Ex-cop and 9/11 first responder secures Dem nod in bid to unseat firebrand conservative
Michael DeCillis, a former New York Police Department officer, won a Democratic primary on Tuesday evening, securing his party’s nomination to take on incumbent Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y. The race is among many pivotal matchups set to determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a slim majority. Although New York Republicans have often found themselves the target of Democratic efforts to flip seats, DeCillis faces an uphill challenge in November. DeCillis has argued that congressional resistance to President Donald Trump is key to preventing executive overreach. NYC’S LONE HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLEDGES TO DEFEAT DEMOCRAT REDISTRICTING THREAT TO HER SEAT “He understands that our democracy is disappearing in real time,” DeCillis’ campaign website reads. “In the next Congress, Mike will fight to build guardrails to protect our rights and ensure the government serves everyone — not just billionaires.” Throughout his campaign, DeCillis has touted his diverse background in public service and deep ties to the community in New York, pointing out that he is a fourth-generation Staten Islander and a third-generation union member. “I’ve worked in EMS as a paramedic for over a decade, was a 9/11 first responder, helping firefighters at Ground Zero, I’ve walked the streets of New York City as a police officer and taught as a special education teacher in our public schools,” DeCillis said in a campaign video. LAWMAKER DECRIES RISE IN ANTISEMITISM IN NYC, CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY DeCillis has run for the seat twice before — once in 2018 and in 2022. In both races, he dropped out before the general election. Now in his third challenge, DeCillis is painting Malliotakis as a MAGA-aligned Republican, out of touch with the split voter demographic in the state, and calling her a “MAGA loyalist.” “President Trump and Republicans like Nicole Malliotakis are destroying democracy at home and diplomacy and security abroad,” DeCillis said in a post to X. IN THE WAKE OF MANHATTAN MASS SHOOTING, NYC LAWMAKER URGES NEW YORKERS TO REMAIN ‘VIGILANT’ Malliotakis last won reelection in 2024 with a 63.8% to 35.8% victory over Democratic challenger Andrea Morse, an attorney and small-business owner. Having cleared the primary, DeCillis will face off against Malliotakis in the Nov. 3 general election.
Mamdani-backed socialist prevails in crowded primary to replace retiring rep
Mamdani-endorsed state assembly member Claire Valdez secured the Democratic nomination Tuesday after defeating a crowded field in the primary for New York’s 7th Congressional District. The democratic socialist, who had been leading in the polls, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, City Council Member Julie Won and civil rights attorney Vichal Kumar to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y. Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, announced she would not seek re-election in November after more than three decades in office. In an endorsement posted on her campaign website, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised Valdez for supporting him during his mayoral campaign and sharing his progressive vision. HASAN PIKER CELEBRATES AMERICA BEING ‘CLOSER THAN EVER’ TO SOCIALISM AS HE BACKS NYC CANDIDATES “Claire Valdez stood with me on day one because she understands how change is won — by building power, raising expectations and delivering for working people,” Mamdani said. “She comes from the labor movement and knows how to turn struggle into real gains on housing, health care and workers’ rights. That’s the kind of partner I need in Congress, and why I’m proud to endorse her.” Velázquez, who also supported Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, publicly slammed the mayor in January after he endorsed Valdez over Reynoso. “Honeymoons are short, and people need to pay attention to the work at hand,” she told The New York Times. MAMDANI’S PRIMARY WIN EXPOSES DEMOCRAT DIVIDE AS TOP LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS “Primaries sometimes can be a distraction from the work that you need to do,” Velázquez said, adding that the mayor’s involvement “opens up fights” with the people he governs. Valdez, a vocal critic of Israel, has called to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), expand universal healthcare, raise taxes on the wealthy, boost affordable housing and strengthen unions. “It’s a district that doesn’t just want strongly worded letters but a real economic vision to win the working class away from Trumpism,” according to her campaign website. “That’s what Claire will deliver.” SOCIALISTS CHEER ‘SHOCKWAVE’ PRIMARY NIGHT AS DSA-BACKED CANDIDATES WIN, ADVANCE ACROSS THE MAP Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and the Justice Democrats, the progressive group that helped launch Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s insurgent House campaign in 2018, have also thrown their support behind Valdez in the race to represent the district, which spans progressive strongholds across Brooklyn and Queens. At a Brooklyn rally this month for candidates endorsed by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Piker called Valdez and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who is seeking to oust five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., in New York’s 13th Congressional District, “giants” of the socialist movement. “For the longest time, I thought we were so far away from socialism, and we might still be far away from socialism, but we do have an opportunity right here, right now, more than ever before,” Piker said at the rally. Piker added that this could be one of many victories for the socialist movement. “By the end of these midterms, Zohran will seem unremarkable because, by then, we will have elected so many brilliant fighters into legislative offices throughout New York City and the state,” Piker said. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.
