Texas Weekly Online

Texas-trans-white
Menu
Menu

Year: 2025

Top union calls cops on itself to orchestrate ‘civil disobedience’ stunt at GOP office: source

Top union calls cops on itself to orchestrate ‘civil disobedience’ stunt at GOP office: source

FIRST ON FOX: Members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest and most politically active unions in the country, contacted local California police with a plan to get arrested on purpose during a scheduled protest outside the office of GOP Rep. Young Kim, Fox News Digital has learned. A source familiar told Fox News Digital that SEIU informed the Anaheim Police Department about a protest held Tuesday, in which they wanted to be arrested during a staged “civil-disobedience type of event.” The protesters planned to block the office entryway to prompt an arrest by police officers.  Following conversations with law enforcement, the source said SEIU decided to go “in a different direction,” by holding a rally outside the office with “small civil disobedience toward the end,” like blocking a driver outside Kim’s office to get cited by police.  “Sorry, I have no information on that,” an Anaheim Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital when reached for comment.  FLORIDA PROTESTER SCREAMS AT REP. BYRON DONALDS DURING TENSE TOWN HALL When reached by Fox News Digital for comment, a spokesperson did not confirm or deny that SEIU called the cops on itself. “I’m glad our action got your attention! You may have missed the real news today, which is that the lives of people with disabilities are at stake,” the spokesperson said while including information about the “devastating effects cutting Medi-Cal would have on Rep. Kim’s constituents who live with disabilities.” ‘CHAOS AND CONFUSION’: HOW DEMOCRATS INFILTRATED ‘THUNDEROUS’ GOP TOWN HALLS About 1,000 people gathered outside Kim’s office on Tuesday in a peaceful protest where no one was arrested, ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported. At one point, roughly a dozen people blocked a driveway near the building. Police instructed them to move and when they refused they were marched to another parking lot and cited with tickets for blocking a roadway, the outlet reported.  Protests outside representatives’ offices and at their town halls have erupted during President Donald Trump’s second term, as massive layoffs and spending cuts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have triggered outrage among Democrats across the country.  SEIU has been at the forefront of those protests nationwide, advocating for workers’ rights and protecting Americans’ access to healthcare. The protest outside Kim’s office was about protecting Medicaid as Democrats have been sounding the alarm about potential threats to the program since Trump’s November victory.  “The GOP budget would gut $880 BILLION from Medicaid – the biggest cut in U.S. history – just to hand $7 TRILLION to billionaires. This will hurt working families, seniors, kids, veterans & people with disabilities,” SEIU posted on Friday.  While Democrats have said there is no way to preserve Medicaid given Trump’s ambitious tax cuts included in his “big, beautiful bill,” Republicans have maintained that Trump will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits.  Kim, whom the SEIU protesters were targeting with their staged arrests, joined 12 House Republicans in a letter to House leadership opposing any budget resolution that would make cuts to Medicaid services. Her office is also shutting down the implication that congressional Republicans are hiding from their constituents.  “I had a productive meeting with many of these local healthcare advocates last week and will continue to make clear to House leadership and my constituents that any budget resolution that cuts vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable citizens in our community will not receive my vote. My door is always open,” Kim told Fox News Digital in a statement.  “Rep. Kim recently wrote to House leadership to make clear once again that any budget resolution that cuts vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable citizens in our community will not receive her vote. She appreciates the work of these advocates on healthcare issues. She is committed to protecting and strengthening our healthcare system, including vital Medicaid services for our most vulnerable, and has worked across the aisle to expand access to care for her constituents,” a spokesperson for Kim added in a statement.  Kim’s spokesperson said the California congresswoman was “recently ranked the most effective federal lawmaker from California” and emphasized her efficiency and bipartisan leadership in Congress.  Progressive protest groups organized disruptions at Republican-held town halls and local legislative offices earlier this year, effectively shutting them down. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., reported safety concerns following threats of violence. Many Republicans opted for tele-town halls as a result, citing productivity in a controlled environment.  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former vice presidential candidate, has joined a growing number of Democrats hosting town halls in Republican-held congressional districts, following reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) told congressional Republicans to stop holding in-person town hall meetings after protesters began disrupting them earlier this year. 

Trump tells Putin ‘STOP’ after deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv

Trump tells Putin ‘STOP’ after deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv

