Far-left mayor arrested at ICE facility denies impeding law enforcement, says protest ‘absolutely’ effective
Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested for trespassing while protesting at a federal immigration facility last week, said Monday during a televised gubernatorial debate that his actions were “absolutely” an effective way to protest the president’s immigration clampdown. Baraka has denied he did anything wrong despite federal authorities arresting him for trespassing at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark on Friday. During Monday’s debate among Democrat candidates in New Jersey’s open governor’s race, he doubled down on the assertion he did nothing wrong. “We haven’t interfered with federal law enforcement,” Baraka said early on in the debate when moderators turned their questioning to Friday’s incident at the ICE detention facility in Newark. “We didn’t go down there to protest. We actually went down there to have a press conference. And the Congress has oversight. And they began to exercise their oversight. It was escalated by Homeland Security. They made an arrest because they got a call to do so. And that’s what happened.” WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT AN ICE DETENTION CENTER? Baraka’s arrest occurred during a protest at Delaney Hall attended by three members of Congress, who said they were in attendance to perform their congressionally-mandated oversight duties related to federal detention facilities. The three lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security. The arrest came as activists had been calling for access to the facility for days, which is a privately run facility that was revamped as an immigration detention facility this year. “We’re not asking for anything that’s incorrect. We ask them to obey our laws,” Baraka said after the incident. “To obey the policies and rules here in the city and the state of New Jersey, not to run roughshod over the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Fourteenth Amendment and everybody on this soil who deserves due process.” NEWARK MAYOR SPEAKS AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM HSI FACILITY During Monday night’s debate, the other gubernatorial candidates were asked if they thought Baraka’s tactics were “effective” the same way he does and whether they would have done things differently. While, for the most part, all the candidates tip-toed around the question, instead choosing to tout their bona fides in supporting immigration and challenging President Donald Trump, some did express support for Baraka. “I’m not saying I would do anything differently,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the four-term Democrat representing the state’s 11th Congressional District. “I don’t think the mayor was trespassing. In talking to my congressional colleagues, he was invited in. They asked him to leave, he left, and then he got arrested.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Ras didn’t do anything wrong,” Steve Fluop, the mayor of Jersey City and another candidate for New Jersey governor, said in direct response to the moderators’ question about whether they agreed with Baraka’s tactics. The rest of the candidates did not directly answer the question before the moderators moved on to the next topic.
Monica Crowley clears Senate confirmation for key State Department ambassadorship
Conservative author, media figure and former Treasury official Monica Crowley was confirmed late Monday to become assistant secretary of state and chief of protocol with the rank of ambassador. Crowley, who was a longtime former Fox News contributor and foreign affairs analyst, previously served in the first Trump administration and received the Alexander Hamilton Award from the Treasury Department during that time. “Monica will be the administration representative for major U.S. hosted events, including America’s 250th birthday in 2026, the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028,” President Donald Trump said in a December statement announcing her nomination. Crowley holds a doctorate in international relations from Columbia University. DNC VICE CHAIR SLAMS TRUMP AS PUNK, WOULD-BE DICTATOR IN FIERY PA TOWN HALL The Arizona native grew up in New Jersey and began her career in former President Richard Nixon’s post-presidency, when she worked as a research assistant. Her book, “Nixon Off the Record,” was published in the wake of that role. She joined Fox News Channel in 1996 – the same year it hit the airwaves – and often appeared with host Sean Hannity on “Hannity” and its predecessor “Hannity & Colmes,” with the late Alan Colmes. WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT ICE DETENTION CENTER? She also starred in one episode of “House of Cards,” where she played herself – and also hosted the syndicated “Monica Crowley Show.” She has received several other awards, including Woman of the Year in 2010 from the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women. During Trump’s first term, she backed out of a National Security Council role when allegations of plagiarism in her doctoral dissertation surfaced. Crowley rejected the claims as a “hit job.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The U.S. Travel Association lauded her nomination, saying that she will serve a “pivotal role” in the Trump administration. “The speed with which this decision was made gives us great confidence that … Trump will seek to maximize the opportunities of the decade of sports and events that lies ahead,” said CEO Geoff Freeman. “Landmark moments [she will be involved in planning] will attract millions of travelers to America and showcase the best of our great nation while creating a lasting benefit to our economy.”
