Missing minute in Jeffrey Epstein jail security video revealed in document dump
A newly released congressional video fills a one-minute gap in earlier surveillance from notorious financier Jeffrey Epstein’s jail unit on the night of his 2019 suicide. Two key clips, part of a nearly 34,000-file drop by the House Oversight Committee Tuesday night, revealed the highly contested minute missing from surveillance footage filmed outside Epstein’s cell block in the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The disputed minute lasted from 11:58:59 on August 9, 2019, to midnight on Aug. 10, 2019. GHISLAINE MAXWELL’S FAMILY INSISTS SHE RECEIVED UNFAIR TRIAL IN JEFFREY EPSTEIN CASE Digital forensics experts previously found the clip released by the Department of Justice was chopped from at least two separate video segments and strung together using Adobe Premiere Pro, fueling conspiracy theories that the administration was covering up Epstein’s death. The new drop from the House committee shows the camera data switched at about midnight, leading to a necessary binding of the two clips for a consecutive video. GHISLAINE MAXWELL FOLLOWS PRISON FITNESS ROUTINE, VIDEO SHOWS, AS DOJ’S JEFFREY EPSTEIN MEMO DRAWS HEAT Fox News Digital combined the two clips after the latest release on Tuesday, showing there was indeed no lapse in footage—contradicting Attorney General Pam Bondi’s previous explanation that the last minute of footage is deleted every night. “What we learned from Bureau of Prisons was every night the video is reset, and every night should have the same minute missing,” Bondi previously said in a meeting at the White House. BONDI UNDER SIEGE AFTER DOJ REVEALS NO EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST It is unclear why the footage disappeared, though the minute that was missing from the original drop did not reveal any action inside the jail block. The DOJ found Epstein committed suicide inside his New York City jail cell while awaiting further sex trafficking charges. The attorney general’s office could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.
Trump’s Justice Department moves to block blue state from giving financial aid to illegals
President Donald Trump’s United States Attorney General Pam Bondi is moving to block a controversial Illinois law recently signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker extending student financial aid, including in-state tuition rates and scholarships, to illegal immigrants. In a Tuesday statement, the Justice Department announced it had filed a complaint in the Southern District of Illinois against the state, Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, also a Democrat, as well as the boards of trustees of Illinois state universities. The DOJ is seeking to block the state from enacting its laws granting illegal immigrants financial aid, which the DOJ is claiming violates federal law by unconstitutionally discriminating against U.S. citizens. In its complaint, the DOJ states that “federal law prohibits providing aliens not lawfully present in the United States with any post-secondary education benefit on the basis of residency unless that benefit is also available to United States citizens and nationals regardless of their residency.” Because of this, the complaint alleges that Illinois’ law is a “blatant and ongoing violation of federal law.” ‘NONSENSICAL’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TUITION POLICY SCRAPPED IN KENTUCKY, BONDI LAWSUIT DEAL In the DOJ statement, U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois commented that “Illinois has an apparent desire to win a ‘race to the bottom’ as the country’s leading sanctuary state.” Weinhoeft said that Illinois’ “misguided approach mandating in-state tuition, scholarships, and financial aid to illegal aliens plainly violates federal law” and that “this policy treats illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states and incentivizes even more illegal immigration, all on the taxpayer’s dime.” “Illinois citizens deserve better,” he said. Bondi commented that “this Department of Justice has already filed multiple lawsuits to prevent U.S. students from being treated like second-class citizens — Illinois now joins the list of states where we are relentlessly fighting to vindicate federal law.” In response to the complaint, a spokesperson for Pritzker’s office told Fox News Digital that “this is yet another blatant attempt to strip Illinoisans of resources and opportunities.” “While the Trump Administration strips away federal resources from all Americans, Illinois provides consistent and inclusive educational pathways for all students – including immigrants and first-generation students – to access support and contribute to our state,” said the spokesperson. “All Illinoisans deserve a fair shot to obtain an education and our programs and policies are consistent with federal laws.” DOJ CALLS FOR TIPS ON EMPLOYERS FAVORING FOREIGN WORKERS IN HIRING PRACTICES In August, Pritzker, who is a rumored 2028 Democratic presidential contender, signed a bill into law opening student financial aid to all Illinois residents, regardless of immigration status, opening a pathway for illegal immigrants residing in the state to receive educational financial benefits. The bill purports to establish “equitable eligibility for financial aid and benefits” for all students in the state. The bill reads that “a student who is an Illinois resident and who is not otherwise eligible for federal financial aid, including, but not limited to, a transgender student who is disqualified for failure to register for selective service or a noncitizen student who has not obtained lawful permanent residence, shall be eligible for financial aid and benefits.” The law has been heavily criticized by parents in the state. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Michelle Cunney, an Illinois mother and local Parents’ Rights in Education chapter leader, called the new law a “nightmare.” JB PRITZKER CLAIMS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANNING AN ‘INVASION’ WITH US TROOPS “To be honest, it’s terrifying that not only are we having to pay for this, as you know, tax-paying citizens … But also, as parents, not knowing how it will really truly end up affecting our children and their education,” explained Cunney. She said that under Pritzker’s leadership, “we know that the children who are not here legally will get … more of a chance and an opportunity to get scholarships and everything than our children, because to Pritzker, and so many others, we are not important. We are not anything other than money.” A spokesperson for Raoul’s office told Fox News’ Digital the office is “reviewing the case and don’t have any further comment.”