President Donald Trump demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin halt strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, as Washington continues its efforts to broker a peace deal. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Thursday attack on Ukraine killed at least nine and injured at least 70, including children, Ukraine said. Trump expressed hope on Easter that Russia and Ukraine could reach a deal this week, saying that once an agreement is reached, they would be able to “start to do big business with the United States of America…” On April 11, in another Truth Social post, Trump urged Russia “to get moving” toward ending the war, lamenting that “too many people are dying” in a war that he described as “senseless.” TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL Trump administration officials claimed they had productive talks with Putin, but they have yet to secure a deal that would end the war that has been raging since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Recently, several members of the administration suggested that the U.S. could end its efforts to secure a peace deal if Ukraine and Russia do not start making significant moves toward ending the war. Vice President JD Vance appeared to issue an ultimatum to Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday: make a deal or risk the U.S. walking away. “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work,” Vance told reporters. TRUMP SAYS ‘INFLAMMATORY’ ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters something similar on April 18, when he said that the president was nearing “a point where he’s going to say, well, we’re done.” Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for making an “inflammatory” statement that the U.S. president said was “very harmful” to peace efforts. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not recognize Russian control of Crimea, which was taken in 2014. Trump downplayed Zelenskyy’s red line, saying it was “not even up for discussion.” In the Truth Social post from Wednesday, Trump appeared to allude to his infamous clash with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, calling the Ukrainian leader “the man with no cards to play.” This echoed Trump’s remarks during the tense February meeting in which he said that Zelenskyy didn’t “have the cards” to make major demands in peace talks.

GOP governor hopeful pushes anti-China policy after years of Chinese investments

GOP governor hopeful pushes anti-China policy after years of Chinese investments

New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli invested in Chinese companies, including an organization that owns U.S. farmland and companies with ties to the Chinese military and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a Fox News Digital review of financial disclosures found.  New Jersey state Sens. Doug Steinhardt and Michael Testa sponsored a bill in 2023 that would restrict “all ownership of agricultural land in state by foreign governments and persons.” Ciattarelli told New Jersey voters at a town hall on Thursday that he would sign the bill into law if elected.  “No foreign entities should be able to buy our farmland,” Ciattarelli said. While Ciattarelli said, as governor, he would advocate in the New Jersey legislature against foreign entities owning U.S. farmland, financial disclosures from 2015, 2016 and 2021 revealed the New Jersey Republican’s investments in WH Group, a Chinese company that acquired about 146,000 acres of U.S. farmland when they bought Smithfield Foods for approximately $4.7 billion in 2013.  MOVEMENT TO BAN CHINESE FARMLAND PURCHASES NEAR MILITARY BASES GAINS STEAM IN THE SENATE Ciattarelli disclosed his 2021 investments in WH Group during his second unsuccessful campaign for New Jersey governor. Ciattarelli was the Republican nominee for governor in 2021 but ultimately lost to incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., who is term-limited this year.  GOP CANDIDATE RIPS BLUE STATE DIRECTIVE MEDDLING IN POLICE FORCE’S COOPERATION WITH ICE: ‘HANDCUFFED’ “I would hope that counties that have open space funds would beat foreign entities to the farmland and make sure it stays preserved as open space. Until we can sign a law into place, we should know the intentions of any foreign entity when it starts buying up our land,” Ciattarelli said Thursday.  The Smithfield Foods CEO confirmed in March 2025 that WH Group, the largest pork company in the world, has seen ownership of U.S. farmland down about 40% in the past two years, from a high of about 145,000 acres to about 85,000 acres.  As a businessman, Ciattarelli has a long and diverse portfolio of investments. In addition to WH Group, Ciattarelli has disclosed investments in Chinese companies that include China National Offshore Oil Corporation Limited, Ping An Insurance, China Lodging Group Limited, China Mobile Limited, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited, NetEase, Inc., and China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited.  Ciattarelli’s financial disclosures filed April 3, 2025, revealed he has since divested from these Chinese companies. When reached by Fox News Digital for comment, his campaign declined to explain why he had divested.  One of those companies, the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), was added in 2021 to the Entity List by the Department of Commerce, which restricts trade, for threatening national security “by helping China intimidate neighbors in the South China Sea.” In 2024, the Department of Defense identified China Mobile as one of several “Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States.” Trump signed an executive order in 2020, restricting U.S. investments that finance the “People’s Republic of China’s military-industrial complex,” which included China Mobile.  The New York Times also reported in 2018 on the Chinese Communist Party’s increased control and influence at Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited. Sinopec is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and a state-owned enterprise run by the Chinese government.  A campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Ciattarelli’s financial advisor manages his investment portfolio.  “This is old news – literally from years-old filings that have been public for a long time,” Chris Russell, a spokesperson for Ciattarelli’s campaign, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “In fact, four years ago, one of Jack’s opponents tried to attack him on this, and it fell completely flat. That his current opponents are recycling these same lame attacks proves how desperate they are to breathe life into their dead campaigns. The truth is that, just like millions of other New Jerseyans, Jack allows his professional financial advisor to manage his investment portfolio. Voters understand how that works.” Ciattarelli launched his third consecutive Republican gubernatorial campaign in April 2024. He is a businessman and entrepreneur who held local offices on the Raritan Borough Council, the Somerset County Freeholder Board and in the New Jersey State Assembly. His Republican primary challengers include conservative media commentator Bill Spadea, State Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and a contractor from Burlington County, Justin Barbera. The New Jersey primary will be on June 10. 