Texas bill to overhaul STAAR test clears the House but faces a skeptical Senate
House Bill 4 would make the test shorter and base scores on how students’ performance compares to national averages.
Texas House signals expanding state’s medical marijuana program
House Bill 46 would increase the number of health conditions eligible and would offer smokeable products under the state’s medical marijuana program.
Harvard president claims ‘unfounded retaliation’ amid Trump funding feud
Harvard University President Alan Garber on Monday sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticizing the Trump administration’s actions against the school while noting both groups share “common ground” on a number of issues. “We share common ground on a number of critical issues, including the importance of ending antisemitism and other bigotry on campus,” Garber said. “Like you, I believe that Harvard must foster an academic environment that encourages freedom of thought and expression, and that we should embrace a multiplicity of viewpoints rather than focusing our attention on narrow orthodoxies.” However, Harvard’s goals are undermined and threatened “by the federal government’s overreach into the constitutional freedoms of private universities and its continuing disregard of Harvard’s compliance with the law,” Garber said. CALIFORNIA SHERIFF SLAMS ‘MERITLESS’ UCLA STUDENT LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE WHO DISMANTLED ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT “Consistent with the law and with our own values, we continue to pursue needed reforms, doing so in consultation with our stakeholders and always in compliance with the law,” he wrote. “But Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government.” Garber’s remarks are in response to a scathing letter last week from McMahon telling the university that it will no longer be eligible for federal grants over its handling of antisemitism on campus. “Receiving such taxpayer funds is a privilege, not a right,” she wrote. “Yet instead of using these funds to advance the education of its students, Harvard is engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law. Where do many of these ‘students’ come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country – and why is there so much HATE?” ISRAEL’S PRESIDENT RELEASES BLISTERING STATEMENT ON US UNIVERSITY ENCAMPMENTS: ‘RESURGENCE OF ANTISEMITISM’ “These are questions that must be answered, among many more, but the biggest question of all is, why will Harvard not give straightforward answers to the American public?” she added. The Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in funding to the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. TRUMP SAYS HE’LL REVOKE HARVARD’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS In his letter, Garber listed some of the actions Harvard has taken to address issues on campus, including installing new deans and clarifying the school’s discipline structures and procedures. He noted that Harvard, like many universities, has work to do to foster intellectual diversity on campus. Garber also pushed back on McMahon’s claims that Harvard is a “partisan” institution. “I must refute your claim that Harvard is a partisan institution. It is neither Republican nor Democratic,” he wrote. “It is not an arm of any other political party or movement. Nor will it ever be. Harvard is a place to bring people of all backgrounds together to learn in an inclusive environment where ideas flourish regardless of whether they are deemed ‘conservative,’ ‘liberal,’ or something else, a place where assumptions and claims are tested and challenged, respectfully and thoughtfully, in pursuit of knowledge and truth.”
Federal judge allows IRS to share illegal alien data with DHS in court win for Trump
A federal judge on Monday denied an injunction request to prevent the Department of Homeland Security and Internal Revenue Service from partnering to permit U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) to access taxpayer information to locate illegal immigrants subject to deportation. The order by U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich came amid a lawsuit by Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and other immigrant-rights groups against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Plaintiffs Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, and Inclusive Action for the City bring this action seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from sharing personal tax information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes. Before the Court is the plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction, Dkt. 28. For the reasons that follow, the Court will deny the motion.” “At its core, this case presents a narrow legal issue: Does the Memorandum of Understanding between the IRS and DHS violate the Internal Revenue Code? It does not,” the order continued. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TELLS FEDERAL JUDGE IT MIGHT INVOKE STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE Nonprofits Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, representing immigrant workers in the Chicago area, brought the lawsuit against Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, the IRS, and Commissioner of Internal Revenue Melanie Krause, seeking to block the disclosure of personal information of taxpayers and other confidential tax records to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes. An earlier memorandum of understanding between DHS and the IRS outlines a process to ensure that sensitive taxpayer data information is protected while allowing law enforcement to pursue criminal violations, a senior Treasury Department official said at the time the deal was reached in April. The deal allows DHS to ask the IRS to confirm the home addresses of illegal immigrants suspected of violating deportation orders. The IRS can share data to aid criminal investigations but is prohibited from sharing information related to civil matters, such as facilitating deportations. The Treasury Department is committed to protecting the privacy of law-abiding taxpayers, but a criminal exception obligates the agency to assist law enforcement, the official told Fox News Digital at the time. Fox News Digital has reached out to the IRS, DHS and the legal team for the groups involved in the lawsuit. The deal would allow ICE to submit the names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS, who could then cross-check those immigrants’ tax records and provide the immigration agency with current address information. “The Court agrees that requesting and receiving information for civil enforcement purposes would constitute a cognizable injury, but none of the organizations have established that such an injury is imminent,” Friedrich wrote. “As the plaintiffs acknowledge, the Memorandum only allows sharing information for criminal investigations.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As the Memorandum provides, its purpose is to establish procedures enabling “requests for addresses of persons subject to criminal investigation,” the order said. The agreement comes as President Donald Trump has continued to ramp up the deportation effort he promised on the campaign trail.
