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FIRST ON FOX: Trump admin freezes out Minnesota of the Caribbean over alleged hurricane-aid abuses

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:00:16 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration suspended a U.S. territory's housing-finance authority from receiving further federal funding after the Department of Housing and Urban Development cited years of alleged financial mismanagement, dire audit findings and the conviction of a former executive in a disaster-recovery contracting scheme.

The suspension over alleged waste and abuse at the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) comes as HUD Secretary Scott Turner, a member of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, ramps up the administration's scrutiny of federal grant recipients following a series of high-profile investigations nationwide.

"The Trump administration is changing the game when it comes to who we entrust with taxpayer dollars. Organizations riddled with corruption, mismanagement and crime will no longer be allowed to squander billions," Turner, a former NFL cornerback, told Fox News Digital.

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"[VIHFA] officials cannot be allowed to prioritize kickbacks over helping families recover from disasters. I promised that HUD would be a faithful steward of the American people’s hard-earned money, and we are keeping that promise."

Turner said the suspension is "effective immediately," as the HUD chief's deputy Andrew Hughes fired off a 13-page letter to VIHFA official Dayna Clendinen laying out HUD’s findings and alerting that they are barred from future federal procurement while an investigation takes place.

When approached for comment, a representative who picked up the phone at VIHFA on Monday directed Fox News Digital to a full voicemail box. Fox News Digital then reached out via VIHFA's contact page for comment.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., and Democratic Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan's office for additional comment.

VANCE REFERS TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER STATE'S ALLEGED FRAUD

In the letter, HUD claimed the nearly-$2 billion appropriation to VIHFA was intended for recovery after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the American archipelago in 2017 – calculated to about $20,000 per USVI resident.

"Nine years later, because of VIHFA’s blatant mismanagement of these critical disaster funds, USVI citizens still do not have the housing and electrical power they were promised nearly a decade ago," the agency said, citing the prevalence of blue-tarped roofs and shoddy infrastructure, including a teetering power grid in the time since.

HUD said audits found disaster recovery spending lagged badly while administrative spending consumed a disproportionate share of available funds. The agency also cited the former COO's criminal kickback scheme as evidence of weak internal controls.

JACOB FREY PRAISES SOMALI COMMUNITY AS MINNESOTA FACES RENEWED SCRUTINY OVER FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS

VIHFA’s former chief operating officer, Darin Richardson, was sentenced in March to 36 months in prison after being convicted of bank fraud, money laundering, making false statements and criminal conflict of interest. Prosecutors said Richardson received $107,000 from a contractor in connection with the scheme. HUD said the misconduct occurred "during execution of his duties" at VIHFA.

That contract was later inflated by 50% from $3 million to $4.5 million, HUD said in its letter, adding that much of the lumber then was allowed to rot in the tropical sun.

HUD said Richardson's conduct, standing alone, was sufficient to call into question VIHFA's responsibility to receive additional federal funds.

HUD informed VIHFA it has "substantial evidence" of failure-to-comply with aid obligations, a lack of internal controls over financial matters, fraud risks and conflict-of-interest situations.

"[VIHFA] has failed to implement effective fraud controls despite the indictment and conviction of its former COO in a federal contracting fraud scheme. It has repeatedly made false certifications to HUD that it has proficient financial controls, has safeguards to prohibit conflicts of interest, has not obtained duplicate federal benefits, and complies with applicable laws and regulations," HUD alleged in their suspension notice.

HUD cited multiple audits spanning a decade that raised "significant concerns" about funding-related activities – which collectively questioned millions in costs and uncovered weak financial controls, inadequate project oversight, poor fraud-risk management and inaccurate reporting. A 2026 audit concluded VIHFA had failed to implement a structured fraud prevention framework despite overseeing $1.9 billion in disaster recovery funding.

Further condemning the "glacial" pace of storm recovery, HUD found that only 2% of planned single-family rentals, 16% of single-family homeowners and 19% of multifamily rental projects had been completed since the storms struck nearly a decade ago.

None of 329 housing-work mitigation projects had been finished, while HUD found a "yawning gap" between high expenditures by VIHFA on administrative concerns and low expenditures on residents and their homes.

"Whether poor management or something worse, the consequences are unacceptable– the residents of the USVI who were devastated by disaster are not getting what they need from VIHFA," HUD wrote to the authority. VIHFA spent $52.6 million on administrative costs alone, according to its report.

HUD also found VIHFA's divisions unwisely "operate in silos," hindering communication and fraud-risk management.

The agency told VIHFA that the HUD inspector general’s office also found that employees had personal knowledge of fraud or suspected fraudulent activity – but then VIHFA failed to conduct further investigations or alert its senior management.

The auditing apparatus of VIHFA only notified then-directors of the divisions involved, who allegedly "sat on the findings" according to HUD’s recounting of a 2023 IG probe.

That along with the material facts behind Richardson’s convictions bolster Turner’s decision to cut off VIHFA, the agency wrote.

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"An officer corruptly awarding disaster clean up contracts violates, at minimum, HUD rules on oversight of contractors," HUD said, citing Richardson’s kickbacks of at least $107,000 in one case.

VIHFA will have 30 days to request a hearing on the matter or HUD’s funding suspension will be final, Hughes said.

The suspension marks the latest front in the feds' anti-fraud campaign, which has now stretched from the massive Feeding Our Future prosecution in the cold northern reaches of Minnesota now to the southern, sunny confines of Charlotte Amalie.

Republicans defy Trump, jump into South Carolina Senate race despite his handpicked successor

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:54:57 -0400

President Donald Trump has made his pick to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., but several Republicans eyeing his seat don’t care.

A handful of hopefuls vying to win the Republican nomination in August to take the reins from Graham have already announced their intent to jump into the race, despite Trump throwing his endorsement power behind Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., Graham’s sister who many believed to be a placeholder for the remainder of his term.

Trump on Friday, after meeting with Graham in the Oval Office, announced his "complete and total endorsement" for her to get into the race.

TIM SCOTT SAYS HE'D 'LOVE TO SEE' FOX NEWS HOST REPLACE LINDSEY GRAHAM

"I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026," Trump said. "I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey."

She has not yet committed, and the coveted Trump endorsement has not stopped Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., businessman Mark Lynch or the latest to jump in, Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., from entering the fray.

Fry, in particular, was just last week lauded by Trump as someone to watch. He also had spent time speaking with White House operatives about launching a bid, and a Trump endorsement seemed all but guaranteed.

GRAHAM'S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE

A source in Fry’s political orbit told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker has "accomplished more than all the potential candidates combined," having passed three bills in his first four years in Congress.

"This is really about giving voters a choice and not a coronation," they said.

Still, Fry is not running away from Trump. In his campaign announcement, Fry noted, "Of the many things Lindsey Graham believed in, standing with President Trump and advancing the Republican agenda were among his defining principles."

"There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind," Fry said. "There is no replacing him, but I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to fight alongside the president just as steadfastly as he did."

During this cycle, at least, the Trump endorsement has not proven a sure bet.

South Carolina-based Republican consultant Dave Wilson told Fox News Digital, "South Carolina voters want to have a choice and not be told who they need to be voting for."

GRAHAM ALLY RIPS 'THIRSTY' REPUBLICANS JOCKEYING TO REPLACE LATE SENATOR

"The president’s quick endorsement of Darline Graham was very symbolic," Wilson said, but added, "We’re seeing in South Carolina that his endorsement didn’t carry as much weight as people thought it was going to."

Wilson was referring to Trump’s endorsement of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette ahead of last month’s GOP gubernatorial primary.

Evette was the top vote getter in the primary but lost the ensuing runoff election against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. And Trump, ever hungry for a victory, endorsed both Wilson and Evette days before the runoff.

Veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital that a Trump endorsement is "a major boost for any candidacy, but it doesn’t necessarily give you a lock on the seat."

Just because Trump has thrown his weight behind Graham doesn’t mean others shouldn’t run, Williams contended. He noted that Senate seats rarely open up in South Carolina, and that when the opportunity presents itself, hopefuls need to seize it.

"If you’re an aspiring House member in South Carolina, this is your time to run regardless of whom the president is supporting," Williams said.

"There’s no downside for running," he continued. "They’re all going to run as Trump Republicans, and they’re all going to flatter the president on the campaign trail."

US bases, ICE facilities targeted in Cuba-linked 24-hour activist mobilization plan

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:41:25 -0400

A new State Department report argues that Cuba has cultivated a network of American activist organizations that can be mobilized against U.S. policy, citing a publicly posted plan for protests at U.S. military bases, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and federal buildings as a recent example.

The June "National Rapid Response Plan" was distributed by the National Network on Cuba, a U.S. coalition of more than 60 organizations. The State Department links the coalition to the Cuban government through its relationship with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP, a government entity sanctioned in June for allegedly supporting Cuban intelligence activities.

The plan calls for "coordinated nationwide actions" within 24 hours of a U.S. military attack — or the "imminent threat" of one — and says its goal is to make it "politically and materially costly for the U.S. government to wage war on Cuba."

TRUMP EXPANDS CUBA SANCTIONS BEYOND US COMPANIES IN MAJOR CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN ENABLERS

The plan already has been made publicly available. The State Department report presents it as evidence of what it describes as a broader Cuban effort to cultivate and mobilize sympathetic organizations inside the U.S.

The National Network on Cuba's "materials reveal the continuing reach, coordination and sophistication of Cuba’s subversive capabilities on American territory," the State Department report claims.

The rapid-response plan calls for demonstrations and establishes a timeline for activating supporters nationwide. If U.S. military action agains Cuba begins before 3 p.m. Eastern time, demonstrations would start at 6 p.m. local time that day. If it begins later, activists would mobilize at 6 p.m. the following day.

Organizers are instructed to gather at federal buildings, courthouses and post offices; military bases and recruiting offices; or ICE detention centers and field offices. The plan also lists sports arenas during high-profile events as optional locations.

