Pope Francis still critical but shows ‘slight improvement’: Vatican
Vatican says pope still receiving oxygen as hospitalisation for double pneumonia nears two-week mark. Pope Francis’s condition remains critical but has shown a “slight improvement”, the Vatican has said in its latest update on the 88-year-old pontiff’s health. In a statement on Monday, the Vatican said “the clinical conditions of the Holy Father, in their critical nature, show a slight improvement”. “Today there were no episodes of asthmatic respiratory attacks; some laboratory tests have improved,” it said, noting that Francis had worked in the afternoon after receiving the Eucharist in the morning. The pope was still receiving oxygen, “although with slightly reduced flow and oxygen percentage”, the statement said. Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 with breathing difficulties and his condition subsequently worsened. He is battling pneumonia in both lungs as well as kidney issues in what has become the longest hospital stay of his nearly 12-year papacy. Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican has described the pope’s infection as “complex” and said it was caused by two or more microorganisms. Advertisement The head of the Catholic Church, who has been pope since 2013, has suffered bouts of ill health over the past two years. He is particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. Francis’s continued hospitalisation has prompted a global outpouring of concern and support, with a special prayer organised for Monday evening in St Peter’s Square in Rome. Tributes also have been left outside the hospital where he is being treated. Maria Vozlv, a Ukrainian who has lived in Rome for 18 years, said many in her home country were praying for Francis. The pontiff has often decried the war in Ukraine, which hit the three-year mark on Monday, and prayed for peace. “We Ukrainians are really praying for him,” Vozlv said. “He needs to get well and come home.” Earlier Monday, the Vatican said the pope had spent a peaceful night, with a Vatican source saying he was “not in pain”, eating “normally” and even “in a good mood”. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump: Putin has ‘no problem’ with European peacekeepers in Ukraine
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Donald Trump told reporters he thinks Vladimir Putin would have “no problem” with European soldiers as peacekeepers.
MSF halts operations in camp in Sudan’s Darfur region as violence rages
Doctors Without Borders says increased fighting in and around Zamzam camp has made it too dangerous to operate. Doctors Without Borders has said it is suspending its work in a famine-stricken camp for displaced people in Sudan’s North Darfur region, as an increase in violent attacks has made it too dangerous to operate. In a statement on Monday, the medical charity – known by its French-language acronym MSF – said fighting in and around Zamzam camp near the town of el-Fasher had made it “impossible … to continue providing medical assistance”. “Despite widespread starvation and immense humanitarian needs, we have no choice but to take the decision to suspend all our activities in the camp, including the MSF field hospital,” the group said. MSF was one of the few humanitarian groups still working in the camp, which houses about half a million people displaced by Sudan’s devastating 22-month civil war. Health workers at the organisation’s field hospital in Zamzam had helped treat people wounded in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) this month, as well as provided care to thousands of malnourished children. Advertisement “Halting our project in the midst of a worsening disaster in Zamzam is a heartbreaking decision,” said Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s Sudan country director. “The sheer proximity of the violence, great difficulties in sending supplies, the impossibility to send experienced staff for adequate support, and uncertainty regarding routes out of the camp for our colleagues and civilians leave us with little choice.” We’ve taken the difficult decision to suspend our activities in Zamzam camp, North Darfur, Sudan. Violence has engulfed the camp, which hosts around 500,000 people. We urge all armed actors in the area to protect civilians.. The details: https://t.co/7zb32yoe5d — MSF International (@MSF) February 24, 2025 The war in Sudan broke out between the RSF and the Sudanese military in April 2023. Both parties have been accused of war crimes as the United Nations says the violence has killed tens of thousands of people, forced 14 million to flee their homes and spurred a humanitarian crisis. On February 11, the RSF stormed Zamzam, triggering two days of clashes with the army and allied armed groups and forcing about 10,000 families to flee, according to the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). MSF said its teams had treated 139 patients with gunshot and shrapnel wounds in its field hospital so far this month. But 11 people – including five children – died because the facility lacked the necessary equipment. The organisation also said its ambulances were targeted in recent months. Advertisement Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday of a “further escalation” after the RSF and its allies agreed to form a parallel government. Guterres’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the UN chief was “deeply concerned” by Sunday’s announcement. “This further escalation in the conflict… deepens the fragmentation of the country,” Dujarric said. The RSF-led government is not expected to receive widespread recognition, with the group accused of carrying out war crimes, including genocide. But it is a sign that the splintering of Sudan could be cementing as the RSF focuses on the western region of Darfur while it loses ground elsewhere. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump budget bill in peril as warring House GOP factions threaten rebellion