Pentagon ceases gender transition treatments as it moves to boot trans troops
The Pentagon is immediately halting all gender transition treatments for transgender troops as it moves to remove them from the military, according to a new memo. “I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance,” Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, wrote in a memo dated May 9. Now the Pentagon will only cover mental health and counseling for gender dysphoria. All other gender dysphoria-related treatments will be referred to the private sector. All scheduled and planned transgender surgeries will be canceled, but cross-sex hormone therapy for service members that began prior to the memo may be continued until they separate to prevent health complications. Last week, transgender troops were given between 30 and 60 days to leave or risk being removed “involuntarily.” PETE HEGSETH DIRECTS MILITARY ACADEMIES THAT ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS WILL BE BASED SOLELY ON MERIT Active-duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court’s ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7. The development follows a Supreme Court order that allowed a previously blocked ban on transgender military service to move forward. The Supreme Court’s decision effectively paused a lower court’s injunction, clearing the way for the Defense Department to implement the policy. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the ruling allows the department to resume policies focused on “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added in that memo that those diagnosed with or showing symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may choose to leave voluntarily. If they do not, they may face mandatory separation. PETE HEGSETH SAYS WEST POINT PROFESSOR WHO RESIGNED OVER TRUMP ADMIN EDUCATION OVERHAUL ‘WILL NOT BE MISSED’ The Supreme Court did not rule on the underlying legal arguments but allowed President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order barring transgender individuals from military service to take effect. A lower court had temporarily blocked the policy, but Trump administration officials argued that delaying its implementation could harm operational readiness. Officials defending the policy have said it supports the military’s need for unit cohesion, readiness, discipline and cost efficiency. Trump’s executive order also directed the Pentagon to revise its medical standards to emphasize combat preparedness and eliminate the use of gender identity-based pronouns within the department. The blanket ban on transgender individuals serving in the military had previously been lifted under President Barack Obama in 2014. The latest policy shift comes as Pentagon leadership under Hegseth moves to dismantle most diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Last month, he stated that 99.9% of DEI-related policies had been removed. He also announced changes to fitness standards to ensure male and female troops are held to the same requirements for combat readiness.
