Hegseth spars with Senate Democrats over Marine deployment to LA anti-ICE riots: ‘Not about lethality’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparred with Democratic senators during a hearing Wednesday about the Trump administration’s deployment of 700 Marines to Los Angeles amid the ongoing anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots. In his opening statement before the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Hegseth reiterated how President Donald Trump charged him to focus on restoring “warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards and readiness” to the Department of Defense – a point Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., later honed in on during his line of questioning for the secretary. Reed noted that the Trump administration federalized 4,000 California National Guard members and deployed 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Reed said what is happening in Los Angeles comes in addition to the approximately 11,000 military personnel, including active duty soldiers and National Guard members, who have deployed to the southern border in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection – a figure which Hegseth corrected. The Defense secretary said some 13,000 military personnel have deployed to the southern border and that he has visited those troops several times. JOHNSON SAYS HEGSETH POSSIBLY SENDING MARINES TO ANTI-ICE RIOTS NOT HEAVY-HANDED: ‘DETERRING EFFECT’ “People will say that mobilization hurts readiness. When you talk to them, it actually improves their readiness,” Hegseth said. Reed told Hegseth, “Your whole ethic seems to be revolved on the lethality of the military force. How is this operation with Marines and National Guardsmen improving their lethality? “Readiness and training and accountability is all about lethality,” Hegseth said. “The more ready you are, the more capable you are, the more accountable you are, the higher your standards are, it all makes you more lethal.” “The mission in Los Angeles, as you know well, sir, is not about lethality,” the secretary continued. “It’s about maintaining law and order on behalf of law enforcement agents who deserve to do their job without being attacked by mobs of people. We are very proud that the National Guard and the Marines are on the streets defending the ICE agents, and they will continue.” A Defense official told Fox News that the Marines who arrived in Los Angeles are an infantry unit and are still undergoing training, including in nonlethal weapons and use of force protocols in a domestic setting, at Seal Beach. They have not yet been tapped to respond to street demonstrations as of Wednesday morning. Reed argued that “law and order is a civil function under the Constitution,” but Hegseth said that “there is plenty of precedent for the U.S. supporting law enforcement officers.” “What your military is doing right now is laying concertina wire, guarding buildings, maintaining vehicles for other services,” Reed said. “This is not only, I think, illegal, but also a diminution of the readiness and the focus of the military.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration for federalizing the National Guard to respond to the riots and for tapping the Marines. A federal judge on Tuesday night declined California’s request for an immediate restraining order to block Trump’s use of military personnel and scheduled a court hearing to further weigh the legality of the matter for Thursday. FEDERAL JUDGE REFUSES TO BLOCK TRUMP’S LA NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT ON NEWSOM’S TIMEFRAME In a separate line of questioning at the Senate hearing Wednesday, Hegseth said Newsom “wants to play politics.” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, had asked another witness, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. John D. Caine, if the United States had been “invaded by a foreign nation” or if “there is a rebellion somewhere in the United States.” Caine deferred to the Department of Homeland Security to answer border-related questions in terms of a potential invasion and added on the question of a rebellion that, “there are certainly some frustrated folks out there.” “It’s quite easy to point out that there has been an invasion of 21 million illegals in our country under the previous administration, so this administration was elected to get a hold of that,” Hegseth added. “And when you have ICE officers being attacked with concrete blocks, they should be allowed to do their jobs.” Schatz interjected, telling Hegseth he would “really like not to create a viral moment.” The senator said he was trying to “understand the scope of the order,” which, he says, does not specify a location or which Marines or which Guard members would be mobilized. “Did you just mobilize every guard everywhere and every service member everywhere? I mean, create the framework for that,” Schatz said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Hegseth said an initial order federalized 2,000 National Guard troops in California and there was a follow-up order for an additional 2,000 members because the situation there “required more resources in order to support law enforcement.” “So part of it is getting ahead of a problem, so that if in other places, if there are other riots in places where law enforcement officers are threatened, we would have the capability to surge National Guard there if necessary,” Hegseth said. “And thankfully, in most of those states, you’d have a governor that recognizes the need for it, supports it, and mobilizes it, him or herself. In California, unfortunately, the governor wants to play politics with it.” Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report.