Texas officials say rodents and other small wildlife could be to blame for New World Screwworm infestations
Until now, cattle were believed to be the main screwworm carriers. Investigations continue.
TribCast: What a new secretary of state could mean for Texas elections
With the midterms fast approaching, Texas’ top elections administrator is out the door. Who will be next — and what awaits them in the role?
Texas leaders are asking data centers how much water they use. Most aren’t responding.
Data centers use water to cool their massive arrays of computer servers. A state agency sent out a survey to figure out how much, but less than a third of the companies responded.
Trump foe wins crucial Dem primary as 2028 presidential speculation swirls
Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, whom pundits consider a potential 2028 presidential contender, is one step closer to winning re-election this year. Moore on Tuesday captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in the solidly blue Mid-Atlantic state, the Associated Press reports. Moore and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, easily dispatched a primary challenge from Eric Felber and his running mate, LaTrece Hawkins Lytes. Felber, a physician, unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin in the 2024 primary in the state’s 8th Congressional District. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket in Maryland. The Democratic ticket will face the winners of a nine-way Republican primary field. Moore is running for re-election this year amid speculation that he also is eyeing a run for the White House in 2028, in the race to succeed term-limited President Donald Trump. Democrats are expected to field a large and competitive field in the race for their party’s presidential nomination. The governor has consistently ruled out running for the White House in 2028, saying that his political focus is on his home state and his 2026 re-election. But regardless, Moore remains a top Democratic Party surrogate in national politics. And Moore, a 47-year-old Army veteran, who is also a Rhodes Scholar and was CEO of the charitable organization the Robin Hood Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic, is viewed as a rising star in the party. Moore, the nation’s only Black governor, has had a combustible relationship with Trump, which has included very public feuds and verbal sparring, and clashes over policy. Earlier this year, Trump initially excluded Moore from a National Governors Association dinner at the White House, charging that the governor was “not worthy” of attending.