House Republicans’ mammoth budget reconciliation bill is in peril on Monday evening with at least two GOP lawmakers threatening to vote against it. House GOP leaders are hoping to hold a vote Tuesday on a vast bill advancing President Donald Trump’s priorities on the border, defense, taxes, and energy. But at least two House Republicans have said they oppose the legislation – and the GOP’s razor-thin margins mean Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can only afford one defector to still pass anything along party lines, if all Democratic lawmakers are present. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told reporters he was against the bill on Monday, the day after Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., said she was also opposed. Both said they are seeking assurances that Congress is sufficiently committed to cutting government over-spending. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS Meanwhile, a group of GOP lawmakers in less ruby-red districts are still undecided over potentially severe cuts to Medicaid and other federal programs to offset the cost of Trump’s priorities. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told reporters there was “somewhere between six and 10” House Republicans who needed more clarity on where spending cuts will fall. “If I don’t get answers, I’m not going to vote for it,” Malliotakis said. “But if I can get some clarity and assurances, then you know, we’re moving a little bit more toward the ‘yes’ column.” Malliotakis said on the way into Johnson’s office Monday that there was “a lot of seniors and people with disabilities” in her district, “and I want to make sure they’re not gonna get harmed in this process.” Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., who was also part of that meeting, called it “helpful” but did not commit to supporting the bill. Malliotakis and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, also said they were still undecided when leaving the meeting. Spartz is also expected to meet with Johnson at some point Monday to discuss her stance. Burchett, however, told reporters he had no current plans to speak with Johnson about his opposition – but left room to be persuaded. “I would like to see a commitment that we’re going to go after [spending cuts],” Burchett said. “When we say we’re decreasing the rate of growth, we’re still growing. And again, can we not just go back to pre-COVID spending levels?” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also signaled he was against the bill, writing on X, “If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better.” House and Senate Republicans are aiming to use their majorities to pass a broad swath of Trump policies, from more border security funding to eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages, via the budget reconciliation process. SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN By leveling thresholds for passage in the House and Senate at a simple majority, reconciliation allows the party in power to pass fiscal legislation without any support from the opposing side. The Senate has a two-thirds majority threshold to advance most measures. The bill aims to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere. As written, the bill also provides $4.5 trillion to extend Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provisions, which expire at the end of this year.
Trump officials list 5 weekly accomplishments ahead of Musk midnight deadline
A handful of President Donald Trump administration officials are publicly listing their top accomplishments for the previous work week following Department of Government Efficiency Chair (DOGE) Elon Musk announcing federal employees must provide a bullet-point list of work successes before midnight on Monday or risk losing their jobs. “Mr. President, 5 things I did last week:” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted to X Monday morning. “1. Terminated NYC elitist, anti-worker congestion pricing. 2. Launched an investigation into the $16 billion in taxpayer dollars wasted on a high-speed rail project that, after 17 years, has yet to lay a single mile of track. 3. Saved $10 million a year by eliminating redundant and outdated landlines.” He continued: “4. Visited the Air Traffic Control Command Center in Virginia to see the critical tech upgrades we need to make our air traffic system the envy of the world. 