How a Rhodes Scholar with ties to Cuba’s president organized the convoy that brought Hasan Piker to Havana
This article is the third installment in a three-part Fox News Digital investigative series examining allegations that the Communist Party of Cuba built and cultivated transnational influence networks inside through nonprofits, activist organizations, solidarity campaigns, labor unions, educational exchanges and political delegations. When President Donald Trump intensified sanctions pressure on Cuba’s communist government earlier this year, Twitch streamer Hasan Piker said he turned to a friend for advice. “I hit my friend up, David Adler, and I was like, ‘What do we do?’” Piker recalled in an online interview. “And he’s like, ‘I’m already working on it.’” What followed, according to Piker’s own account, was the assembly of a transnational convoy that brought hundreds of activists, politicians, journalists and organizers from dozens of countries to Cuba, delivering an estimated 40 tons of supplies as part of a campaign branded “Nuestra América Convoy,” or “Our America Convoy.” The remarks offer one of the clearest public disclosures to date of how the popular streamer became involved in a trip that is now drawing scrutiny from federal investigators. Fox News Digital exclusively reported a week ago that Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control recently issued administrative subpoenas to Piker and CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, seeking records related to their Cuba travel, communications and financial activity connected to the convoy, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The requests sought travel records, communications and financial records related to Cuba activities, including possible contacts with Cuban government personnel or entities. Public attention surrounding the trip has largely focused appropriately on CodePink, Piker, Shanghai-based American Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, and Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans, who posted a selfie photo with Piker in Havana. On Monday, Piker raised the attention of even U.S. officials when he said he believes the “real goal” of the Treasury Department investigation is Singham, because he funds “political operations” in the U.S. But an analysis of hundreds of hours of Piker’s livestreams and interviews compiled by computer engineer Jennica Pounds, a data scientist known online as “Data Republican,” repeatedly points to a lesser-known organization that played a central role in planning the mission: Progressive International, run by Piker’s friend, Adler. “What makes Progressive International so dangerous is that, by co-opting progressive values, it provides political legitimacy to authoritarian regimes with longstanding records of repression and gross human rights violations, and whose purpose is to destroy the United States,” said Gelet Martinez Fragela, a Cuban American journalist based in Boca Raton, Fla. “That is precisely the propaganda strategy of the Cuban regime, which has historically used solidarity groups and activist networks as cover to build alliances, raise funds and maintain power while continuing to embed itself within illicit and anti-democratic networks around the world,” she told Fox News Digital. Born in Cuba, Martinez Fragela has been investigating the government of Cuba’s influence in the Western Hemisphere for years, mapping the network it builds activists, nonprofits and governments to activate support for the Communist Party of Cuba. Her website, ADNCuba.com, is blocked on the island. HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER Progressive International is one of the most important of the 145 nonprofits, labor groups, advocacy organizations and activist collectives that Fox News Digital identified as part of a network, mobilizing in support of the Cuban government and the Communist Party of Cuba. Together, the organizations report about $1 billion in combined annual revenue. They are rallying this week to run to the streets in support of Cuba if the U.S. wages military action on the country. Founded in 2020, Progressive International emerged from a political initiative launched by Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, a member of the increasingly powerful Democratic Socialists of America, and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, a far-left politician, after a gathering of activists in Burlington, Vt., from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1, 2018, where organizers called for a new “international progressive movement.” Adler was at the meeting. Today Adler leads a 501(c)(3) nonprofit called Progressive International Exchange Inc., based in Calabasas, Calif., with EIN 93-3021918. Its most recent IRS Form 990 reported only $261,039 in annual revenue and $215,772 in net assets. It isn’t clear if the U.S. nonprofit is related to the “Progressive International” coalition, which is based in Athens, Greece, coordinating massive mobilizations, like the Cuba convoy, conferences and public actions. Progressive International and Adler didn’t respond to a request for comment. At the center of the organization is Adler, who was born in Encino, Calif., graduated from Brown University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and trained at Oxford University as a political economist. He previously directed policy for Varoufakis’ “Democracy in Europe Movement,” known as “DiEM25,” and served on Sanders’ foreign policy advisory team before becoming Progressive International’s general coordinator. In 2024, Germany actually barred Varoufakis for leading polarizing anti-Israel protests with local Palestinians. Varoufakis wrote that the decision reflected Germany’s “turn to repression.” According to the public record, Adler occupies an unusual position inside the Cuba solidarity movement, with close ties with the Communist Party of Cuba. Last year, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly intervened on Adler’s behalf when Israeli authorities detained him when he joined a flotilla to Israel, supposedly carrying “aid” to Palestinians in Gaza. A Jewish American, Adler shared a video of himself from the boat awkwardly calling his parents to tell them that he was on the flotilla to Gaza. Qatar’s state-funded anti-Israel TV network, Al Jazeera, shared the video on social media with childhood photos of Adler and its own propaganda spin, writing, “David Adler called his parents from the deck of a flotilla boat to tell them he had joined the mission to Gaza. He is one of many Jewish activists who say they can no longer stay on the sidelines.” In much the same way, the convoy to Cuba was blasted to the world from Havana with an anti-U.S. propaganda theme, criticizing America’s “imperialism.” During the convoy’s visit to Cuba in March, Adler could be
