For their walkout, Texas Democrats get national attention — and partisan retribution at home
Democrats said the walkout inspired a national protest against GOP redistricting. But it also greased the path for other bills they oppose and unified Texas Republicans.
State Ag employees told police they were wary of Sid Miller’s political consultant. Now he’s the agency’s chief of staff.
Todd Smith was Miller’s longtime political consultant when he admitted to soliciting bribes for licenses the agency typically issues for $100. Miller then put him on the payroll at $218,000 per year.
Champions of truth and democracy, the Tribune’s fall fellows are eager to represent and serve Texas
Student fellows support vital initiatives like the Texas Tribune Festival and provide in-depth coverage of key issues.
Cruz, Paxton issue dueling endorsements in Texas attorney general GOP primary
Aaron Reitz and Chip Roy, positioning themselves as Paxton’s ideological heirs, have served as top aides for both the attorney general and Cruz.
The Texas redistricting fight has been the backdrop for the Trump administration to test a new legal strategy
The administration has been testing a strategy of using the courts as leverage to force political outcomes. In Texas, the state’s leaders and conservative activists have been willing, if not eager, collaborators.
Providence police violated city ordinance by assisting ICE operation, investigators find
Police in Rhode Island’s largest city are in hot water with municipal investigators over their alleged presence and behavior at an immigration enforcement operation. Providence’s External Review Authority, or PERA, found Friday that police in the Ocean State’s capital acted in violation of a city ordinance against cooperating with ICE while present at a July operation involving federal agents. PERA found police “impermissibly assisted” ICE agents in conducting civil immigration enforcement operations,” according to WLNE, which obtained a copy of the report. PERA’s report claimed police wrongfully established a perimeter, gathered intelligence and generally aided ICE’s response to the pursuit of Honduran national and alleged fentanyl trafficker Ivan Rene Mendoza-Meza. FLORIDA OFFICIAL CONFRONTS NEWSOM OVER CRASH TIED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER The civilian board, which requires part of the police’s budget be allocated to its own, singled out one sergeant who had allegedly helped ICE confirm Mendoza-Meza’s location when speaking with a landlord. The report suggested Providence Police put out clearer operational guidelines for situations involving federal agencies and hold training sessions with all officers. Providence Police told WLNE in a statement that it reviewed PERA’s report and confirmed it is creating training materials as recommended. “The Providence Police Department remains dedicated to fairness, accountability and building trust with all members of our community.” Mendoza-Meza was listed as a “worst of the worst” candidate by ICE in a statement identifying him as a “documented MS-13 gang member” who goes by “El Negro.” AMERICA’S ORIGINAL SANCTUARY STATE REBUKES BONDI’S WARNING, DENIES OBSTRUCTION OF ICE On July 13, federal agents were chasing Mendoza-Meza when he crashed his vehicle. Mendoza-Meza reportedly hit a parked car, and Providence Police responded to “ensure public safety” at the accident scene, according to a Boston Globe report. However, the Globe further reported that video from the scene showed police allegedly assisting ICE by speaking with the landlord, reviewing photos taken by federal agents of a figure seen inside the dwelling and an exchange in which one officer told an agent “I want your people grabbing him; we’ll help you.” Mendoza-Meza had faced a prior charge of fentanyl trafficking in Rhode Island in 2023, according to the paper, and indictments in two other instances, according to WLNE. City Council President Rachel Miller asked for an external review at the time, remarking, “What is this if it’s not cooperation,” and claimed the perception of police working with the feds is “damaging to the overall community safety.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2017, then-Mayor Jorge Elorza signed the Providence Community-Police Relations Act into law, which is what the police in Mendoza-Meza’s case are accused of violating. The ordinance prescribes that police are prohibited from complying with interagency requests to assist in operations conducted “solely for the purpose of enforcing federal civil immigration law.” Examples given by the law include traffic perimeters solely meant for immigration enforcement, providing documentation on inmates and allowing feds access to police premises without a warrant.