Trump fuels hopes for nationwide right-to-carry legislation with surprise declaration at Pennsylvania event
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration is “working on” national right-to-carry legislation, a comment that could signal White House support for a proposal that would dramatically expand firearm carry rights across the U.S. While speaking at the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Trump recognized National Rifle Association (NRA) President Bill Bachenberg in the crowd, saying the organization has endorsed him since the beginning because he “saved the Second Amendment.” Trump then asked attendees whether they supported national right-to-carry legislation before adding, “Yeah, we’re working on it.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the NRA and the White House for comment. HOUSE GOP MOUNTS TRUMP-BACKED PUSH TO EXPAND CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS Trump’s comments come more than three months after Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced the National Constitutional Carry Act, legislation that would eliminate concealed-carry permit requirements nationwide for eligible Americans. “The Founders established a national right to keep and bear arms, not to ask for permission from hostile local officials or risk imprisonment for crossing the wrong state line,” Lee said in a statement to Fox News Digital in March. JOHN RICH: LET’S STRENGTHEN THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN “Many states already protect the right to carry without a permit, and it’s time to reaffirm this right for all law-abiding Americans,” he continued. “The National Constitutional Carry Act will establish nationwide permitless carry to keep America safe and her people free.” Currently, 29 states allow some form of constitutional carry, meaning residents can carry a concealed firearm without a permit. BIDEN TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER AIMED AT REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE Lee’s legislation would allow eligible Americans who can legally possess firearms to carry concealed weapons nationwide without obtaining a permit. The bill would also prohibit states and local governments from imposing licensing requirements, fees or criminal penalties on otherwise lawful public carry while preserving restrictions in certain secured locations and on private property where firearms are prohibited. The legislation would also ensure that individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law would remain barred from carrying them. The bill was previously introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the House in 2024, but did not become law. Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
Trump endorsement streak gets unusual boost with South Carolina GOP governor nomination
COLUMBIA, S.C. – He wasn’t on the ballot, but President Donald Trump was a winner in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial runoff. The candidate Trump endorsed, state Attorney General Alan Wilson, defeated Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to capture the GOP nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, the Associated Press reported Tuesday just 26 minutes after the polls closed. But there was no way Trump could lose in the South Carolina runoff, which was shaping up to be the latest test of Trump’s immense grip over the GOP and the power of his endorsements in Republican nominating contests. That’s because Trump endorsed both candidates. DOUBLE ENDORSEMENT DRAMA: TRUMP HEDGES HIS BET IN SOUTH CAROLINA Trump endorsed Evette late last month, a week and a half before the gubernatorial primary. Evette finished on top of a crowded field of contenders in the primary election, with Wilson second. The field also included Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy. Since no candidate won a majority of the vote, as the top two finishers, Evette and Wilson advanced to Tuesday’s runoff. Mace and Norman endorsed Wilson after failing to advance to the runoff. And Wilson was also backed a week ago by Sen. Ted Cruz, the conservative firebrand from Texas. Trump, meanwhile, made an 11th-hour endorsement on Friday, backing Wilson in addition to his earlier endorsement of Evette, in what appeared to be a move by the president to hedge his bet. Wilson , in his victory speech, gave a shout-out to the president. “I believe he recognized what we’ve been doing,” Wilson said of Trump. “I think he saw the fight in our campaign and the energy in our campaign. I think he likes a fight. I think that’s what won him over.” And Wilson, pointing to Trump, added, “I look forward to working with you as we move forward.” The runoff between Evette and Wilson became combustible, and in last week’s final debate, both candidates launched personal attacks and accused each other of lying and misrepresenting their records. Wilson worked to contrast his tenure as attorney general with what he argued is Evette’s largely ceremonial role as lieutenant governor. And he spotlighted his experience as a combat veteran, prosecutor, and the state’s top law enforcement official. Wilson, in his speech, also praised Evette and welcomed her supporters to join him. Evette, in a social media post, wrote, “I called Alan Wilson to congratulate him on his win and to tell him that he has my support as our party’s nominee. I ask you to join me in doing everything to ensure a win in November.” Evette, who was backed by McMaster in February, showcased herself as an outsider and a Trump-endorsed businesswoman, while casting Wilson as a career politician. “The president had a lot of confidence in me when it was a crowded field, and I won it for him on June 9. I’m going to win it for him again on June 23,” Evette told Fox News Digital on the eve of the runoff. “I have always been very loyal to the president. I’ve traveled wherever he’s asked me to help stump for him, fundraise for him.