5. Toured Burbank, California traffic control tower and heard from air traffic controllers about how to improve conditions and retain and recruit more controllers.” FLASHBACK: MUSK USED HIS ‘WHAT DID YOU GET DONE THIS WEEK’ DIRECTIVE BEFORE GUTTING TWITTER Musk announced Saturday that federal employees would receive an email directing them to list their accomplishments from the week prior, with the DOGE leader adding later that day that the assignment should take less than five minutes to accomplish. Employees have until 11:59 p.m. on Monday to send the list or lose their employment, according to emails regarding Musk’s directive that were sent by the Office of Personnel Management. MUSK’S DEMAND THAT FED EMPLOYEES LIST THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ROILS WORKFORCE: ‘MASS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE’ A handful of Trump administration officials also have provided their accomplishments lists for the past work week, including Kelly Loeffler, the head of the Small Business Administration. Loeffler listed her accomplishments in a comment provided to Fox News Digital, which led with her empowering “the Office of the Advocate to work across agencies to cut burdensome regulation imposed on small businesses.” “Established the Office of Manufacturing and Trade to promote President Trump‘s America first agenda; created a Fraud Working Group to crack down on loan fraud across all portfolios; ended voter registration MOUs with state governments, rejecting Biden-era efforts to turn SBA into a vehicle for partisan voter registration; canceled all employee telework agreements in accordance with the president’s return to work presidential memorandum, enabling the agency to better deliver results for job creators; Met with governor’s from around the country to discuss SBA’s services at the state level and presence across the country,” the list continued. TRUMP RATTLES OFF ‘FLAGRANT SCAMS’ UNCOVERED BY DOGE, TAKES AIM AT FORT KNOX IN CPAC SPEECH The White House also provided five examples on Saturday afternoon on its Rapid Response X account. “Just got this email. Where do we begin?” the White House’s Rapid Response X account posted Saturday evening, accompanied by a screenshot of the OPM email informing employees to comply with the accomplishment directive. ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN The White House listed: Trump signing an executive order expanding access to in vitro fertilization treatments, another executive order that works to stop taxpayer benefits landing in the hands of illegal immigrants, Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks reporting Trump’s policies have led to a 94% drop in illegal border crossings, Apple announcing a $500 billion investment in U.S., and the Trump admin working to ensure “Maine does not allow men in girls’ locker rooms and sports” through an investigation of the state’s Department of Education. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins posted his list of five accomplishments at Veterans Affairs, including identifying and eliminating “wasteful contracts.” Ahead of Musk’s announcement informing federal workers list their accomplishments, other agencies posted their wins for the first month in office, including Collins posting a Friday video of the department’s accomplishments for the first month on the job, while the Department of Defense launched a rapid response account on X to celebrate accomplishments while also “Fighting Against Fake News.” A handful of federal departments that deal with sensitive and classified information told their staffers to ignore the order to list their accomplishments, which President Donald Trump said on Monday was a “friendly” rejection due to the sensitive materials some government employees handle on a regular basis. “That was done in a friendly manner,” Trump said Monday while speaking with the media alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. “Only things such as, perhaps Marco at State Department, where they have very confidential things. Or the FBI, where they’re working on confidential things. And they don’t mean that in any way combatively with Elon. They’re just saying there are some people that you don’t want to really have them tell you what they’re working on last week.” DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK’S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY FBI Director Kash Patel, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security were among the agencies and departments that informed staff to not respond to the email. “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel told employees in an email over the weekend. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.” Trump lauded the directive Monday, arguing that it will expose government employees who aren’t actually carrying out tasks. “There was a lot of genius in sending it,” Trump said Monday from the White House. “We’re trying to find out if people are working. And so we’re sending a letter to people. Please tell us what you did last week. If people don’t respond, it’s very possible that there is no such person or they’re not working.” Some unions and Democratic lawmakers have lambasted the directive, including Illinois Rep. Sean Casten calling on federal employees to flout the order, arguing it is a “a good opportunity for mass civil disobedience.”
