Texas school ratings improve, but more campuses inch closer to state sanctions
Fewer schools received a D or an F in the 2024-25 school year than the year prior. But for many of those campuses, several years of low grades in a row means more pressure to improve — or risk more state oversight.
From admiration to Alaska: A timeline of Trump and Putin’s high-stakes encounters
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in person on Friday for the first time in six years when they get together in Anchorage, Alaska. Here is a history of Trump’s high-stakes interactions with Putin while being President of the United States: Mutual admiration was publicly brewing between Putin and Trump in late 2015 when Trump was running for his first term in office. In December that year, Putin described Trump as being the “absolute leader in the presidential race” and a “very outstanding person, talented, without any doubt.” TRUMP TO HOLD HISTORIC SUMMIT WITH PUTIN IN ALASKA SEEKING AN END TO RUSSIA–UKRAINE WAR Trump later told supporters at a rally in Ohio that “It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond.” “I have always felt that Russia and the United States should be able to work well with each other towards defeating terrorism and restoring world peace, not to mention trade and all of the other benefits derived from mutual respect,” Trump added, according to The Hill. Trump and Putin held their first in-person meeting on July 7, 2017, at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. The sit-down lasted for more than two hours, during which Trump “pressed Russia’s Vladimir Putin on U.S. election meddling while also making headway on the Syria crisis,” according to a Fox News Digital report at the time. Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump and Putin “connected very quickly” and had “positive chemistry.” Trump and Putin were captured on camera shaking hands months later during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Da Nang, Vietnam on Nov. 10, 2017. White House officials said at the time they would not have a formal meeting there due to scheduling issues, The Washington Post reported. Trump and Putin met again formally on July 16, 2018, at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland. In an interview following the meeting, Putin told Fox News that he and Trump discussed Iran’s nuclear program and the “situation with North Korea.” WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S MEETING WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN IN ALASKA He also said Trump informed him that his posture is “Crimea is part of Ukraine.” Trump told reporters on June 29, 2019, that he and Putin had a “tremendous discussion” at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. “I think they’d like to do trade with the United States. And they have great product. They have great land. They have very rich land. And a lot of oil, a lot of minerals, and the kind of things that we like,” Trump said at the time. “And I can see trade going out with Russia. We could do fantastically well. We do very little trade with Russia, which is ridiculous, frankly. So I could see some very positive things happening.” Trump also told his counterpart not to “meddle” in the 2020 elections when pressed by a reporter, Fox News Digital wrote at the time. Trump, who was seated next to Putin, was asked by a reporter if he would tell “the Russian president to not meddle in the election.” Trump, without looking at Putin, responded, “Of course I will. Don’t meddle in the election, president. Don’t meddle in the election.” Trump and Putin held numerous phone calls this year in the lead-up to Friday’s meeting in Alaska. Calls took place in February, March, May and June. VLADIMIR PUTIN TO RETURN TO US FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE Trump said after his call in May that “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.” Trump and Putin are meeting Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, for the first time in years. The high-stakes meeting is the first U.S.-Russia summit since June 2021, which was under former President Joe Biden’s administration. That summit came just eight months before Putin invaded Ukraine. Trump has described the talks as a “feel-out meeting,” and has made clear that his top priority will be to determine whether a ceasefire in Ukraine is possible. Trump predicted earlier this week that he would be able to make that determination within the first “two minutes.” Fox News’ Brooke Singman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Schumer claims Trump admin withholding Epstein files, threatens to sue
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is threatening to sue the Trump administration if they don’t release the Epstein files. Late last month, Schumer and every Senate Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee invoked an arcane, nearly century-old law to compel the Trump administration to release information on Jeffrey Epstein. DEMOCRATS ARE HAMMERING REPUBLICANS ON EPSTEIN, BUT ONE SENATOR BRUSHED OFF THE ISSUE YEARS AGO The move came as Epstein drama had already paralyzed the House, and as Democrats in the upper chamber began to ramp up their messaging against President Donald Trump for his handling of the issue. And Friday was the deadline for the Justice Department and White House to comply, and so far, the documents have not been given to Schumer and Senate Democrats. “They’re now breaking the law to hide the files,” Schumer said on X. “[Senate Majority Leader John Thune] must appoint a lawyer to defend the Senate in Court and get the files.” “If he chooses complicity — we’ll take them to court ourselves.” ‘LOUDER BY THE HOUR’: SENATE GOP WANTS THE EPSTEIN DRAMA TO END, BUT DEMOCRATS AREN’T LETTING IT GO The Justice Department declined to comment on the matter. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Thune’s office for comment. However, a senior GOP aide noted to Fox News Digital that it’s not entirely up to the South Dakota Republican to appoint legal counsel to represent the Senate. Instead, that falls onto the Senate Joint Leadership Group, which includes Thune, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and the president pro-tempore of the Senate, Schumer, and the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Judiciary and, in this case, the Homeland Security committees. That committee would have to approve legal counsel on a two-thirds vote. Or, the Senate could vote on a resolution to grant legal counsel, which also requires two-thirds of lawmakers to advance. Last month, Democrats invoked the “rule of five,” a 1928 law that requires government agencies to hand over information if any five lawmakers on a Senate or House committee with jurisdiction over the information make a request. Typically, it’s viewed as a tool of the minority party to exert oversight powers. SCHUMER SAYS CENTURY-OLD LAW FORCES TRUMP DOJ, FBI TO RELEASE JEFFREY EPSTEIN FILES BY AUGUST DEADLINE In a letter sent to the White House and the DOJ, Schumer and Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security panel charged that it was “essential that the Trump Administration provide full transparency,” in releasing the files related to the late pedophile. “We call on you to fulfill those promises of transparency,” they wrote. Democrats’ request included all documents, files, evidence and other materials that DOJ had related to the case of U.S. v. Jeffrey Epstein, along with any records related to Epstein and his clients. However, whether the law is enforceable in court remains to be seen, given that it has seldom been used since its inception. The last attempt came in 2017, when Democrats tried to force the release of documents surrounding the lease of the Old Post Office building in the District, which became one of Trump’s hotels.
Zohran Mamdani closes out his anti-Trump tour in his home borough in Queens
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani closed out the fifth and final day of his “Five Boroughs Against Trump” tour at his home borough in Queens. At the 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in Richmond Hill on Friday morning, Mamdani wrapped his week-long, anti-Trump tour and was endorsed by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. He was also joined by workers from across Queens whom the campaign said are on the “frontlines of attacks from the Trump administration.” One by one, the union workers shared their personal testimonies about Trump’s impact on their industries. “The struggle in New York City, though it is often used to justify so much, has no real interest to Donald Trump, no real care or concern,” Mamdani said on Friday. ‘GET OUT OF TOWN!’: STATEN ISLAND CROWD CONFRONTS ZOHRAN MAMDANI AT ANTI-TRUMP RALLY Mamdani visited Manhattan on Monday, Brooklyn on Tuesday, Staten Island on Wednesday, the Bronx on Thursday and Queens on Friday to reject the impact of President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda on New York City. MAMDANI POINTS TO BRONX POPULATION LOSS AS PROOF NYC’S AFFORDABILITY CRISIS DURING HIS ANTI-TRUMP TOUR “Today marks the fifth and final day in our Five Borough tour of this city, and standing up against the Trump administration’s vision and the way in which it mandates an attack on the very fabric of the city that we call home,” Mamdani said on Friday. Topics throughout the week ranged from immigration to the economy as Mamdani worked to tie his leading opponent in the race for Gracie Mansion, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to Trump. “After this Five Borough tour, it would be rational to feel a sense of helplessness, to feel a sense of disappointment,” Mamdani said on Friday. Mamdani said on Friday that the tour brought him a “sense of hope” because he saw New Yorkers “struggling with the burden that this vision from Washington, D.C., has created for all of us,” and yet, they “continue to dream of the life that they deserve in this city.” “This is about working people and ensuring that working people can thrive and survive in this very city that’s becoming out of reach for everyday New Yorkers,” the Bronx borough president said, explaining his endorsement of Mamdani. And as Mamdani faced criticism from some Staten Islanders earlier this week who joined Trump in labeling him a “communist,” Richards reminded the group gathered that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “was called a socialist and communist as well, for those who need a reminder.” “The voters have spoken in this city, and they said that they’re looking for something different,” the Queens leader said. Fox News Digital caught up with Richards after the event to clarify if he was comparing Mamdani to King. The Borough president said he would never say that Mamdani is King, but that both leaders have been called communists, and that Mamdani is “speaking to the pulse of what people care about right now.” When reached for comment regarding Mamdani’s anti-Trump tour earlier in the week, White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, told Fox News Digital, “Comrade Mamdani is the American people’s worst nightmare.” “His communist policies will crater our economy, increase crime, crowd out Americans with free health care for illegal immigrants, and defund the brave men and women of law enforcement who keep us safe,” Jackson said. The White House added, “The American people have repeatedly rejected this communist agenda and the more Mamdani shares his radical policies, the more the American people will recoil.”