Appeals court blocks Trump from firing FTC commissioner in case testing president’s removal powers
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., allowed a Biden-appointed member of the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday to keep her job, at least for now, as part of a lawsuit centered on President Donald Trump’s authority to remove members of independent agencies without cause. In a 2-1 order, a three-judge panel agreed with a lower court that Trump unlawfully fired FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and that her firing was squarely at odds with Supreme Court precedent. “The government has no likelihood of success on appeal given controlling and directly on point Supreme Court precedent,” the panel wrote, adding that “bucking such precedent is not within this court’s job description.” FTC FIRINGS TAKE SPOTLIGHT IN TRUMP’S FIGHT TO ERASE INDEPENDENCE OF AGENCIES Slaughter was abruptly fired after Trump took office, rehired when Judge Loren AliKhan ruled in her favor in July, and then re-fired days later when the appellate court briefly paused AliKhan’s decision. The three-judge panel, comprising two Obama appointees and one Trump appointee, lifted that pause on Tuesday, which means Slaughter can now return to work. The Trump administration could now seek relief from the full appellate court bench or the Supreme Court. A Department of Justice spokesperson told Fox News Digital the government plans to appeal Tuesday’s order. The Trump appointee on the panel, Judge Neomi Rao dissented, saying the “balance of equities here is ultimately indistinguishable” from other cases where the Supreme Court has temporarily greenlit Trump’s firings. DOJ attorneys had argued for the appellate court to grant the Trump administration a stay and keep Slaughter’s firing in place, pointing to the Supreme Court’s decisions to do the same in recent separate cases involving other independent agencies, including two labor boards. TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO FIRE FEDERAL WORKERS FINDS FAVOR WITH SUPREME COURT “The court’s reinstatement of a principal officer of the United States—in defiance of recent Supreme Court precedent staying similar reinstatements in other cases—works a grave harm to the separation of powers and the President’s ability to exercise his authority under the Constitution,” the attorneys wrote. The firings all relate to a 90-year-old Supreme Court ruling in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, which found that President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s firing of an FTC commissioner was illegal. Firing commissioners without cause, such as malfeasance, before their seven-year tenures were up was a violation of the FTC Act, the high court found. While the Supreme Court has let Trump’s firings at other independent agencies proceed temporarily while the lawsuits play out in the lower courts, Slaughter’s case would present the most blatant question yet to the justices about whether they plan to overturn Humphrey’s Executor. Legal scholars have speculated that the current conservative-leaning Supreme Court has an appetite to reverse or narrow that decision. Trump initially fired both Democrat-appointed members of the five-member FTC at will. Slaughter has vowed to see her lawsuit through to its conclusion, while the other ousted member, Alvaro Bedoya, has since resigned. Slaughter said she plans to be back to work on Wednesday. “Amid the efforts by the Trump admin to illegally abolish independent agencies, incl the Federal Reserve, I’m glad the court has recognized that he is not above the law,” Slaughter wrote on social media. “I’m eager to get back first thing tomorrow to the work I was entrusted to do on behalf of the American people.” Trump also recently fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations, a move Cook is now challenging in court. That case presents its own unique set of challenges, in part because the Supreme Court said this year that the Federal Reserve was more insulated than other independent agencies.
