York case where Steven Tyler was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in 1975. 

Jeanne Bellino initially filed the suit against the Aerosmith singer under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, a law which extends the statute of limitations by two years for victims of sex abuse.

Bellino's case was dismissed in February after a judge ruled that the alleged incident didn't present a "serious risk of physical injury," and could not be legally sufficient to pursue litigation.

Last month, Diddy's homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) officials in connection to a federal human trafficking investigation. It's unclear if Combs is the target of the federal agency's investigation.

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Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, called the raids a "gross overuse of military-level force" in a statement provided to Fox News Digital at the time. 

"This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits," Dyer said.

"There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."

In addition to the Dickerson-Neal suit, Diddy is also being sued by Liza Gardner, Jane Doe, and music producer Rodeny "Lil Rod" Jones. Combs has denied each of the claims.

White House denies secret plot to oust Karine Jean-Pierre as Biden faces more bad news

The Biden administration is denying that there was a secret internal plot to get rid of White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, a scheme first reported Thursday by the New York Post.

Deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates forcefully rejected claims from multiple sources with knowledge of the plans, which included longtime Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn, supported by White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, recruiting prominent outside Democrats to urge Jean-Pierre to voluntarily make her exit. 

"Not only are these claims wildly false, but the reality is the polar opposite. Karine was never approached by anyone with such a message. She spends four hours preparing every day. And neither Jeff nor Anita did any such thing; both have been unflinchingly supportive of her," Bates told the Post.

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According to the Post's sources, Jean-Pierre's bosses were unhappy with her habit of reading prepared answers directly from her binder, which they viewed as falling short of making an adequate case for President Biden as he prepared to launch his re-election campaign.

"Every press secretary uses the binder. Why is she being singled out?" Bates added.

One of the sources told the Post that the effort included having outside people Jean-Pierre knew and trusted convince her it was the right time to move along and that it would make sense for her career to leave at around the same tenure as previous secretaries — about a year and a half.

The other source told the Post, "Jeff and Anita were trying to find Karine a graceful exit" in an effort to avoid removing her against her will.

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"There’s a huge diversity issue, and they’re afraid of what folks are going to say," the source said, adding that although at least one person from outside the administration spoke to Jean-Pierre, that the plan had not yet, and was unlikely to, lead to her departure.

"She has been pretty consistent in telling people from the minute she got the job that she was going to stay through the election," the source said. "I think Karine has decided to stay come hell or high water and that’s that."

Both sources went on to tell the Post that the press secretary relied too much on her notes to be able to provide the quick-thinking pushback needed in the role, with one arguing that she "doesn't have an understanding of the issues" despite Jean-Pierre thinking that she's "doing an amazing job."

A February report by NBC News detailed a job offer Jean-Pierre received and rejected in December from EMILYs List, a pro-abortion group, and, according to an email shared with the Post, Dunn appeared to have accepted that same month that Jean-Pierre wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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"KJP isn’t going anywhere, so this is a ridiculous piece," Dunn wrote in the email to a Washington Post reporter regarding a separate piece.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for additional comment.

The White House's denial concerning Jean-Pierre comes as Biden received more bad news about his re-election bid.

A new CNN poll released Sunday found former President Trump holding a continued advantage (49%-43%) in a head-to-head matchup, with that lead growing to nine points (42%-33%) when including independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (16%) and Dr. Cornel West (4%) and Green Party candidate Jill Stein (3%).

Additionally, 55% said they saw Trump's presidency as a success, but 61% said they saw Biden's presidency as a failure.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Trump, DeSantis meet privately for several hours in Miami

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met privately in Miami, Florida on Sunday, a Republican with knowledge of the meeting confirmed to Fox News.

During the several-hour long meeting, DeSantis agreed to help Trump as the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee tries to close his fundraising gap with President Biden in their 2024 election rematch, the source confirmed.

DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected in 2022 before launching an unsuccessful bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has built up a formidable network of wealthy donors who could be helpful to Trump as the general election campaign heats up.

News of the meeting was first reported by the Washington Post, which said the get-together between the two rivals was orchestrated by Steve Witkoff, a Florida real estate broker known to both Trump and DeSantis.

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The meeting appears to be the first time DeSantis and Trump have spoken, let alone met in person, since the governor ended his White House bid in January, after a disappointing second place finish in the Iowa caucuses, far behind Trump.

The former president and his allies spent nearly a year attacking DeSantis as the two squared off for the GOP nomination that also included other contenders.

DeSantis and Trump did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital on the matter.