The State Department’s focus on the plan comes amid escalating U.S. pressure on Havana and discussion of possible military intervention or regime change. Trump has floated a "friendly takeover" of Cuba and, when asked in May about intervening, said "it looks like I’ll be the one that does it." Rubio has said the administration prefers diplomacy while leaving military action on the table.

FBI ARRESTS PROTESTER WHO THREATENED TO KILL ICE OFFICER'S FAMILY AT NJ DETENTION CENTER PROTEST, BLANCHE SAYS

The plan says demonstrations at immigration facilities would "connect Cuba solidarity to anti-ICE/immigrant defense work happening nationwide."

It also directs activists to a Black Alliance for Peace database that the State Department report says maps 1,335 U.S. military and law-enforcement locations across the Western Hemisphere. The group describes the map as a basis for local organizing that can help activists "strategize how and where to organize and agitate."

The National Network on Cuba openly promotes the plan on its website as part of its "No War on Cuba" campaign, alongside calls for rallies, banner drops, caravans, teach-ins and other demonstrations.

INSIDE CUBA’S FOREIGN INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN: FROM THE '60S VENCEREMOS BRIGADE TO A CALIFORNIA UNION HALL

The State Department report portrays the plan as a modern example of Cuba’s broader effort to cultivate and mobilize sympathetic organizations inside the United States.

The National Network on Cuba represents more than 60 organizations and works closely with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples. ICAP is led by Fernando González Llort, a former member of Cuba’s Wasp spy network, a Cuban intelligence ring that infiltrated exile organizations and gathered information about U.S. military facilities in South Florida during the 1990s, who served 15 years in a U.S. prison before returning to the island.

The report describes ICAP as the central hub of Cuba’s international influence operation, claiming it coordinates more than 2,000 solidarity organizations across more than 150 countries.

The Cuban embassy in Washington could not immediately be reached for comment.

The report focuses particular attention on six organizations spanning Cuban government outreach and American left-wing activism. ICAP is a Cuban government entity, while the National Network on Cuba is a U.S.-based coalition of more than 60 organizations advocating closer relations with Havana.

The other groups are U.S.-based: Code Pink is a left-wing anti-war organization; the People’s Forum is a New York-based activist and political education center; the Democratic Socialists of America is a socialist political organization; and the National Lawyers Guild is a progressive legal association.

Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America and the National Lawyers Guild’s Cuba Committee are listed as members of the National Network on Cuba, alongside the Communist Party USA and dozens of smaller organizations.

The extent of each organization’s involvement in the rapid-response plan is unclear. The report argues that their overlapping relationships, delegations and campaigns give Cuba access to a broad American activist infrastructure.

The report says the Democratic Socialists of America has sent multiple delegations to Cuba, including a 2023 trip during which members met privately with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and sought to establish formal communication with Cuban ministries. It notes, however, that the Democratic Socialists of America was not created or controlled by Cuban intelligence, describing its support for Havana as primarily ideological.

The People’s Forum, meanwhile, is described as a major organizing hub connecting Cuba advocacy with anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian activism. The report says the organization has served as fiscal sponsor for the Venceremos Brigade, which has transported American activists to Cuba for decades, and has helped organize delegations that met with senior Cuban officials.

Code Pink and the National Lawyers Guild also have participated in Cuba delegations and campaigns opposing the U.S. embargo, according to the report. The National Lawyers Guild adopted a resolution in 2026 pledging to work with the National Network on Cuba and the broader Cuba solidarity movement.

The report does not announce sanctions or legal action against the U.S.-based organizations, and much of its underlying evidence comes from public records, organizational materials and previous reporting. Its central conclusion is that Cuba treats traditional espionage, political advocacy and ideological influence as parts of a single long-term campaign against the United States.

The administration has sharply expanded its pressure campaign in 2026: Trump signed an executive order in January allowing tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba and followed in May with sanctions targeting foreign entities operating in or supporting key sectors of the Cuban economy, in addition to the longstanding U.S. trade embargo.

Code Pink has separately come under federal scrutiny through an investigation into the financial network of Neville Roy Singham, the husband of Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans and a major benefactor of the group. A federal grand jury in Manhattan is examining potential foreign-agent and tax violations involving Singham’s network.

Code Pink has not been publicly identified as a target of the investigation, and no charges have been filed.

The Treasury Department also has sought information from Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin about a March aid convoy to Cuba as officials examine potential sanctions violations. Code Pink has denied wrongdoing and said the delegation delivered humanitarian supplies amid worsening shortages on the island.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Cuban embassy in Washington, the National Network on Cuba, Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America and the National Lawyers Guild for comment.

Firestorm erupts online after Minnesota paper praises Tim Walz's clemency for child sex offender

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:34:55 -0400

Minnesota's flagship paper came under fire over the weekend after a columnist defended Democrat Gov. Tim Walz reasoning for pardoning an illegal immigrant just before the convicted child rapist was set to be deported.

"The Minnesota Star Tribune is cheering on Tim Walz protecting an illegal alien monster who raped a 10 year old girl. No one should read this depraved rag. They are sick," said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., on X.

Minnesota's Board of Pardons is composed of Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. They voted on June 10 to grant clemency to Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national who between 2002 and 2004 repeatedly raped a child. Lue was set to be deported from the United States before the clemency was issued.

WALZ, MINNESOTA BOARD OF PARDONS CLEARS CONVICTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILD SEX OFFENDER FACING DEPORTATION

In a section of the column called "Cheers to Gov. Tim Walz," writer Rochelle Olson praised the governor and failed vice presidential candidate for his decision to defend the pardon.

"The governor refused to back down from his vote to pardon a Hmong man convicted of felony sexual assault in 2006. It’s significant that Tou Lue Vang needed only two of three votes from the state Board of Pardons, but he received unanimous support," the column states.

Olson did not mention that Vang's rape victim was a minor, or that Vang raped the child several times over the period of two years. She did reference a letter from the victim addressed to the pardon board supporting Vang's clemency.

A spokesperson for the paper told Fox News Digital, "The Minnesota Star Tribune regularly publishes a wide range of opinions across the political spectrum."

"In this case, our opinion columnist agreed with a unanimous pardon by the Minnesota state board of pardons, including Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson," they added.

FORMER INDIANA REP STEPHEN BUYER RECEIVES FULL PARDON FROM TRUMP FOR 2023 INSIDER TRADING CONVICTION

Olson launched into a tirade about Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters in her column, likening their actions to that of the foreign child rapist.

"Vang’s actions 20 years ago were awful, but so were the violent protests at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and those folks received presidential pardons," the author wrote.

Author Dennis Neale slammed that comparison in a post on X, writing: "The Star Tribune likens repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl to protesting in the Capitol on Jan 6. You fluppin’ idiots."

TIM WALZ OFFERS STRANGE DEFENSE FOR PARDONING CONVICTED CHILD RAPIST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTED

"Minnesota’s largest paper actually figured out a way to shove January 6th into this as a way to excuse an illegal immigrant who sexually assaulted a child," said another X personality. "One of the most insane things I’ve ever seen."

"The Minnesota Star Tribune just gave a 'Cheers' to Tim Walz for standing by his pardon of a convicted child rapist. Absolutely disgusting," said online commentator Dustin Grage.

"The degeneracy of the modern left would be impossible to exaggerate because it is impossible to exaggerate infinity," said Claremont Institute senior fellow Jeremy Carl.

Nick Freitas, another online personality, wrote, "Every time I think I despise the main stream media enough, they triple their efforts."

Walz's attempts to protect Vang — and his defense of the pardon — proved moot when on July 10, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the illegal alien had been deported to his native Laos.

"Just weeks ago, a foreign child rapist was freed to once again endanger America's children after receiving a pardon from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz," Rubio told Fox News Digital at the time. "Tue Lue Vang admitted to committing heinous crimes against a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota. He attempted to pay his victim for her silence and dismissed his acts of child abuse as a 'minor thing.'"

"Just days before he was scheduled to be deported, the Minnesota Governor pardoned him, setting him free to endanger American families once again," he continued.

"That's why I terminated his legal status in the United States. Vang has now been removed from our country and will never pose a threat to any American ever again."

Days after Vang's deportation, Walz doubled down on his decision to grant clemency.

"Did that make us any safer?" Walz questioned. "Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable? Did it improve the idea that we can’t all be judged by our worst day?"

MTG pounces on Hegseth, claiming US troop casualties 'fuel' his 'bloodlust for a senseless war'

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:20:43 -0400

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accused War Secretary Pete Hegseth of "bloodlust" after the Pentagon chief posted about fallen U.S. service members amid the ongoing Iran war.

"Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve," Hegseth wrote on X when sharing a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) post about the deaths of American troops in Jordan.

Greene shared Hegseth's post and wrote, "Sacrifice?? What the f--- are you talking about?? They did not willingly sacrifice themselves. They were killed because of the war you, Trump, and the admin, are waging on behalf of a FOREIGN COUNTRY, Israel. You mean their deaths fuel your bloodlust for a senseless war."

EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT CONTINUES CALLING FOR US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM MIDDLE EAST

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the War Department on Monday.

CENTCOM declared in part of a Saturday statement, "On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks." The post also noted that a service member was missing.

US SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN IRAQ AS TROOPS RECOVER UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS IN JORDAN: CENTCOM

"I’m praying for the families and friends of those two fallen soldiers and for the third missing soldier," Greene wrote in a Saturday post on X when sharing CENTCOM's announcement. "This should not be happening. President Trump needs to bring our troops home and stop this senseless America LAST war!!!"

In an update on Sunday, CENTCOM noted, "Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the passing of two U.S. service members and the missing status of one in Jordan following an Iranian attack on July 17. After a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing."

The post stated: "Separately, a U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury."