Abbott, Texas Republicans launch new Trump-backed redistricting push as fleeing Democrats plan to end walkout
The Texas House of Representatives again failed to reach quorum Friday morning after Democrats failed to show up. As the Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to prevent any votes on congressional redistricting in the red state signal they’re coming home, Republicans in the GOP-dominated Texas legislature adjourned the current special session when they gathered in the morning. Minutes later, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called into order a second straight special session of the state legislature, to pass GOP-crafted maps to create up to five Republican-friendly congressional districts at the expense of currently Democrat-controlled seats. The new session was scheduled to get underway at Noon CT. The fast-paced moves in Austin are the latest in the high-stakes national battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting ahead of next year’s midterm elections. FLEEING TEXAS DEMOCRATS SIGNAL THEY’LL COME HOME The action in Austin comes one day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democrats unveiled their playbook to counter the push by President Donald Trump and Republicans to enact rare – but not unheard of – mid-decade congressional redistricting. Newsom vowed to “meet fire with fire” by redrawing blue-state California’s congressional maps to create five more Democrat-leaning districts. REDISTRICTING BATTLE: NEWSOM VOWS TO FIGHT ‘FIRE WITH FIRE’ The state Democratic lawmakers, who fled to the blue states of Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, said that they would return to Texas after the adjournment of the current special session. However, they didn’t say specifically which day they would come home. The end of the walkout by the Democrats will lead to the passage of the new maps, but Texas Democrats vow they’ll fight the new state maps in court and say the moves by California are allowing them to pass “the baton.” “Now, as Democrats across the nation join our fight to cause these maps to fail their political purpose, we’re prepared to bring this battle back to Texas under the right conditions and to take this fight to the courts,” Texas state House Democratic leader Rep. Gene Wu said on Thursday. Abbott is urging Texas’ highest court to remove Wu from office, and state Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked that 13 Democratic state lawmakers also be removed from office. The fleeing lawmakers also face fines of up to $500 per day for their absence. In Texas, the state Senate passed the new congressional maps, but Democratic lawmakers in the House fled the state, preventing the House from reaching a quorum. That effectively blocked any votes in the chamber to approve the GOP redistricting push. Both houses of the state legislature started meeting at 10am CT on Friday, and the House, after once again falling short of reaching a quorum, adjourned the current special session. Abbott then called for the second special session. “The Special Session #2 agenda will have the exact same agenda, with the potential to add more items critical to Texans,” Abbott said earlier this week. “There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them.” Additionally, the three-term conservative governor vowed “I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed.” The Republican push in Texas, which comes at Trump’s urging, is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to pad their razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats stormed back to grab the House majority in the 2018 midterms. However, while the Republican push in Texas to upend the current congressional maps doesn’t face constitutional constraints, Newsom’s path in California is much more complicated. SCHWARZENEGGER’S NEW STARING ROLE: PUSHING BACK AGAINST NEWSOM’S REDISTRICTING DRIVE The governor is moving to hold a special election this year, to obtain voter approval to undo the constitutional amendments that created the non-partisan redistricting commission. A two-thirds majority vote in the Democrat-dominated California legislature would be needed to hold the referendum. Democratic Party leaders are confident they’ll have the votes to push the constitutional amendment and the new proposed congressional maps through the legislature. “Here we are in open and plain sight before one vote is cast in the 2026 midterm election and here [Trump] is once again trying to rig the system,” Newsom charged on Thursday. Thursday’s appearance by Newsom, who is considered a likely contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, will also serve as a fundraising kickoff to raise massive amounts of campaign cash needed to sell the redistricting push statewide in California. The non-partisan redistricting commission, created over 15 years ago, remains popular with most Californians, according to public opinion polling. That’s why Newsom and California Democratic lawmakers are promising not to scrap the commission entirely, but rather replace it temporarily by the legislature for the next three election cycles. “We will affirm our commitment to the state independent redistricting after the 2030 census, but we asking the voters for their consent to do midterm redistricting,” Newsom said. However, their efforts are opposed by a number of coalition of figures supportive of the non-partisan commission. Among the most visible members is former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the last Republican elected governor in Democrat-dominated California. Democrats currently control 43 of the state’s 52 House seats. In Texas, Republicans control 25 of the state’s 38 congressional districts.