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DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign just two days ahead of the New Hampshire primary and has since endorsed Trump. But to date, DeSantis hasn’t campaigned on behalf of Trump.

During a February call with supporters, the governor took aim at Trump and his top political advisers.

"I think he’s got people in his inner circle who were part of our orbit years ago that we fired, and I think some of that is they just have an ax to grind," DeSantis said at the time.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? TRUMP'S FORMER OPPONENTS LINING UP NEW JOBS AFTER FAILED 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BIDS

Responding, top Trump campaign aide Chris LaCivita called DeSantis a "sad little man."

While many on Trump’s team and in his wider political orbit detest DeSantis, the former president may be more forgiving, if it benefits him.

Trump said in January after DeSantis endorsed him that he would "officially retire" the derogatory "Ron DeSanctimonious" nickname he used repeatedly to attack the Florida governor for nearly a year.

Protesters in Germany call for Islamic fundamentalism: 'Caliphate is the solution'

More than 1,000 protesters gathered in Hamburg, Germany to take part in an Islamist demonstration over the weekend, German media reported.

According to German newspaper Die Welt, the demonstration took place in the Steindamm neighborhood of Hamburg on Saturday afternoon.

Muslim protesters carried a variety of signs in support of Islamic fundamentalism. One of the signs read "Kalifat ist die Lösung," which translates to, "Caliphate is the solution."

The protesters also yelled "Allahu Akbar," meaning "God is great," in Arabic. Hamburg police told Die Welt that there were roughly 1,100 participants.

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The protest was reportedly organized by a group called Muslim Interaktiv. According to the organization's social media, the protest was meant to stand against the "demoniz[ation of] all Islamic life in Germany."

"We will raise our voices together, inshallah," a translated post on X read. "Together against Islamophobic reporting, both in recent weeks and in recent months."

The Hamburg protests came as anti-Israel protests have intensified across the world, while the Israel-Hamas war inches towards its eighth month. In the U.S., protesters at Columbia University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin and other schools have set up tents on their universities' quads as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians.

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS CONTINUE NATIONWIDE DISRUPTIONS WITH ESCALATIONS AT USC, HARVARD AND COLUMBIA

The war began on October 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Around 1,200 Israeli civilians were killed, igniting a fierce response from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Israel's military response has been criticized by anti-war groups for exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which IDF supporters have blamed on Hamas. In December, police in Berlin banned a pro-Palestinian rally planned for New Year's Eve out of fear of potential chaos and crimes.

"The situation is emotional," Berlin police chief Barbara Slowik said at the time. "An influx of troublemakers is to be expected who could use the meeting to commit crimes. No meeting leader could keep such a development under control. That's why the police banned the demonstration."

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Budweiser, Corona, Bud Light: A history of America's most popular beer brands

Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the U.S., with the country being the second-largest beer market in the world.

It serves as home to the world's best and most recognizable breweries. 

A study conducted by Statista found that the most recognizable beer brands in the United States are Corona, Bud Light and Budweiser.

The study found that 87% of its respondents recognized Bud Light and Corona, while 85% were aware of Budweiser. Read below to find out the history of these popular brews.

NATIONAL BEER DAY QUIZ! HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THESE FACTS ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE BREW?

Bud Light is manufactured by German American brewing company Anheuser-Busch. The beer was initially released in 1982 under the name Budweiser Light as part of the company's marketing campaign for a low-calorie beer, later changing the name to Bud Light for marketing simplicity. 

The drink is one of the most recognizable brews in the United States and one of the best-selling brands under the Busch label.

During the 1990s, the beverage became popular throughout the country via a creative marketing campaign filled with celebrity commercial appearances – this also came on the heels of the company's immensely popular "Spuds MacKenzie" campaign of the late 1980s, featuring a bull terrier dubbed "the original party animal."

However, Bud Light's more recent advertising endeavors have garnered the beer brand its fair share of negative publicity — particularly in the form of a 2023 partnership with transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney. 

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A series of viral ads featuring the influencer triggered immediate, widespread backlash, leading to highly-publicized boycotts of Bud Light and the company reporting significant slippage in key metrics it had long dominated. 

The boycotts have proven to be remarkably persistent.

Anheuser-Busch "has spent all the money. They've done all the right things," Beer Business Daily publisher Harry Schuhmacher told Fox News Digital in March. "They spent the money on the right things. And amazingly, it hasn't really affected the trend that much. It's unbelievable."

Despite the blowback from the Mulvaney campaign – or, perhaps, because of it – Bud Light's name recognition saw a 2% increase over the past year, still rendering it as one of the best-known beer brands in the country.