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Greene and President Donald Trump had a falling out last year. In early January she departed Congress, resigning in the middle of a two-year term.

Warren defies Schumer as Dem civil war explodes over must-win Senate race

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:27:58 -0400

There’s a battle to shape the Democratic Party this fall, and two top Senate Democrats are taking different paths in their bids to put their mark on the process.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in the duel for the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan. It’s a break from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is backing Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.

The diverging endorsements are emblematic of the fight going on behind the scenes and publicly in the Democratic Party as the old guard fights to stand its ground, while a progressive surge threatens to completely overtake the party.

DEMOCRATS' CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

For example, Warren backed former Maine Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner, while Schumer had courted and pushed Maine Gov. Janet Mills to get into the race.

And hours after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., stumped for El-Sayed, Warren jumped into the fray.

In her endorsement video for El-Sayed on Monday, she noted that he was "the only candidate in this race not taking corporate money, and he's fighting to get money out of politics altogether."

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT MALLORY MCMORROW DROPS OUT OF SENATE RACE WEEKS BEFORE PRIMARY

"And make no mistake," Warren said. "Abdul is the only candidate in this race who can build the grassroots movement needed to win in November. More money in your pocket, to get money out of politics and deliver ‘Medicare-for-all.’ Michigan, let's get this done."

Notably, Warren had previously endorsed Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the race earlier this month. McMorrow was opposed to "Medicare-for-all," a key policy push of Warren’s.

And El-Sayed has made headlines, like Platner, for his old social media posts — particularly his pitch to "defund the police" as a means to reinvest tax dollars to prevent the purchase of "war materiel to wage war in our streets."

WATCH: SURFACED VIDEOS OF DEM SENATE CANDIDATE BACKING 'DEFUND THE POLICE' CONTRADICT RECENT DENIALS

Schumer took his time to go public with his endorsement in what was once a messy, three-way primary battle, first privately backing Stevens.

"I think she has the best chance to win," Schumer told Punchbowl News last month.

Stevens has clinched the backing of a handful of other Senate Democrats, including Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., whose seat she’s eying to make her own.

El-Sayed has also amassed a list of heavy hitters, including Warren, Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

Neither candidate has committed to backing Schumer to stay as Democratic leader heading into next year’s new session of Congress. And so far, El-Sayed has not spoken with the Senate’s top Democrat.

Instead, he views his candidacy as "a threat" to Schumer and the old guard’s system.

He told Politico that Schumer and Democrats were worried about his plans to push for an end to corporate money entering politics, given that the top Senate Democrat’s "whole approach is that you get to go talk to the money people and then dole out their corporate money to help elect the people who are going to do the things that corporations want."

"So, of course, they’re freaking out," El-Sayed said. "They’re not freaking out because they think I’m going to lose. They’re freaking out because they think I’m going to win."

Socialist-backed Michigan Senate hopeful calls American politics a 'disease' after professing love for US

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:06:25 -0400

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday described America's political system as a "disease" moments after professing his love for the country where he was raised.

El-Sayed delivered blistering attacks on the American political system during the final stop of "The People v. The Powerful" tour at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids.

He spoke at the event alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as the trio criticized President Donald Trump, party leaders, corporations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Egyptian American physician and former public health official first reflected on the opportunities he said America had afforded him, noting he received an "incredible" public university education and a medical education funded through the National Institutes of Health.

DEM SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED RECOUNTS SMASHING VODKA BOTTLE AFTER BEARD CRITICISM

"No, don't get it twisted. I love America. I know exactly what America gave to me. I know what my life would have been, but for America," El-Sayed said. "I know what America can do, and at the same time, it's impossible not to reflect on the worst moments of those 250 years as well."

He then argued that Trump was merely a symptom of broader problems in American politics.

"Donald Trump is not, himself, the disease of our politics. He's just the worst symptom of the disease of our politics," El-Sayed said.

"The disease? It's the system that allows corporations and billionaires and special interests like AIPAC to buy and sell politicians to rig the system against us."

Ocasio-Cortez also echoed that message moments prior, telling the crowd, "You deserve a politics that treats the disease and not the symptoms."

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El-Sayed then targeted the nation's healthcare system, arguing that medical debt should be eliminated and contrasting its cost with federal spending on political campaigns and foreign aid.

"Medical debt shouldn't exist," he said, claiming the country's roughly $225 billion in medical debt could be erased for about $2.25 billion because it can be purchased "for a penny on the dollar."

He later turned his attention to ICE, calling it a "rogue agency" that should not exist.

"ICE has nothing to do with immigration. ICE has nothing to do with the southern border. ICE is about normalizing paramilitary forces on our streets. ICE is about weaponizing the idea of immigration against the Constitution itself. ICE cannot be reformed. ICE cannot be retrained. ICE has to be abolished."

The Senate hopeful also described himself as "dangerous" to a range of political and corporate interests, including health insurers and Democratic leaders.

"If you're Blue Cross Blue Shield, I'm dangerous," he said. "If you're Chuck Schumer, trading politicians like trading cards, I'm dangerous."

Anti-ICE walkout exposes how school district 'failed' parents, risked student safety: 'Broken my trust'

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:30:13 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: Internal emails, messages and memos from Arizona’s Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) reveal that staff allegedly breached security protocol and violated several school policies by facilitating a student walkout to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year, according to America First Legal.

Hundreds of Flagstaff high school and middle school students walked out of class to protest ICE on Jan. 28. The protest came amid national controversy over the deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. Immediately after the walkout, many parents, citing safety concerns, expressed outrage that they were not notified that their children had been allowed to leave school premises without their consent. One parent who said they had children under the age of 12 said the "district failed us as parents."

Documents obtained by America First Legal, a conservative watchdog group, reveal that FUSD officials knew about the walkout days in advance and also coordinated with students. The documents, which were reviewed by Fox News Digital, were obtained by America First Legal through a lawsuit forcing FUSD to comply with its public records request for records related to the walkout.

Screenshots from a district staff text group show faculty coordinating during the walkout. One staff member texted, "We have 75 plus students staged outside of fhs [Flagstaff High School] getting ready to walk." In the same message, the staff member wrote, "Looks like we have some members of the public joining."

CONTROVERSIAL ICE TACTIC ACTUALLY REDUCES UNINTENDED 'COLLATERAL' ARRESTS: FEDERAL AGENT

Another concerning text from a staff member read, "Be aware of propped open doors that are left for reentry."

In response to America First Legal's criticism, a spokesperson for the district told Fox News Digital that "We respectfully disagree that the Flagstaff Unified School District encouraged students to attend or intentionally ignored District policies."

The spokesperson said, "The District was placed in the challenging position of balancing students’ First Amendment rights, student safety and school operations in the most appropriate way it could."

District policy dictates that "the Superintendent shall limit access to school buildings and grounds" and that faculty "maintain protocols regarding the distribution of keys or equipment to access District property." Further, FUSD policy also stipulates that students ages six to 16 are "required to attend school during the school's hours" and "the school in which the student is enrolled shall make a reasonable effort to promptly telephone and notify the parent/legal guardian or other person who has custody of the student of the student's absence from school."

An email from a student to then Flagstaff High School Principal Tadd Ragan shows that district staff was aware the protest would take place at least two days in advance. The student informed Ragan that students were planning to walk out of their classes to protest against ICE at 11:45 a.m. The student said the protest would occur "near a main road for more recognition" and asked for advice "in finding a more organized way of going about this."

In response, Ragan told the student that "as a District and School we have a plan to maintain a peaceful protest." In a subsequent email, Ragan asked the student, "Can you come by my office during first period?"

Another faculty member, Flagstaff "instructional coach" Janet Chavez-Vesely, sent an email to several school administrators the day before the protest, revealing that she had discussed the planned walkout with the student Hispanic Culture Club. Chavez-Vesely wrote that she "stayed neutral and answered questions while they planned."

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She noted that one of the students "plans to stop by and see me" to discuss the protest further. Chavez-Vesely told the school administrators, "I am available to support supervision," adding, "just let me know where."

Some parents who became aware of the walkout before it happened emailed the district, notifying staff that their children would be absent from school while citing safety concerns.

On Tuesday, one parent emailed Ragan, telling him, "I am keeping my daughter home from school this Wednesday as it has been brought to my attention that both Flagstaff high school and Coconino high school have planned out an entire protest."

The parent wrote, "This is not something that I want my child involved in nor do I want her around during it nor do I want her suffering any of the consequences that come with not participating and or being pressured into participating in potentially getting in a violent situation."

Another parent emailed faculty late on Tuesday night, writing, "My kids will not be at school tomorrow." The parent noted, "This is not something that I want my children exposed to or involved in as situations like this in the past have become violent and unsafe."

Meanwhile, at least one faculty member was excited about the protest, writing in a text, "This Walk out thing is going to be FUN!"

The morning of the protest, Sinagua Middle School Principal Christopher Koenker sent an email that FUSD "supports our students’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and free expression and is aware of student-led events planned."

He wrote that "schools will neither encourage nor discourage student participation." He added that the district was looking into providing additional staff and law enforcement presence "for protection and supervision, not to suppress student expression."

After the protest, an internal "Walk Out Debrief" memo emphasized that "school isn’t responsible for students’ safety after they leave campus."

Another memo noted that one teacher, identified as "Ms. Donovan," took her class outside to witness "rights vs. responsibilities" on display at the walkout. An administrator noted that just three students remained inside and that "later conversations with the 3 students indicated that they really weren’t comfortable being outside." The administrator noted she eventually asked Donovan to bring the class back inside "as it might appear that she was influencing them to be outside."

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In the same memo, the administrator noted that Donovan also discussed ICE operations in her class and had told students that officers had "used" a five-year-old "to lure the family out to take him." The administrator wrote that they had asked a student if she felt Donovan "pushes her opinions on her." The student answered that after the protest Donovan had asked students to raise their hands if they participated in the protest after which she "congratulated them," saying, "Great job for standing up for your first amendment rights."