Cuomo calls NYC mayoral rival ‘dangerous,’ warns socialism would be ‘death knell’ for city
Zohran Mamdani is “dangerous,” and socialism would be a “death knell for New York City,” former Gov. Andrew Cuomo told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.” The leading mayoral candidates represent the political divide that has been brewing in the Democratic Party since President Donald Trump reclaimed the White House last year. Cuomo said this “internal debate” should come as “no surprise,” tying Mamdani to fellow self-described democratic socialists, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., both of whom have endorsed Mamdani’s campaign. “The primaries get the most active, often on the Democratic side, the most far-left people to come out to vote, and he mobilized the 20- to 30-year-olds, the socialists. The socialist organizations across the country sent volunteers, sent funding,” Cuomo said, rationalizing Mamdani’s Democratic primary win. NYC OFFICIAL WARNS BUSINESSES WILL FLEE ‘IN DROVES’ IF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CANDIDATE WINS MAYORAL RACE The former governor, who is running as an independent candidate after losing to Mamdani in June, said the general election electorate is “much different.” CITY-RUN GROCERY STORES, DEFUNDING POLICE, SAFE INJECTION SITES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NYC’S NEXT POTENTIAL MAYOR “New York City people are not socialists,” Cuomo said. “They’re not anti-business people. They’re not anti-corporate people. They want jobs. They want growth.” “It’s antithetical to New York City to be anti-corporate,” Cuomo said on Fox News on Sunday, criticizing Mamdani and his fellow “socialists” who believe in government freebies, taxing the rich and seizing the means of production. New York City was “built on capitalism,” Cuomo said. Mamdani plans to pay for his ambitious policy agenda, which includes free buses, no-cost healthcare and city-run grocery stores, by raising taxes on the 1% and corporations. His plan includes raising the corporate tax rate to 11.5% and taxing the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers 2%, according to Mamdani’s campaign website. “New York City corporations are already high-taxed, as are the individuals,” Cuomo said. “I think it would be a death knell for New York City, and he is dangerous, frankly, for New York City.” Meanwhile, Cuomo explained that his “pro-growth development strategy” focuses on attracting and building businesses and is central to Cuomo’s campaign. “Too many businesses, as you know, have moved out of New York. So, number one, get more businesses here and grow the businesses that are here,” Cuomo explained. A Bloomberg study found that 158 companies managing $993 billion in assets moved their headquarters out of New York between 2020 and 2023. In addition to building businesses in New York City, Cuomo said he is focused on public safety and affordable housing. “Crime is a real problem in New York City as it is in cities across the country, and New York City exacerbated it. A few years ago, the socialists went through this ‘defund the police,’ this anti-police movement,” Cuomo said. According to Cuomo’s campaign website, the former governor wants to add 5,000 new police officers to the New York Police Department (NYPD). He told Fox News that he plans to add 1,500 officers to the patrol subways. And to provide more affordable housing, Cuomo said he plans to add 50,000 new units per year, which will “add to the supply and meet the demand.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for a response to Cuomo’s comments but did not immediately hear back.
‘Bold’ general who led US’ ‘Midnight Hammer’ strikes on Iran ends Middle East reign
Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the military officer who oversaw the execution of the Iran strikes in June, has retired from military service and has handed over the reins following three years leading U.S. troops in the Middle East. Kurilla, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, became commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in 2022, and oversaw planning and execution of at least 15 major combined combat operations, according to the command. Among those, two occurred during his final months leading the command: Operation Rough Rider targeting the Houthis in Yemen in March and April, and Operation Midnight Hammer striking Iran nuclear sites in June. KURILLA WARFARE: MEET THE GENERAL LEADING US MILITARY FORCES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AMID IRAN CONFLICT Operation Midnight Hammer targeted Iranian nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, and involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. Likewise, a guided-missile submarine also launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at key Iranian targets. “General Kurilla is a bold, dynamic, and inspiring leader who strikes fear into the hearts of America’s enemies,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a June statement to Fox News Digital. “He’s a warrior through and through who always puts his country, mission, and troops first. It has been an honor to serve alongside him in defense of our great nation.” Kurilla spent an extensive amount of his career focusing on operations in the Middle East. From 2004 to 2014, the general oversaw conventional and special operations forces during consecutive tours that fell under the CENTCOM purview. During that span of time, Kurilla completed tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Kurilla is known for his involvement in a Mosul, Iraq, firefight in August 2005, where he sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The encounter earned him a Bronze Star with valor and one of his two Purple Heart awards. TRUMP SAYS ‘SOMETHING’S GOING TO HAPPEN VERY SOON’ WITH IRAN AS HE PUSHES TO NEGOTIATE NUCLEAR DEAL Notable figures who’ve previously led CENTCOM include former defense secretaries, retired Gen. Jim Mattis, who served during Trump’s first term, and retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, who served during former President Joe Biden’s administration. As of early August, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper is now leading CENTCOM, one of the U.S. military’s 11 combatant commands, with 21 nations in the Middle East in its area of operations — including Iraq and Afghanistan. Like Kurilla, Cooper is no stranger to the Middle East. Previous assignments include serving as deputy commander of CENTCOM and overseeing U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in the Middle East, where he spearheaded efforts to employ unmanned service vessels into the fleet. TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN Cooper officially took over leading CENTCOM Aug. 8 during a change of command ceremony in Tampa, Florida, where CENTCOM headquarters are located. Kurilla’s retirement ceremony occurred on the same day, a spokesperson for CENTCOM confirmed to Fox News Digital. “U.S. Central Command and the entire joint force have performed exceptionally well under the leadership of Gen. Kurilla, helping to bolster partnerships, increase lethality of U.S. forces, and defend Americans and civilians abroad,” Cooper said in a Navy statement. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead America’s sons and daughters as we support the important mission of enhancing regional security and stability in the Central Command region.”
Democrats opposed John Bolton for years — until they sought him as an ally against Trump
When federal agents raided the home and office of former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday as part of a classified documents investigation, some Democrats and liberal commentators framed the development as another example of what they claim is President Donald Trump’s political weaponization of the justice system. The reaction marked a striking contrast with Democrats’ long history of opposing Bolton. For years, they denounced him as a hardline foreign policy hawk who manipulated intelligence and pushed the U.S. into war. But when Bolton broke with Trump, Democrats began citing him as a key witness and relying on his public comments to bolster their case against the former president. Democrats first sought to block Bolton’s 2005 nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. Then-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., accused him of being untruthful in a Senate questionnaire, noting that he had been interviewed as part of a joint State Department and CIA investigation into Iraq’s pursuit of nuclear materials from Niger. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., alleged that Bolton played a role in the disputed claim that Iraq had attempted to purchase yellowcake uranium — an accusation that appeared in Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address but could not be confirmed by U.S. intelligence agencies. JOHN BOLTON BLASTED BY TRUMP ALLY ROGER STONE, WHO FACED BIDEN FBI RAID: ‘KARMA IS A B—-‘ That same year, Carl W. Ford Jr., then head of intelligence at the State Department, described Bolton as a “serial abuser” of power who pressured analysts to alter assessments. One analyst, Christian Westermann, reportedly resisted including claims of Cuban biological weapons in a 2002 speech Bolton wanted to deliver. Senate Democrats delayed Bolton’s nomination for months, citing concerns that he sought to shape intelligence findings to fit administration policy goals. When Trump appointed Bolton as national security adviser in 2018, Democrats again criticized him, citing his past support for the Iraq War and his calls for a hardline approach towards Iran and North Korea. “Bolton is a dangerous radical,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., accused him of politicizing intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq conflict. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., argued Bolton had been consistently “wrong on security” throughout his career. Trump himself later grew frustrated with Bolton’s hawkish approach, including his opposition to peace talks with the Taliban and advocacy for military action in Iran. The two split in 2019, with Trump announcing Bolton’s departure on social media and Bolton insisting he had already offered to resign. TRUMP–BOLTON FEUD BACK IN FOCUS AFTER FBI RAID: ‘NEVER HAD A CLUE … WHAT A DOPE!’ Following Bolton’s break with Trump, Democrats began highlighting him during Trump’s first impeachment trial over Ukraine. “There’s no denying the central relevance of John Bolton’s testimony,” then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said as House impeachment managers pressed for him to appear. Bolton’s memoir later claimed Trump sought to withhold military aid from Ukraine, a move Bolton privately described as a “drug deal.” At the time, MSNBC commentators suggested his testimony could have been decisive in the outcome of the trial. Ultimately, Bolton declined to testify, angering some Democrats who accused him of reserving details for his book rather than presenting them under oath. Since leaving the Trump administration, Bolton has become a regular guest on networks such as CNN and MSNBC, where he continues to weigh in on foreign policy and national security. Although many Democrats once opposed his nomination and criticized his record, they have at times pointed to his comments when they align with their critiques of Trump and other Republicans. The latest raid underscores how Bolton remains a polarizing figure — one Democrats long opposed but have also leaned on in moments when his testimony or commentary could be used against Trump.