Originating just south of the border in Mexico, Corona is the best-known foreign beer brand in the U.S. It is also a label that has been around for almost a full century.

The beer is produced by Grupo Modelo, Mexico's largest brewer. In celebration of the brewery's 10th anniversary, Grupo Modelo created Corona in 1925. 

Approximately a year after the beer was released to the public, the company decided to use clear, transparent bottles to distinguish Corona from other beers, and it has served as an iconic symbol for the product ever since.

In 1937, the brewery released a finer-quality version of the beer called Corona Extra, and it quickly became Mexico's best-selling beer through an aggressive marketing campaign. By the 1980s, Corona started becoming popular in various urban centers in the United States. By the mid-1990s, Corona was the best-selling imported beer in the country.

Known by its iconic nickname, "The King of Beers," Budweiser is another well-known and easily recognized Anheuser-Busch staple. 

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The pale lager was created in 1875 by Adolphus Busch, a German American immigrant, and quickly became one of the best-selling brews in the country. Busch worked with his wife, Lilly Anheuser, to expand the beer's marketing and fine-tune its unique taste.

The pair started using pasteurization so that the beer could travel over long distances without damaging the product – one of the first breweries in the country to use this method at the time. 

The modern Anheuser-Busch company was built on the efforts of the couple as they worked together to create America's best-selling beer – and Budweiser has long served as its flagship brand.

Budweiser also owes some of its impressive brand recognition to a history of successful, wildly popular television advertisements that made their way over the airwaves in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Budweiser Frogs, the "Whassup" guys, and the company's uncharacteristically majestic Super Bowl commercials featuring herds of Clydesdale horses rank among some of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history.

Phillip Nieto contributed reporting.

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Jalen Brunson sets new Knicks playoff record with brilliant Game 4 performance in win over 76ers

One game after Joel Embiid set a career-high with 50 points in the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 3 win, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson had just the right answer in Game 4. 

Brunson dropped 47 points to lead the Knicks to a 97-92 win on the road to make the series 3-1 in their favor. 

Brunson’s incredible efforts set a new Knicks franchise record for the most points scored in a single playoff game. 

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Momentum was certainly in the 76ers’ favor entering this game because Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who comes off the bench to spell Isaiah Hartenstein down low, was not available after suffering a Game 3 ankle sprain. The 76ers came out firing to start the game, too, outscoring the Knicks, 27-17, in the first quarter. 

But the Knicks cut the Sixers’ lead to 49-47 at halftime, and a lot of that had to do with Brunson, who shot 18 of 34 with 9-of-11 free throws made for his 47 points. 

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Brunson put the Knicks ahead at the end of the third quarter when he got De’Anthony Melton to foul him on a floater attempt.

The fourth quarter was a low-scoring affair, but the Knicks won it, 20-16, with Brunson’s last two free throws made giving him the Knicks record, which passed Bernard King’s 46 points against the Detroit Pistons in 1984. 

What made the performance even more impressive was Brunson’s usual guard help, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, had trouble on the offensive end. Hart didn’t make a single shot, going 0 of 7 from the floor and 4 of 8 from the free throw line, while DiVincenzo had a rough shooting game with 3 of 11 made and 2 of 7 from three-point land. 

However, Hart made up for his offensive inefficiencies with a team-high 17 rebounds. OG Anunoby helped the Knicks with 16 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double, while Precious Achiuwa came off the bench and played the entire fourth quarter due to Hartenstein’s five fouls called on him in the third quarter. He had the responsibility of containing Embiid, and he did the job. 

Embiid played the entire second half and looked gassed by the end of things. He finished with 27 points on 7-of-19 shooting following his career night in Game 3. He totaled 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks as well. Tyrese Maxey had 23 points for the Sixers on 8-of-21 shooting.

The Knicks and 76ers now head back up to the Big Apple, where New York will be raucous in hopes the Knicks can move on to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

More efforts like this from Brunson will certainly help their cause.

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Texans' Tank Dell wounded in Florida nightclub shooting, team says

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was a victim in a shooting at a nightclub in Sanford, Florida, on Saturday night, the team said.

Dell, a third-round pick by Houston in the 2023 NFL Draft, suffered a minor wound but was released from the hospital and is "in good spirits," the Texans added.

"We are in contact with him and his family and will provide more updates when appropriate, but we ask that you please respect his privacy at this time," the Texans said in a statement on social media. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the incident."

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The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said a 16-year-old has been charged in the shooting that left 10 injured. 