Parents, however, quickly expressed that they felt outraged and blindsided.

One mother wrote that after learning of the protest, she and her husband "were terrified that our daughter was peer pressured (by friends, classmates, teachers, and the school district) to be a part of this."

"We’re thankful that our daughter remained at school, due to fear and frustration, but there is still the ‘what if’? What if something happened to any students during the walkout?" she continued, adding, "We expect the district to be transparent and not jeopardize our children’s safety."

Another middle school parent wrote that they were not made aware of the protest or contacted until the end of the day. They wrote that their child "was under the impression this was a school sponsored event," given that faculty allegedly provided "maps" and directions to the event.

"This school district has broken my trust and neglected your responsibilities and disregard for your own policies," the parent wrote.

Commenting on this, America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers told Fox News Digital that "What these documents show is a stunning betrayal of that trust."

Rogers said that FUSD’s "conduct raises serious questions about whether district employees crossed that line."

"Parents deserved to know where their children were. The law required these officials to act, and they failed on both counts," he said.

Hawley sends criminal referral of 'left-wing dark-money' group over mailed abortion drugs

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:02:04 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: A Republican senator says that a left-wing abortion group claiming to be a "public health information campaign" is actually operating as the referral hub for shipping abortion pills into states where they're banned, in a criminal referral obtained by Fox News Digital.

In a letter sent Thursday to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Sen. Josh Hawley alleges asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into Plan C, saying the group connects women with abortion-pill manufacturers, foreign clinics and online vendors that ship the drugs into states where they are restricted by law.

"At the center of the effort is an entity called Plan C," Hawley wrote, describing the group as a "left-wing dark-money operation" that serves as the "referral and logistics hub" for distributing abortion drugs into states that prohibit them. He said the group's activities warrant a federal criminal investigation.

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Hawley says Plan C directs women in states such as Florida, Oklahoma and Texas to foreign clinics willing to mail abortion pills into the United States despite state laws restricting those shipments. He also says the group points users to online vendors selling abortion drugs without prescriptions, identification or medical consultations, even though Plan C acknowledges on its website that the pills sold through some of those sites are "not regulated or inspected by the US government."

Fox News Digital reached out to Plan C for comment.

Hawley's letter also says Plan C advises users on how to limit their "digital footprint" by recommending privacy-focused browsers, virtual private networks and encrypted email.

The senator notes that Plan C's own website warns users they could face legal consequences for obtaining abortion pills through the services it recommends, while saying it is "up to every individual to decide what level of legal risk they are willing to take."

HAWLEY URGES DOJ PROBE INTO ABORTION PILL MAKER OVER SAFETY CONCERNS

Hawley also says Plan C directs women to providers willing to prescribe abortion pills through 14 weeks of pregnancy — beyond the Food and Drug Administration's approved labeling for mifepristone and beyond the limits set by several states.

Hawley argues the conduct could violate multiple federal laws, including provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act covering prescription drugs, laws prohibiting the importation of unapproved drugs into interstate commerce, and federal conspiracy and aiding-and-abetting statutes.

"I therefore respectfully refer this matter to the Department to open a criminal investigation into Plan C, its relationship with potential co-conspirator manufacturers, and the network of suppliers it promotes," Hawley wrote, adding that the investigation should include foreign clinics and online vendors shipping abortion drugs into the United States.

FBI boss Kash Patel details how agency and partners secured record-shattering FIFA World Cup

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:00:57 -0400

EXCLUSIVE – Seventy-eight Super Bowls in 38 days. This was the scale of the task facing the Federal Bureau of Investigation going into the first World Cup final the United States has hosted in more than 30 years.

"That’s what we executed on," FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview detailing the largest commitment of the agency’s resources ever devoted to securing a sporting event – the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"We’re proud to report that, thank God, and thankfully to the men and women of the FBI and our partners, we had no significant criminal attacks during this World Cup," Patel said. "And just to put that in perspective, we had 6.5 million people attend the 78 matches in the U.S. across 11 venues."

Patel said the planning and execution had to be "mathematically precise."

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The tournament shattered previous attendance records and brought millions of international visitors to the country. The FBI dedicated nearly 5,000 personnel to the effort, including more than 4,000 from field offices, 800 from FBI headquarters and two legal attaché offices, along with support from 59 Homeland Security task forces.

The bureau also conducted approximately 300,000 background checks on players, coaches and other accredited personnel. All told, nearly 7 million fans from all over the world attended World Cup games in the United States, Canada and Mexico, all with no reported major security incidents. In fact, getting into the stadiums often took fans less than 15 minutes for games that averaged more than 65,000 in house.

A defining element of the FBI’s security operation was its aggressive response to the rapidly evolving drone threat. Recognizing that even a low-cost unmanned aircraft could be used to surveil players practicing at the dozens of team base camps around the country, track their movements to and from hotels, probe for security tactics at stadiums or fan zones, disrupt an event or deliver an explosive or chemical device, the bureau treated every unauthorized incursion as a potential threat.

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"If you’re in the space, we’re gonna take you down. And that’s why we took down over 700," Patel said. "Some of these folks were maybe borderline nuisances, while many of them were criminal in terms of violations of FAA airspace and also failing to register their drones… We’re not taking any chances."

The FBI established its first dedicated counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft system) school at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama to train state and local officers in detecting, tracking and intercepting unauthorized drones. Those officers were then deployed on FBI-led ground-intercept teams at World Cup venues, creating a nationwide counter-drone capability built for a threat that barely existed when the U.S. last hosted the tournament in 1994.

"We, the FBI, specifically train for the worst of the worst," Patel said, pointing to the possibility of drones being used to deploy explosives or chemical agents. Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was instrumental in developing the bureau’s counter-drone program.

That preparation was tested as the World Cup was getting underway, when investigators uncovered an alleged coordinated attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.

5 CHILLING DETAILS FROM THE ALLEGED WHITE HOUSE ATTACK PLOT TIED TO UFC EVENT

Federal prosecutors allege the suspects planned to use explosive-laden drones to trigger panic and force crowds to evacuate into areas where armed attackers could strike. Patel said the FBI launched a six-state operation, tracked the alleged threat through online communications and began a coordinated takedown "before the first punch was thrown," allowing the event to proceed without an attack.

Eight defendants have since been charged, although the allegations remain unproven and the defendants are presumed innocent.

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International cooperation was another critical component of the World Cup security operation.

"They’re working overseas in their home locations and giving us information back in real time on any single threat that’s coming in," Patel said.

The FBI hosted the International Police Cooperation Center in Northern Virginia, deploying more than 70 personnel to work alongside officers from U.S. host cities and security officials representing the nations sending teams to the tournament.

The FBI also assembled a Joint Operations Center with foreign police representatives from 46 of the 48 participating countries, allowing investigators to receive real-time threat intelligence from officials who understood their teams, fan bases and domestic security concerns. That information was supported by the FBI’s Intelligence Coordination Center, where more than 400 personnel processed an average of 26 incidents per day and produced nearly 100 intelligence reports for federal, state, local and private-sector partners, according to the FBI.

Patel credited the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup with bringing federal, state and local agencies together under a unified security strategy. Established by President Donald Trump and led by Andrew Giuliani’s team, the task force served as a central hub for interagency planning, intelligence sharing and the rapid deployment of law enforcement resources across the tournament’s 11 U.S. host cities.

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"Like anything in government, to succeed, you need tremendous leadership," Patel said. "President Trump had the foresight to establish the White House Task Force… and what they were able to do was bring in the interagency, at least at the federal level, and then work with us at the state and local levels through our partnerships and put everybody under one roof."

Patel said the coordinated structure allowed the FBI to quickly send bomb technicians, evidence teams, tactical operators, SWAT personnel and hostage-rescue capabilities wherever additional resources were needed.

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"President Trump set the standard: Not only were we going to have the largest and safest sporting event in the history of the world, but we were going to make sure everyone had a great time. Those were the marching orders," Patel said.

He pointed to the social media videos showing international fans enjoying restaurants, pubs, sporting venues and other distinctly American experiences — even joking that Europeans fell in love with ranch dressing.

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"These are small vignettes, but they quantify and qualify how awesome America did," Patel said. "And I don’t just mean government. I mean the private sector. They came in and partnered with us as well."

Patel said those partnerships helped generate billions of dollars in revenue across the country while giving visitors a memorable experience.

RNC trolls DNC, Maine Democratic Party in letter offering to help restore trust, 'defend democracy’

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:49:22 -0400

The Republican National Committee is trolling the Democratic National Committee and the Maine Democratic Party with an offer to provide election lawyers, trained observers and other resources as Democrats scramble to replace disgraced Senate primary candidate Graham Platner.

"So, in a spirit of generosity we hope will not go unnoticed, the RNC formally offers our election integrity resources and personnel to ensure a process worthy of Democrat voters’ confidence," read a copy of the letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. "Mainers deserve a nomination that is fair, accessible, and free from disenfranchisement — and it never hurts to have professionals in the room."

The tongue-in-cheek letter is expected to be sent Monday morning from the RNC to DNC chair Ken Martin and Maine Democratic Party Chair Charles Dingman, the RNC election integrity unit told Fox News Digital.

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The letter unwinds many of the Democratic Party platform's attacks on Republicans in a week that featured an unusual Democratic Party debate and President Donald Trump's primetime White House address on election integrity.

"The RNC has a deep bench of experienced election attorneys, trained observers, a dedicated State Election Integrity Director, and nationwide election integrity resources — all standing by to assist with convention procedures, delegate credentialing, ballot-counting transparency, and election law compliance," the letter read, pointing to its multi-million dollar midterm election integrity ground game. "We built this operation to protect elections from exactly this kind of chaos. We simply never expected the loudest cries for help to come from inside your own house.