Fetterman calls for bombing Iranian nuclear facilities: ‘Waste that s—‘

Fetterman calls for bombing Iranian nuclear facilities: ‘Waste that s—‘

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is continuing to advocate for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program. “Waste that s—,” the lawmaker declared to the Washington Free Beacon. “You’re never going to be able to negotiate with that kind of regime that has been destabilizing the region for decades already, and now we have an incredible window, I believe, to do that, to strike and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.” “Years ago, I completely understood why Trump withdrew from the Obama deal. Today, I can’t understand why Trump would negotiate with this diseased regime. The negotiations should be comprised of 30,000-pound bombs and the IDF,” Fetterman noted, according to the outlet. The IDF is the Israel Defense Forces. US CONFIRMS THIRD ROUND OF NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN AFTER ‘VERY GOOD PROGRESS’ Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office to request a comment from the senator on Thursday morning but did not receive a response by the time of publication. The lawmaker, who is a staunch supporter of Israel, had already been calling for the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program. Fetterman declared last week in a post on X, “The only purpose of Iran’s nuclear program is to create weapons. We can’t allow that or negotiate with this regime. Provide our comprehensive military support and whatever else Israel requires to destroy Iran’s capabilities.” NUCLEAR WATCHDOG URGES ‘TRUST BUT VERIFY’ THAT IRAN ENGAGES IN GOOD-FAITH NEGOTIATIONS President Donald Trump noted earlier this week that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I’ve just spoken to Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, relative to numerous subjects including Trade, Iran, etc. The call went very well – We are on the same side of every issue,” Trump said in a Tuesday post on Truth Social. JOHN FETTERMAN AND LINDSEY GRAHAM ADVOCATE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM Fetterman declared in part of an X post in January, “Whatever remains of Iran’s nuclear program needs to be destroyed and I fully support efforts to do so.”

Federal judge gives DOJ another week in Abrego Garcia deportation case

Federal judge gives DOJ another week in Abrego Garcia deportation case

A federal judge on Wednesday gave the Justice Department another week to provide information on its efforts to return deported illegal migrant and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis granted the Justice Department a seven-day stay until April 30 to provide testimony and documents related to a case which has drawn a sharp wedge between Democrats and Republicans.  Drew Ensign, a deputy assistant attorney general, filed a sealed motion requesting the stay, with lawyers for Abrego Garcia filing a response in opposition to the government’s motion to halt the order. It was under seal in the Maryland federal court. Xinis didn’t explain her legal reasoning but wrote that it was made “with the agreement of the parties.” WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BLUNTLY SHOWS WHERE PARTIES STAND ON IMMIGRATION AMID ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION The administration was also seeking relief from having to file daily updates, but Xinis’ stay did not make any changes to that requirement. The Wednesday evening order came just one day after Xinis blasted the administration’s lawyers in a written filing for ignoring her orders in refusing to provide the daily status updates on the case, saying that they had been acting in “bad faith” by obstructing the legal process. “That ends now,” said Xinis, who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama. “For weeks, defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this Court’s orders,” Xinis wrote in an eight-page order. “Defendants have known, at least since last week, that this court requires specific legal and factual showings to support any claim of privilege. Yet they have continued to rely on boilerplate assertions.” She gave the administration until 6 p.m. Wednesday to provide daily status updates. The U.S. has claimed that much of the information is protected because it involves state secrets, government deliberations and attorney client privilege. But Xinis has rejected the argument and demanded that the Trump administration provide specific justifications for each claim of privileged information. Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported last month by the Trump administration, which says he is an MS-13 gang member who also violently beat his wife. President Donald Trump has declared MS-13 a terrorist organization and is looking to deport all members of the violent gang. Trump displayed a picture of Abrego Garcia’s hand last week, showing what the president said were gang tattoos. Abrego Garcia was also pulled over on Dec. 1, 2022, by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper and was suspected of participating in human smuggling as he had eight individuals in the SUV with no luggage. Abrego Garcia has never been charged with a crime.  Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys deny that he is a member of the gang, was deported to the El Salvadoran megaprison “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) last month, and officials acknowledged in court his deportation was an administrative error. However, now some top Trump officials say he was correctly removed and contend he’s a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.  He had been living in Maryland with his wife and children. The Justice Department unveiled documents last week detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, made where she accused him of beating her. DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS WAS PULLED OVER DRIVING CAR BELONGING TO HUMAN SMUGGLER Both a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his release and return to the U.S. for proper deportation proceedings. Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was issued a deportation order in 2019. Two previous judges found he was likely affiliated with MS-13. One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang. This is called a withholding order. The Supreme Court acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador and that the removal to El Salvador was “therefore illegal.” The court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said last week that when Trump declared the violent gang a terrorist organization, Abrego Garcia was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Abrego Garcia would not be allowed back into the U.S. unless El Salvador were to decide otherwise. “He is not coming back to our country.”  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The case has made national headlines and drawn a wedge between Democrats and Republicans. Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., flew to El Salvador last week to meet with Abrego Garcia in an attempt to spur his return to the U.S. Van Hollen’s trip, which he said was paid for by the taxpayers, was followed by another group of Democratic lawmakers traveling to the Central American nation to advocate for his return. That party included Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Maxine Dexter of Oregon. Fox News’ Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.