Texas hospitals, clinics spared the worst of GOP Medicaid cuts. An expected rise in the uninsured rate could change that.
Texas clinics, in particular, are worried about their ability to meet patient needs once people begin losing insurance under changes from Republicans’ recent megabill.
Texas again trying to restrict the bathrooms transgender people can use
The bills would carry a $5,000 fine for a first-time violation and comes as momentum for such restrictions has increased in the state and nationally.
Texans, Democrats condemn GOP redistricting plans at first public hearing
At the first of at least seven hearings, members of the public aired grievances about the unusual mid-decade redistricting effort.
Former Congressman George Santos delivers ‘glamorous’ farewell before going to prison: ‘The curtain falls’
Former Rep. George Santos posted a theatrical farewell on social media Thursday night, just hours before he was to begin serving a federal prison sentence for fraud and identity theft. “Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,” Santos wrote on X. “From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days. To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press.” The former New York congressman is expected to report to federal custody Friday to begin serving an 87-month sentence, just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds. CALIFORNIA TAX EXPERT ADMITS ROLE IN ILLEGAL ALIEN’S MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD SCHEME His guilty plea followed a sweeping investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims. “This prosecution speaks to the truth that my office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham, who called the sentence “judgment day” for Santos and justice for his victims. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said Santos “traded in his integrity for designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle.” MENENDEZ TO REPORT TO PRISON FOR 11-YEAR TERM FOR CORRUPTION Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos’ family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts. He also stole credit card information from donors, including “victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline” and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars which he spent on “designer clothing.” During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House. Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York’s 3rd District for the GOP. His résumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People’s House. Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP His tweet concluded, “I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit.” Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. The White House and Santos did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: A Big, Beautiful Clawback
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… – Trump admin readies for fight after judges block Abrego Garcia removal for now – Thailand, Cambodia troops open fire on each other, killing at least 12 – Senate Republicans call on DOJ to appoint special counsel to probe Obama-Russia intel President Donald Trump signed into law his roughly $9 billion rescissions package to scale back already approved federal funds for foreign aid and public broadcasting Thursday, after both chambers of Congress approved the legislation earlier in the month, sources familiar to the matter have confirmed. The signing marks another legislative victory for the Trump administration just two weeks after the president signed into law his massive tax and domestic policy measure, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill.” The rescissions package pulls back nearly $8 billion in funding Congress already approved for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a previously independent agency that provided impoverished countries aid and offered development assistance… READ MORE ‘LAWLESS AND INSANE’: Trump admin readies for fight after judges block Abrego Garcia removal for now CLASH OVER AUTHORITY: Trump foe Boasberg to grill DOJ over migrant flights in heated hearing REVERSING COURSE: Trump says he wants Elon Musk to ‘thrive’ after suggesting DOGE could investigate him POWER STRUGGLE: Trump stands by Alina Habba as DOJ clashes with judges over her replacement LEGAL SCRUTINY: DOJ forms Russiagate ‘strike force’ to investigate declassified Obama-era evidence LEGAL SETBACK: Federal appeals court rules against Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order ‘I AM RECOVERING’: Pam Bondi cancels appearance at anti-trafficking summit over medical issue ACCOUNTABILITY TEST: Zelenskyy forced to rethink anti-corruption law after public backlash MAN MACHINE MERGER: China experimenting with brain-computer interfaces in global race for AI dominance: report BORDER BATTLE ERUPTS: Thailand, Cambodia troops open fire on each other, killing at least 12 BEACH BLAST: Battle over the Black Sea: Russia, Ukraine strike top resort cities EYES IN THE SKIES: Rules keeping drones on leash could loosen with deregulation proposal from Congress COLLUSION CHAOS: Trump-foe Adam Schiff dismisses Tulsi Gabbard’s declassified Russia collusion intelligence as ‘dishonest’ BEG YOUR PARDON: WATCH: House Republicans zero in on Biden autopen pardons after bombshell report EPSTEIN SECRETS: Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to see how feds meeting plays out amid subpoena: brother CREATING OPPORTUNITY: EXCLUSIVE: GOP proposal seeks to end ‘backdoor hiring practices’ at American universities INTEL DECEPTION: Senate Republicans call on DOJ to appoint special counsel to probe Obama-Russia intel BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: ‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ NOT WELCOME: House Republican introduces companion bill to end China’s buying of American farmland ‘GOOD LUCK’: House to vote on censuring Dem rep charged in ICE facility incident KLAIN TO FAME: Ex-Biden chief of staff Ron Klain faces grilling in House GOP’s cover-up probe ANTI-ANTISEMITISM: Pro-Israel Dem says those who won’t decry Hamas over Oct. 7 attack ‘have no business’ posing as humanitarians FINDING THE FORCE: ‘Star Wars bar of leftists’: Weingarten, Hunter, Mamdani prove Democrat Party lead by extreme figures ‘SEVER’ CONNECTIONS: West Point Bible crest controversy spurs lawsuit from conservative watchdog THE CHOSEN ONE: RNC Chair Michael Whatley to seek open Republican-held Senate seat in battleground North Carolina: sources HATE SPEECH SILENCE: Dem governor criticizes Mamdani for not condemning ‘blatantly antisemitic’ rhetoric WAKE UP CALL: Mamdani’s former Dem colleague rails against his signature campaign promise: ‘Nail in the coffin’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Heckler hijacks Florida governor’s Hulk Hogan tribute with profane tirade against ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
A heckler launched into a profanity-laced tirade Thursday, slamming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ immigration policies during a news conference in Bradenton, interrupting the governor while he was paying tribute to pro wrestling legend and state resident Hulk Hogan, who died earlier in the day. The man, positioned near the back of the room, was caught on camera jumping up from his seat and pointing aggressively at DeSantis while shouting, “Alligator Alcatraz — is that your f—ing legacy?” Authorities moved in as DeSantis abruptly stopped speaking and raised his voice at the man. PRO WRESTLING ICON HULK HOGAN DEAD AT 71 “Hey, stop, stop! Stop! Get out of here! Get outta here!” the Republican governor said, gesturing toward the disruption. The unidentified heckler continued yelling as he was removed by authorities. The outburst came just three minutes into DeSantis’ remarks. At the time, DeSantis had been sharing a personal memory of watching Hogan’s iconic showdown against André the Giant at WrestleMania III. “I remember WrestleMania III. He was up …,” DeSantis started, before the heckler interjected with the jab about Alligator Alcatraz. DeSantis recently made headlines for pledging $245 million to Alligator Alcatraz, an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades. TRUMP TAUNTS NEWSOM TO VISIT ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ AND ‘LEARN SOMETHING’ ABOUT IMMIGRATION Before the incident, DeSantis opened the press event with unscripted remarks about the 71-year-old Hogan’s shocking death earlier in the day in Clearwater. “I was sad to see the news that Hulk Hogan passed away today. He was a major icon for anybody in Gen X,” DeSantis said. Hogan, who was born in Georgia and whose real name was Terry Bollea, grew up in the Tampa Bay area and called Florida home for most of his life. “You know, back then, when they would do these big events like WrestleMania, you could go to it … they didn’t even have pay-per-view. … It was closed-circuit,” DeSantis recalled. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor’s office for further comment.