‘Not welcome here’: Staten Island activist arrested after confronting NYC mayoral candidate
Activist Scott Lo Baido was arrested outside New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s anti-Trump event on Staten Island on Wednesday. A viral social media video revealed that Lo Baido told Mamdani, “This is my f—ing island, you are not welcome here,” as he was physically held back while approaching the candidate after the event at Istanbul Bay Authentic Mediterranean Restaurant on Staten Island. Lo Baido shouted profanities at Mamdani, telling the candidate that he hates Jews, cops and America. The protester, who shouted into a megaphone during the opening remarks of Mamdani’s event, was later arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD). In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Friday morning, Lo Baido confirmed his arrest and said, “I suggest that somebody in every single borough every time this man shows his face to do what I did the other day.” ‘GET OUT OF TOWN!’: STATEN ISLAND CROWD CONFRONTS ZOHRAN MAMDANI AT ANTI-TRUMP RALLY Lo Baido told his followers on X that he received three summonses upon arrest for sound without permit, disorderly conduct and foul language. “Go back to where you came from. We don’t want you on Staten Island,” a protester wearing a “Trump girl” T-shirt and holding an American flag shouted at the 33-year-old self-described socialist as he exited the backdoor of the restaurant. MAMDANI TAKES AIM AT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN FIERY STATEN ISLAND SPEECH: ‘WE ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP NYC A SANCTUARY CITY’ Inside the event, as Mamdani kicked off his third anti-Trump event of the week, protesters outside the restaurant drowned out the introductory speeches with their cowbells, sirens and megaphones. Despite the heat in the crowded restaurant and his detractors outside, Mamdani maintained a smile throughout the event and told reporters, “It saddens me to hear language of being told to go back to where I came from, and yet, it is not surprising because it is so much of what characterizes President Trump’s politics.” Mamdani was hosting his third “Five Boroughs Against Trump” event of the week on Wednesday, reaffirming his commitment to protecting New Yorkers from Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration if he’s elected mayor of New York City this November. “I will not let it dissuade me from continuing to come to Staten Island, from continuing to speak to New Yorkers, no matter where they live, no matter what politics they have,” Mamdani said in response to the protesters. “Because I know that just as there are Republicans who feel that way, there are others who are sincere in their questions.” Several protesters outside the restaurant told Fox News Digital that they planned to vote for Curtis Sliwa, CEO of the Guardian Angels, this November. “He’s the only one that could save our city,” Ed, a Staten Islander carrying a large American flag, said. Ed told Fox News Digital that he wanted to give Mamdani “a little surprise party” and let the socialist candidate know that his values do not represent those of Staten Island. “This is Trump country,” said Manny, another protester and Wall Street retiree who said Mamdani’s policies are “anti-Wall Street.” Trump won Staten Island by 30 points in the 2024 presidential election, according to The New York Times’ data. Meanwhile, in neighboring Brooklyn, former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the borough by 44 points. Tommy Banks, a native Staten Islander, said his message to Mamdani on Wednesday was simple. “Get out of town.” “He wants to make everything free. He can’t afford that. He’s a socialist. He don’t live that. We’re not socialist,” Banks said. Banks agreed with the other protesters outside the restaurant, telling Fox News Digital that “nobody else” could be mayor but Sliwa. “He’s a true New Yorker. He’s been fighting for New York all his life. Give him a chance to get in there,” Banks said. Another protester, Liz, shouted, “Mamdani’s a commie!” as the Democratic nominee departed in his SUV. Liz said she doesn’t like Mamdani because “he’s not a Democrat, he’s a communist.” She said Mamdani is trying to tempt New Yorkers with campaign promises like free childcare, free bus fare and government-run grocery stores, but Liz said it would be a “disaster” if he became mayor. When Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, called Mamdani a “snake-oil salesman” who would “say and do anything to get elected.” Trump has often criticized Mamdani and his policies, calling him a “100% communist lunatic.” Staten Islanders who spoke to Fox News Digital outside Mamdani’s anti-Trump event on Wednesday seemed to agree with those sentiments, calling him a “commie” and criticizing his policies, which include freezing the rent, raising corporate taxes and increasing the minimum wage. However, Shahana Masum, who sported a “Zohran for Staten Island” sticker on her purse and attended the event, told Fox News Digital that Mamdani is the person who is representing “me and my community.” Masum said she has also been told to go back to her country. To that, she said, “You didn’t go back to your country, and I came here with dignity and with my visa, so don’t tell me to leave.” Fox News’ Bryan Llenas and Marly Carroll contributed to this report.
