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As one who has had the honor to consult for NASA and the Space Shuttle team in the past; work space-defense related issues in the Pentagon; speak with all twelve men who walked on the Moon; and author tens of columns on the subject, I have been "Johnny One-Note" over the last decade or so warning that the People’s Republic of China is seeking to establish itself as the dominant military power in space for decades to come. Did anyone in authority care? Not so much.

That may now be changing. Two recent stories in the news have certainly elevated not only interest, but apprehension.

The first being when Air Force Secretary Troy Meink recently confirmed that the U.S. has weapons stationed in Earth orbit. Said Meink, in part, presumably as a warning to China and, to a lesser extent, Russia at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference: "Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist. This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action…"

PENTAGON REVEALS SECRET SPACE WEAPONS ARE ALREADY IN ORBIT — BUT WON'T SAY WHAT THEY DO

The second — and potentially much more intriguing — was highlighted in the site "Defense One" via the headline: "The Pentagon must prepare for battles around the moon: Joint Chiefs chair."

During the same Air, Space, and Cyber conference in which he delivered the Keynote address, it was reported that General Dan Caine — who is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — said in part: "Our task, my friends, is to adapt right now, so the Joint Force is prepared to fight, endure, and win, in global contested environments, from the seabed to cislunar space…"

NASA ANNOUNCES THREE NEW MOON MISSIONS AS AGENCY RACES TO BUILD PERMANENT LUNAR BASE BY END OF 2026

"Cislunar" in this case means not just in lunar orbit, but on the surface of the Moon. The stuff of fiction? In the past, yes. Today, it must all be about the national and economic security of our nation.

On that fiction front, several years ago I authored a novel — based on some real-world information from a Soviet General — titled "The Dawn of a Nazi Moon." While hopefully an entertaining and historically accurate story, the major premise of the book was to outline how an adversary could use the Moon as the ultimate "High Ground" against an enemy on Earth.

The belief by some that once humans cut through Earth’s atmosphere into the vacuum of space, our flaws, greed, prejudices and military ambitions will be left behind is not only naïve, but quite dangerous. No one understood that better at the time than President John F. Kennedy.

During his now iconic speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962, on the need for the U.S. to become the "preeminent spacefaring nation," President John F. Kennedy rightfully stressed in part:

TRUMP TO HONOR ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS WHO TRAVELED FARTHER FROM EARTH THAN ANY HUMANS IN HISTORY

"We mean to be a part of it — we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the Moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace… Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war."

Thanks to Kennedy, the United States did once occupy "a position of preeminence" in space. But no more. China now holds that title.

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER CREATING NEW SPACE ACADEMY AKIN TO WEST POINT; ITS LOCATION WILL BE DETERMINED

A China — with its entirely military-controlled space program — which is targeting all our satellites in low and geosynchronous orbit. Satellites that control the fate of our military, our economy and our nation.

But much more alarmingly, it is also a China which is taking dead aim at the Moon. Both for its own military ambitions as well as for the future energy and economic security of its nation. One way it is doing so is by targeting the helium-3 that litters the surface of the Moon.

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Helium-3 is an isotope which could provide a potentially limitless supply of safe, clean, green energy. Some experts estimate the Moon’s surface holds millions of metric tons of helium-3, and that just 25 metric tons could fuel America’s energy needs for a year.

China is not waiting to find out. Via its lunar landers, it has already returned samples of Helium-3 to its laboratories to be studied.

China has every intention of conquering near-space for its military and economic needs. It appears the United States is now waking up to that power-shifting reality. And not a moment too soon.

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With six weeks to go until Election Day, and early voting already underway in a handful of states, the conventional wisdom is that Republicans may be in for some setbacks in the midterms.

As it defends its fragile House and Senate majorities, the GOP is fighting political history, which has traditionally seen the president's party lose congressional seats during the midterms. It's also battling high costs at the grocery stores and gas pumps tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, as well as President Donald Trump's underwater approval ratings.