DNC leaders look to rebound at summer meeting amid plunging polls, fundraising
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – As the Democratic National Committee (DNC) holds its annual summer meeting, party leaders and officials face a multitude of problems as they try to escape the political wilderness. “There’s no doubt that … we have work to do,” DNC chair Ken Martin acknowledged in a sit-down interview this summer with Fox News Digital. Martin, who was elected DNC chair in February, noted that the party has continued to “lose ground with many parts of our coalition.” Martin will address the more than 400 elected party officials from all 50 states and several territories, as the summer meeting kicks off at a downtown hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday morning. DNC CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS PARTY HAS HIT ‘ROCK BOTTOM’ The party is trying to escape the political wilderness after last year’s elections, when Democrats lost control of the White House and the Senate and fell short in their bid to win back the House majority. And Republicans made gains with voters who make up key parts of the Democratic Party’s base. But the situation has only worsened for the Democrats in the 10 months since last year’s election setbacks. The Democrats’ brand is deeply unpopular, especially with younger voters, as the party’s poll numbers continue to drop to all-time lows in national surveys. DNC CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS ‘WE WANT EVERYONE’ INCLUDING ‘LEFTISTS’ LIKE MAMDANI The DNC faces a massive fundraising deficit at the hands of the rival Republican National Committee (RNC), fueled in part by major party donors cutting back their contributions as they express their frustrations with the national party committee. New voter data first reported last week by the New York Times showed Democratic Party registration plunging while GOP sign-ups were on the rise in the 30 states that register voters by party. And while Democrats appear energized to fight the sweeping and controversial moves by President Donald Trump during his first seven months in office, they seem to be divided on how hard to push back against the new administration. There’s also a party divide over Israel’s nearly two-year-old war with Hamas in Gaza, with dueling resolutions being the latest sign of the Democrats’ once unshakeable support for the Jewish State fracturing. LONGTIME TRUMP ALLY TAKES OVER CHAIRING REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE Despite the DNC chair admitting they have issues, he saw a silver lining. “When you hit rock bottom, there’s only one direction to go, and that’s up, and that’s what we’re doing,” Martin said. Former RNC chair Michael Whatley, who formally stepped down last week as he runs for the Senate, argued in a Fox News Digital interview that the Democrats “are moving further and further and farther to the left. They are walking away from Main Street right now. They are beholden to left-wing radical woke policies.” “They haven’t learned a single thing from their election losses in 2024,” Whatley claimed. But despite all the problems and setbacks facing the Democrats, they have enjoyed some victories of late. Democrats have scored a slew of off-year and special election wins, ahead of next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its majorities in the House and Senate as the party in power will likely face historical political headwinds. Democrats have also landed some top recruits – former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, in two of the most crucial 2026 Senate races. And while the Democratic Party’s poll numbers are in the gutter, the approval and favorable ratings for Trump and the GOP are nothing to brag about. Plus, polls indicate that the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ which is the Trump-inspired massive Republican domestic policy, tax cuts and spending law, remains unpopular with Americans. Despite the poll numbers, new RNC chair Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital last week that “we have the momentum on our side, we have the issues on our side, and we have a president who cares about every single American. And we’re gonna take that vision and push it all the way through the midterms.” But as he looks ahead to next year’s midterm elections, Martin sees the GOP agenda as ammunition. “We welcome the debate because this is the debate that’s going to actually help us, as a Democratic Party, build our coalition again and win elections,” the DNC chair insisted.