DC gun permit wait slashed from months to days as Trump’s crime crackdown continues
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump‘s crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., includes streamlining the gun permitting process for law-abiding residents looking to protect themselves, Fox News Digital has learned. The concealed carry permitting process and firearm registration process in the deep blue city have been slashed from months down to days via Trump’s Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which was established via an executive order in March to revitalize the nation’s capital. The working group’s work to clean up the city did not include changing local gun laws, but instead streamlines the city’s already established process, so law-abiding residents can more easily navigate the firearms system. “President Trump is not only stopping violent crime in Washington, D.C., he is also streamlining the permitting process for law-abiding residents who want the ability to protect themselves and their families,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. “The Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force has been working with local officials to eliminate longstanding obstacles and successfully reduced the average permit processing time from several months to just five days.” Under the task force’s efforts, locals are able to book next-day appointments to register their firearms with the Metropolitan Police Department, while walk-in appointments are now available and advertised on the police department’s website. Previously, applicants typically waited four months for a firearms registration appointment, a White House official told Fox Digital. ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER The concealed carry permit process also has been streamlined, Fox Digital learned. What used to take “several months” to obtain a concealed carry permit, has been cut down to 4.6 days, according to data compiled during the month of May by the task force, which the White House shared with Fox News Digital. Appointments for firearm registration and conceal carry licenses also have been combined into one category to cut back on confusion over which option to choose when beginning the gun process. While the District will soon use third-party finger printers, in addition to Metropolitan Police Department machines, after the D.C. City Council voted to broaden where people can get fingerprinted July 28. Washington, D.C., has some of the most strict gun laws in the nation, including requiring permitted concealed carry holders to re-apply for their license every two years, a ban on most semi-automatic rifles, and ammunition restrictions that ban an individual from possessing ammo for a firearm not registered with the Metropolitan Police Department. The District also has an extensive list of gun-free zones, including public memorials on the National Mall, public transportation, government buildings, schools and colleges, hospitals and medical offices, stadiums and anywhere alcohol is sold. WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES FEDERAL SECURITY BLITZ AS PRESIDENT VOWS TO END DC ‘CRIME PLAGUE’ Those registering firearms and applying for concealed carry permits will need to complete D.C.’s requirements to obtain the documents, including completing a firearms training course to obtain a concealed carry license. The Metropolitan Police Department published a lengthy list of reasons an individual’s firearm registration application would be denied, including refusing to be fingerprinted, refusing to be photographed, refusing to pay fees for the application process or attempting to register a banned firearm, such as a short-barreled shotgun and so-called “assault weapons.” I SUPPORT TRUMP TAKING CONTROL OF DC POLICE — THE CONSTITUTION IS ON HIS SIDE The working group established by the executive order is exploring options to broaden firearm access in the city, such as permitting female concealed carry holders to carry firearms in their handbags as opposed to rules requiring firearms be strapped to a person’s body, Fox Digital learned. The working group is also looking at options that would permit concealed carry on public transit, and to kick off reciprocity for concealed carry permits from other states, but such changes would require the D.C. City Council approval. Trump’s Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force includes members from federal agencies such as the Department of the Interior, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The task force is directed, consistent with applicable law, to make D.C. “safe, beautiful, and prosperous by preventing crime, punishing criminals, preserving order, protecting our revered American monuments, and promoting beautification and the preservation of our history and heritage.” PRESIDENT TRUMP INCREASES FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE IN DC FOLLOWING VIOLENT CRIME SURGE Trump’s March executive order establishing the task force was followed months later by Trump federalizing the D.C. police department Monday, ordering hundreds of National Guard troops to sweep the streets, while law enforcement officials from agencies such as the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Department of Homeland Security have assisted with arrests and cracking down on crime in the district. Trump federalized the city under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital’s police force for 30 days. Trump described the federalization of the police as “Liberation Day in D.C.,” declaring, “We’re going to take our capital back.” “We’re taking it back under the authority vested in me as the president of the United States, I’m officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act,” he said Monday. “You know what that is. And placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control. … In addition, I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C. And they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly.”