But Democrats are saddled with their own issues, from an ideological civil war between the party's left wing and the establishment that has handed Republicans plenty of political ammunition, to a brand image that's nothing to brag about. Add to that the Democrats' major disadvantage as the GOP floods the airwaves with attack ads.

Here are six forces that will likely determine whether Republicans can turn back a possible blue wave and hold power in Congress.

WHO'S UP AND WHO'S DOWN IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION POLLING

Six weeks until Election Day, and just as the voting begins, fuel prices keep rising, with the national average for gas nearly $4.50 per gallon and diesel topping $6.50 per gallon, according to AAA.

Public opinion polls point to the economy, including the cost of living, as the top issue for voters in this year's midterms. That means that the issue that boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories in 2024 is a major liability in 2026. And the rising prices in recent weeks, fueled by renewed fighting in the war with Iran and Ukraine and attacks on Russia's diesel industry, are doing the GOP no favors.

"Gas prices were much higher under Biden than under "TRUMP." So were almost all other prices," the president argued Monday in a social media post, as he referred to former President Joe Biden.

While Trump and Republican leaders point fingers at Biden, polls indicate voters increasingly place the blame for ongoing economic and inflation pressures on the current administration.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Democrats last week heavily criticized Trump and Republicans after the president argued that fuel costs were "a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done," as he pointed to the attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Meanwhile, the latest Fox News poll indicated that by a wide margin, the Democrats are considered the party that would better handle inflation.

But when asked about the overall economy, recent national surveys from Reuters/Ipsos and NBC News had the GOP and Democrats all knotted up on which party would better handle the issue.

"My listeners are looking for prices to come down across the board," New Hampshire-based center-right talk radio host Jack Heath told Fox News Digital.

"People elected President Trump to lower prices and improve their situation and people are looking for that improvement," Heath, host of "Good Morning NH," emphasized. "They're looking for Trump to deliver on his promises."

"I'm asking you to just pretend I'm on the ballot just one more time," the president said last week during a campaign stop in battleground North Carolina.

It's a line Trump repeatedly used earlier this month, at the GOP's first-ever midterm convention.

Facing what polls indicate is an enthusiasm gap with Democrats, the president and Republican leaders are hoping to energize the MAGA base, which doesn't always vote when Trump isn't on the ballot. While the president's approval rating in the Fox News poll stands at 39% among all voters, it remains at a sky-high 98% among self-described MAGA Republicans.

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But some longtime Trump allies are starting to break with the president as they face challenging re-elections.

GOP Rep. Maria Salazar won re-election two years ago by 20 points in South Florida's 27th Congressional District. But with Trump's negative poll numbers a potential anchor around her, Salazar last week released a TV ad criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement as having "gone too far," and that "Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today."

Meanwhile, on Monday two Trump allies who are in heated Senate battles - Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa and former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, broke with the president as they a swift end to the war with Iran.

Watch whether vulnerable Republicans create more distance from the president, or move toward Trump to juice Republican turnout.

Republicans are aiming to turn what's normally a referendum on the party in power into a choice election, as they spotlight major Democratic primary victories this year by far-left and socialist candidates over more mainstream Democrats.

"In state after state, the Democrat establishment has been overthrown and replaced by crazed lunatics and radicals. They call themselves Democrat socialists, but actually, they’re communists," Trump charged at the midterm convention.

The messaging is pronounced in Michigan's crucial Senate race, where GOP nominee former Rep. Mike Rogers, as he referred to Democratic rival Abdul El-Sayed, told Fox Business this week, "We don’t want this socialism nonsense in our state, and this guy is too extreme."

12 SENATE RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE WHO CONTROLS THE CHAMBER

Polling gives a boost to the GOP's "commonsense vs. crazy" messaging.

Fifty-five percent of registered voters surveyed in the latest Fox News national poll held an unfavorable view of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), while only three in 10 saw the DSA in a positive light.

The Fox News poll was the latest national survey to show that while the DSA has gained traction among Democrats, the group and the broader socialist movement in America face significant national skepticism.