NCP leader Baba Siddique’s murder mastermind arrested in Canada
Zeeshan Akhtar, a key accused in the murder case of NCP leader Baba Siddique, has been arrested in Canada, Maharashtra minister Yogesh Kadam stated, news agency PTI ?reports.
Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker announces run for Lina Hidalgo’s seat atop Harris County government
If Hidalgo decides to seek another term, she and Parker would face off in the March 2026 Democratic primary.
Developers propose more than 100 new gas power plants in Texas
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Senator launches investigation into Democratic org over potential support for LA rioters
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., launched an investigation into a left-wing group in California that he says may be financially supporting violent protests in Los Angeles. Hawley wrote a letter to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) on Wednesday, saying the organization may have an “alleged role in financially and materially supporting” protests and riots in Los Angeles, which he described as “coordinated.” “Who is funding the LA riots? This violence isn’t spontaneous. As chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, I’m launching an investigation to find out,” Hawley announced on social media. The letter, addressed to CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas, notes that “credible reporting” has indicated that the organization has provided “logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions.” FEDERAL OFFICIALS SLAM DEMOCRATS FOR ‘DANGEROUS’ RHETORIC AS ICE AGENTS FACE VIOLENT MOBS IN LA, NYC “Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding or promotion of these unlawful activities,” Hawley wrote. The letter additionally requests that CHIRLA provide internal communications relating to any protest planning or funding, as well as financial documents related to the same, including third-party contracts, vendor agreements and various other business relationships. Hawley also requested travel records for individuals involved with the organization if they have been reimbursed by CHIRLA, as well as the organization’s donor lists. NATIONAL GUARD TO BE DEPLOYED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS ANTI-ICE PROTESTS RAGE: BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN IRS records obtained by Fox News show that CHIRLA has received $34 million in government grants, including three from former President Joe Biden’s administration for $750,000. President Donald Trump has already cut funding for the organization. Nevertheless, CHIRLA still receives state and city grant funds to support its lawyers fighting against deportations. CHIRLA is also responsible for creating the so-called Rapid Response Network, the hotline immigrants use to report ICE raids. The network then sends text alerts, giving migrants an opportunity to hide. CHIRLA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Trump has been vocal about his belief that many of the rioters and protesters in Los Angeles are professional agitators rather than real protesters. “The people that are causing the problem are professional agitators. They’re insurrectionists. They’re bad people. They should be in jail,” Trump said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom swiftly responded to Trump’s comments in a post on social media. “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor,” Newsom wrote. “This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
Nation’s largest Protestant denomination calls for overturning Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage
The Southern Baptist Convention adopted a lengthy resolution this week that, in part, calls for the overturning of the Supreme Court’s 2015 gay marriage ruling. The text of the resolution, titled, “On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage, and the Family,” calls “for the overturning of laws and court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, that defy God’s design for marriage and family.” The multifaceted and wide-ranging resolution calls “for laws that affirm marriage between one man and one woman, recognize the biological reality of male and female, protect children’s innocence against sexual predation, affirm and strengthen parental rights in education and healthcare, incentivize family formation in life-affirming ways, and ensure safety and fairness in athletic competition.” PLANNED PARENTHOOD USING ‘LOOPHOLE’ TO GET MINORS GENDER TRANSITIONS WITHOUT PARENTS’ OK: WATCHDOG It also urges defunding Planned Parenthood and directing public funds toward “life-affirming healthcare providers.” The 10-year anniversary of the high court’s controversial landmark 5-4 gay marriage decision falls later this month. “The Constitution, however, does not permit the State to bar same-sex couples from marriage on the same terms as accorded to couples of the opposite sex,” the opinion asserted. TRUMP JOKES HIS ADMIN WILL ‘FORGET ABOUT’ SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE: ‘WE’RE BRINGING RELIGION BACK’ Resolutions committee chair Dr. Andrew Walker, who described the SBC as the biggest Protestant denomination in the U.S., emphasized during a press conference that he recognizes the “headwinds.” “There is very little desire, even on the conservative side, I think, to go to bat for marriage in this… culture,” he said, explaining that the resolution aims to convey that “Southern Baptists are not going anywhere on this issue.” GRETCHEN WHITMER SOUNDS OFF ON PUSH TO CONDEMN US SUPREME COURT’S GAY MARRIAGE RULING: ‘HELL NO’ He noted that he hopes “this is used as a mechanism for encouragement for other conservative-minded evangelicals.”