Noem ends Biden-era use of controversial app to allow migrants to board flights, except to self-deport
EXCLUSIVE: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is ending the use of the controversial CBP One app to allow migrants to board domestic flights – unless it is being used for their self-deportation. “Secretary Noem is reversing the horrendous Biden-Era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country and do so without identification,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Under President Trump, TSA and DHS will no longer tolerate this. Aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport,” they said. ‘HE IS DELIVERING’: TRUMP’S FIRST MONTH FLIPS SCRIPT ON RADICAL BIDEN-HARRIS BORDER POLICIES The Biden administration had expanded the use of the CBP One app to allow migrants to enter the U.S. at ports of entry or via a separate parole process. That process involved them uploading information including a photograph. The Biden administration also allowed for the app to be used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to verify a migrant without sufficient ID by comparing a photograph of a migrant in DHS records, and also use biometric matching. Those verified would also receive additional physical screening. TRUMP FREEZES APPLICATIONS FOR BIDEN-ERA MIGRANT PROGRAMS AMID FRAUD, NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS While migrants being allowed to board flights without ID predates the Biden administration, the use of the CBP One app has since become a method for identity matching of migrants without acceptable forms of ID. The new policy change ends the use of CBP One at screening checkpoints and TSA’s National Transportation Vetting Center, and also bars air travel for migrants who were paroled or released into the U.S. pending their immigration processing, who do not present a TSA-accepted form of ID, and who are not self-deporting. It marks the latest crackdown on illegal immigration and also those who have been paroled into the U.S. using the CBP One app. President Donald Trump ordered an end to the use of the CBP One app to parole migrants into the U.S. on his first day in office. His administration has also paused applications for parole programs, and allowed ICE to cancel parole statuses of migrants. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Last week, Noem also reversed a Biden-era extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. That in turn comes after the cancelation of a separate TPS extension for Venezuelan nationals. Noem also signed a memo that deputizes up to 600 State Department officials to act as immigration officers.
Top federal agency takes DOGE’s mission to heart with all-hands memo to every employee: ‘Reduction in force’
FIRST ON FOX: As the Trump administration’s DOGE efforts continue to have an impact across government agencies, over 12,000 employees at the General Services Administration are being notified in an agency-wide email Monday evening that a “reduction in force” is underway. In the memo from acting GSA administrator Stephen Ehikian, according to a draft obtained by Fox News Digital, the agency thanked those employees who decided to be part of the “first step” of staff reduction on Friday by resigning from GSA and previewed the “next step of this process in support of the Presidential Executive Order: Implementing The President’s Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative, The White House, dated February 11, 2025.” “This serves as notice that the agency will be conducting a Reduction in Force (RIF) and is seeking approval from Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to also obtain a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA),” the email states. “More information to impacted business units and employees will be forthcoming.” The letter ends by thanking the employees that will be affected for their “service to this nation.” ‘CATEGORICALLY UNTRUE’: KEY GOVERNMENT AGENCY PUSHES BACK AGAINST MEDIA NARRATIVES OF DOGE CHAOS “I promise you that GSA will continue to do everything in our power to make your departure fair and dignified,” the letter concludes. Fox News Digital was told by a source familiar with the situation that 30-40 employees will be affected by the reduction at first, as the agency starts with a focused number meant to ensure the plan is executed well with minimal mistakes. The GSA, which performs a variety of tasks including managing federal real estate and procuring goods and services, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 11 regional offices. A GSA senior manager familiar with the process told Fox News Digital that the first actions will be targeted on select offices rather than the entire agency and that bargaining unit employees are not anticipated to be affected. Additionally, the agency is looking for an additional Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, as outlined by the OPM, and will be offering severance or discontinued services annuities as appropriate. ELON MUSK HAS A WARNING FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES STILL WORKING FROM HOME “GSA realizes that a Reduction in Force, while necessary to meet the administration’s mandate to rightsize the federal government, reduce waste and redundancies, and deliver a more cost-effective service to the taxpayer, will impact our workforce,” a GSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “GSA is committed to treating all of our employees respectfully and fairly, in accordance with all applicable laws and bargaining unit agreements, during this process.” The executive order from earlier this month cited in the memo stated that it was intended “to restore accountability to the American public” and “commences a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.” “By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself,” the executive order states.