Tim Walz leading Dem effort to turn bipartisan group against President Trump: report
Progressive governor and failed vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is leading a Democratic effort to turn one of the country’s most influential bipartisan groups against President Donald Trump, according to a report by a mainstream media outlet. Walz, the governor of Minnesota and one-time running mate of former Vice President Kamala Harris, is threatening to pull out of the bipartisan National Governors Association (NGA) over concerns it is not doing enough to push back against Trump, according to The Atlantic. The Atlantic reported that two unnamed people “familiar with the governors’ thinking” shared that at least two Democratic governors — Walz and fellow Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is head of the Democratic Governors Association — are opting to stop paying their NGA dues this month. The two governors will not renew their membership in the organization out of frustration with its inaction against perceived violations of states’ rights by the Trump administration. TRUMP FOE BOASBERG ORDERS DOJ TO DETAIL STATUS OF CECOT MIGRANTS SENT TO VENEZUELA The concerns raised included the Office of Management and Budget briefly pausing disbursements of federal funds in January, the clash with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills over transgender athletes and Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard to respond to the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles. The outlet reported three other unnamed sources saying that Walz and Kelly are not alone and that the offices of other Democratic governors are similarly frustrated with the NGA. One of the unnamed sources said “when you are also paying dues with taxpayer dollars, it has got to be worth it, and they are going to have to demonstrate that. Right now, they are not doing that,” the outlet reported. The source also claimed “there have been ongoing concerns about the NGA among the Democratic governors and staff, off and on, for years.” MESSAGING WAR OVER TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ HEATS UP BETWEEN DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS The NGA has existed as a forum for bipartisan collaboration among governors since 1908. The organization lists all 50 governors as well as leaders of five U.S. territories as members. Eric Wohlschlegel, NGA communications director, told Fox News Digital the group “exists to bring governors from both parties together around shared priorities.” Amid the Walz-led controversy, Wohlschlegel said NGA’s “mission hasn’t changed.” “Every public statement NGA issues reflects bipartisan consensus,” he said. “So far this year, all but one statement has had that consensus, and when governors don’t agree, we simply don’t issue one. That’s how we preserve our role as a bipartisan convener, a principle we won’t compromise.” DNC CHAIR SAYS ‘WE WANT EVERYONE’ IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY INCLUDING ‘LEFTISTS’ LIKE MAMDANI A source familiar with the situation blamed the controversy on “Democratic infighting, unspoken campaign jockeying and a few anonymous voices looking to reshape a nonpartisan institution into a political one.” That source pointed out that, despite all the noise about controversy, the NGA’s summer meeting in Colorado Springs this weekend is expected to have “record turnout” with 13 Republican and seven Democratic leaders attending. They also noted that “no governors are on the record expressing discontent with the NGA. No allegations of misconduct, governance failure or mismanagement have been raised.” “What’s behind the noise?” the source added. “There’s an internal power struggle currently and no consensus among Democrats right now on how to lead, how to message or how to govern in a divided environment. “Several Democratic governors are vying for national attention, testing messages for future campaigns rather than collaborating on consensus governance,” the source added. “The NGA’s bipartisan model is working exactly as it’s supposed to. DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S AUTOPSY REPORT OF 2024 ELECTION WILL AVOID ASKING IF HARRIS SHOULD HAVE RUN “When a party can’t agree with itself, it becomes easy to take shots at bipartisan institutions that don’t serve short-term political goals.” Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the outgoing NGA chair, and Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, the incoming chair, for comment on the Walz mutiny. Though not addressing the controversy directly, Conor Cahill, a spokesperson for Polis, told Fox News Digital the governor “has been honored” to lead the NGA and to “work across the aisle with governors on education, permitting reform, standing up to federal efforts to strip away gubernatorial authority around the National Guard and elevating the priorities of states.” He added that “during this polarizing time, bipartisan organizations are needed more than ever, and NGA must continue to demonstrate value to all governors and effectively communicate governors’ opinions on various matters with the public and the federal government.” Abegail Cave, a spokesperson for Stitt, who will become NGA chair this weekend, told Fox News Digital “people seem to forget NGA is a bipartisan organization, not a political one.” “Coming to bipartisan consensus is difficult, but governors from across the political spectrum are addressing the real challenges facing Americans every day,” Cave said. She said that Stitt “looks forward to leading this organization and finding more areas of collaboration in the coming year.” Fox News Digital also reached out to the offices of Walz and Kelly but did not receive responses by the time of publication.