"As our friends on the left never tire of reminding us, 'democracy dies in darkness.' We are offering to turn on the lights."

MEET THE DEMOCRATS GUNNING TO REPLACE GRAHAM PLATNER

Republicans have received criticism for questioning election integrity, but the RNC letter attempted to turn the table back on the Democrats, during a key Senate race in Maine that could help determine the Senate majority this November.

"We also request clarification on whether your nominating convention will include the basic safeguards every election deserves: voter identification, proof of residency, and independent observation," the letter continued, pointing to apparent hypocrisy. "We ask in a spirit of thoroughness, not suspicion. Mostly thoroughness."

"We further understand that proxy voting will not be permitted," the letter said. "I’m pleased to hear your party discover, at last, the merits of in-person voting — and to learn that when the stakes are highest for Democrats, you too believe there is no substitute for showing up and casting a ballot yourself."

When Platner suspended his Senate campaign before the July deadline after winning the nomination in June, he called out the party's "establishment" for forcing its will over the will of voters.

"For his part, Mr. Platner announced the suspension of his campaign by insisting that his replacement come from "'the people of Maine' through a system that is 'open, transparent and democratic' and that reflects the voices of those who supported him," the RNC letter noted, adding a dig on the DNC's reported financial struggles, suggesting its political opponents should accept their offer of help.

"We also know that this convention comes at a difficult time financially for you, with the DNC $18 million in debt. Finding the resources necessary to run a nominating convention must be tough."

Former Platner ally Troy Jackson locks down delegates as top rivals for Democratic Senate nomination drop out

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:56:30 -0400

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson appears to have locked up enough delegates to win the abbreviated race to replace now ex-candidate Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee in the high-stakes showdown to face off with longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Delegates aligned with Jackson won the vast majority of the 500 slots that were up for grabs on Saturday and Sunday as Maine's 16 counties held two days of delegate selection for next weekend's nominating convention. And Jackson's top two rivals for the nomination, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Nirav Shah, a former top public health official, dropped out of the race on Sunday.

"In November, Mainers will defeat Susan Collins, and we will take back our Senate seat from the billionaires and corporations who think they own it," Jackson said in a social media post Sunday evening.

While the delegates on Jackson's slate are not required to support him at next weekend convention, he is in an extremely strong position to secure the nomination and face off in the midterm elections against Collins in what's expected to be a combative and expensive ballot box battle that's among a dozen nationwide which will determine if the Democrats can win back the Senate majority. The GOP currently holds the chamber 53-47.

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A fifth-generation logger and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago, Jackson came in third place last month in Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

On Saturday, in the race to replace Platner, Jackson-aligned delegates won more than 90% of the slots, including all 149 in Cumberland County, Maine's most populous county and home to the state's largest city, Portland.

"Yesterday was an unbelievable huge step, but our work is not finished — not even close," Jackson said Sunday morning. And the winning streak of Jackson-aligned delegates continued throughout the day.

Over 470 of the 500 delegates elected this weekend were on Jackson's slate. The delegates chosen will join another 101 coming automatically from the Democratic State Committee. All 601 will officially vote for the Senate nominee at next Saturday's convention in Bangor, Maine.

Bellows, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, exited the Senate sprint on Sunday morning.

"Donald Trump’s attacks on our democracy are only accelerating, and the best way that I can serve our state and country at this moment is by focusing exclusively on my role as Secretary of State," Bellows said in a statement that didn't mention Jackson.

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Shah, a former director the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to 2023 who later served as principal deputy director of the federal CDC during then-President Joe Biden's administration, and who came in second in last month's Democratic gubernatorial primary, dropped out Sunday evening and backed Jackson.

"To Maine Democrats: Susan Collins will not be defeated without a united Democratic Party. And we cannot unite without treating one another with respect," Shah wrote in a statement. "No matter whom you supported in this race, I urge us all to remember that in the weeks ahead."

Jackson, in a social media post, thanked Shah and urged, "Now it's time for all of us to come together, build the broadest possible coalition, and defeat Susan Collins. Let's get to work."

Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer for then-Rep. Katie Porter of California who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate as well as the Democratic nomination in the state's 2nd Congressional District this cycle, also dropped out on Sunday. Another Senate candidate, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban, announced a campaign suspension on Sunday as well..

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Along with Platner, Jackson had the support of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as he ran for governor, and he is currently backed by 'Our Revolution,' the group born in 2016 out of Sanders' first presidential campaign.

Jackson, similar to Platner, is running on a progressive and populist platform aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as "Medicare-for-all," abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he opposes military aid to Israel at a time that Democrats are increasingly divided on support for America's longtime Middle East ally.

Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer who was backed by Sanders soon after he launched his bid last August, saw his campaign quickly catch fire. Two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who was heavily recruited by longtime Democratic Senate leader Sen. Chuck Schumer to run for the Senate, suspended her campaign this spring after trailing Platner in fundraising and in the polls.

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But even as Platner steamrolled the Democratic establishment and crushed the competition last month to capture the nomination, he had already been forced on defense in the wake of a slew of scandals.

Platner dropped out earlier this month, amid calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to immediately exit the race following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside.

While Jackson was among those who quickly called on Platner to end his bid in the wake of the rape allegation, he had previously campaigned alongside Platner and made the case that he was the best candidate to continue the fight for the progressive and populist agenda.

"This movement has always been bigger than one person. It's about taking on a system rigged against working people, fighting for ‘Medicare-for-all,’ strong unions, higher wages, reproductive freedom, and an economy where billionaires and corporations finally pay their fair share," Jackson said last week during a Our Revolution virtual town hall, as he pointed to Platner supporters.

At last week's first debate among the replacement candidates, Jackson pointed to Platner and said, "That's the thing that I think Graham did the best: talked about fighting against the health care industry and the prescription drug industry to make sure that people in this state and this country have affordable, quality health care."

JD Vance and wife Usha welcome fourth child, reveal baby boy’s name

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 19:05:07 -0400

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, announced the birth of their fourth child on Sunday.

In a joint Instagram post, the couple said their baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born Sunday morning.

"We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning," the couple wrote. "Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother."

President Donald Trump offered well-wishes in a Truth Social post Monday morning, sharing a photograph of the new baby.

"Congratulations! A perfect baby boy for the wonderful Vance family," Trump said in the post.

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The Vances also thanked the military doctors and staff at Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit for caring for their family.

"The incredible military doctors and staff members of Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit have been a blessing," they said. "We are deeply thankful for all they have done for our family."

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The couple announced earlier this year that they were expecting their fourth child.

"Usha and the baby are doing well, and we are all looking forward to welcoming him in late July," the Vances wrote in a statement shared on social media in January.

SECOND LADY USHA VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT EXPECTING THEIR FOURTH CHILD: 'OUR FAMILY IS GROWING'

JD and Usha Vance met while attending Yale Law School and married in 2014. They are also parents to sons Ewan and Vivek and daughter Mirabel.

Their three older children drew attention last year while attending the Inauguration Day swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol and the parade at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

AOC accused of putting on new accent during Memphis rally: 'Going full Kamala'

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:38:42 -0400

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was accused of putting on an accent during a Memphis rally last week, with critics on social media comparing her to former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Ocasio-Cortez was speaking at a campaign rally in Memphis on Friday for progressive U.S. House candidate Justin Pearson, who currently serves as a Tennessee state representative.

"We cannot afford to leave Tennessee behind," she said. "We cannot afford to leave Kentucky behind, Alabama behind, Mississippi behind, Georgia behind, South Carolina behind. There is no country where we are split apart."

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"About a month or two ago, we were in Montgomery, Alabama — Sister [Rep. Ayanna] Pressley and I were in Montgomery, Alabama, and one of the things that we said was that it is time for the North to roll up to the South," Ocasio-Cortez continued.

Critics online singled out this part of her speech, saying she put on a "fake accent."

"AOC, from the ‘Bronx’ sounding like a southern Baptist preacher while in Memphis," actor Michael Rapaport, who has said he’ll run for the New York City mayor’s office in 2029, posted on social media.

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"Hillary Clinton developed an accent. Kamala Harris developed an accent. AOC is developing an accent. It’s all patronizing," conservative communications strategist Steve Guest posted on social media.

"Rep. AOC just got busted putting on a FAKE ACCENT for a predominantly black audience. She's seriously going full Kamala for 2028," another user wrote, referencing a potential presidential bid.

Harris was repeatedly accused of altering her accent depending on the group of people she's speaking to.

In 2024, Harris was slammed for using what critics called a fake Southern accent while speaking at a rally in Atlanta in July 2024, and again during a Labor Day rally in Detroit that year. During her 2021 overseas trip to France, critics claimed Harris used a "French accent" while touring a COVID lab.

Fox News Digital reached out to AOC's team for comment on the "fake accent" accusations.

'Let's brew it in the United States': Teamsters target Modelo and Corona in push for Mexican beer tariffs

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:28:07 -0400

One of the nation's largest labor unions wants President Donald Trump to make one of America's favorite imports a lot more American.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters are urging the administration to impose significant tariffs on Mexican beer, arguing more of it should be brewed by U.S. workers instead of across the border.

The request comes as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative continues to assess whether certain countries’ policies have fueled unfair manufacturing advantages.

The Teamsters argue Mexico has fueled its brewing industry through government-backed investment incentives, lower labor costs and export-focused policies that have expanded production and exports, helping imported beer capture a growing share of the U.S. market.

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The tariff push could have implications for some of America's best-known imported beer brands, including Modelo, Corona, Pacifico and Tecate, much of which is brewed in Mexico before being shipped to retailers across the U.S.

"We can brew Modelo beer. It's the same recipe. Let's brew it in the United States," Sean O'Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told Fox News Digital. "We are very good at producing goods and services in this country," he added.