Bondi puts sanctuary cities nationwide on notice after DC police federal takeover
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, temporarily leading Washington, D.C.’s police at President Donald Trump’s request, announced Thursday that she had sent letters giving sanctuary jurisdictions nationwide one week to comply with federal immigration laws or face Department of Justice action, contrasting South Carolina with Democratic states like New York and California. Bondi was in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday for a panel discussion with state Attorney General Alan Wilson, several members of Congress and local law enforcement agencies. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital moments before the announcement, Bondi responded to whether temporary federalization of local police departments could be done beyond D.C., such as in New York or elsewhere. “Oh, let’s wait and see what’s going to happen,” Bondi told Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace. “But I just sent sanctuary city letters to 32 mayors around the country and multiple governors saying, ‘you better be abiding by our federal policies and with our federal law enforcement, because if you aren’t, we’re going to come after you.’ And they have, I think, a week to respond to me, so let’s see who responds and how they respond.” Bondi announced on social media that the DOJ has sent “demand letters” to sanctuary cities, counties and states as “a key step in our strategic effort to eradicate sanctuary policies from California to New York.” Threatening lawsuits, she said that “any sanctuary jurisdiction that continues to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens can either come to the table or see us in court.” FEDERAL JUDGE TOSSES TRUMP DOJ LAWSUIT AGAINST SANCTUARY POLICIES IN CHICAGO After Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s primary win in June, the New York City Police Department reportedly saw retirement filings surge. Bondi, who criticized incumbent Mayor Eric Adams over the city’s sanctuary status in the past, told Fox News Digital on Thursday it’s crucial for officers’ safety for them to have strong leadership. Adams has cooperated with border czar Tom Homan on federal immigration enforcement. “It starts at the top and our leaders have to support our law enforcement,” Bondi told Fox News Digital. “They risk their lives every single day to keep us safe. There’s no ordinary day in the life of a police officer nor for their families, because they leave the house every day, and they don’t know what to expect. And our government, our leaders, have got to back them and that’s got to happen in New York. We have got back our law enforcement. We’ve got to back the NYPD. We have to back all of our federal, state and local officers around this country.” Wilson, meanwhile, noted that slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley’s killer had been arrested in New York City and was released under the sanctuary policies there. “Obviously, here in South Carolina, we have excellent relationships, but it’s also important that we support them in other states,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, we all remember Laken Riley, a young woman in Georgia who was murdered. That individual had been arrested and released in New York state and then came to Georgia and committed that crime. So it affects us all when other states don’t step up and are able to enforce the laws, it could have impacts on law enforcement in other states as well.” Bondi highlighted one letter she sent to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in which she warned that “individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration may be subject to criminal charges.” The letter, which was shared on social media, said cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including on immigration enforcement, “is vital to enforce federal law and protect national security.” “Under President Trump’s leadership, full cooperation by state and local governments in immigration enforcement efforts is a top priority,” Bondi wrote, saying Trump directed her to “identify sanctuary jurisdictions and notify them of their unlawful sanctuary status and potential violations of federal law.” LOUISVILLE MAYOR SHIFTS DOJ POLICY AFTER LEGAL THREAT FROM DOJ In Greenville on Thursday, Bondi pointed to South Carolina as a model of federal, state and local law enforcement “working hand in hand.” Thanking Wilson for advocating for increased partnerships with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Marshals, Bondi told Fox News Digital a member of the Sinaloa Cartel was recently busted after “massive amounts” of cocaine were seized in Myrtle Beach. Wilson credited such strong cooperation to law enforcement recently being able to make the largest fentanyl seizure in South Carolina’s history. Last month, DEA agents, Lexington County Sheriff’s deputies, and South Carolina State Transport Police made two coordinated traffic stops in two South Carolina counties, resulting in 156 pounds of fentanyl being seized. Two brothers from California were arrested and indicted in connection with the case. The Justice Department said that seized fentanyl had the potential to kill 36 million people and a street retail value of $1.7 million. In her letter to Newsom, Bondi said Trump also directed federal agencies to evaluate their authority to issue grants, contracts and federal funds “to determine where immigration-related terms and conditions may be added to combat sanctuary policies.” Noting that Congress has “codified the duty of states and local governments to cooperate in immigration enforcement efforts,” the letter said Bondi ordered investigations to identify “any such potential unlawful conduct.” Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Bondi’s letter comes roughly a week after the DOJ identified nearly three dozen cities, states and counties across the country that it said were sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Bondi said in a statement at the time that the cities and states, which mostly lean blue, have immigration policies that “impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design.” “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department
