Texas Democrats say they will return to state once session ends, California unveils retaliatory map
In a statement, the House Democratic Caucus said its lawyers had advised returning “to build a strong public legislative record for the upcoming legal battle” against the GOP’s map.
Federal judge appears ready to dismiss 2 of 14 charges in Henry Cuellar’s bribery case
The dismissal comes after Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo narrowing the enforcement of laws relating to foreign lobbying and bribery.
‘Defend the Homeland’: DHS unveils striking new ICE fleet to boost recruitment, visibility
The Department of Homeland Security debuted a fleet of newly branded Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles Thursday, one of the most visible public displays in the agency’s history. “We will have our country back,” DHS’s official X post says. The high-profile launch, captured in a professionally produced rollout video on DHS’s X account, comes as the federal government intensifies law enforcement operations in Washington, D.C., under President Donald Trump’s recent crime crackdown. The agency has traditionally been more discreet in its policing, with agents dressed in plain street clothes to conduct enforcement. OVER 100K AMERICANS RUSH TO JOIN TRUMP’S MASSIVE ICE HIRING SPREE NATIONWIDE, DHS SAYS The video, viewed nearly 200,000 times within hours, features close-up shots of the new fleet as it travels through the nation’s capital, passing landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol and the White House. Dark navy SUVs and pickup trucks are outfitted with red and gold striping, large gold “ICE” lettering on the sides, and the slogan “Defend the Homeland.” On the rear, a gold-embossed “President Donald J. Trump” is prominently displayed. The rap track “TOES” by DaBaby is featured prominently in the background, including the lyric, “My heart so cold I think I’m done with ice (Uh, brr).” The video was shared via X with a recruitment link to JOIN.ICE.GOV. TRUMP ADMIN UNLEASHES CRUCIAL RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN WITH MASSIVE BONUSES TO BOLSTER ICE RANKS According to ICE’s recruitment website, new officers are offered competitive salaries, paid federal holidays and a full federal benefits package that includes health, dental, vision and life insurance, a retirement plan and a Thrift Savings Plan similar to a 401(k). Additional incentives can include tuition reimbursement, transportation subsidies, telework options and access to fitness centers. The fleet rollout coincides with a surge in visible federal policing in the nation’s capital. President Trump has temporarily assumed control of the D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department for 30 days. DHS says ICE, along with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the National Guard, are reinforcing MPD patrols and manning city checkpoints. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s office released a fact sheet showing the rollout reflects broader enforcement gains in her first 200 days, including a reported 93% decline in border encounters, a near halt to illegal migration through Panama’s Darién Gap and more than 100,000 job applications to ICE since the “Defend the Homeland” campaign began. The department has also reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office and logged more than 352,000 arrests since January. The House and Senate Homeland Security Committee Republican press offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The ICE union and agency spokespeople were also contacted. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Public reaction to the rollout video on DHS’s X account was largely positive Thursday, with replies from veterans, law enforcement families and other supporters. “ Keep up the excellent work, thank you for protecting us,” one user wrote. Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Mike Castle, Delaware’s last Republican governor and congressman, dead at 86
Former Delaware Gov. Mike Castle, a Republican moderate who championed creating the popular 50 State Quarters Program of commemorative coins while he served in Congress, has died. He was 86. The Delaware Republican Party announced that Castle died Thursday in Greenville but shared no other details. DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ADDRESSES WHETHER KAMALA HARRIS HAS REACHED THE END OF HER POLITICAL CAREER Castle was among Delaware’s most successful politicians, never losing a race until his stunning upset in a 2010 primary for the U.S. Senate seat that Democrat Joe Biden held before becoming vice president. During his 18 years in Congress, Castle became a leader of centrist Republicans, earning a reputation as a fiscal conservative and social moderate not afraid to challenge the party line on issues ranging from government spending to environmental protection and abortion. As Delaware’s lone representative in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2011, he supported a pay-as-you-go policy for both spending and tax cuts. Castle played roles in improving child nutrition programs and establishing the No Child Left Behind education reform program. His signature issue in Congress was the commemorative quarters program that featured coins honoring each state, starting with Delaware. He was dubbed by the coin grading service Numismatic Guaranty Company as “The Coinage Congressman.” The quarters boosted federal revenues as they were taken out of circulation. He also helped establish a similar program honoring U.S. presidents with dollar coins, beginning in 2007, and an “America the Beautiful” quarter program honoring national parks, monuments and nature areas starting in 2010. “The Honorable Michael Castle embodied the best of public service — moderation, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to all Delawareans,” Delaware GOP Chairman Gene Truono said in a statement Thursday. Castle had been a state lawmaker and lieutenant governor before becoming governor in 1985. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer ordered flags flown at half-staff for the next week in Castle’s honor. “During his time as governor, Mike Castle visited every single school in our state, including mine, where he spoke to my high school class with the same warmth, humility, and commitment to public service that defined his career,” said Meyer, a Democrat.