Ramaswamy officially launches gubernatorial campaign in Ohio: ‘Best days are still yet ahead’
Vivek Ramaswamy formally declared his candidacy for Ohio governor on Monday during a rally in his hometown of Cincinnati where he outlined his plan to “revive our conviction” in the state of Ohio, where he says the “best days are still yet ahead.” Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, for weeks has been moving towards launching a gubernatorial campaign in the 2026 race to succeed GOP Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. “I will lead Ohio to become the state of excellence in America,” Ramaswamy told the crowd. “Think that sounds unrealistic? It’s not. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that Ohio was that state. Today, young people on the internet make fun of something by saying ‘that’s so Ohio.’ But less than a century ago, people weren’t making fun of Ohio, they were aspiring to be Ohio.” Ramaswamy, who’s now 39 years old, was among the contenders who challenged President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination before dropping out of the race and becoming a top Trump ally and surrogate. TOP JD VANCE POLITICAL ADVISERS TO PLAY KEY ROLES IN RAMASWAMY CAMPAIGN He launched his presidential campaign in February 2023 and quickly saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination. He campaigned on what he called an “America First 2.0” agenda and was one of Trump’s biggest supporters in the field of rivals, calling Trump the “most successful president in our century.” Ramaswamy dropped his White House bid 13 months ago after a distant fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a top surrogate on the campaign trail. Trump, in the days after his November presidential election victory, named Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, along with Ramaswamy, to steer the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, which is better known by its acronym DOGE. But last month, as Trump was inaugurated, the new administration announced that Ramaswamy was no longer serving at DOGE. Ramaswamy’s exit cleared the way for Musk, Trump’s top donor and key ally, to steer DOGE without having to share the limelight. “It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government. I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!,” Ramaswamy wrote at the time. Musk and Ramaswamy recently sparked a firestorm among Trump’s hard-core MAGA supporters over their support for H-1B temporary worker visas for highly skilled workers from foreign countries. Ramaswamy’s comments criticizing an American culture that he said “venerated mediocrity over excellence” received plenty of pushback from some leading voices on the right as well as some in Trump’s political circle. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON VIVEK RAMASWAMY DeWine announced last month that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted would fill the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio that was held by now-Vice President JD Vance until he stepped down ahead of the Trump/Vance inauguration. Before the Senate announcement, Husted had planned to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine. Ramaswamy, for his part, had expressed interest in serving in the Senate. DeWine’s decision to choose Husted to fill the vacant Senate seat appeared to accelerate Ramaswamy’s move toward launching a run for governor. Ramaswamy was raised in Evendale, Ohio, in suburban Cincinnati by parents who emigrated from India. His father worked as an engineer at General Electric Aviation and his mother was a geriatric psychiatrist. Ramaswamy and his family currently live in suburban Columbus. Ramaswamy is kicking off his campaign at CTL Aerospace just outside of Cincinnati. Sources with knowledge say CTL Aerospace, a privately held company that specializes in aviation repair and original equipment manufacturing, symbolizes Ramaswamy’s push for a new age of growth of industry in Ohio. The candidate is also scheduled to make stops in the next 48 hours in the Columbus, Toledo and Cleveland areas. The race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination could be competitive. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, 68, announced late last week his candidacy for governor. “This is my heart, my home,” Yost said in a recent press release announcing his candidacy. “I work for the people of Ohio, and I love my bosses. From the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed at night, I’m thinking about them and our future.” Ohio GOP Treasurer Robert Sprague, who filed paperwork to run for governor, changed course after Husted’s Senate appointment and announced he is running in the Republican primary for Ohio Secretary of State. Sprague endorsed Ramaswamy, calling him “the leader we need to lead Ohio forward with a bold vision of conversation reform.” Former Morgan County local school board member Heather Hill has also announced she is running for governor as a Republican. Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a well-known former Ohio State University head football coach who was sworn in last month to succeed Husted, appears to be mulling a gubernatorial run. Ohio, which was once a top general election battleground, has shifted to red over the past decade as Republicans have dominated statewide elections, and the eventual GOP nominee will be considered the clear front-runner in the 2026 election. There’s speculation that former longtime Rep. Tim Ryan, the 2022 Democratic Senate nominee in Ohio, is possibly considering a gubernatorial bid, as well as Chris Redfern, a former longtime state representative and former state Democratic Party chair. Former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton, who was one of the prominent faces of the COVID-19 response in the state, has announced she is running for governor as a Democrat. As Fox News confirmed last month, leading members of Vice President JD Vance’s political team, including two top advisors, are helping Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial bid. The two Vance advisors are Andy Surabian and Jai Chabria, who played major roles in Vance’s 2022 Senate race and
Ted Cruz slaps blue state authority with subpoena over sheltering migrants at airport: ‘Reckless’
EXCLUSIVE: The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee is subpoenaing the Massachusetts Port Authority for documents requested last year related to the sheltering of migrants in Boston Logan International Airport, calling the practice “reckless and offensive.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, intends to subpoena Massport for documents Republicans on the committee requested last year about the use of facilities to allow migrants to shelter at the airport. “Donald Trump put a stop to Biden’s open border policy, but a full investigation of this scandal is vital to both prevent its future reemergence and hold accountable those complicit in Biden’s lawless immigration orders,” Cruz told Fox News Digital. SENATE COMMERCE REPUBLICANS EXPAND PROBE INTO AIRPORTS IN ‘SANCTUARY’ JURISDICTIONS SHELTERING MIGRANTS In a letter in March last year, lawmakers pointed to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants Logan had received, and said that one of the obligations of such funding was that facilities be available for public use. They argued that the use of facilities to house migrants violated that condition. Migrants were camped out at the airport on a daily basis on the floors of Terminal E at the airport at the height of the migrant crisis, which quickly saw migrants travel to “sanctuary” cities that limit cooperation with ICE. “Frankly, what you’ve seen at Logan has been the situation, and this is why I said months ago that we are reaching capacity here,” Gov. Maura Healey said in January 2024. ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ARE SLEEPING IN TERMINALS OF BOSTON AIRPORT ON ‘DAILY’ BASIS AS CRISIS OVERWHELMS SHELTERS In July, migrants were barred from using the airport as a shelter, and instead were offered taxpayer-funded accommodation elsewhere. “As of July 9, 2024, there was a policy change announced by the state that migrant families could no longer stay overnight at Logan, and no families have stayed at Logan since then,” a spokesperson for Massport told Fox News Digital on Monday. Lawmakers on the Commerce Committee wanted to know how many migrants were housed, the related costs, the impact on capacity, screening information and how the port authority was reimbursed, if at all. But the committee says it did not receive a response. A committee aide told Fox News Digital that the committee is subpoenaing documents and communications related to the house of illegal immigrants at Logan, including communications with government agencies, nonprofits and healthcare providers. It will also seek documents about security incidents involving migrants, and documents identifying those involved in housing them. “As the investigation has already shown, Massport clearly violated FAA grant requirements when it used Logan International Airport as ‘free’ housing for illegal aliens,” Cruz told Fox. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “Massport has repeatedly refused the Committee’s request for information, including on potential security incidents. As Chairman of the Committee with jurisdiction over civil aviation and aviation security, I plan to issue a subpoena to compel Massport to turn over the information and communications we’ve been seeking for almost a year,” he said. “Using a federally-funded public airport to house illegal aliens was reckless and offensive to airline passengers and American taxpayers alike,” he said. The subpoena comes as the Trump administration has taken an aggressive approach to cracking down on illegal immigration. It has increased interior enforcement, including in sanctuary cities like Boston, while limiting the ability to release migrants into the interior. It has also deployed the military to the border and ended the Biden-era use of humanitarian parole to release migrants. Interior arrests have gone up, while border crossings have dropped sharply, which the administration is putting down to the impact of the new policies.