House Oversight Committee releases thousands of Epstein documents
The House Oversight Committee released a tranche of thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s case on Tuesday night. The surprise file dump came ahead of an expected House-wide vote to formalize the committee’s Epstein inquiry on Wednesday afternoon. That vote, while largely symbolic, would also direct the House Oversight Committee to release the Epstein files sent by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Nearly 34,000 pages are being released that include the DOJ’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell and videos that appear to show the inside of Epstein’s Palm Beach home. A NEXT STEP IN THE JEFFREY EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION INVOLVES HIS ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, was skepitcal about Tuesday’s release. “There is no news there. I’d rather see the tape in the morning when they took his body off of the tier,” he told Fox News Digital. “That would show who was there, maybe who was running the show etc. That might be news.” The drop included law-enforcement videos that show taped interviews with survivors conducted during the 2005–06 Palm Beach investigation involving Epstein, as well as police body-camera and search footage of the disgraced financier’s Palm Beach, Florida home and interview transcripts with Maxwell. The committee said the DOJ produced the files with victim identities protected, but Congress is now publishing the raw videos in a centralized repository. There was also video from the area outside Epstein’s jail cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. One folder contained an email chain from DOJ officials that included a timeline of Epstein’s final hours. It was written 24 hours after Epstein was found dead in his federal jail cell in Brooklyn, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. “Hugh/Ray: Can you verify that the information below is accurate? It’s based in large part on the timeline you sent,” wrote one official, whose email address was redacted. “Is there any reason why this information shouldn’t be released to the public?” Details from the timeline have already been widely reported: Epstein was placed on suicide watch in the jail on July 23, 2019, and received daily psyche evaluations. On July 29, authorities removed him from suicide watch but placed him in a special housing unit, where he was supposed to be placed with a cellmate for safety. His cellmate left for court on Aug. 9, and the judge let him go home, so Epstein was alone in his cell. His last contact with guards came around midnight on Aug. 10. Although guards were supposed to conduct checks every 30 minutes, no one saw Epstein until around 6:30 a.m., when staff serving breakfast found him unresponsive in his cell. He was pronounced dead, and authorities said he hanged himself. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., subpoenaed the DOJ in early August for all documents pertaining to its investigation of Epstein and Maxwell. The subpoena was directed by a bipartisan vote during an unrelated House Oversight Committee hearing in late July. “This is the most thorough investigation into Epstein and Maxwell to date, and we are getting results,” Comer said during a House Rules Committee meeting on Tuesday evening. “We have already deposed former Attorney General Bill Barr, the Department of Justice provided nearly 34,000 pages of documents and will produce more, which are being made public as we speak.” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee, claimed that some 97% of those documents were already public, however. EPSTEIN ESTATE HIT WITH NEW HOUSE SUBPOENA FOR ‘CLIENT LIST,’ CALL LOGS Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., said Democrats would continue to push for the unredacted files involving Epstein. “We recognize that the Trump DOJ has every incentive to not comply,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “That is, I imagine, a very small start, but we await the rest.”? Lee notes that the massive majority of the files released Tuesday had all previously been publicly released, “which means that the DOJ has fallen short.” The sudden release appears to be a bid to neutralize an effort by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to force a vote on their own bill to make the DOJ release information on Epstein. The bipartisan pair is spearheading what’s known as a discharge petition — a rare procedural move that allows lawmakers to circumvent leadership if a majority of House members sign on. Such a vote could put Republican lawmakers, who are also pushing for more transparency, in a difficult position, forced to decide between the political ramifications of bucking the vote or defying their own leaders. Massie told Fox News Digital earlier this week he expected enough signatures to hit that threshold by the end of this week, however. “I think there’s a real good chance of that,” he said. But Comer said the committee was “way ahead” of Massie and Khanna’s move. “We’re going to go beyond it. We’re already getting the documents from the administration,” Comer said. “I don’t think [the discharge petition is] necessary at all.” In addition to deposing Barr and subpoenaing the DOJ, Comer’s panel also sent subpoenas to former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, ex-FBI Director James Comey, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Senate advances defense bill boosting service member pay, Pentagon reforms