WATCH: National Guard humvees, roughly 30 troops stand guard outside DC’s Union Station amid police takeover
As National Guard troops ramped up their presence in the nation’s capital on Thursday, about seven National Guard Humvees and other military vehicles, and around 25 to 30 troops, stood guard outside D.C.’s Union Station. President Donald Trump’s move to federalize parts of the District of Columbia’s police force began earlier in the week, but troops from the National Guard scaled up their presence Thursday, with several stationed around the National Mall, at metro stations, at Union Station, near a U.S. Park building in Anacostia, D.C., and other places around the nation’s capital. As of Thursday, 800 National Guard members have been mobilized to Washington, D.C., according to the Defense Department. According to Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson, the troops are unarmed and are supporting other federal law enforcement agencies that have been called up to D.C. to quell the violence there. TRUMP’S FEDERAL CRIME OPERATION BRINGS 100 ARRESTS, 800 NATIONAL GUARD “The scope of support may be adjusted based on the needs of our partners,” Wilson said. “This would be very similar to the [Los Angeles] mission, where we can temporarily detain someone and then turn them over to the law enforcement.” At Union Station specifically, Fox News Digital counted around 25 to 30 National Guard personnel, all military police, four Humvees and three MATVs early Thursday evening. Fox News Digital only saw riot batons carried by the troops. DC TRAFFIC STOP REPORTING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS A ‘GREAT STEP,’ TRUMP SAYS – OTHER BLUE CITIES COULD BE NEXT The other federal law enforcement agencies that the National Guard troops are supporting include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secret Service. Operations aimed at reducing crime in the nation’s capital were initially focused on night patrols, but on Thursday they are going to begin patrolling 24/7. The increased law enforcement presence in D.C. has led to protesters taking the streets, including a handful seen at Union Station Thursday. On Wednesday night, local media reports indicated around 100 protesters in one Northwest Washington, D.C. neighborhood, where police had set up a vehicle checkpoint, came out to challenge the increased police presence.
Obama praises Democrats who fled Texas redistricting vote as ‘inspiring’
Former President Barack Obama praised a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers for fleeing their state to stop a vote on a redistricting bill, calling their actions “inspiring,” according to reporting. Texas state Rep. Gene Wu, who is chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, posted on X on Thursday, thanking the former president for meeting with the lawmakers via Zoom. Wu said the Democrats were “encouraged” by Obama’s words and “remain committed to fighting for democracy, in Texas & across the country.” ABC News reported that an Obama spokesperson confirmed the meeting, saying he “lauded their fight against the Republican efforts to enact an even more egregious gerrymander in Texas ahead of the midterms.” OBAMA OFFICIAL SAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY ‘AFRAID OF ITS OWN FUTURE,’ WANTS IT TO EMBRACE MAMDANI STRATEGY The spokesperson told the outlet that Obama “made clear that they are part of a bigger effort to protect free and fair elections and commended them for inspiring others with their actions.” This comes amid a continued standoff between Texas Republicans and Democrats over an effort backed by President Donald Trump to pass a redistricting bill that would likely give the GOP five additional congressional seats. Over 50 Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives fled the state to deny the legislature the quorum necessary to pass the bill. In response, Texas Republican leaders have filed legal action to compel the AWOL lawmakers to return and have also threatened to remove them from office if they continue refusing to participate in the legislative process. Texas House Democrats released a statement on Thursday in which they announced they will only return to the state if the legislature agrees to adjourn without plans to meet again or if California introduces its own redistricting legislation to “neutralize” the GOP seats gained in Texas. OBAMA LABELS TEXAS REDISTRICTING PUSH ‘A POWER GRAB THAT UNDERMINES OUR DEMOCRACY’ Obama has previously voiced solidarity with the Texas Democrats, saying in an Aug. 5 X post, “We can’t lose focus on what matters – right now, Republicans in Texas are trying to gerrymander district lines to unfairly win five seats in next year’s midterm elections. This is a power grab that undermines our democracy.” Wu told ABC News that the Democrats were “especially excited” to have Obama address them via Zoom. “Having President Obama speak with us and support us is proof that when Texas House Democrats stand up and fight back, we don’t stand alone — we have the support of Democrats at every level who understand that when Republicans attack voting rights in Texas, they’re attacking the foundation of our democracy everywhere,” Wu