The celeb endorsements boosting Spencer Pratt’s chances of becoming the next LA mayor
As Los Angeles voters prepare to head to the polls next week, reality TV star and online influencer-turned-mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt has gained surprising momentum in the race for mayor. He’s racked up endorsements from fellow reality stars as well as famous actors, musicians and media personalities. Despite a growing list of high-profile supporters, Pratt said in an interview on “Gutfeld!” on Thursday that celebrity endorsements are not a priority for his campaign. “I actually don’t want celebrities to come out and endorse me,” he said, adding the only endorsements he wants are from “the moms and the animal lovers in L.A.” Fox News Digital breaks down the biggest names fueling Pratt’s rise in the second-largest U.S. city ahead of the June 2 primary. During an April 15 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan told Pratt he would vote for him if he could. “Listen, man. I’m voting for you. I can’t vote for you, but I’m rooting for you,” the world’s most famous podcaster said in a sit-down with the mayoral candidate. Rogan relocated from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas in 2020. Still, he told Pratt: “If I lived in Los Angeles, no question whatsoever, I would vote for you.” ROGAN BACKS REALITY TV STAR SPENCER PRATT’S BID FOR LA MAYOR, SAYS ‘I’D VOTE FOR YOU’ Comedian and radio personality Adam Carolla has repeatedly endorsed Pratt. On an April 21 episode of “The Adam Carolla Show,” Pratt outlined his plans to “bring back common sense” to City Hall, and Carolla later wrote on Instagram that Pratt had his “full endorsement for mayor!” Carolla describes himself as a libertarian and supported Andrew Yang’s Democratic primary run in the 2020 presidential election. The actor endorsed Pratt’s mayoral bid during a May 23 exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, saying, “Go Spencer Pratt.” Quaid has previously criticized LA Mayor Karen Bass for traveling to Ghana as the wildfires erupted. The actor was critical of city leaders over water shortages, budget cuts to Los Angeles Fire Department and the broader response to the wildfires. Pratt’s meteoric rise in the campaign stemmed from viral videos of him speaking on the lot of his burned down house and promising to help rebuild Los Angeles. The reality star and heiress to the Hilton Hotels throne backed Pratt on April 24. She promoted “Spencer for Mayor” with a raised-hands emoji on his Instagram video showing the Airstream trailer he has been living in since his Pacific Palisades home was destroyed in the California wildfires. SPENCER PRATT’S HOLLYWOOD UPRISING GROWS AS KATHERINE MCPHEE AND DAVID FOSTER MOCK KAREN BASS AT FUNDRAISER Actor James Woods praised Pratt’s mayoral debate performance in an X post, saying he was “surprisingly effective, direct, polite, and prepared.” He also criticizing Partt’s rivals Mayor Bass and Democrat Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman. “The other two have history as their enemy because everything they’ve done has been a catastrophe,” Woods wrote. “He can absolutely win this thing.” “Hot Mics” host Billy Bush threw his support behind Pratt after the mayoral debate on May 6. Many were surprised at how well Pratt fared and started taking him seriously as a candidate after his showdown with his two Democrat competitors. Bush said that Pratt “won that debate flat out” and calling him “relatable” and “likable” during an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime” earlier this month. He added that the Republican candidate running as an independent doesn’t represent “MAGA” but does appeal to people who have “had enough of mismanagement in our government.” Meghan McCain, conservative commentator and daughter of the late Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, wrote on X that Pratt’s debate performance was “the blueprint” for how “older millennials need to communicate and present their ideas and campaign messaging when running for office.” McCain described Pratt as “10/10 no notes” and echoed Bush and other supporters when saying he “killed the debate” performance. Singer Katharine McPhee and her composer and record producer husband David Foster hosted a star-studded fundraiser for Pratt at their Brentwood Park home. Video went viral of McPhee serenading Pratt at the event. “Spencer, you’re simply the best. Better than all the rest. Better than Karen Bass and Nithya Raman,” she sang to the tune of Tina Turner’s hit “The Best.” McPhee was also listed among the celebrity donors backing Pratt’s campaign. Pratt’s former “The Hills” co-star Kristin Cavallari said on the April 21 episode of her “Let’s Be Honest” podcast that his mayoral run is “f—ing genius.” She praised the registered Republican as an outsider who will “call out the corruption.” While she can’t vote for Pratt as a Tennessee resident, Cavallari encouraged Los Angeles voters to cast their ballots for him in the June 2 election. Brody Jenner, the son of Caitlyn Jenner who co-starred with Pratt in “The Princes of Malibu” and “The Hills,” was one of the candidate’s earliest supporters. He defended Pratt’s intelligence and qualifications in an Instagram Story post after he announced his run for mayor. Jenner said Pratt has “the backbone to stand up to career politicians.” Another fellow reality TV star Audrina Patridge said she was “impressed” by Pratt after listening to his interviews. Pratt “would make a lot of change to L.A. and he would follow through with what he said,” she told Us Weekly in an interview earlier in May. The “Dancing With the Stars” alum, like many who have backed “The Hill” reality star, cannot vote for Pratt because she lives in Orange County and not L.A. proper. WATCH: LEFT-WING LA MAYOR FACES REALITY TV CHALLENGER’S BLUNT TAKEDOWNS IN HEATED MAYORAL DEBATE That isn’t stopping Patridge from “rooting for him.” The model and actress publicly backed Pratt in the comments section of an Instagram post in which he vowed if elected mayor to end the “grift” surrounding homelessness, mental illness and addiction. “The Real Housewives of Miami” star publicly endorsed Pratt after appearing with him at a dog adoption event at The Barkery Encino. In an Instagram video posted after