In its filing, the union said Mexican beer production has increased 85% since 2014, with about 80% of the country's beer exports shipped to the United States. Meanwhile, capacity utilization at major U.S. breweries fell from 82% in 2013 to 65% in 2023, a trend the Teamsters say threatens thousands of well-paying union jobs.

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The union argues tariffs would help shift more beer production back to the U.S., supporting American breweries along with the farmers who grow barley and hops, aluminum manufacturers that produce cans and the truckers who move beer across the country.

"I'm pro-America, pro-American worker, pro American jobs. So if there's an opportunity to tariff Mexican beer in this situation, which is gonna provide opportunity for our current members, which we have tens of thousands in the brewery and distribution industry, then I'm all for tariffs and all for keeping American jobs in America," O'Brien added.

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The Teamsters say the threat to U.S. brewery jobs is growing as major brewers continue investing billions of dollars in Mexico.

According to the filing, breweries have announced plans to add another 19 million to 23 million hectoliters of production capacity over the next five years, an expansion the union attributes to export-focused tax incentives, lower labor costs and industrial policies aimed at boosting manufacturing for foreign markets.

The filing also cites Mexico's 2023 tax incentives for export-oriented manufacturers and its broader "Plan México" industrial strategy, arguing those policies have encouraged additional investment while suppressing wages and making it more difficult for U.S. producers to compete.

The Teamsters have publicly backed tariffs as high as 75% on Mexican beer imports, calling them one potential remedy to what they describe as an uneven playing field. In a separate submission to USTR, the union said continued pressure from imported beer could force more U.S. brewery slowdowns or closures, jeopardizing good-paying brewery jobs that have supported American families for generations.

The Teamsters' filing is one of several submitted as USTR weighs potential trade actions under its ongoing Section 301 investigation.

USTR did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

'Keep a low profile': State Department warns Americans overseas they could be targeted

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 11:21:05 -0400

The State Department on Saturday reiterated its worldwide warning for Americans overseas as fears grow that Iran or its supporters could retaliate against U.S. citizens and interests far beyond the Middle East.

The "Worldwide Caution" alert, which has been in place since February, warns that groups supportive of Iran could target Americans and U.S. interests overseas.

The advisory urges U.S. citizens abroad to remain vigilant, monitor local developments and follow guidance from nearby U.S. embassies.

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The warning follows a series of rapidly escalating developments in the region. Earlier Saturday, the U.S. military said an Iranian missile and drone attack in Jordan killed two American service members and left another missing, underscoring concerns that the conflict could spill beyond traditional battlefields and increase security risks for Americans overseas.

The heightened security concerns were reinforced when the U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a separate security alert after Jordanian authorities evacuated Aqaba's international airport and seaport because of what officials described as a "specific and credible threat."

The embassy urged Americans to avoid both locations and reminded U.S. citizens that the State Department has maintained an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government personnel and their families in Jordan since March because of ongoing security risks.

TWO US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN IRANIAN STRIKES ON JORDAN, CENTCOM SAYS

The State Department said the security environment remains "complex" and warned the conflict could escalate with little notice.

Officials also noted that U.S. diplomatic facilities, including some outside the Middle East, have previously been targeted and cautioned that groups supportive of Iran could target other U.S. interests or locations associated with the United States and Americans around the world.

Officials urged Americans worldwide, particularly those in the Middle East, to exercise increased caution, keep a low profile, avoid locations associated with the United States when possible, monitor local news, follow security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which provides security updates and allows embassies to contact U.S. citizens during emergencies.

The advisory also warns that continued military activity could lead to commercial flight cancellations and temporary airspace closures, adding to travel disruptions across the Middle East. Travelers were advised to check with airlines before departing and prepare for potential delays, rerouted flights and last-minute itinerary changes as security conditions evolve.

The State Department issues worldwide caution alerts when officials believe security threats extend beyond a single country or region.

While the advisory does not prohibit international travel, it reflects growing concern that the conflict could create security risks well beyond the Middle East, prompting U.S. officials to urge Americans everywhere to remain vigilant and prepared for rapidly changing conditions.

Johnson warns America is in 'battle' against Marxism, calls for renewed focus on nation's founding principles

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:00:31 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., warned Friday that the United States is engaged in a "battle" against Marxism, arguing the ideology is gaining traction as Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates notch a string of high-profile primary victories this midterm cycle.

Speaking at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Summit in San Diego, Johnson framed the nation's 250th anniversary as an opportunity to push back against what he described as growing socialist influence and renew appreciation for America's founding principles.

"We are in a confrontation, in a battle against a very dark philosophy — Marxism, and its deviations, communism and socialism," Johnson said. "You see, the problem that I tell university students is, this formula that Lincoln later articulated in the Gettysburg Address, we're dedicated to this proposition that we are one nation under God, and that a government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

SOCIALISM’S RISE INSIDE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOW THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM

The ADF Summit is an annual conference that brings together leaders in law, government, business, media, education and the Christian community to discuss religious freedom, free speech and other public policy issues.

In addition to Johnson, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, who successfully argued and won a Supreme Court case, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, conservative influencer Allie Beth Stuckey and Adm. Brian Christine, who serves as assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also attended.

Johnson went on to describe an illustration he says he often uses while speaking on college campuses, arguing that America's founders grounded individual rights in God rather than government.

He contended that abandoning that principle leads to socialism, communism and concentrated government power.

RARE AMERICAN BIBLE AND FOUNDERS’ LETTERS TRACE FAITH’S ROLE IN BIRTH OF THE NATION

"The people that amass the power will control and direct the herd, you lose your freedom. It's a road to tyranny," Johnson said.

His remarks come as Democratic Socialist-backed candidates continue to make gains in primaries, fueling a broader debate over the party's ideological direction.

In New York City alone, three far-left congressional candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won Democratic primaries this cycle, including two who defeated incumbent members of Congress.

Johnson suggested those political gains reflect a broader ideological shift that begins in the classroom.

"We have a teachable moment, and I think we've got to make this very simple to explain it to the people coming behind," Johnson said. "Because, let's be honest, they've been indoctrinated in so many of these educational institutions. They see America through the wrong lenses."

Throughout the address, Johnson repeatedly tied America's constitutional system to religious faith, arguing the nation's freedoms are inseparable from the biblical principles embraced by the Founding Fathers.

FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS

According to Johnson, the founders rejected the European concept of the divine right of kings by declaring that individual rights come from God rather than government.

"We acknowledge the self-evident truth that our rights do not come from the government," Johnson said. "They don't come from a king. They come from the King of Kings. They come from our Creator."

Johnson also pointed to polling that he said shows fewer Americans expressing pride in the U.S. than in previous decades, arguing the trend reflects a growing disconnect from the nation's history.

"If we want the next generation to love America, they first have to know America," Johnson said.

The speaker closed by reflecting on the pressures of leading the House Republican conference with one of the narrowest majorities in modern history, saying his Christian faith has helped keep him grounded through repeated legislative and political battles.

"People say you don't seem to get too riled up about all the chaos on Capitol Hill. You seem rather calm in the midst of the storm," Johnson said.

Johnson said he has adopted the words of former President John Quincy Adams as his mantra.

"'Duty is ours. Results are God's,'" Johnson said, quoting Adams. "I'm not the sovereign. All I'm supposed to do is be faithful every single day and leave it on the field."

Platner ally Troy Jackson closing in on Democratic Senate nod in key race to face Collins

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:33:12 -0400

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson appears to be sprinting far ahead of his rivals in the abbreviated race to replace now ex-candidate Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee in the high-stakes showdown to face off with longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Delegates aligned with Jackson won the vast majority of the 319 slots that were up for grabs on Saturday as Maine's 16 counties kicked off two days of delegate selection for next weekend's nominating convention.

"We’re well on our way to getting the government that we deserve," Jackson emphasized Saturday night in a video posted to social media, as he addressed supporters. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

Jackson is now in a strong position to secure the nomination and face off in the midterm elections against Collins in what's expected to be a combative and expensive ballot box battle that's among a dozen nationwide which will determine if the Democrats can win back the Senate majority. The GOP currently holds the chamber 53-47.

MEET THE DEMOCRATS GUNNING TO REPLACE GRAHAM PLATNER

A fifth-generation logger and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago, Jackson came in third place last month in Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

MAINE DEMOCRATS RALLY BEHIND PLATNER'S PLATFORM IN SPRINT TO REPLACE HIM

Nirav Shah, a former director the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to 2023 who later served as principal deputy director of the federal CDC during then-President Joe Biden's administration, and who came in second in last month's Democratic gubernatorial primary, secured only a handful of delegates on Saturday.

Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, who came in fourth place in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, was even further back in the delegate hunt, as was Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer for then-Rep. Katie Porter of California who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate as well as the Democratic nomination in the state's 2nd Congressional District this cycle.

Maine's eight remaining counties will select 181 delegates on Sunday. The 500 picked this weekend will join 101 delegates coming automatically from the Democratic State Committee. All 601 will vote for the Senate nominee at next Saturday's convention in Bangor.

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

But even as Platner steamrolled the Democratic establishment and crushed the competition last month to capture the nomination, he had already been forced on defense in the wake of a slew of scandals.

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"This movement is always been bigger than one person. It's about taking on a system rigged against working people, fighting for ‘Medicare-for-all,’ strong unions, higher wages, reproductive freedom, and an economy where billionaires and corporations finally pay their fair share," Jackson said last week during a Our Revolution virtual town hall, as he pointed to Platner supporters.

Controversial program paying drug users for used syringes becomes permanent in NYC

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:11:51 -0400

New York City is permanently bankrolling a program that pays people up to $10 a day for used syringes, a controversial effort critics argue puts taxpayer dollars into addicts' pockets rather than getting them treatment.

The program, known as the Community Syringe Redemption Program, was quietly made permanent through Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first city budget after the city's $126 billion spending plan set aside $3 million to continue it beyond its pilot phase, the New York Post reported. The funding appeared in budget documents submitted to the New York City Council on June 30, shortly before lawmakers approved the budget.