The Senate teed up a colossal package to authorize funding for the Pentagon on Tuesday, marking the first legislation to hit the floor since lawmakers returned from August recess. Lawmakers advanced the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a largely bipartisan 84 to 14 vote, setting up the bill for debate before a later vote to advance it from the Senate. This year’s version of the bill isn’t as divisive as its predecessor, given the lack of provisions targeting “woke” policies at the Pentagon, which became a major target for Republicans when they gained power in the House during the latter half of former President Joe Biden’s first term. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, EPSTEIN FILES, DC CRIME: CONGRESS RETURNS TO MOUNTAIN OF DRAMA Instead, the measure focuses on military contracting reforms and lasers in on the Pentagon’s failure to complete, let alone pass, an audit for the last several years. It also includes a bump to service members’ pay, though not as high as in recent years. It also includes an extension to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2028, and increases authorized funding to $500 million. Still, the measure would authorize about 3% more funding for the Pentagon when compared to last year’s NDAA in the midst of the GOP and White House’s push to cut costs in the government. It also comes on the heels of a $150 billion injection of defense spending passed in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” WHITE HOUSE MOVE TO CANCEL $4.9B FOREIGN AID WITH ‘POCKET RESCISSION’ BLASTED AS ILLEGAL Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said after the bill glided through committee in July that the “United States is operating in the most dangerous threat environment we have faced since World War II.” “The bill my committee advanced today is a direct reflection of the severity of that threat environment, as well as the rapidly evolving landscape of war,” he said. “My colleagues and I have prioritized reindustrialization and the structural rebuilding of the arsenal of democracy.” And Sen. Jack Reed, the Democrat on the panel, similarly agreed that the U.S. “faces a global security environment unlike any in recent memory.” SENATE SIGNALS READINESS TO HIT RUSSIA WITH HARD SANCTIONS IF PEACE DEAL FAILS “This legislation invests in the service members, technology, and capabilities we need to deter our adversaries and defend our national interests,” the Rhode Island Democrat said. “I thank Chairman Wicker and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle for advancing this bill to prioritize the safety and security of the American people.” The Senate and House have offered competing versions of the bill, too. Lawmakers in the upper chamber leapfrogged their colleagues in the House, where their iteration of the NDAA is expected to be considered next week. Overall, the Senate’s version of the legislation would tee up nearly $925 billion in defense spending. That total is split among the Department of Defense at over $878 billion, the Department of Energy at over $35 billion with another $10 billion allocated for “defense-related activities” outside of the bill’s jurisdiction. The House version of the bill clocked in at just over $848 billion, well below the Senate’s product but more in line with the Pentagon’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year.
Republican rising star Ashley Hinson announces Senate bid in race to succeed Iowa’s Ernst
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson on Monday announced her bid for the U.S. Senate, in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst. “I am running for the United States Senate,” Hinson said in an appearance on a popular afternoon talk radio program in Iowa. Hinson – a former TV news anchor who is in her third term representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, which covers the northeastern portion of the state – showcased her support for President Donald Trump. “I’m running to be President Trump’s top ally in the United States Senate,” she said. “I’m proud to fight alongside him.” REPUBLICAN JONI ERNST ANNOUNCES SHE WON’T SEEK SENATE RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR Her news came a few hours after Ernst, in a social media video, officially announced that she wouldn’t seek re-election in next year’s midterms. “Having been raised in a family who has given me so much love and support, now as our family ages and grows, it’s time for me to get back to them. After a tremendous amount of prayer and reflection, I will not be seeking re-election in 2026,” the 55-year-old Ernst, who was first elected to the Senate in 2014, said in a video posted to social media. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS Ernst, a retired Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard officer who served in the Iraq War, had been wrestling for months over whether to run for re-election in 2026. And in her video, she said, “This was no easy decision.” Ernst first grabbed national attention 11 years ago with her “make ’em squeal” ads as she won the high-profile Senate election in Iowa in the race to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. And Ernst highlighted in her video that “11 years ago, Iowans elected me as the first female combat veteran to the U.S. Senate, and they did so with a mission in mind – to make Washington squeal. And I’m proud to say we have delivered. We’ve cut waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government.” Hinson, in a social media post, thanked Ernst for her “incredible service to our state and nation” as well as for her friendship. “Iowa is better off thanks to your selfless service,” she said. In her radio interview, she told host Simon Conway that among her priorities as she runs for the Senate are “secure borders, keeping men out of girls’ sports, cutting taxes for our working families, standing up for Iowa agriculture and helping our young Iowans who are trying to buy a house and start a family.” Hinson also pledged to campaign across all 99 of Iowa’s counties, starting with a kick-off event on Friday. And as she entered the race, Hinson was endorsed by Republican Sens. Jim Banks of Indiana, Katie Britt of Alabama, and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, House Republican Leadership Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik and Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann also backed Hinson. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) communications director Maeve Coyle, following Hinson’s announcement, argued that “Republicans failed to convince Joni Ernst to run for reelection, and now they may be stuck with Ashley Hinson, who has repeatedly voted to raise costs and make life harder for Iowans by voting to slash Medicaid, cheering on the chaotic tariffs that threaten Iowa’s economy, voting against measures to lower the cost of insulin, and threatening Social Security.” FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS Iowa was once a top battleground state that former President Barack Obama carried in his 2008 and 2012 White House victories. But the state has shifted to the right in recent election cycles, with President Donald Trump carrying the state by nine points in 2016, eight points in 2020, and by 13 points last November. Republicans currently hold both of the state’s U.S. Senate seats – Ernst and longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley – and all four of Iowa’s congressional districts, as well as all statewide offices except for state auditor, which is held by Democrat Rob Sand, who’s running for governor next year. But Democrats in Iowa are energized after flipping two GOP-held state Senate seats in special elections so far this year. Four Democrats are already running for Senate in Iowa. The field includes state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian wheelchair basketball player, state Sen. Zach Wahls, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce executive director Nathan Sage and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris. “An open seat in Iowa is just the latest example of Democrats expanding the senatorial map,” Lauren French, spokesperson for the Democrat-aligned Senate Majority PAC, said in a statement. But Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), said in a statement, “The NRSC is confident Iowans will elect a Republican to continue fighting for them and championing President Trump’s agenda in 2026.” SENATE DEMOCRATS RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES IN PUSH TO WIN BACK MAJORITY Republicans are aiming to not only defend, but expand, the current 53-47 Senate majority in next year’s elections. Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red to win back the majority. But the party in power – the Republicans – traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. Nevertheless, a current read of the 2026 map indicates the GOP may be able to go on offense in some key states. In battleground Georgia, which Trump narrowly carried in last year’s White House race, Republicans view first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat incumbent up for re-election next year. They’re also targeting battleground Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring at the end of next year, and swing state New Hampshire, where longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen decided against seeking a fourth six-year term in the Senate. Also on the NRSC’s target list is blue-leaning Minnesota, where Democratic Sen. Tina Smith isn’t running for re-election.