Former Biden aide sounds alarm on Democratic party backing Platner as scandal deepens: ‘Dangerous game’
Former Press Secretary for First Lady Jill Biden Michael LaRosa said he has been “shocked” by the amount of Democratic support for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and that the Platner campaign reveals a line in the sand within the Democratic Party. “I am shocked at some of the people, some of the Democrats who I consider friends, being so all-or-nothing about this guy, and I don’t really understand why,” LaRosa told Fox News Digital. “He is not really representative of the values I would expect in a Democratic candidate, even by today’s standards. I’m a little surprised at the number of people who are circling the wagons just to beat Susan Collins.” Despite criticism across the political spectrum over Platner’s resurfaced sexually explicit and vulgar online posts, including one mocking a Purple Heart veteran shot multiple times by the Taliban, and a tattoo of a Nazi symbol on his chest have drawn criticism across the political spectrum, Platner continues to lead in the polls. LaRosa accused Democrats of brushing off serious concerns over Platner’s controversial past. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY “Democrats are playing a really dangerous game,” he said. “It’s really funny to me how selective and how short memories are in politics.” LaRosa added that he personally draws the line at backing “a Democrat who has Nazi tattoos,” adding that Platner was “just not for me.” “I get it,” he said. “I want the Senate seat, I want Democrats to win, I want Chuck Schumer to be the majority leader, but I’m not willing to take anybody off the street to run just because they arouse some vibes in a few portions of the Democratic Party.” LaRosa said five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins is “much more my style than somebody who I consider kind of a performative economic populist like Graham Platner,” adding that Platner attended elite private schools that LaRosa’s “family certainly couldn’t afford.” “It’s kind of odd to hear him talk about the elite when he was educated by the most elite of New England prep schools,” LaRosa said. LaRosa told Fox News Digital that he believes winning the election is “just not worth it” if it means supporting Platner. KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT “It’s his own behavior that disqualifies him. It’s his own history of rhetoric, of advocating for political violence, of mocking wounded U.S. soldiers shot by the Taliban. All of that stuff, it’s just not worth it for me as a Democrat.” He said just because Platner is a Democrat does not mean he is qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate. “That does not make him a good candidate,” he said. “It won’t make him a good senator. It just makes him a D. What’s the point in having a party if you don’t have standards anymore?” Despite Platner’s high polling numbers, LaRosa pointed to his experience campaigning in 2020 with former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, who repeatedly surged ahead of Collins in the polls before Collins won re-election in one of the most expensive races in state history, calling it a “cautionary tale.” “Sara Gideon did not trail Susan Collins in a single poll,” he said. “Six years ago, our Democrat outpolled, outraised and outspent Susan Collins, and the state of Maine on Election Day chose both Joe Biden and Susan Collins by 9 points.” Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee in the June 9 primary to decide who will face Collins in November after two-term Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign last month. More moderate stances that have drawn criticism from some Democrats, including Sen. John Fetterman’s support for Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and criticism of Democrats’ handling of border security, “were extremely normal or mainstream in the Democratic Party” years ago but are now being used to purge strong candidates, LaRosa explained. “We’re going to do to John Fetterman exactly what Trump is doing to candidates who opposed him or aren’t with him 100% of the time, and I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t like that my party is going to target John Fetterman for simply having, holding and defending views that were extremely normal or mainstream in the Democratic Party.” He said Democrats could be in for a “major disappointment” and that he personally would not “publicly support, give money to, contribute to or work for” Platner. MAINE GOV JANET MILLS DROPS OUT OF DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR SENATE, SIGNALING SHE STRUGGLED TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY “My party seems to think that this guy represents what the rest of America wants or what Maine voters want or what people outside of the Beltway actually want,” he said. “Democrats believe that Graham Platner seems to represent what people are yearning for and wanting outside of Manhattan and D.C.” LaRosa said the decision is now up to the voters and “Maine now has the choice” to decide if Platner will represent “their values and their views and their anger and their frustrations.” “They now have the opportunity to vote for him or Susan Collins, and we, the Democratic Party, have given and provided Maine that choice for them, and so now they’re going to decide,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.