Participants receive 20 cents for every used syringe they return, with payments capped at 50 syringes, or $10 a day, according to the New York City Health Department. The city operates eight redemption sites — five in the Bronx and one each in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens — where enrolled participants can drop off used needles during scheduled collection hours.

MAYORS WANT TO KEEP HANDING OUT FREE CASH AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS DRIED UP

The program launched as a pilot in March 2025 after legislation backed by progressive City Council members passed in 2022. It is run by Addiction Response Resources, a nonprofit that also started a similar syringe redemption program in Boston, under an $11.1 million contract that runs through the end of next year, the Post reported.

Health officials say the program has collected more than 2.3 million used syringes since it began about 16 months ago, the outlet reported. During its first year, the city paid out about $292,000 to more than 1,700 participants.

Sanitation Department data cited by the Post shows workers have collected 26,229 discarded needles so far this year, down from 64,560 during the same period in 2025.

According to the Post, the city is paying for the program with more than $189 million in settlement funds it received from major opioid manufacturers and distributors — money some critics argue should be directed toward addiction treatment instead.

EX-EMPLOYEE OF TAXPAYER-FUNDED NONPROFIT CAUGHT SELLING FENTANYL NEAR LA PARK: DOCS

Queens Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola argued the opioid settlement money used to fund the program "should all be going toward addiction treatment services — not for paying users to turn in their needles for cash," the Post reported. She added that the program "is putting money in the pockets of addicts" instead of helping them overcome addiction.

Bronx Democratic Councilman Oswald Feliz credited the effort to remove discarded syringes but warned the city "should not recklessly create conditions that can threaten the safety of vulnerable communities," according to the Post.

Some participants see the program differently.

Tamia Wright, 43, told the Post it had become "definitely a side hustle" after returning used needles at a park in the Bronx, adding she planned to spend the money on "weed... and cigarettes."

City officials say the program is meant to reduce dangerous syringe litter in neighborhoods that frequently report discarded needles. The Health Department says improperly discarded syringes can pose risks of needlestick injuries and disease transmission, and urges residents to safely dispose of sharps or report syringe litter through 311.

Health Department spokesperson Rachel Vick defended the program, saying it helps residents "live in a community free of syringe litter" while safely disposing of medical waste and connecting people in need with nearby care.

WATCH: Josh Hawley issues blistering rebuke of McConnell over ‘obligation’ to country

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 04:00:29 -0400

As questions persist about Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell’s condition, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., issued a blistering rebuke about his team’s handling of the crisis, reminding them of their "obligation to your constituents."

The 84-year-old former Senate majority leader has been absent from the upper chamber for over a month now after a fall at his home left him hospitalized. His absence, coupled with the sudden death of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, leaves Senate Republicans down two crucial votes amid a dead sprint to wrap up key parts of President Donald Trump's agenda.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Hawley, a conservative populist, said he wishes McConnell and his family well and hopes for a recovery.

At the same time, however, Hawley said that "at a certain point you do have an obligation to your constituents and the country to tell them what’s going on."

MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES

"To be down a vote," Hawley continued, "We’ve got a slim majority; it’s not easy."

While Hawley said he would "defer" to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on how to handle McConnell’s situation, he noted that the lack of GOP votes is hurting priorities like the voter integrity measure, the SAVE America Act.

"I just hear a lot from leadership that, ‘Well, we don’t have the votes for this.’ Like the voter ID, we don’t have the votes for that. Well, we might want to do something about that," he said.

Hawley also said that he too, has been "totally in the dark" about McConnell’s condition and said, "I never had any idea about any of his health stuff."

"I hope he recovers, but I also hope that they get the transparency out there to help people know what the situation is," he said.

'THIS IS NOT NORMAL': AOC UNLOADS ON MCCONNELL'S PROLONGED ABSENCE

Asked whether he believes McConnell’s condition evidences a need for age limits to serve in office, Hawley quickly shot back, "Well, I’m a term-limit guy, so I’m all for that."

"Nothing against colleagues who are older," he continued. He pointed to 92-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, saying, "Chuck is sharp as a tack and spry and all that stuff."

"But I do think there needs to be term limits. People just come here and stay forever. And I don't think it’s what the founders intended; I don’t think it’s what people want. So, I’ve always been a big proponent of a constitutional amendment for term limits."

McConnell is completing his seventh term in the Senate. He was first elected to the chamber in 1984. This June, he was hospitalized after a fall in his Washington, D.C., home. He later developed pneumonia while in the hospital.

After an extended period of silence, McConnell issued an open letter to Kentuckians in which the senator addressed his prolonged absence. McConnell attributed his fall to mobility issues left from his childhood fight with polio.

SEE IT: GOP SENATORS SPLIT ON MCCONNELL QUESTIONS AS TUBERVILLE SEEKS TIMELINE, KENNEDY DEFENDS LEADER

He acknowledged that at the advice of his doctors, he "won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet."

However, McConnell emphasized, "I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do" and said, "I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible."

He also pledged to keep his constituents updated on the progress of his recovery.

Tulsi Gabbard's brother charged after allegedly trying to lure children to Waikīkī hotel room: police

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 23:21:00 -0400

The older brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has been charged after Honolulu police say he allegedly tried to lure several children to his Waikīkī hotel room by offering them gum and money, as his family says he is continuing to receive psychiatric treatment.

Batarti Gabbard, 55, was charged with second-degree custodial interference after the July 12 "stranger danger" incident at a Waikīkī hotel pool, according to police.

Honolulu police allege Gabbard approached several children, including a 9-year-old boy, asked for their names, wrote them in a notebook and offered them money and gum if they would accompany him to his hotel room.

EXCLUSIVE: TULSI GABBARD RESIGNS FROM TRUMP CABINET

Fox News Digital obtained new comment from Gabbard's father, Hawaii state Sen. Mike Gabbard, who declined to discuss the allegations, but confirmed his son continues to receive medical and psychiatric treatment.

"We love him, and asked him to follow the protocol at the hospital, which he says he will do," Mike Gabbard told Fox News Digital. "We're praying for his speedy recovery, and would appreciate the prayers of others."

Fox News Digital also reached out to Tulsi Gabbard through her public office and left a voicemail requesting comment.

She did not immediately respond.

GABBARD CLAIMS ‘COORDINATED EFFORT’ BY INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO ADVANCE NARRATIVE TO IMPEACH TRUMP

Police said the incident occurred around 2 p.m. on July 12 at the pool area of an unnamed Waikīkī hotel, where Batarti Gabbard allegedly approached several children.

According to police, the children refused and Gabbard walked away.

A 42-year-old woman reported the incident to police.

MIKE WALTZ, TIM TEBOW LAUNCH EFFORT TO COMBAT ONLINE CHILD EXPLOITATION: 'IT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR BACKYARD'

According to KITV, Gabbard had also been arrested July 16 on charges of theft.

He pleaded not guilty to the theft charge Friday morning, was released and is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 14 in that case.

KITV reported that no court date has yet been set on the custodial interference charge.

Honolulu Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that Gabbard is no longer in custody.

Mamdani doubles down on democratic socialism while insisting Wall Street, business leaders can work with him

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 20:49:35 -0400

New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani is embracing his identity as a democratic socialist, arguing the movement represents a return to the Democratic Party's New Deal roots even as he insists Wall Street and corporate leaders have nothing to fear from his administration.

In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, Mamdani rejected the notion that his political label is a liability, instead characterizing democratic socialism as the modern embodiment of Franklin D. Roosevelt's vision for the Democratic Party.

"So much of what makes me proud to be a Democrat is looking at what our party used to stand for. You think about the Four Freedoms, you think FDR, you think the New Deal," Mamdani said. "Those are at the core of what our party's identity is, and yet it feels like to experience it, you have to read about it. You can't see it around you anymore. And that isn't something that I'm willing to accept, and I know that many feel similarly."

DE BLASIO DEFENDS SOCIALIST 'INSURGENCY' INSIDE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SAYS TRUMP HAS BECOME 'STATUS QUO'

The remarks come as Mamdani has emerged as one of the Democratic Party's most prominent progressive voices following a string of successful endorsements of fellow democratic socialist candidates, who won their primary House races.

Even as he doubled down on democratic socialism, Mamdani insisted his administration welcomed private investment and collaboration with Wall Street, finance and real estate leaders, despite continuing to push for higher taxes on the city's wealthiest residents.

"I think it's important," Mamdani said of the city's relationship with private business leaders. "And what I have in common with leaders of those sectors — even amid disagreements, because I believe that we can raise taxes a little bit more on the wealthiest New Yorkers — what brings us together is both a belief in the city and a commitment to its continued vitality."

FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS

Mamdani pointed to the recent announcement of American Express' new headquarters at Two World Trade Center as evidence that major corporations continue investing in New York.

"These business leaders, they're not just making decisions on the basis of dollars and cents; they're also making decisions on the basis of investing in the city and in what the city represents," he said.

The mayor also rejected the idea that democratic socialism is incompatible with economic growth after the interviewer remarked that he sounded in line with a "capitalist mayor."

NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CALLS THREAT OF RICH PEOPLE LEAVING NYC OVER TAXES 'IMAGINED'

"I will always celebrate continued investment in this city," Mamdani said. "And I'll also look to ensure that more and more New Yorkers can be a part of those benefits."

But even as Mamdani boasts his support for corporate investments, an analysis by the Citizens Budget Commission found New York's share of the nation's millionaires fell from 12.7% in 2010 to 8.7% in 2022, the steepest decline of any state, costing an estimated $10.7 billion in personal income tax revenue in 2022 alone.

The report points to New York's high taxes and declining competitiveness relative to states like Florida and Texas as factors behind its shrinking share of the nation's millionaires.

Mamdani has made raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers a centerpiece of his economic agenda, arguing the city's highest earners and most profitable corporations should shoulder more of the cost of funding public services.

