AOC downplays LA riots as mere ‘teens’ throwing rocks, pins blame on Trump
“Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., downplayed the recent riots in Los Angeles, attributing the chaos to unruly teens – not violent anarchists – and blaming former President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown for the unrest. Ocasio-Cortez took to the social media platform Bluesky on Tuesday and said Democrats don’t need to “answer for every teen who throws a rock” and that her party was falling into a Republican trap by trying to explain why parts of the sanctuary city had gone up in flames. She instead blamed President Trump for the chaotic scenes that have resulted in property burned and rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at law enforcement as some agitators waved Mexican flags. CALIFORNIA SHERIFF SAYS NEWSOM ‘ENCOURAGED’ LA RIOTS AS ICE ARRESTS VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIENS The ugly scenes that kicked off on Friday prompted Trump to deploy the National Guard and the U.S. Marines. “It is 100% carrying water for the opposition to participate in this collective delusion that Dems for some reason need to answer for every teen who throws a rock rather than hold the Trump admin accountable for intentionally creating chaos and breaking the law to stoke violence,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “They are in charge.” Rioters have been seen throwing rocks on police cars and at police while one violent individual was caught on video pelting several moving law enforcement vehicles in Paramount, California, as they drove past him. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SLAM DEMOCRATS FOR ‘DANGEROUS’ RHETORIC AS ICE AGENTS FACE VIOLENT MOBS IN LA, NYC He was identified as Elpidio Reyna, and an image of Reyna released by U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli clearly shows he is an adult. He is still at large and the FBI initially offered a $50,000 cash reward for information leading to his arrest. In a second post, Ocasio-Cortez blamed Trump for the unrest, writing that his decision to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) out to apprehend illegal migrants triggered the response in Los Angeles. Trump swept to victory in November promising to carry out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history and arrested more than 66,000 people and deported approximately 65,000 in the first 100 days of his second presidency. “Everything was fine until Trump decided to unleash violent raids w/o grounds in elementary schools, shopping areas, & peaceful public spaces. ICE then illegally blocked Members of Congress entry into the facilities they are disappearing people into, escalating the situation,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote, referring to members of Congress recently turning up at a New Jersey ICE detention center unannounced. “Let’s start there,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Bluesky, a competitor to X. She did not post her comments to X and instead shared the bluesky posts to her Instagram stories. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced that ICE arrested a previously deported illegal immigrant from Mexico after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement amid rioting in Los Angeles on June 7. He’s been charged with attempted murder. Rioters have also set off fireworks at police officers and vehicles, vandalized property with graffiti, looted businesses and smashed windows of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters. California Gov. Gavin Newson and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass have also tried to pin the blame on Trump. The president and his allies, meanwhile, maintain that he acted boldly and that the situation would have escalated further had he not done so. “If our troops didn’t go into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now, just like so much of their housing burned to the ground,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday morning. “The great people of Los Angeles are very lucky that I made the decision to go in and help!!!”
White House rips ‘shameful’ LA riots as Trump steps in where Newsom, Bass failed, Leavitt says
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned the protest and riots in Los Angeles as “shameful” on Wednesday, blasting California officials for failing to reign in “left-wing radicals.” Leavitt made the comments as soon as she took the podium at a Wednesday press briefing. She emphasized President Donald Trump’s efforts to quash the “mob rule” seen in the city while accusing California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of failing to serve their constituents. “They didn’t have the courage to do the right thing and protect law-abiding Californians from rioters,” Leavitt said of the officials. “That’s why President Trump deployed the National Guard and mobilized Marines to end the chaos and restore law and order.” “The mob violence is being stomped out. The criminals responsible will be swiftly brought to justice, and the Trump administration’s operations to arrest illegal aliens are continuing unabated,” she added. WATCH: DEM, MEDIA OUTLETS INSIST LA ANTI-ICE RIOTS ARE ‘PEACEFUL’ DESPITE VIOLENCE, INJURED COPS Leavitt went on to field questions from reporters about the “specific criteria” that Trump used to federalize California’s National Guard. CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins argued members of the military would not be able to conduct arrests unless Trump invoked the Insurrection Act. “As you know, the president federalized the national guard under U.S. Code 10,” Leavitt responded. THE POLITICS OF TRUMP’S MOVE TO QUELL ANTI-ICE UNREST IN LOS ANGELES APPEAR TO PUT DEMOCRATS ON DEFENSE Trump deployed 2,000 National Guardsman to Los Angeles this week, as well as 700 U.S. Marines. Trump suggested earlier this week that he would be willing to arrest Newsom if his administration obstructs ICE operations amid riots in Los Angeles. “He’s daring Tom Homan to come and arrest him. Should he do it?” Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked. NEWSOM SAY LOS ANGELES RIOTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED, SLAMS TRUMP FOR ‘TRAUMATIZING OUR COMMUNITIES’ “I would do it if I were Tom,” Trump responded. “I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity. But I do think it would be a great thing. He’s done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent. Everybody knows.” Trump has also 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. Newsom swiftly responded to Trump’s comments in a post on social media.