Popular Dem city put on notice after violent chaos erupts over holiday weekend: ‘Needs help badly’
The Department of Homeland Security is keeping the pressure on Illinois leaders amid a looming National Guard and federal immigration enforcement surge in Chicago, as Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker says it would be a possible “invasion.” President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that he’ll send the feds into Chicago after the federal takeover of Washington, D.C. Numerous reports have suggested that immigration authorities could be stationed in the region as part of the operation. “He can talk about what a great job he’s doing as governor, but he’s failing those families who will no longer have their child with them, their mother or their father, or their cousin, aunt and uncle, that are gone forever because of the violence that’s happening in Chicago,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” of Pritzker, saying that leaders need to be working with the administration on crime. ILLINOIS DEMOCRAT LEADERS BLAST TRUMP PUSH TO SEND NATIONAL GUARD TO CHICAGO “They don’t even honor our detainers in Chicago,” the secretary added, as detainers play a key role in keeping an individual behind bars so they can be transferred from local to federal custody. In a post on Tuesday, DHS said “it is DISGUSTING” that the governor “chooses to fight for the violent illegal alien killers in Chicago instead of his American constituents.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The federal government can technically have a degree of oversight over the capital city’s police force, but there are now National Guard troops and federal agencies like ICE and the FBI on the streets of D.C. in an effort to curb crime, including immigration-related arrests. “At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed. The last two weekends were similar. Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday. TRUMP’S WEEK SHAPED BY CRIME AGENDA, POTENTIAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO “Pritzker needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet. I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Fox News Digital reported that various serious criminal arrests by DHS have already been made in the Chicago area since Trump took office in January, including illegal immigrants convicted of homicide and sexual crimes against children. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, is already taking strong measures to limit federal influence in the city, including signing an Executive Order constricting the ability of local police to work with federal authorities. GOV. PRITZKER SAYS TRUMP TRYING TO ‘MANUFACTURE A CRISIS’ AS ADMIN PLANS NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO “This executive order makes it emphatically clear that this president is not going to come in and deputize our police department,” Johnson said at a news conference. “We will protect our Constitution, we will protect our city, and we will protect our people,” he continued. “We do not want to see tanks in our streets. We do not want to see families ripped apart. We do not want grandmothers thrown into the back of unmarked vans. We don’t want to see homeless Chicagoans harassed or disappeared by federal agents.” On Friday, Pritzker dubbed the possibility of troop deployment to the city an “invasion.” “It’s clear that, in secret, they’re planning this. Well, it’s an invasion with U.S. troops, if they, in fact, do that,” Pritzker told CBS’ Ed O’Keefe. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Pritzker and Johnson.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump to move Space Command to Alabama
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Army secretary reveals how Rangers bypass Pentagon red tape to counter exploding drone threat -Fani Willis ordered by Georgia court to search for Trump-related records -Trump’s Labor Day crime crackdown in DC nets 70 arrests, including illegal immigrants President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Space Command’s headquarters would move from Colorado to Alabama — capping off a yearslong fight over where the command should be based. While Space Command has been operating out of Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Trump during his first term pushed for the command’s headquarters to go to Huntsville, Alabama. However, former President Joe Biden announced in 2023 that the command would remain based in Colorado. “The U.S. Space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama, forever to be known from this point forward as Rocket City,” Trump told reporters Tuesday…READ MORE. RUMOR MILL RUN: Trump responds to bizarre weekend rumors of his death: ‘I was very active’ PRICELESS PAYDAY: Treasury Department reveals which jobs could secure a major tax break from Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ HEALTH REVELATION: Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has Parkinson’s disease: report DRUG BOAT TAKEDOWN: Trump announces US military conducted ‘lethal strike’ on Venezuelan drug boat in Caribbean HAWKEYE FAREWELL: Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa makes it official: She’s not seeking reelection in 2026 HIGH STAKES: Government shutdown, Epstein files, DC crime: Congress returns to mountain of drama CONFIRMATION WAR: Top Senate Republican ready to go nuclear, ‘roll over’ Democrats with rule change to confirm Trump nominees BIOLOGY VS. IDENTITY: Red state argues trans bathroom case will be ‘death knell’ for left-wing agenda KILLER’S LAIR: Bryan Kohberger’s apartment, essays revealed in hundreds of photos released by Idaho police BLOODY WEEKEND: At least 58 shot, 8 killed in Chicago over Labor Day weekend as city rejects Trump’s help NOT SO FUNNY: Tow truck driver slapped with federal charge after hauling away ICE vehicle: ‘He can laugh behind bars’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Member of Congress says she was assaulted by gang of youth before Trump DC takeover
Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., decried “out of control” violence in the nation’s capital city and revealed that she was assaulted by a gang of youths in the streets of Washington, D.C., before the Trump administration’s takeover. Speaking with reporters outside the Capitol building during a Republican Study Committee (RSC) press conference on Tuesday, Fedorchak, who is the sole member of the House of Representatives from North Dakota, agreed with her fellow Republicans that congressional action is needed to help keep D.C. safe. She said she herself was attacked in broad daylight in D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood, which is located just a few minutes’ drive from the Capitol and is a popular neighborhood for members of Congress and staffers. The neighborhood is also home to the Nationals’ baseball stadium. “D.C. is a beautiful city. It’s an amazing city, and it’s the best capital in the world. But it isn’t safe. We all know this,” said Fedorchak. “Crime in our nation’s capital is out of control. If D.C. were a state, it would have the highest homicide rate in the country.” SENATE AIDE WHO SURVIVED BRUTAL DC STABBING SAYS CRIME FIGHT ‘WORTHWHILE’ “In fact, I felt this myself recently in a small way,” she continued. “I was walking down the street in July and near my apartment in Navy Yard, not very far from home, and I felt something hard hit me in the in the back of my head. It was broad daylight. I was very startled. I was on the phone at the time, and just as that happened, a pack of juveniles came rushing by on their bikes and I turned to look around and see what had happened. And a large, hard plastic object had been thrown directly at my head.” “Now that was a small, minor incident. I wasn’t harmed, but the young people who did it, did it with reckless abandon and with zero fear of consequences,” she said. “They gathered in a circle not far from me after that and sat there and laughed.” Fedorchak said this assault is just another example of “how crime is out of control in this city, and there aren’t any consequences.” In August, President Donald Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control in response to rampant violent crime in the city. One of the reasons cited by the president was the epidemic of violent youth gangs terrorizing residents in the streets of D.C. In early August, a former DOGE staffer named Edward Coristine was violently assaulted by a group of D.C. youths and left bloodied in the street. Trump called the perpetrators “thugs” and vowed to exert his powers to federalize D.C. TRUMP PRAISES DEMOCRATIC DC MAYOR FOR WORKING WITH HIS ADMINISTRATION ON CRIME CRACKDOWN Fedorchak praised Trump’s crackdown in D.C. and agreed with other Republicans present that more action is needed from Congress to help the president restore order to the city. “America is the greatest country in the world. There’s no reason why our capital should have a violent crime rate higher than some of the most dangerous places in the world,” she said. “Many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have falsely claimed that D.C. crime stats are at a 30-year low. But let’s remember that crime is not just about statistics. It’s about people.” She pointed to the recent killing of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in northwest D.C. in June. “It’s about the mother who sent her child here to intern in one of our offices this summer, never to see him again. It’s about all the families who suffer from crime in this very city. It’s about the Metropolitan Police Union, who agrees that they are stretched too thin and don’t have the resources to take care of crime in this city, and to provide a safe environment. It’s about staffers, interns, families and visitors who live with the daily reality of coming to a city that isn’t safe.” Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan., whose office Tarpinian-Jachym was interning with when he was killed, also weighed in during the press conference, calling the murder “a senseless crime.” “To this day, it’s not been solved by the Washington, D.C., police … That’s why I applaud President Trump and the work that he’s doing in terms of making sure that we do have a safe capital,” he said. TRUMP DECLARES DC A ‘CRIME FREE ZONE’ AMID HIS FEDERAL CRACKDOWN “Yesterday, I was able to walk around the Navy Yard with my daughter, and it was great to see the National Guard out there patrolling around,” he said. “It was a safe environment for people to hang out. It was nice. There was a family there having a birthday party for one of their children.” During the press conference, Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., announced that Congress would be asserting greater control over D.C. to ensure the city remains safe for residents and visitors. “In 1973, Congress granted D.C. limited home rule authority through the District of Columbia Self-Government Reorganization Act, also called the Home Rule Act. In the Home Rule Act, Congress reserves the right at any time to exercise its constitutional authority as the legislature for the district, which includes the right to review and block local legislation before it takes effect. It has now become necessary for Congress to exercise such authority,” she said. “Why? Because the D.C. city council is seeking to exercise its authority not for the best interests of its citizens or the broader community, but for political purposes,” she continued. “For years now, the D.C. city council has not only prioritized left-wing policies and programs but intentionally sought to hide their activities from Congress. It is a new day in D.C., however, and Congress intends to once again assert its authority to ensure that Washington, D.C., rightfully reflects and represents this great nation on
Maratha reservation protest: Activist Manoj Jarange Patil ends hunger strike as govt accepts demands
Jarange Patil broke down in tears and drank juice, calling the occasion a “Diwali” for his community. “Marathas have emerged victorious today and we are happy,” Jarange Patil said as he was being carried from the protest stage to the ambulance on the fifth day of the agitation. Read on to know more.