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Wilson, campaigning with Cruz on the eve of the runoff, pointed to Trump and said in a Fox News Digital interview, “I’ve been fighting and defending his agenda for the better part of a decade, and to have the president reflect that understanding in his endorsement a few days ago means so much to me.” Cruz, who endorsed Wilson a week ahead of Trump’s backing, told Fox News Digital, “I was very glad to see the president endorsing Alan Wilson… My philosophy, as you know, is that I support the strongest conservative who can win, and I think in the governor’s race that’s Alan Wilson.” It’s been 28 years since a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in South Carolina, and Wilson will now be considered the clear favorite in the general election against Democratic nominee Jermaine Johnson, a state representative. “Wilson is a combat veteran, a seasoned prosecutor, and a proud patriot. As Attorney General, he fought back against Biden’s radical federal overreach, dismantled dangerous cartel networks, and put child predators behind bars,” Republican Governors Association Chair Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana said in a statement. “As governor, Wilson will continue defending the people of South Carolina and ensure families stay safe and free.” But Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper, in a statement, emphasized, “In South Carolina, costs are too high, health care is too inaccessible, and schools are failing – and Alan Wilson would just make things worse. Wilson opposes Medicaid expansion, has repeatedly defended the state’s extreme abortion ban, and is part of the same group of insiders who have failed South Carolina.” The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past two months, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention. But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped three weeks ago when his last-minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory. Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. Trump rebounded two weeks ago, as Evette finished first in the GOP gubernatorial primary and longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina won a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff. Graham, who was endorsed
Trump scores major win as Congress passes housing crackdown on Wall Street investors
President Donald Trump scored a major legislative win after Congress cleared a sweeping housing bill aimed at expanding the nation’s supply of homes and lowering costs. House lawmakers voted 358-32 in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote Tuesday to approve the Senate-passed measure with opposition coming solely from Republicans. Every Democrat present voted for the package. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, one of the most significant housing bills approved by Congress in decades, largely incorporates Trump’s proposal to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes — a measure designed to help individual buyers compete with private equity firms. It would also streamline federal environmental reviews for housing, loosen regulations around the construction of factory-built homes, and incentivize local governments to reform their zoning laws to allow for more homebuilding, among its more than 45 provisions. ONE IN THREE ADULTS UNDER 35 LIVES WITH PARENTS AS HOUSING COSTS SOAR, DATA SHOWS Other sections would allocate federal grants to municipalities with a track record of constructing new homes and create a pilot program to help communities redevelop vacant properties. “The package focuses on a simple idea of building more homes, which means lower costs and more expanded opportunities for all Americans,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., said Tuesday. The president is expected to promptly sign the measure into law as soon as Wednesday. Tuesday’s vote comes as home prices have surged in recent years, with the median nationwide price tag topping $400,000 and the median asking rent climbing above $1,760, representing an increase of 34.4% and 17.9%, respectively, since 2019, according to analysis from Realtor.com. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., brought the measure to the floor under a fast-track procedure known as suspension of the rules that required a two-thirds majority to secure passage. In the end, more Democrats supported the legislation than Republicans. I TRIED FOR YEARS TO BUY A HOME. WALL STREET ALWAYS BEAT ME — TRUMP MADE THE RIGHT CALL Some of the more than two dozen conservatives voted against the housing bill in protest of the SAVE America Act not being attached to the package. That legislation — mandating voter identification requirements, cracking down on mail-in voting and barring men from women’s sports, among other provisions — has failed to clear the Senate’s legislative filibuster and has not received a vote in the House. “The Senate cannot keep obstructing President Trump’s agenda while ignoring election integrity,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wrote on social media. “I call on my fellow colleagues to stand firm and honor their pledge.” The group of conservatives has also advocated for the SAVE America Act to be paired with the reauthorization of a critical surveillance authority, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, though that is unlikely to materialize amid intraparty disagreement. Some Republicans also opposed the Trump-backed measure, citing the inclusion of provisions offered by progressive Democrats. “The Housing bill is full of big government garbage & spending,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on social media. The housing bill’s package comes after the House and Senate exhausted months ironing out disagreements about how to implement restrictions on private equity investors and a temporary ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDC) — an unrelated proposal sought by GOP privacy hawks. Both chambers ultimately agreed to a provision that would restrict large investors owning more than 350 single-family homes from purchasing additional ones, while creating exceptions for the construction of rental properties. However, investors that exceed the new threshold would not be required to sell existing holdings. Critics have argued that large investors are not the source of supply constraints, with those firms owning less than 1% of the nation’s housing stock, according to Parcl Labs. Their ownership of single-family rental properties is slightly higher, ranging from 1% to 3%, with the presence of large investors highly concentrated in certain rental markets, including Jacksonville, Fla., (22%) and Phoenix (13%), according to a March Government Accountability Office report. The housing bill’s passage comes as Republicans are facing electoral headwinds from voters who are souring on the current state of the economy and cost of living. But the soon-to-be law could give Republicans a concrete example taken to address housing affordability — a key issue for voters heading into November’s midterm elections. Just 31% of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, according to a Fox News poll released last week. That was a 2-point improvement after the measure hit an all-time low of 29% in May.