told the outlet. He said that the meeting was held via Zoom because of “Republican threats.” NEWSOM UNVEILS CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING EFFORT TO COUNTER TRUMP-BACKED PUSH IN TEXAS “The fact that we have to meet President Obama from an undisclosed location and via Zoom because of Republican threats and surveillance only proves how desperate Abbott and his extremist allies have become,” Wu said. “They know their racial gerrymandering scheme is falling apart, so they’re resorting to intimidation tactics. But President Obama’s support shows the whole country is watching — and Texas House Democrats won’t be silenced by bullies.” On Thursday, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to counter the Texas redistricting plan by pushing to have his state redraw its districts to eliminate the Republican seats. In response, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, shot back that if California eliminates all its Republican districts, Texas should do the same, which would leave the GOP with a net gain.
Capitol Hill prepares for high-stakes battle over Trump crime package, DC police authority
Lawmakers are gearing up for a crime bill from the White House as President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. marches on. Trump hinted that he would be sending a package to Congress in the near future on Wednesday geared toward his administration’s continued push to make the district a “beacon” for other blue cities, but gave little detail as to what he may want to see in the legislation. REPUBLICANS READY TO SUPPORT TRUMP’S MOVE TO SKIRT CONGRESS IN DC CRIME CRACKDOWN “We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously,” Trump said. “So we’re going to need a crime bill that we’re going to be putting in, and it’s going to pertain initially to D.C.” He also noted that “we’re going to seek a relatively small amount of money” to fix potholes and generally spruce up the district. Shortly after Trump’s announcement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that he had spoken with the president, Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House staff on “how Congress can help make Washington D.C. safe again.” “At the direction of President Trump,” Bondi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This Department of Justice will continue to work with MPD, federal law enforcement and Congress to address the scourge of violent crime in Washington, D.C. and ensure the safety of all Americans visiting or living in our Nation’s capital.” Graham noted that the White House was working on a package to send to him and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., the chair of the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee. TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP ‘RIGHTLY’ TOOK OVER DC POLICE, DEMANDS BOWSER, OTHERS TESTIFY ON CRIME “Together, we will try to shepherd the D.C. Security Fund through Congress to give President Trump the resources he will need to improve the safety and quality of life in our nation’s capital,” Graham said on X. “Every American should be behind this effort to make Washington D.C. clean and safe so that it can truly become the shining city on the hill.” Whether the package would become a part of a spending bill, or be its own standalone supplemental funding package, is unclear, and when lawmakers would actually get their hands on a request is also up in the air. The White House referred Fox News Digital back to the president’s prior comments on the bill. Lawmakers are not set to return to Washington until after Labor Day and will be met immediately by the fast-approaching deadline to fund the government on Sept. 30. They’ll also have to deal with an expected request from Trump to extend his control of the D.C. police — the president has only 30 days unless Congress grants him an extension with a joint resolution. TRUMP PREDICTS LITTLE PROGRESS IN POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN TALKS WITH ‘CRAZY’ SCHUMER, JEFFRIES Republicans are broadly supportive of granting him more time to crack down on crime in the Capitol, but a joint resolution likely requires 60 votes in the Senate, and Senate Democrats are signaling that they won’t budge and allow Trump to further consolidate his grip on Washington. Still, Trump suggested that he would trigger a national emergency declaration to circumvent Congress, which some congressional Republicans have already come out in support of. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declared “No f‑‑‑— way” during a podcast appearance when asked about an extension, and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital in a statement that Trump’s move to federalize Washington D.C. was “political theater.” “He is doing nothing but creating chaos and ignoring the progress local officials in D.C. have made lowering crime,” Durbin said. “And now, he is saying he wants to side-step Congress to extend control of the MPD. There are currently no ‘special conditions of an emergency nature’ in D.C., which the President has to claim in order to take federal control of MPD under the Home Rule Act. This is unprecedented and nothing more than a power grab.”