While the GOP full court press continues, in hopes of swaying undecided voters, Democrats are divided on its effectiveness.

Ty Strong, founder and president of the Moderate PAC, warned that the GOP playbook "absolutely could be effective."

But Shannon Jackson, a key consultant and advisor to progressive leader Rep. Ro Khanna of California, argued that Republicans are "reaching for things. I think the DSA issue is something they’re trying to make something, but it is not."

Meanwhile, this year's primary surge by socialist and left-wing candidates isn't helping Democrats boost their brand.

The party's favorable ratings hit historic lows in the months following the 2024 election, and the latest Fox News poll indicates Democrats are still well underwater, with 55% of voters viewing the party in an unfavorable light.

Republicans enjoy a formidable cash advantage over the Democrats, and they're using it in the final stretch leading up to Election Day.

While Democratic candidates in many key races have outraised their GOP opponents, the Republican National Committee remains far ahead of the rival Democratic National Committee when it comes to cash-on-hand.

And GOP-aligned outside groups, including the Trump-allied MAGA Inc., are opening the floodgates when it comes to ad spending, in order to try and level the playing field by overcoming the difficult political environment.

Republican groups have outspent their Democratic counterparts by more than $83 million to run spots in ten crucial Senate races since the start of September, according to figures from AdImpact, a nationally known firm that tracks ad spending.

While a financial advantage is not always decisive, strategists say it can often move the needle in a close contest. And in the 10 Senate races spotlighted by AdImpact, a onetime Democratic ad spending advantage over the summer turned into a major GOP deluge.

While much of the ad dollars dished out by Republicans are to protect vulnerable seats, the money may help as the GOP works to flip open-Democrat-held Senate seats in Michigan and New Hampshire.

Thirteen months ago, Texas passed a new congressional redistricting map, giving Trump his first major victory in his push to give Republicans a big boost heading into the midterm elections by drawing more right-leaning districts.

Fast-forward to present day, and as they fight to hold their razor-thin House majority, Republicans were the big winners, with partisan redistricting netting them potentially 10 additional right-leaning congressional seats in time for the midterms.

But redrawing the maps and winning the seats are two different things, and some election analysts caution that the fierce headwinds facing the GOP could lead to Republicans falling far short of their original expectations heading into the redistricting wars.

There are 435 seats in the House of Representatives, but the Cook Report suggests the battle for the chamber's majority could come down to just 21 districts it rates as toss-up.

The Fox News Power Rankings list 17 seats as true toss-ups.

Decades of gerrymander, including this cycle's mid-decade redistricting, has made a major impact by narrowing the House battlefield, which may limit the number of pickups by the Democrats even if a blue wave forms.

While the number of competitive House seats stays historically small, the Senate map is widening, which is a positive sign for Democrats.

Democrats are feeling the heat in open-seat contests in Michigan and New Hampshire, two must holds for them as they try to win back a Senate currently controlled 53-47 by the GOP.

But Senate showdowns in red states, including Alaska, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, are now considered very competitive.

Need proof: Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Iowa and Kansas last week.

But recent polling is also giving Republicans hope they can flip the Democrat-controlled open Senate seat in blue-leaning Minnesota.

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A Seattle couple is suing after hospital staff in Oregon told them to drive the body of their nearly 9-month-old son four hours home in their private car following his sudden death in an emergency room.

Aleksandr and Nataliya Yeremeyev filed a $10 million lawsuit against Salem Health and Dr. Stefani Sorensen. The parents had allegedly sought respectful and dignified care and transportation of the remains of their son, Michael, but the lawsuit alleges staff insisted they bring the body back home with them.

Michael was born with Down syndrome and spent the first six months of his life at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"His parents had made sure that he had received really excellent care. So, I think it was a really, really sad and just very tragic way for his life to end and for it to be so undignified right there at the end," Anna Bruckenhoefer, the family's attorney, said in a statement, according to Fox 13.