Trump signs executive order to bring down prescription drug prices
President makes push to bring down drug prices that have long been a source of financial strain for US patients. United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that he says will bring down the price of prescription drugs in the US by as much as 90 percent. In an announcement on Monday, Trump said drug companies who have been “profiteering” will have to bring prices down but laid the blame for high prices primarily on foreign countries. “We’re going to equalise,” Trump said during a news conference. “We’re all going to pay the same. We’re going to pay what Europe pays.” People in the US have long been an outlier when it comes to the prices they pay for numerous types of life-saving medication, often paying several times more than their peers in other rich countries for nearly identical drugs. That phenomenon is often attributed to the substantial economic and political influence that the pharmaceutical industry wields in the US. The high cost of medical drugs has been a source of popular discontent in the US for years, and Trump accused the pharmaceutical industry of “getting away with murder” in 2017. Advertisement But in his remarks on Monday, the US leader also seemed to say that US pharmaceutical companies were not ultimately to blame for the difference in prices. Trump instead framed those high prices in the familiar terms of a trade imbalance with partners such as the European Union and said the US has been “subsidising” lower drug prices in other nations. That perspective seems to align with the framing of the pharmaceutical industry itself. The industry’s most powerful lobbying arm stated the cause of high prices for US consumers is “foreign countries not paying their fair share”. Senator Bernie Sanders, a left-wing politician who has railed against the high prices paid by US patients for years, said Trump’s order wrongly blames foreign countries rather than US companies for those prices. “I agree with President Trump: it is an outrage that the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” Sanders said in a statement. “But let’s be clear: the problem is not that the price of prescription drugs is too low in Europe and Canada. The problem is that the extraordinarily greedy pharmaceutical industry made over $100bn in profits last year by ripping off the American people.” A fact sheet shared by the White House said the administration will “communicate price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to establish that America, the largest purchaser and funder of prescription drugs in the world, gets the best deal”. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr speaks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on drug prices at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 12, 2025 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo] The stock prices of US drugmakers ticked upwards after the announcement. Experts have cast doubt on Trump’s optimistic assertion that drug prices would drop quickly and substantially. Advertisement “It really does seem the plan is to ask manufacturers to voluntarily lower their prices to some point which is not known,” Rachel Sachs, a health law expert at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, told The Associated Press news agency. “If they do not lower their prices to the desired point, HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services] shall take other actions with a very long timeline, some of which could potentially, years in the future, lower drug prices.” Adblock test (Why?)
US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander reunites with family after release
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Video from the Israeli military showed the moment of US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander reuniting with his family.
Trump administration welcomes 59 white South Africans as refugees to the US
Move comes as US administration largely closes refugee admissions from countries experiencing widespread violence and poverty. A group of 59 white Afrikaners from South Africa has arrived in the United States as part of a refugee programme set up by the administration of US President Donald Trump to offer sanctuary from what Trump has depicted as racial discrimination against white people. In a press conference on Monday, Trump mirrored the claims of a myth popular on the far right that white people in South Africa have been subjected to systematic violence since the end of white minority rule in that country. “It’s a genocide that’s taking place,” Trump told reporters at the White House, a claim that has drawn criticism from government officials, news media, and even some Afrikaners themselves. The move comes as the Trump administration blocks nearly all refugee admissions from non-white countries and leans into rhetoric about an “invasion” of immigrants from poor countries. While people fleeing widespread violence and persecution in countries such as Haiti and Afghanistan have found a closed door, Al Jazeera correspondent Patty Culhane says that the Trump administration “has made a priority of getting these people [white South Africans] into the United States and paying for them to get here”. Advertisement ‘Wrong end of the stick’ The South African government has called Trump’s claims that Afrikaners face persecution “completely false”, noting that they have remained among the richest and “most economically privileged” groups, even after the end of the apartheid system that upheld white minority control of the political, economic, and military resources of the country and denied basic rights to the Black South African majority. South African whites still own about three-quarters of all private land in the country, and have about 20 times the wealth of the Black majority, according to the international academic journal the Review of Political Economy. “We think that the American government has got the wrong end of the stick here, but we’ll continue talking to them,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, himself a veteran of the struggle to end apartheid, said on Monday. Tensions between the Trump administration and the government of South Africa have been high, with the US expelling South Africa’s ambassador over previous criticism of Trump and at odds with the African nation’s prominent position in a case before the International Court of Justice accusing US ally Israel of genocide in Gaza. The Trump administration offered in February to resettle Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa, stating that they face discrimination and violence against Afrikaner farmers. “I want you all to know that you are really welcome here and that we respect what you have had to deal with these last few years,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told the group of Afrikaners who arrived in the US on Monday. “We respect the long tradition of your people and what you have accomplished over the years.” Advertisement Bill Frelick, refugee policy director with Human Rights Watch, said the fast-track process of bringing Afrikaners into the US was unprecedented. “These are people who were not living in refugee camps; who hadn’t fled their country. They were the group that was most associated with the oppression of the Black majority through apartheid,” said Frelick. “It’s not like these are among the most vulnerable refugees of the world.” Adblock test (Why?)