Military jet crashes in Myanmar, homes set ablaze
NewsFeed A Myanmar military jet crashed on Tuesday in Sagaing Region, an area that has seen intense fighting during Myanmar’s civil war. The military blamed engine failure, while a rebel group claimed it shot down the plane. Published On 11 Jun 202511 Jun 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Sudan’s paramilitary RSF say they seized key zone bordering Egypt, Libya
The Sudanese Armed Forces say they have withdrawn from the area as part of its ‘defensive arrangements’. Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have said their fighters have seized a strategic zone on the border with Egypt and Libya, as the regular government-aligned army, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), announced its withdrawal from the area. The announcements on Wednesday came a day after SAF accused forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar of launching a cross-border attack alongside the RSF, the first allegation of direct Libyan involvement in the Sudanese war. “As part of its defensive arrangements to repel aggression, our forces today evacuated the triangle area overlooking the borders between Sudan, Egypt and Libya,” army spokesperson Nabil Abdallah said in a statement. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم القيادة العامة للقوات المسلحة تعميم صحفي الأربعاء ١١ يونيو ٢٠٢٥م في إطار ترتيباتها الدفاعية لصد العدوان، أخلت قواتنا اليوم منطقة المثلث المطلة علي الحدود بين السودان ومصر وليبيا. (نصر من الله وفتح قريب) مكتب الناطق الرسمي باسم القوات المسلحة General… pic.twitter.com/3o5Z1xDfb0 — القوات المسلحة السودانية (@SudaneseAF) June 11, 2025 Advertisement Since April 2023, the brutal civil war has pitted SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his erstwhile ally Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the RSF, in a bitter power struggle. In a statement on Wednesday, the RSF said its fighters had “liberated the strategic triangle area”, adding that army forces had retreated southward “after suffering heavy losses”. SAF said on Tuesday that Haftar’s troops, in coordination with the RSF, attacked its border positions in a move it called “a blatant aggression against Sudan”. Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also accused the United Arab Emirates of backing the assault, describing it as a “dangerous escalation” and a “flagrant violation of international law”. It also described the latest clash as part of a broader foreign-backed conspiracy. Haftar, who controls eastern Libya, has long maintained close ties with both the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. While Cairo has supported Sudan’s leadership under Burhan since the war began in April 2023, Khartoum has repeatedly accused the UAE of supplying the RSF with weapons, which the Emirati government has denied. Tensions between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi escalated in May after drone strikes hit the wartime capital of Port Sudan for the first time since the outbreak of the war. After the attacks, Sudan severed its diplomatic ties with the UAE and declared it an “aggressor state”. Since the war began more than two years ago, multiple countries have been drawn in. It has effectively split Sudan in two, with SAF holding the centre, east and north, including the capital Khartoum, while the paramilitaries and their allies control nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south. Advertisement The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million, including four million who fled abroad, triggering what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Efforts by international mediators to halt the fighting have so far failed, with violence continuing to escalate across the western Darfur region and the Kordofan region in the country’s south. Adblock test (Why?)
Why is violence by Boko Haram and ISIL rising again in Nigeria?
Defence chief suggests fencing off borders around the country. Renewed violence by armed groups Boko Haram and ISIL (ISIS) has forced thousands of people to leave their homes in Nigeria. Despite repeated government pledges, the military has been unable to end the unrest. So why is it continuing – and what threats does it pose? Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam Guests: Kabir Adamu – Managing director at Beacon Security and Intelligence in Abuja David Otto – Deputy director of counterterrorism training at the International Academy for the Fight Against Terrorism in Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ovigwe Eguegu – Peace and security policy analyst at Development Reimagined in Abuja Adblock test (Why?)
Gangster Goldy Brar makes BIG statement on Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder: ‘We had no option but…’
Gangster Goldy Brar has opened up on the killing of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, who was gunned down in broad daylight on May 29, 2022. In a conversation with BBC World Service, Goldy Brar justified the killing, saying Moose Wala had committed “unforgivable” mistakes.