TWO FAMILIES SUE NORTH DAKOTA HOSPITAL ON ALLEGATIONS BABIES WERE SWITCHED AT BIRTH

On September 22, 2024, the family was visiting Salem, Oregon, for a religious retreat when Michael developed rapid, shallow breathing late at night and was rushed to the emergency room at Salem Health Hospital, where he died, according to the complaint.

When the parents asked how to arrange respectful transport to send Michael’s body back home to Seattle, hospital staff allegedly pushed back on the suggestion to contact a local funeral home because it would be "too expensive" and instead pressured the family to bring their son’s body corpse with them in their own personal car, which they ended up doing due to feeling like they had no other option.

"They have repeatedly asked the hospital for assistance in helping them with what are the next steps," Bruckenhoefer said. "This was all occurring overnight. They felt rushed that they had to make quick decisions and the hospital left them with no choice other than to take Michael's body with them and head back to Seattle."

Aleksandr drove about four hours from Salem to Seattle with his son’s body laid across the backseat, while his wife and other children followed in a separate car.

FAMILY OF TODDLER FOUND ALIVE IN MORGUE AFTER BEING DECLARED DEAD PLANS LEGAL ACTION

He suffered severe emotional distress as he feared police stops, car crashes and the visible deterioration of his child's body, according to the lawsuit. When he arrived at a Seattle funeral home, the father had to clean bodily fluids that leaked onto the seat during the trip.

"It is legal in the state of Oregon and in the state of Washington to transport a deceased with the proper permits. But that is not what our clients wanted to do here. They were looking for help. They were looking for guidance. They were looking for the hospital to tell them, "These are the next steps,'" Bruckenhoefer said. "This is a hospital. It's an emergency department. Unfortunately, death is something that they are accustomed to and that they deal with. They should have had procedures and protocols in place to assist the Yeremeyev’s while they were dealing with literally the worst moment of their lives. Instead, what they did is they just compounded their grief by essentially telling them that they were on their own in this."

"No parents, no loved ones should ever be placed in the position that the Yeremeyev’s were placed in," Bruckenhoefer added. "Just completely surprised that something like this would happen in 2026."

The lawsuit names Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics, Salem Health, Salem Emergency Physicians Service and Sorensen as defendants, alleging direct negligence, vicarious liability, and a breach of the heightened duty of care owed to bereaved parents for the respectful treatment and custody of a child's body.

The family is seeking $10 million in non-economic damages for severe emotional distress and psychological trauma, although they plan to amend the complaint to include punitive damages.

Salem Health Hospital said out of respect for privacy and because the matter is in litigation, it is unable to discuss the details of the child's care.

"Salem Hospital responded in accordance with the family’s wishes and followed both hospital policy and Oregon state law in consultation with the appropriate local authorities, including the medical examiner," Salem Health told Fox 13 in a statement.

"Care with respect is a guiding principle of clinical practice at Salem Hospital and remains central to how we support patients and families during some of life's most difficult moments. We recognize the profound grief families experience following the loss of a loved one and treat every patient and family with empathy, dignity, and respect," the statement continued.

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President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico suffered a setback Thursday after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore White House access to the outlets.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday blocking the ban on the outlets, ruling that their access to the White House must be reinstated while the outlets continue their legal battle, Reuters reported.

The order will be in effect for 14 days. 

MAMDANI TELLS TRUMP BANNED WHITE HOUSE OUTLETS ARE WELCOME AT NYC MEETING

Trump announced the ban last week, writing on social media that the three outlets "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES."

Reporters from all three organizations were subsequently denied entry to the White House, with their press credentials deactivated or confiscated.

Lawyers for the Justice Department argued that White House press access is a privilege, not a right, and defended the president's authority to determine who receives access.

Following Trump's ban, White House television pool members FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News announced Monday that they had agreed to suspend their pooled coverage of the president.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

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This week, two very different events will put the U.S.-China relationship in the spotlight.

President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C. as the two countries continue negotiations over trade and other economic issues. At the same time, the world’s best golfers are gathering outside Chicago, IL for the Presidents Cup, where American and international players will compete at Medinah Country Club.