DC sues Trump administration over ‘unlawful’ federal takeover
The D.C. attorney general on Friday sued the Trump administration over its federal takeover of the D.C. police force and its deployment of national guard troops into the city, arguing that the effort is “unlawful” and exceeds Trump’s authority as commander in chief. The lawsuit, filed Friday by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, challenges Trump’s executive order to temporarily federalize D.C. under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s more recent order Thursday that seeks to install the DEA head as the emergency commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force — arguing the moves are both unprecedented and “brazenly unlawful.” In the filing, submitted to federal court in D.C., Schwalb urged the court to block both of the administration’s orders, stating that the Trump administration’s temporary takeover of D.C. police under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act “does not authorize this brazen usurpation of the District’s authority over its own government.” “They infringe on the District’s right to self-governance and put the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk.” he said. TRUMP IS THREATENING TO ‘FEDERALIZE’ DC WITH NATIONAL GUARD AND MORE. HERE’S HOW THAT COULD PLAY OUT The lawsuit comes five days after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to temporarily federalize D.C., which he described as an effort to “reestablish law order and public safety” and temporarily federalize the city, which he described Monday as “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world.” That order included deploying hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops into the city, and temporarily taking federal control of D.C.’s police force. On Thursday, Bondi expanded on that effort by ordering the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, be installed as the “emergency” commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force, sidelining current Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith. “By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District’s right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk,” Schwalb said in a statement Friday. “The Administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home,” he added. “This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.” EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP-ALIGNED LEGAL GROUP FILES FOIA REQUEST FOR DC CRIME DATA, CITING ALLEGED MANIPULATION The lawsuit caps a heated week in the nation’s capital, as President Donald Trump and White House officials have assailed what they describe as a “ridiculous” amount of crime in D.C. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told NewsNation in an interview earlier this week that Washington, D.C., “is more violent than Baghdad.” They have alleged recent data — which found a 26% decline in violent crime between 2023 and 2024 — has been “manipulated” or underreported. Just hours earlier, the Trump-linked America First Legal Foundation (AFL) filed a FOIA request seeking all crime records and data compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, as part of an effort to scrutinize information and crime statistics at issue. Meanwhile, critics have excoriated Trump’s executive order, which they argue is not based on an uptick in crime or an “emergency” — but rather, serves as justification for the administration to push through its sweeping executive action outside the normal policymaking process. Norm Eisen, the former White House ethics czar under President Barack Obama, told reporters Thursday that Trump’s order in D.C. is the latest in a “pattern of assaults on the rule of law” in his second term as president. Trump “has declared a fake emergency” in D.C., Eisen said. “There is no ‘emergency’ upon which this action with MPD or the federal military is predicated” in D.C., Eisen said. “In fact, crime has been dropping in D.C.” Trump in March signed an executive order, “Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” designed to address issues with a city he has long derided as “filthy,” “horribly run” and “crime-ridden,” among other things. “We want to have a great, safe capital,” he told reporters earlier this year. “And we’re going to have it. And that includes cleanliness, and it includes other things.”
SC Republican mounts bid for House seat currently occupied by gubernatorial hopeful Nancy Mace
South Carolina Republican state Rep. Mark Smith launched a bid for U.S. Congress. He is running for the seat in the Palmetto State’s 1st Congressional District, which is currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who is running for governor. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN FIREBRAND NANCY MACE LAUNCHES BID FOR SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR Mace launched a gubernatorial bid earlier this month, leaving her House seat up for grabs in the 2026 election. “In the State House, I fought for the largest tax cut in South Carolina history, backed the blue, cracked down on illegal immigration, and defended our values without apology,” Smith declared in a Thursday post on X. Smith has served in the state House of Representatives since late 2020. “In South Carolina’s 1st District, we need a proven conservative leader who will fight for President Trump’s America First agenda and deliver results — not drama,” he said in the X post. “The Lowcountry needs a fighter who will stand with President Trump and puts South Carolina first. That’s exactly what I’ll do in Washington,” he asserted.