Christopher Bouie is being charged with attempted homicide, discharging a firearm on public property, and possession of a firearm by a minor, according to FOX 35 Orlando

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Cabana Live was the scene of the shooting that occurred just after midnight Sunday. A news release said a security officer working at the nightclub, which was hosting an event, caught the suspected shooter. 

Investigators found it was a verbal argument that led to gunfire from the teen suspect. He has since been booked into a Juvenile Detention Center. 

Dell shined in his rookie season alongside fellow first-year teammate C.J. Stroud, who ended up winning Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading Houston as their new franchise quarterback to the playoffs. 

Dell quickly became a deep ball threat for Stroud, hauling in 47 receptions (75 targets) for 709 yards and seven touchdowns over 11 games (eight starts). 

Unfortunately for Dell, his rookie season was cut short due to a fibula fracture he suffered against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12. 

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Jerry Seinfeld eviscerates 'extreme left' for making comedy 'P.C.'

Storied comic Jerry Seinfeld is calling it like he sees it: political correctness has been a detriment to comedy.

The ever-candid "Seinfeld" star unleashed on the "extreme left," suggesting that while people still crave comic relief, they can't find it on television.

"Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. They need it so badly and they don't get it," he said on a recent episode of The New Yorker's Radio Hour.

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"It used to be that you'd go home at the end of the day, most people would go, ‘Oh ’Cheers' is on. Oh ‘M.A.S.H.’ is on. Oh ‘[The] Mary Tyler Moore [Show]’ is on. ‘All in the Family’ is on. You just expected they'll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight."

"Well guess what, where is it? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap and people worrying so much about offending other people."

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"Now they're going to see stand-up comics because they are not policed by anyone. The audience polices us. We know when we're off track. We know instantly. And we adjust to it, instantly," Seinfeld said. "But when you write a script and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups - ‘Here’s our thought about this joke' - well, that's the end of your comedy."

Seinfeld emphasized that your job as a comedian is dependent upon being able to work within the parameters of what society deems acceptable. "They move the gates, like in skiing," he explained. "Culture – the gates are moving.' Your job is to be agile and clever enough that wherever they put the gates, I'm gonna make the gate."

But where there's risk, there's gain, and Seinfeld acknowledges stand-ups are personally leveraging the most.

"With certain comedians now, people are having fun with them stepping over the line. And us all laughing about it," he said. "But again, it's the stand-ups that really have the freedom to do it because no one else gets the blame if it doesn't go down well. He or she can take all the blame [themselves.]"

Nuggets players spotted wearing flip-flops during warm-ups before Game 4 loss to Lakers

When Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone went into his postgame press conference following a Game 4 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, he likely wasn’t thinking he’d talk about flip-flops. 

But after several Nuggets players were spotted during pregame warm-ups wearing just flip-flops and socks, that’s exactly what happened.

With the Nuggets up 3-0 in the series against Los Angeles, the general perception of players wearing flip-flops to warm up seemed to be that Denver was being nonchalant heading into the potential sweep situation.

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However, a Nuggets spokesperson told ESPN that there was a mix-up with some players’ insoles in their shoes on the early bus to the arena, leading them to hit the court without their regular basketball sneakers on.

"I think the bus that the shoes got loaded onto was the last bus," Nuggets starting forward Michael Porter Jr. said, per ESPN. "There was some confusion. So, all I had was slides. They said we could either skip our warm-up or go out there in slides. I kind of knew then that people would probably make a big deal out of it, but it was just because somebody forgot to put the shoes on the right bus.

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"It’s frustrating. Pregame routine is very important, but everyone makes mistakes. Everybody’s human, I’m not too mad."

Denver has begun games in this first-round series slow, but they’ve been able to overcome deficits and come away with victories. 

The reigning NBA champions, though, didn’t come close this time around as LeBron James & Co. kept their season alive with a 119-108 victory. 

"If you want to dig into stuff and say, well, we lost because, for some strange reason, our players didn’t have their shoes when they got here for their normal warm-ups, that we had guys out there shooting around with flip-flops, is it ideal? No," Malone said. "But I’m not an excuse guy. And I’m not going to point to the reason we got our butts kicked in the paint because shoes weren’t here. I think that’s a reach, personally."

The Nuggets have another chance to take down the Lakers and move on in the playoffs on Monday night at home in Denver. With a home game, Malone hopes the equipment mishap doesn’t occur.

"Hopefully we can figure that out and make sure it never happens again," he said.