Biden judge overruled on key Trump immigration policy
The Trump administration scored a major immigration win Monday after a federal appeals court revived its nationwide expedited removal policy, clearing the way for the Department of Homeland Security to resume fast-track deportations of eligible illegal immigrants. The ruling allows federal immigration authorities to quickly remove certain migrants found anywhere in the country if they were not lawfully admitted or paroled into the U.S. and cannot show they have continuously lived in the country for at least two years. In a 2-1 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated a lower court order that had blocked the policy, concluding that challengers were unlikely to succeed on their claims that the expansion violates constitutional due process protections. “DHS thereby exercised its discretion to apply its expedited-removal authority to the maximum extent allowed by law,” Judge Justin Walker wrote for the court. TRUMP’S ICE LAUNCHES BOLD COURTHOUSE MIGRANT ARREST STRATEGY TO FAST-TRACK DEPORTATIONS BIDEN AVOIDED DHS praised the ruling. “For years, DHS has arbitrarily limited expedited removal to 14 days even though it applies to illegal aliens who entered the country illegally within the last two years,” DHS General Counsel James Percival said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Today, the D.C. Circuit vindicated our decision to apply the law as written. It’s not too late to take a $2,600 check and a free flight home!” The ruling reverses a nationwide stay issued by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a Biden appointee, who found the policy created a significant risk that individuals could be wrongly deported before having a meaningful opportunity to prove they were exempt from expedited removal. The Trump administration first expanded expedited removal nationwide during Trump’s first term in 2019. The Biden administration later rescinded the policy before DHS reinstated it shortly after Trump returned to office in January 2025. The majority concluded that the Constitution requires the government to notify illegal immigrants when they are facing deportation and give them an opportunity to respond, but does not require immigration officials to explain every potential legal defense that could prevent their removal. APPEALS COURT GRANTS TRUMP SHORT-TERM WIN OVER BOASBERG IN IMMIGRATION RULING “The constitutional requirement is notice of the action the government is taking and the grounds for it, plus an opportunity to respond,” Walker wrote. “It is not a requirement that the government explain how the individual might prevail.” The court rejected arguments that DHS must proactively inform individuals they can avoid expedited removal by proving they have continuously lived in the United States for at least two years. “If due process requires the government to inform individuals of the two-year continuous-presence rule, it presumably also requires informing them of every other basis for contesting expedited removal,” Walker wrote. “Make the Road offers no limiting principle and identifies no authority for so expansive a requirement.” The majority also dismissed claims that examples of wrongful deportations demonstrated the policy itself was unconstitutional. “To be sure, the record contains evidence that some aliens have been erroneously subjected to expedited removal despite having been present for more than two years,” the opinion stated. “If so, that’s illegal. But the cause there would be individual officers’ failure to follow the law — not defects in the written directives under review.” Judge Robert Wilkins dissented, arguing that DHS’s procedures do not give migrants a meaningful chance to prove they have lived in the United States for at least two years and therefore may not qualify for expedited removal. “DHS is using procedures that do not allow a meaningful opportunity for noncitizens to demonstrate that they have been continuously present in the United States for two years,” Wilkins wrote.