Immigrant shelter whistleblower asking DOJ to investigate ‘disturbing pattern’ at taxpayer-funded hotels
A former immigrant shelter director in Massachusetts is petitioning Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the “disturbing pattern” of criminal activity, sexual assaults and financial abuse that he says is widespread in the state-run migrant shelter system. Jon Fetherston, a former director of an immigrant shelter in Marlborough, Massachusetts, first blew the whistle about the widespread abuse in the shelter system after he discovered a Haitian migrant named Ronald Joseph, who was living in his shelter, had repeatedly raped and impregnated his 13-year-old daughter. Fetherston previously told Fox News Digital that as soon as Joseph heard he was losing custody of his daughter, he “reached across the table and grabbed me and got angry with me and started cursing and yelling and screaming and swinging at me because he realized what was happening.” However, instead of being arrested immediately, Fetherston was directed to order Joseph a Lyft ride to another shelter in Worcester County. Joseph was not arrested until eight months in February. US ATTORNEY ALINA HABBA ANNOUNCES REP. MCIVER HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES OVER NEWARK ICE CLASH Though this case was particularly egregious, Fetherston said that “there is a lot of undocumented violence that goes on” and that rape, domestic violence, sex trafficking, drug dealing and other crimes are so commonplace in the Massachusetts shelter system that many incidents simply fall through the cracks. Fetherston said, “The entire experience has shaken me to my core.” In a letter sent to Bondi this Monday, Fetherston said that this was “not an isolated incident” but despite his raising the alarm, “there has been a deliberate wall of silence. No reforms. No accountability. Just more spin, stonewalling, and bureaucratic excuses.” “This is a crisis—one that requires federal action now,” he said. Fetherston is now asking Bondi to launch a full investigation into criminal activity and sexual violence within Massachusetts-run migrant shelters, widespread fraud and misuse of federal and state funds, the deliberate refusal to coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies and the pattern of retaliation against those reporting abuse, danger or misconduct. REPUBLICAN STATE AGS SEEK ‘GAME PLAN’ FROM FBI, DOJ AMID ‘GROWING WAVE OF ANTISEMITIC DOMESTIC TERRORISM’ The former shelter director-turned-whistleblower said that “these crimes and failures cannot be brushed aside any longer,” because “innocent people—especially children—are being hurt, and the people responsible are being protected by silence and political calculation.” Fetherston placed much of the blame for rampant mismanagement and abuse in the shelter system on Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who has been extremely critical of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Fetherston said that “the impact of the Healey administration’s hotel shelter policy has been devastating for both residents inside the shelters and the local communities surrounding them.” “I personally witnessed traumatic incidents—including assaults, fraud, and serious mental health crises—with minimal intervention from the state,” he said. BLUE STATE GOVERNOR SOUNDS OFF ABOUT ‘DISTURBING’ ICE OPERATIONS ON AFFLUENT LIBERAL ISLANDS “Families were placed in overcrowded, poorly managed facilities with little to no oversight, where safety was constantly compromised,” he explained. “Local communities were never consulted, resulting in growing resentment and fear. Neighborhoods saw increased police calls, strain on emergency services, and the burden of absorbing hundreds of people without additional resources.” He said the Healey administration’s “lack of transparency and refusal to collaborate with municipalities left both residents and local officials in the dark, with serious consequences.” He also claimed he has faced retaliation for speaking out, including “having my safety threatened, being publicly discredited, and physically targeted.” “If you challenge the narrative, you’re silenced,” he said. “That culture of suppression has created a dangerous environment where truth is buried and accountability is nonexistent.” HANDFUL OF HOUSE DEMOCRATS JOIN REPUBLICANS IN SANCTUARY CITY CRACKDOWN Healey’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Healey has previously expressed outrage and called for a full audit of the state’s shelters after it was discovered that a 28-year-old illegal immigrant, Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, was discovered using a shelter to store an AR-15 and nearly $1 million in illegal drugs.
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
New research reveals the planned expansion of gas-fired electrical generation to power artificial intelligence and other heavy industries.
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?)