There is a connection between those events that deserves more attention: American manufacturing.

CHINA COZIES UP AS TRUMP TOUTS DELEGATION OF RICHEST BUSINESS HEAVYWEIGHTS AT XI SUMMIT

The golfers at Medinah — and potentially President Trump himself, who has accepted the role of honorary chairman and plans to attend — will be utilizing golf carts built by Club Car at their manufacturing headquarters in Augusta, Georgia.

It is a fitting reminder of the longstanding relationship between the great game of golf and the American manufacturers that support it. But it is becoming increasingly difficult for American companies to build and compete when foreign governments distort the market. And what is happening in the golf-cart industry is part of a much larger story playing out across the country.

American manufacturers employ millions of people, support communities and contend every day in a global marketplace. They should be able to outcompete based on the quality, innovation and value of what they produce — not against foreign governments willing to subsidize competitors and distort prices.

That is precisely what is happening in the low-speed personal transportation vehicle industry (LSPTV), or what most Americans simply know as golf carts.

WHITE HOUSE EXPOSES ‘TRANSSHIPMENT SCAM’ COSTING US UP TO $26B, POINTS FINGER AT CHINA

In 2023, more than $522 million worth of these vehicles were imported into the United States from China—more than double the amount imported in 2021. American manufacturers raised concerns that Chinese producers were benefiting from government subsidies and selling products in the United States at unfairly low prices.

The Department of Commerce investigated and found evidence supporting those concerns, determining that Chinese producers had benefited from countervailable subsidies and that Chinese LSPTVs were being sold in the United States at less than fair value.

WANT TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S ECONOMY? THE KEY INVESTMENT IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Those findings are not merely numbers in a federal register. They have consequences on American factory floors.

The domestic industry has experienced reduced shifts, reductions in workforce, declining production and declining profitability. That means fewer opportunities for American workers and less investment in the communities that depend on manufacturing.

CORPORATE AMERICA'S CHINA ADDICTION HAS BECOME A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT

I have seen the importance of this industry firsthand through my work representing Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, home to Club Car and E-Z-GO. But this issue extends far beyond Georgia. The same basic question applies to manufacturers across America: Can we compete based on the quality of what we build, or will government-backed foreign competitors be allowed to tilt the scales in their favor?

On a level playing field, American companies like Club Car and E-Z-GO can out-innovate and out-compete anyone in the world.

That is why Congress and the administration must enforce our trade laws.

The United States has already taken action. Commerce established antidumping and countervailing-duty remedies against unfairly traded Chinese LSPTV imports, addressing a problem that American manufacturers had been documenting for years.

But trade enforcement only works if it is actually enforced.

Chinese producers have found ways around American trade remedies, including by changing supply chains, relabeling products or routing goods through third countries. I have joined colleagues in pressing the Commerce Department to investigate potential circumvention and ensure that trade remedies protect the American workers they were designed to protect.

This is not about preventing legitimate competition. It is about ensuring competition is legitimate in the first place.

That distinction matters as President Trump prepares to sit down with President Xi.

The United States can engage China diplomatically while being clear about what we expect economically. American businesses should have access to foreign markets, and foreign businesses should have access to ours — but the rules must be applied fairly. A product should not gain an artificial advantage because a foreign government is willing to subsidize its production and then flood another country’s market.

We have learned this lesson in steel, solar panels, automobiles and other industries. Once domestic manufacturing capacity disappears, rebuilding it is extraordinarily difficult.

The Presidents Cup offers a useful reminder of what American manufacturing can accomplish. As the tournament brings together the best golfers from the United States and around the world, American golf-car technology developed in places like Augusta will help support one of golf’s biggest international stages.

That is what fair competition should look like: American workers building products that can compete anywhere in the world.

As President Xi visits Washington, that principle should be part of the conversation.

And as the Presidents Cup showcases the best golfers in the world, it is worth remembering the American workers and manufacturers supporting the tournament behind the scenes.