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Granger Smith's wife, Amber Smith, partners with drowning prevention organization to drive awareness

Amber Smith is partnering with the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA), a California-based nonprofit organization, ahead of the summer months to drive conversation and awareness around water safety and drowning prevention.

On June 4, 2019, Amber Smith and her husband, country music singer Granger Smith, experienced a parent’s worst nightmare when their 3-year-old son, River, squeezed through the fence surrounding their family home pool and drowned.

After two anguishing days in the hospital spent hoping and praying for positive answers from doctors about their child’s condition, the couple decided to donate River’s organs when they understood a full life would not be possible.

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"It was silent, and it was quick, and there were other people outside and nobody heard anything, nobody saw anything," Smith told Fox News Digital during a video interview. "I didn’t realize we had the number one killer in our backyard."

Drowning is the most common cause of death among children ages 1-4, Adam Katchmarchi, CEO of the NDPA, told Fox News Digital over the phone.

"Almost 70% of toddler drownings are happening during non-swimming times," Katchmarchi said.

The Smith family had just wrapped up dinner and the three children were outside playing with Granger in the yard when River slipped through the locked fence surrounding the pool. The paramedics were able to revive River’s heartbeat. However, his brain was without oxygen for too long.

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"He made it to the water within seconds," Smith said.

River was in his pajamas and nearly ready for bed when the accident happened.

"If water is present, drowning is a risk," Katchmarchi said. "Layers fail, and all layers can fail. We never know which layer will fail, and which will prevent drowning, so it’s important to practice all of them."

Katchmarchi explains that there is no one solution for drowning prevention and multiple protective layers are necessary to ensure a child’s safety near a body of water.

He recommends a holistic approach to water safety that includes barriers, alarms, parameter fencing, restrictive access inside the home, supervision, lifeguards, water competency, U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets and proper CPR training in case of an emergency.

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"Parents need to still practice layers of protection even if their children are wearing a flotation device," Katchmarchi said. He recommends touch supervision, which is when a parent maintains contact close enough to a child in or around water where they have the ability to reach out and touch them.

"Our story is drowning, and so part of that is sharing what we didn’t know, telling parents that they need locks and barriers and supervision and gates, and they need their children to have water competency," Smith said.

Prior to River’s accident, the Smith family was using Puddle Jumper arm floats for their children. Smith says she doesn’t blame Puddle Jumper for the loss of her child. However, today, she is aware that the floats were providing the children with a false sense of security and putting them in a drowning position.

"We teach our kids that water is fun all the time, and we put them in unsafe positions wearing floaties when they think they have the skills that they need to survive, and they don’t," Smith said. "We’re on a mission to share what the first sport should be and that is giving your children the skills they need to survive in the water, so we’re calling it First Sport."

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First Sport is an NDPA campaign that stars talking toddlers who encourage their parents to enroll them in swim lessons. Katchmarchi explains that while many parents seek swim instruction annually, there is a shortage of lifeguards and water safety is an underfunded public health issue across the country.

"We don't have enough swim instructors to teach every kid in the country who wants to learn how to swim," he said. "There's just not enough capacity. We do need to invest in community pool infrastructure."

Fear of a child swallowing too much water or crying are just a few reasons some parents across the country hesitate to enroll small children into lessons.

"They're not going to do anything that's unsafe for your child," Smith said of swim instructors. In August 2021, Amber and Granger welcomed their fourth child, Maverick, to the family. She says he first started swimming lessons at just 8 months old.

"He learned breath control at 8 months," Smith said. Maverick was learning to roll over in the water and find the air himself. Smith and her husband brought Maverick back for lessons again at 20 months. Now, she says he swims in the bathtub.

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"It was hard to watch him cry and call for mommy, but sometimes we have to do things with our children that are hard to give them the skills that they need," she said. "I would give anything to hear River cry again."

Katchmarchi says there is a stigma surrounding children’s drowning deaths in America and that, too often, parents who lose their children to the silent killer are assumed to be "bad parents".

"It can happen to you," he said. "It happens in 20-60 seconds. Drowning is preventable, we just need to own that. No parent wants to think about losing their kid in such a horrific and tragic way. They think, ‘That’s not going to happen to me.’"

The First Sport campaign kicks off May 1, 2024, which is also River’s birthday month.

"We remember him on that day, and we always try to go do something special for other people on that day," Smith said of May 16, River’s birthday. "We don’t say that he’s gonna be 7 or 8 or 10 or 20. He’s always 3."

"His intended days were lived out, the days that God had for him, so he’s always 3," Smith concluded.

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