Illegal alien from Senegal charged with assaulting federal officers in alleged scissor attack at NYC facility
An illegal alien from Senegal was charged with assaulting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and other detainees with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the charges against Bass Ndiaye in a statement released Thursday. According to the statement, Ndiaye was arrested July 17 and taken to a federal immigration building in New York City for processing. While awaiting processing, Ndiaye allegedly grabbed a pair of scissors and attempted to stab ICE officers and about a dozen other detainees. He was quickly disarmed and subdued by ICE officials. ICE PLACES DETAINER ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FACING CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY KILLING TEEN: ‘EVIL CRIMES’ The statement said Ndiaye is in the country as a result of the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policies. He was arrested at the southern border by federal authorities in October 2023 but was released into the interior. He is now facing one count of assaulting an officer of the U.S. using a deadly or dangerous weapon. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. This comes as ICE officers are facing an over 800% increase in assaults compared to the previous year, according to the DHS. NONCITIZEN ILLEGALLY VOTED IN SWING STATE’S 2024 ELECTION, AUTHORITIES SAY “This criminal illegal alien who [was] released into the country under President Biden will face justice for his violent crimes,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Our ICE law enforcement are facing an 830% increase in assaults against them. “DHS Secretary [Kristi] Noem stands with the brave men and women of law enforcement as they risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens and protect Americans.” The agency has blamed Democrats and the mainstream media for the increase in assaults on ICE officers, saying their “lies and fake stories” continue to stir hate and violence. HOUSE TO VOTE ON CENSURING DEM REP CHARGED IN ICE FACILITY INCIDENT The agency pointed to congressional Democrats it said were caught “doxxing and even physically assaulting” officials working for ICE. McLaughlin has previously harshly condemned politicians who have been critical of ICE’s operations, saying that ICE officials are “risking their lives every day to keep our communities safe from the worst of the worst criminals.”
Hillary Clinton sounded alarm on Biden’s political viability ‘by 2024,’ Klain told House investigators
Ex-President Joe Biden’s former chief of staff Ron Klain told House investigators that Hillary Clinton approached him with concerns about the octogenarian leader’s political viability “by 2024,” Fox News Digital has learned. Klain spoke with staff on the House Oversight Committee for over five hours on Thursday, as Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., continues to probe whether top Biden aides concealed signs of mental decline in the ex-president. A source familiar with his voluntary interview told Fox News Digital that Klain believed Biden was mentally sharp enough to serve as president, and was not too old to run. But the ex-secretary of state and former Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan both “approached Ron Klain stating they believed Joe Biden was not politically viable” months before he dropped his re-election bid in July 2024, the source said. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ Sullivan told Klain that Biden “was less effective in 2024 compared to 2022,” the source said. It’s not immediately clear if Biden’s mental acuity was the reasoning for their doubts, nor if they made the case to Klain together or separately. But it’s a significant indictment coming from top national Democrats of Biden in general, long before concerns about his fitness for office within the party were made public knowledge. Adrienne Watson, a representative for Sullivan, denied the account in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate,” Watson said. Sullivan had been a top aide to both Biden and Clinton, having served as the latter’s senior policy advisor during her 2016 campaign. Klain, who served as White House chief of staff for the first half of Biden’s term, conceded that the then-president was less energetic and more forgetful, though he defended his “acuity to govern,” the source said. “Mr. Klain stated that President Biden often confused names and proper nouns, and it got worse over time,” the source said. Fox News Digital was told that Klain also said there was no reason to doubt President Donald Trump’s own mental fitness. Klain said nothing to reporters when going in or out of the committee room Thursday. He’s the sixth former Biden administration aide to appear for Comer’s probe. And despite the interview being largely staff-led, Comer did make an appearance for the early half of the sit-down, and Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., were both briefly there as well. Both Biggs and Khanna called Klain “credible” from what they saw inside the room. “I think he is telling what he knows accurately,” Biggs told Fox News Digital. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP On the other side of the aisle, Khanna told reporters, “He answered every single question. He was fully cooperative.” Three other former Biden White House aides who previously appeared – Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and ex-White House doctor Kevin O’Connor – all appeared under subpoena and pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. Longtime Biden aide Ashley Williams and ex-staff secretary Neera Tanden, like Klain, came for voluntary transcribed interviews. Jeff Zients, who served as Biden’s chief of staff for the final two years, was also asked to sit for a transcribed interview, a committee aide previously told Fox News Digital. A source familiar with the Biden team’s thinking previously called Republicans’ probe “dangerous” and “an attempt to smear and embarrass.” “And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump’s DOJ prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge,” that source said. Fox News Digital also reached out to Klain’s attorney as well as a contact for comment for Clinton but did not hear back by press time.