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As farmers across the country face rising costs, some are turning to tourism to bring in money beyond their traditional agricultural operations.

At Lynette Ralph's horse ranch in Missouri, vacationers can spend the night in a small cabin, wake up to views of the horses and get a firsthand look at ranch life.

Guests can explore the property, pet and feed the horses or pay extra for horsemanship and riding lessons.

"You have access to the farm life, the horses, the barns," Ralph said.

THE $1,600 LETTUCE: CALIFORNIA GROWERS WARN OF ‘MASTER PLAN’ STRANGLING FAMILY FARMS

For Ralph, welcoming guests is about more than offering a unique getaway. The income from offering short-term vacation rentals on site has allowed her to keep her ranch operating.

"If I didn't have the short-term rentals associated with the riding program, I would have to probably liquidate, sell the horses, sell the property," she said.

Airbnb and American Farmland Trust are launching a new grant program to help farmers earn extra income through tourism, the organizations told Fox News exclusively.

According to USDA data cited in Airbnb's report, households associated with intermediate farms, a category of smaller operations where farming is the principal operator's primary occupation, reported a median loss of approximately $2,800 from farming in 2024.

AMERICAN FARMERS PINCHED BY HIGH DIESEL PRICES AHEAD OF SPRING PLANTING SEASON

David Haight, vice president of programs at American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting farmland and supporting farmers, said finding additional sources of income could help some farm families navigate financial challenges.

"Many families are looking for ways to diversify income, and so bringing people out to the farm or ranch for some is a way to help bring in other dollars," Haight said.

Demand for farm stays is growing, according to Airbnb, which reported that online searches increased 61% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

The company says the typical farm stay host earned approximately $8,000 in 2025, while U.S. farm stay hosts collectively earned nearly $120 million. Those figures represent hosting earnings, not necessarily profits after expenses.

In Georgia, farm stay host Gilda Lyon said income from her existing rentals has allowed her to build additional cabins and invest in her farm.

The money helped her build a greenhouse, start selling herbs and maintain blueberry plants.

"The extra income actually has allowed me to invest, in many improvements and to expand the opportunities available for guests," Lyon said.

AMERICANS CHOOSING TO VISIT SMALLER TOWNS OVER BIG CITIES AS TRAVEL COSTS RISE

Airbnb and American Farmland Trust's new "Farm to Stay" Grant Program will award approximately 25 to 30 grants of up to $10,000 each, with applications opening in November.

Haight said the grants may not cover every expense associated with welcoming visitors, but could help farmers in other ways, such as assisting in renovating barns for events, installing fencing or preparing accommodations for overnight guests.

The benefits could also extend beyond individual farms. Haight said visitors may spend money at nearby restaurants, shops and other businesses, bringing additional tourism dollars into rural communities.

Ralph said welcoming guests has allowed her to continue sharing her passion for horses while maintaining the property she loves.

"The short-term rental has totally facilitated my being able to stay here and do the things that I love," she said.

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Presley Gerber’s death at age 27 has renewed questions about overdose risk, withdrawal complications and the challenges of addiction recovery.

The son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber died Sunday at a California rehabilitation facility, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office records.

Presley's death was confirmed by his mother’s representative to Fox News Digital, who shared a statement from the family: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."

CINDY CRAWFORD’S SON PRESLEY GERBER SAID HE WAS ‘TERRIFIED’ IN RAW ADDICTION POST MONTHS BEFORE DEATH AT 27

While an official cause of death has not yet been confirmed, audio recordings obtained by People suggest that police received a 911 call Sunday morning reporting a cardiac arrest at a facility in the 1000 block of Berkeley Street. A separate dispatch identified the response as a potential overdose.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed that an autopsy had been completed, but the cause of death remained undetermined pending further testing.

Gerber had spoken publicly over the years about his struggles with substance use and mental health.

Nicholas Kardaris, Ph.D., CEO and chief clinical officer of the New York Center for Living in Manhattan and a clinical professor at Stony Brook Medicine’s School of Social Welfare, spoke with Fox News Digital about what families should know about relapse, overdose risk and seeking help for a loved one.