Grassley, Johnson demand NARA turn over Biden records relating to email aliases, family business dealings
FIRST ON FOX: Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson are demanding the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) turn over records relating to former President Joe Biden’s use of a personal email address to conduct official government business and relating to his family’s financial dealings. Grassley, R-Iowa, and Johnson, R-Wis., penned a letter to the acting general counsel of NARA demanding the records, which they have been seeking from the agency since 2021. FLASHBACK: NATIONAL ARCHIVES TO HAND OVER 62,000 BIDEN RECORDS TO HOUSE GOP, INCLUDING EMAILS USING ALIASES “Since 2021, we have conducted oversight of Joe Biden’s use of multiple pseudonyms and personal email addresses for official government business when he served as vice president,” they wrote. “Despite our multiple requests for information, the Biden White House failed to respond.” Grassley and Johnson noted that they have sent five letters to NARA requesting documents they say are “vital” to their oversight work. “Although former President Biden is no longer in office and he pardoned his son Hunter and other family members, we believe it is of importance to review these records so the American people have a full accounting of Joe Biden and his family’s activities while Joe Biden was in government,” they wrote. The senators are demanding all records in NARA’s possession referencing Hunter Biden and his business partners, including Devon Archer and Christopher Heinz; Chinese and Russian business associates; and joint-ventures and groups that they worked with, including Rosemont Seneca, Rosemont Capital, Bohai Harvest, Blue Star Strategies, CEFC China Energy, Hudson West and more. FLASHBACK: BIDEN WAS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH HUNTER’S BUSINESS PARTNERS USING EMAIL ALIAS AS VP They also are demanding records to or from the office of the vice president – Biden’s role in the Obama administration – referencing those individuals and those companies. Grassley and Johnson are also demanding all records with Joe Biden’s pseudonyms and email addresses, including “RobinWare456@gmail.com, Robert.L.Peters@pci.gov, JRB Ware2, and 67stingray.” They also want “all records encompassed in the nine boxes of records.” Grassley and Johnson have been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings since 2019. Specifically, the senators were investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. Grassley and Johnson released a report in September 2020 saying that Obama administration officials “knew” Hunter Biden’s position on the board of Burisma was “problematic” and interfered “in the efficient execution of policy with respect to Ukraine.” Hunter Biden joined Burisma in April 2014 and, at the time, reportedly connected the firm with consulting firm Blue Star Strategies to help the natural gas company fight corruption charges in Ukraine. During the time Hunter Biden was on the board of the company, Joe Biden was vice president and ran U.S.-Ukraine relations and policy for the Obama administration. Meanwhile, Fox News Digital exclusively reported in 2023 that Biden, as vice president, used alias email accounts 327 times during a nine-year period – 2010 to 2019 – to correspond with his son and his business associate, Eric Schwerin. GRASSLEY, JOHNSON DEMAND ANSWERS AFTER FBI SAID HUNTER BIDEN PROBE ADVANCED RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION Most of that email traffic took place while Biden was vice president. Fifty-four of the emails were “exclusively” between Joe Biden and Schwerin, who House Republicans described as “the architect of the Biden family’s shell companies.” The information came amid the House Republican impeachment inquiry against Biden to determine whether he had any involvement in his son’s business dealings. Biden repeatedly denied having any involvement despite evidence placing him at meetings and on phone calls with his son and his foreign business partners. In 2024, House lawmakers released their final report, spanning 292 pages, saying Biden had engaged in “impeachable conduct.” They said he “abused his office” and “defrauded the United States to enrich his family.” WERE UNDERCOVER SOURCES FROM OTHER DOJ AGENCIES PRESENT ON JAN 6? GRASSLEY, JOHNSON DEMAND ANSWERS Republicans said there was “overwhelming evidence” that Biden participated in a “conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family.” They alleged the Biden family and their business associates received tens of millions of dollars from foreign interests by “leading those interests to believe that such payments would provide them access to and influence with President Biden.” In the summer of 2023, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal gun charges as part of a plea deal that collapsed before a federal judge in Delaware. In a stunning reversal, Hunter Biden was forced to plead not guilty and sat for a trial this year. Before his trial for federal tax crimes, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty. Before leaving office, President Biden announced a blanket pardon for his son, applying to any offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden “has committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024. Biden’s pardon of his son came after months of vowing to the American people that he would not do so. And hours before leaving office on Jan. 20, the president issued pardons for his brother, Jim Biden, and his brother’s wife, Sara Jones Biden; his younger sister, Valerie Biden Owens, and her husband, John Owens; and his brother, Francis Biden. The president argued that his family could be subject to “politically motivated investigations” after he left office.