Fox News Poll: The GOP is seen as more likely to have a clear plan for the country
With the 2026 midterm elections more than a year away, a new Fox News survey finds that while the Republican Party has lost some ground to the Democratic Party on handling key issues, voters are more likely to think the GOP has a clear plan for dealing with the country’s problems. The survey, released Thursday, finds that by a 10-point margin, more voters think the Republicans have a clear plan for the U.S. than the Democrats: 43% vs. 33%. Still, majorities feel neither the GOP (54%) or the Democrats (64%) have a plan. This is about where sentiment was three years ago, the last time the question was asked. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP FACING HEADWINDS AT SIX-MONTH MARK Far more Republicans (79%) than Democrats (51%) are confident their party has a clear plan, and that’s what hurts the Democrats. While at least two-thirds of independents feel neither party has a plan, more trust the GOP (30% vs. 25%). At the same time, the survey shows some significant erosion in the GOP’s handling of key issues compared to the last time Fox asked in 2023, including in areas where they are traditionally preferred. Voters view the Republican Party as better able to handle national security (by 14 points), immigration (+6R), and government spending (+5R) while the Democratic Party is favored on climate change (by 23 points), health care (+19D), social security (+17D), education (+15D), and energy policies (+6D). The parties are rated about equally on inflation (+1D), gun policy (even), the economy (+1R), and foreign policy (+3R). Compared to 2023, support for the GOP is down on immigration by 4 points, national security by 6, government spending by 6, foreign policy by 9, and the economy by 14. Plus, the Republicans’ 12-point advantage on inflation has disappeared, as Democrats have a 1-point edge today. While the Democrats have largely maintained support on their best issues, it’s noteworthy they saw a 12-point increase on education, as voters have been split on who would better handle the issue for the last few years. FOX NEWS POLL: APPROVAL OF SCOTUS AT 5-YEAR HIGH, REBOUNDING FROM RECORD LOW IN 2024 These shifts can mostly be attributed to self-identified Democrats solidifying their preference for their own party’s handling of the issues, as well as independents lessening their support for Republicans or switching to Democrats. Self-identified Republicans continue to express high levels of support for their party on the issues. “Independents and even some Democrats had soured on President Biden and the Democratic Congress by 2023 and 2024, but they have shifted to the left a bit in 2025 in response to the policies of President Trump and the Republicans,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “An appreciable part of this is performance related. Without obvious economic and foreign policy victories, independents and soft Democrats could drift to the left, which could scramble the electoral dynamic heading into 2026.” Overall, views of both major political parties are underwater. By 2 points, the Republican Party has a slightly better favorable rating (44% favorable) than the Democratic Party (42%), but more than half view both parties negatively (56% and 57% unfavorable, respectively). That’s relatively unchanged since April. Positive views of the Republican Party have shown steady growth since October 2019, while the Democratic Party has been on a downward trajectory, reaching a record low in April (41% favorable). The Republican Party enjoys more support among their party faithful (83% have a favorable view) than the Democratic Party (78% favorable). Seven in 10 independents have a negative view of both. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted July 18-21, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,000 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (114) and cellphones (636) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (250). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.