As Gerber’s official cause of death has not yet been released, Kardaris — who has not treated Presley Gerber and is not connected to the case — cautioned against drawing conclusions from the fact that he died at a rehabilitation facility.

Possible explanations could include an acute medical or cardiac event, an undiagnosed condition or a medication-related complication, he said.

ARRESTS IN MATTHEW PERRY'S DEATH PUT SPOTLIGHT ON KETAMINE DANGERS

People in residential treatment facilities may have complex medical histories, and some conditions may not be immediately apparent when someone enters a program.

"Younger people can sometimes die suddenly, and we don’t know whether they had an underlying medical issue," Kardaris said.

"It’s not impossible to have a medication-related event, particularly if someone has an underlying heart disorder," he continued. "Certain medications can trigger a cardiac episode."

Entering treatment does not necessarily mean that a person’s issues have been resolved or that no danger exists, Kardaris emphasized.

"People are in rehab because they’re struggling with addiction. It doesn’t mean they’re cured of their addiction," he said.

While treatment facilities work to create a controlled environment, they cannot eliminate every risk associated with addiction, withdrawal, relapse or medical complications, according to Kardaris.

"Facilities take great pains to make sure substances don’t come in, but it’s not a perfect system."

He stressed that this is a general observation about treatment settings and not an indication of what occurred in Gerber’s case.

Another potential risk during rehab is withdrawal itself, which can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening depending on the substance involved and the person’s level of physical dependence, according to Kardaris.

"People can die from withdrawal, but the substances that are most dangerous to withdraw [from] without proper medical supervision are benzodiazepines, such as Valium or Xanax, and alcohol," he told Fox News Digital.

While opioid withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable, it is generally not fatal by itself, the expert said.

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can trigger seizures, delirium and other life-threatening complications. The FDA warns that abruptly stopping or reducing drugs such as Xanax or Valium too quickly can cause serious withdrawal reactions, including seizures.

"Someone might disclose heroin use but not mention that they’re also withdrawing from a benzodiazepine, such as Valium," Kardaris noted. "If they don’t receive medication to treat that withdrawal, they can have a seizure that can lead to fatal complications."

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One of the most dangerous periods for someone with opioid use disorder may come after detox because a person’s tolerance may have decreased — increasing the risk of overdose if they return to a previously used amount, he added.

"If someone relapses after rehab, they may use the same amount they were using before treatment — but their tolerance has gone down, and that amount can now be fatal."

Gerber had previously posted on social media about undergoing an ibogaine treatment in Mexico. Kardaris cautioned that ibogaine is not FDA-approved for any medical use in the U.S. 

Although it has been studied experimentally as a possible treatment for opioid use disorder, its safety and effectiveness remain uncertain. Kardaris grouped ibogaine with other psychedelic or psychoactive substances that have drawn public interest.

"Ketamine, ayahuasca and ibogaine are psychoactive or psychedelic treatments that have become increasingly popular," he said. "There is some research indicating potential benefits, but they remain largely unregulated."

Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic but is not approved to treat psychiatric disorders, although some clinicians use it off-label in mental health settings.

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Ibogaine and ayahuasca are not FDA-approved treatments in the U.S., and the evidence and regulatory oversight vary considerably among these substances.

Overall, Kardaris described the field as unsettled. "It’s a bit of the Wild West right now."

He emphasized, however, that Gerber’s prior ibogaine treatment does not establish which substances he may have used and should not be interpreted as evidence of what caused his death.

Families should investigate a treatment center and make sure it is licensed before enrolling a loved one, Kardaris advised.

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That includes confirming that qualified medical professionals are involved in patient care and that the facility has appropriate protocols for withdrawal, medication management and emergencies.

"Families should make sure licensed professionals are working there and that the program has a strong reputation," he said.

"There are bad actors in every profession — so families should look for a well-regarded treatment program with qualified people who know what they’re doing."

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