American history won’t be displayed ‘in a woke manner’ at Smithsonian, Trump says
Smithsonian museums must represent the U.S. in a “fair” manner and portray both the good and the bad of American history, according to President Donald Trump. Trump made his comments after the White House sent a letter to the Smithsonian Tuesday unveiling plans to conduct a review of its museums and exhibits in preparation for the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026. “We want the museums to treat our country fairly,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “We want their museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner or in a racist manner, which is what many of them, not all of them, but many of them are doing.” WHITE HOUSE REVIEWING ALL SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM, EXHIBIT CONTENT BEFORE AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION IN 2026 “Our museums have an obligation to represent what happened in our country over the years. Good and bad,” Trump said. “But what happened over the years in an accurate way.” The Smithsonian told Fox News Digital it was reviewing the Trump administration’s letter and would work with the White House, Congress and its governing Board of Regents moving forward. “The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research and the accurate, factual presentation of history,” the Smithsonian said in a statement. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, weighed in on the matter earlier Thursday, saying left-wing activists had “obscenely defaced” the museum. “The Smithsonian is supposed to be a global symbol of American strength, culture and prestige,” Miller posted to X Thursday. “A place for families and children to celebrate American history and greatness. Instead, the exhibits have clearly been taken over by leftwing activists who have used the Smithsonian as yet one platform to endlessly bash America and rewrite / erase our magnificent story. “These activists have obscenely defaced this beloved institution,” Miller added. “The Trump Administration will proudly and diligently restore the patriotic glory of America and ensure the Smithsonian is a place that once more inspires love and devotion to this nation, especially among our youngest citizens.” The White House’s initial letter to the Smithsonian Tuesday said the review would evaluate social media, exhibition text and educational materials. This would be done to “assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals,” the letter said. “This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” the letter said. The review will focus on the following museums: the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. LIBERTY AND UNITY: WHAT AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY ASKS OF US TODAY Trump has taken previous steps to alter what content is shown in the Smithsonian museums and signed an executive order in March that placed Vice President JD Vance in charge of overseeing the removal of programs or exhibits that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.” Vance has already moved to shake things up at the Smithsonian. Artist Amy Sherald canceled an exhibit scheduled to arrive at the Smithsonian in September that included a portrait of a transgender Statue of Liberty at the National Portrait Gallery after Vance claimed the show featured woke and divisive content, Fox News Digital first reported. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Criticism over socialist NYC candidate Mamdani’s rent-stabilized apartment mounts after ethics complaint
Criticism against socialist candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, over his acquisition of a rent-stabilized apartment as someone who makes close to $150,000 a year, is ramping up after a watchdog issued a complaint to New York’s government ethics commission. The issue came front-and-center earlier this month after Mamdani’s opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, began criticizing Mamdani for occupying a rent-stabilized apartment as a New York state assemblyperson who makes around $150,000 per year. Cuomo recently announced plans to pass “Zohran’s Law,” which he said would “keep the rich out of New York’s affordable housing.” “It has been reported that New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani resides in a one-bedroom, rent-stabilized apartment in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. In public statements, Mr. Mamdani has said his monthly rent is approximately $2,300. According to publicly available rental market data, the average rent for a comparable one-bedroom in Astoria is about $3,002,” stated a complaint filed with the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government by American Institute for Economic Research economist Jason Sorens, reviewed by Fox News Digital. CUOMO CALLS OUT NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE MAMDANI OVER ALLEGED RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT: ‘MOVE OUT IMMEDIATELY’ “Questions have been raised in public discussion about the timeline of his tenancy in relation to when New York State ethics rules apply to elected officials,” Sorens complaint continued. “If at the start of Mr. Mamdani’s tenancy, the relevant ethics regulations were applicable to him, then it could be appropriate to investigate whether any assistance he may have received in securing a rent-stabilized apartment qualified as a gift under the law.” Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital, but the Democratic Party candidate has argued that he moved into the apartment when he was only making $47,000 and was not even aware of the fact it was rent-stabilized. “Right-wing think tanks and MAGA billionaires’ pathetic attempts to distract from Zohran Mamdani’s mission to make NYC more affordable will fail, just as they did in the primary where New Yorkers resoundingly rejected Andrew Cuomo in a humiliating defeat,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said, according to the New York Post. MAMDANI’S FORMER DEM COLLEAGUE RAILS AGAINST HIS SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN PROMISE: ‘NAIL IN THE COFFIN’ However, Sorens described Mamdani’s defense that he didn’t know his apartment was rent-stabilized as “implausible,” citing the mayoral candidate’s background working as a foreclosure specialist. “I’ve candidly found it implausible that while working as a Tenant Advocate, he would not know that his own apartment was rent stabilized, particularly since it’s such a big benefit, not just when you sign the lease, but obviously for every year going forward that you maintain it,” Sorens said. “I don’t know about you, but for my family, that would be a significant windfall. We would notice that. So it’s curious, maybe he was telling the truth, but it is curious that he insists that he didn’t know.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sorens also argued that given the scarcity of affordable apartments in New York City, “it invites a question about whether someone may have helped him as a politically connected activist.” “The bigger picture here, really, is that, you know, I’m not a political operative. I’m an economist. But I study rent control, and one of the negative side effects of rent control and rent stabilization is that these policies create an artificial skinny of affordable apartments, and it rewards having pull,” Sorens concluded.
DC traffic stop reporting on illegal immigrants a ‘great step,’ Trump says — other blue cities could be next
President Donald Trump said a new directive allowing the Metropolitan Police Department to disclose information to federal immigration authorities about those they pull over at traffic stops is a step in the right direction — and signaled that other cities could also face a similar policy. The order, which Police Chief Pamela Smith approved Thursday, comes as Trump moved to federalize the nation’s capital’s police force and mobilize 800 National Guard troops to address crime in Washington. “What you’re saying is that it was a very positive thing,” Trump told reporters about the new order Thursday. “When they stop people, they find they’re illegal, they report them, they give them to us, etc., that’s a very positive thing.” DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH VOWS TO BE ‘FORCE MULTIPLIERS’ OF DC POLICE “I have heard that it just happened,” Trump said. “That’s a great step. That’s a great step if they’re doing that. Yeah. I think that’s going to happen all over the country. We want to stop crime. I think if the Democrats aren’t strong on this issue, they won’t be able to do it.” The order means that Metropolitan Police can share details about their interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In addition to Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also hailed the new order a success earlier Thursday. “That means that as soon as they encounter somebody who is committing a crime, they will share that with ICE and we will be able to get those illegal criminals out of this country and we’ll make America safer,” Noem told Fox News Thursday. TRUMP TAKES CONTROL OF METRO POLICE, DEPLOYS NATIONAL GUARD TO TAKE ON WASHINGTON CRIME Now that the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington has been federalized, it remains under the authority of Attorney General Pam Bondi. A temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is permitted under emergency circumstances. However, Trump’s move will likely be challenged in court over whether the situation in Washington qualifies as an emergency. National Guard troops started to arrive in Washington Wednesday. These troops are reserve forces that respond to state and federal operations, typically in accordance with orders from their state governments. Trump has deviated from the norm though, and mobilized National Guard troops from California to respond to immigration riots in June. By doing so, he bypassed California Gov. Gavin Newsom. TRUMP THREATENS TO FEDERALIZE DC AFTER EX-DOGE EMPLOYEE ‘BIG BALLS’ VIOLENTLY BEATEN However, Washington is different because the federal government oversees the District of Columbia National Guard. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill have decried Trump’s attempt to federalize the police and bring in National Guard troops. “First, Donald Trump used the Marines and the National Guard to support his mass deportation agenda in Los Angeles,” Schiff posted on X Monday. “Now, he’s using similar tactics in D.C. like a tinpot dictator. Don’t look away. Don’t stay silent. If you do, don’t be surprised if it’s your city next.”