His interview comes as national Democrats debate the party's future direction ahead of the 2028 presidential election. Mamdani argued that the victories of democratic socialist candidates signal that voters are embracing his vision for the party.

"For too long, it has felt like our party, the Democratic Party, the only answer we have is to say that we are not the Republican Party," Mamdani said. "But we also have to have a vision of what comes after this administration."

Bernie Sanders dismisses Haley Stevens, says Michigan race is against the 'billionaire class'

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 19:56:29 -0400

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took a swipe at Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., on Saturday, saying Michigan's Democratic Senate primary isn't about her, but about whether the "billionaire class" can stop progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

Sanders — joined by progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., at the Detroit Opera House rally — delivered the remarks to voters alongside El-Sayed, who is set to face Stevens in Michigan's Aug. 4 primary.

"In all due respect to Haley Stevens, everybody knows that this is not an election between her and Abdul," Sanders said. "This is an election between Abdul and the billionaire class. That is what this election is about."

BERNIE, AOC TO TEAM UP WITH EL-SAYED AS DEM CIVIL WAR MOVES TO MICHIGAN

Sanders said wealthy donors and outside groups have poured unprecedented sums into the race to defeat El-Sayed, whom he has endorsed as one of the leading progressive candidates running for the Senate this cycle.

"The billionaire class, which has already — and there are two weeks left to go in the election — has already spent $50 million against him," Sanders said. "Now I want everybody here throughout the state, people turning on the TVs, and they see all these ads, I want you to ask yourself a simple question: Why are the richest people in the country spending tens and tens of millions of dollars to defeat Abdul El-Sayed?"

Sanders claimed outside groups have outspent El-Sayed's campaign by a margin of 12-to-1, portraying the flood of spending as evidence that powerful interests view the progressive candidate as a threat.

According to AdImpact, super PACs backing Stevens are spending about $26.9 million on TV ads during the final five weeks of the primary, compared with roughly $2.1 million backing El-Sayed.

DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: 'WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?'

The Michigan Senate primary has emerged as one of the most closely watched Democratic contests of the 2026 cycle, highlighting the growing divide between the party's progressive and establishment wings.

El-Sayed has been endorsed by Sanders and other prominent progressives, including AOC, while Stevens has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and recently received the endorsement of retiring Sen. Gary Peters.

Stevens has represented Michigan's 11th Congressional District since 2019 after serving on the Obama administration's auto industry task force.

.SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS WITH MOCKERY AS DEM SENATE CANDIDATE'S PEP TALK GOES VIRAL: 'IS THIS FOR REAL?'

The congresswoman attracted attention on the campaign trail in recent days after a couple of bizarre speeches went viral online.

In one viral clip, Stevens was mocked online as critics compared her animated campaign speech to a classic "Saturday Night Live" sketch featuring Chris Farley's "van down by the river" character.

The viral moment also drew renewed attention to a 2020 House floor speech in which Stevens, wearing pink latex gloves during the COVID-19 pandemic, continued speaking after her allotted time expired as the speaker pro tempore repeatedly declared her "out of order" and struck the gavel.

The Senate race tightened after state Sen. Mallory McMorrow ended her campaign earlier this month, leaving Stevens and El-Sayed in a head-to-head contest that many Democrats view as a proxy battle over the party's future direction.

The winner is expected to face Republican Mike Rogers in November.

Mamdani says NYC is exploring whether it can arrest Netanyahu if Israeli leader visits for UN General Assembly

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 19:14:15 -0400

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is actively exploring whether the city has the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for September's United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

In remarks first reported by The New York Times, Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" who "belongs in the Hague" and said his administration is in an "active conversation" with the city's Law Department over what legal authority New York City possesses should the Israeli prime minister travel to the Big Apple.

"Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do," Mamdani said, adding his administration would not write new laws for that purpose.

The comments from self-described democratic socialist Mamdani raise questions about the limits of a mayor's authority over foreign affairs.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor's office asking whether Mamdani stands by calling Netanyahu a "war criminal," whether City Hall is actively consulting with the Law Department regarding possible legal action against the Israeli leader, and whether the mayor would direct the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu if attorneys determined the city had legal authority.

The mayor's office did not immediately respond.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz slammed Mamdani's remarks as "pure political theater," saying the mayor has no legal authority to arrest Netanyahu.

In a post on X, Waltz argued that the U.S. is not party to the ICC's founding treaty, the U.N. Headquarters Agreement protects visiting heads of government, head-of-government immunity applies, and "federal authority trumps any local mayor's wishes."

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

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Israel has rejected the allegations and disputes the court's jurisdiction. In addition, the U.S. is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, meaning it does not have the same arrest-and-surrender obligation that applies to ICC member states.

Law also prohibits the mayor from converting an international court’s order into a New York warrant by executive direction.

The issue has become increasingly contentious as world leaders weigh whether they would act on the warrant if Netanyahu enters their countries.

The United Nations General Assembly annually brings dozens of heads of state and government to New York, creating unique diplomatic and security considerations for the city.

The comments are likely to intensify scrutiny of Mamdani's foreign policy positions, particularly regarding Israel, which became a flashpoint during his mayoral campaign.

Israeli officials have repeatedly rejected allegations that Netanyahu committed war crimes, arguing Israel is acting in self-defense following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack.

FETTERMAN WARNS MAMDANI RISKS 'CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS' BY VOWING TO DEFY SCOTUS IMMIGRATION RULING

Mamdani's office has not yet publicly detailed any legal analysis supporting the idea that New York City or the NYPD could independently execute an international arrest warrant against a visiting foreign head of government, though Fox News Digital has requested further details.

Mamdani's remarks are the latest example of his administration venturing into international affairs.

Earlier this year, the State Department stepped in to halt a planned meeting between a senior Mamdani administration official and Iran's U.N. ambassador, stressing the role of federal, not local governments, to conduct U.S. foreign policy.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this reporting.

Liberal state Supreme Court justice blasts SCOTUS conservatives, says Hawaii will defy high court

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 15:08:17 -0400

A Hawaii Supreme Court justice used a ruling overturning a decades-old criminal conviction to deliver a blistering rebuke of Chief Justice John Roberts' Supreme Court, accusing the nation's highest court of weakening constitutional rights, damaging democracy and advancing a political agenda.

Justice Todd Eddins authored the 91-page majority opinion Wednesday in State v. Granillo, a case involving a man convicted in 1990 of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman on Maui.

The court ordered a new trial after concluding that hair and fiber evidence presented by an FBI expert relied on forensic science that has since been discredited.

But in roughly eight pages of the opinion, Eddins argued Hawaii's courts should not look to the Roberts court when interpreting the state constitution, using the case to deliver an unusually sharp critique of the nation's highest court.

LAWYER WHO BEAT HAWAII GUN LAW CALLS STATE’S RELIANCE ON BLACK CODE ‘DISGRACEFUL’

"When six justices walk away from those they are supposed to protect, state constitutions hold the line," Eddins wrote, referring to the court's six conservative justices. "That is not defiance. That is the design."

Eddins argued that Hawaii's Constitution provides stronger protections than the federal Constitution as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court and said the court has abandoned landmark civil rights principles.

"The Court that now defines federal due process does not honor the work of 1954," Eddins wrote. "It revives the work of 1857. The work of 1896."

Eddins was referring to Brown v. Board of Education, ruled in 1954, which ended racial segregation in public schools, and Dred Scott v. Sandford, the infamous 1857 decision denying citizenship to Black Americans and Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 ruling that upheld racial segregation.

Eddins argued that the Roberts court no longer reflects the constitutional principles established in Brown v. Board of Education. Instead, he argued the court's originalist approach relies on the same type of constitutional interpretation in the discredited Dred Scott and Plessy decisions.

"Today’s hubristic originalists use the same method to control modern life," Eddins wrote.

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"The Court overrides what Congress passed," Eddins continued. "It overrides what the people chose. All to serve its own ends. What this Court has done to constitutional rights, democratic institutions, and the rule of law explains why Hawaiʻi’s Constitution takes no instruction from it."

Throughout the opinion, Eddins pointed to many of the Roberts court's most consequential decisions as evidence that constitutional protections have been weakened, including Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the federal constitutional right to abortion; Citizens United v. FEC on campaign finance; Rucho v. Common Cause on partisan gerrymandering; Trump v. United States on presidential immunity; and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which expanded Second Amendment protections.

Eddins accused the Roberts court of adopting a "colorblind" approach to the equal protection clause that, in his view, ignores the amendment's original purpose of protecting formerly enslaved Black Americans.

"The Roberts Court sees only white," he wrote. "It refuses to acknowledge who the Equal Protection Clause was written to protect."

He also suggested that recent Supreme Court decisions have repeatedly expanded the power of government officials and wealthy interests while reducing protections for individual rights.

"A court that systematically dismantles democratic safeguards, steamrolls constitutional liberties, and tramples human dignity does not chart the course for the Hawaiʻi Constitution," he wrote.

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The opinion quickly drew criticism from legal observers who said it was highly unusual for a state supreme court opinion to devote so much space to criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The Court issues an unhinged attack on the legitimacy of the Supreme Court," Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan wrote on X. "I haven't ever seen something like this. And it's not good."

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley similarly described the opinion as "devoid of judicial restraint and decorum."

"The Hawaii Supreme Court just issued a truly shocking opinion that unleashed a torrent of rage and recrimination against the majority of the United States Supreme Court, including suggesting that they are de facto racists," Turley wrote on X.

The opinion comes just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court handed Hawaii a major loss in Wolford v. Lopez, striking down the state's so-called "vampire rule." In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled Hawaii could not require gun owners to get a property owner's permission before carrying a gun into businesses and other private property open to the public.

Eddins has served on the Hawaii Supreme Court since 2020 after being appointed by former Democratic Gov. David Ige.