Man charged with assaulting federal officers after allegedly biting ICE agents at Newark anti-ICE protest
A New Jersey man was arrested after allegedly biting two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a chaotic anti-ICE protest outside a Newark detention facility, authorities said. Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, New Jersey, was arrested Thursday and charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury, according to the Department of Justice. A DOJ news release said the incident took place outside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center, where protesters have gathered for more than a week and have been accused of assaulting federal agents. “Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS CLASH WITH FEDERAL AGENTS OUTSIDE NEWARK DETENTION CENTER “Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities,” Blanche continued. “With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking.” Blanche said additional arrests could follow as authorities continue investigating the demonstrations. “We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct,” he said. WATCH: POLICE ABSENT FROM DELANEY HALL CHAOS AS AGITATORS BLOCK ICE VEHICLES AND AGENTS USE PEPPER SPRAY Nine people were arrested during Thursday’s clashes, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital. The demonstrations have at times turned confrontational, with federal officials saying agents have deployed pepper spray and used crowd-control tactics to push back agitators. “As alleged in the Justice Department’s complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers.” ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY He added that “anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The DOJ said the incident took place around 10:30 a.m. Thursday as federal officers conducted perimeter security operations at the Newark facility. Prosecutors said a large group of demonstrators blocked a roadway leading to the detention center, prompting deportation officers to form a line and advance toward the crowd, which allegedly included Geier. TOP DEM GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT ICE DETENTION CENTER According to prosecutors, demonstrators ignored repeated commands to move back and remained in the roadway. “Geier instead engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle,” the DOJ said in a news release. Both officers were treated at a local hospital, authorities said. The announcement came hours after Blanche said a separate man was arrested outside Delaney Hall for allegedly making death threats against an ICE officer and the officer’s family.
Trump declared ‘fully fit’ for all presidential duties after annual physical shows ‘excellent health’
President Donald Trump remains in “excellent health,” his physician said in a memo released Friday following the president’s annual physical earlier this week. The report came after Trump underwent his annual examination Tuesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “President Donald Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function,” Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the president’s physician, wrote in the memo. “His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being,” Barbabella continued. “Cognitive and physical performance are excellent.” JAKE TAPPER REFUTES JILL BIDEN’S CLAIM SHE FEARED FOR HUSBAND’S HEALTH AT CNN DEBATE “He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” he added. The evaluation included diagnostic studies, laboratory testing and consultations with 22 specialty providers. Trump, who turns 80 in June, is 75 inches tall and weighs 238 pounds. He has a resting heart rate of 73 beats per minute, a blood pressure reading of 105/71 mmHg and an oxygen saturation level of 98% on room air, according to the report. WASHINGTON POST DECLARES AMERICANS DESERVE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO BIDEN’S HEALTH, POSSIBLE COVER-UP The examination did not identify any major health concerns. Barbabella noted scarring on Trump’s right ear from the gunshot wound he suffered during an assassination attempt in 2024. The physician also reported mild lower-leg swelling, which he said had improved from the previous year. WHITE HOUSE EXPLAINS BRUISE ON TRUMP’S HAND SEEN DURING MACRON MEETING Trump underwent a neurological examination that demonstrated “normal mental status,” including cognitive screening in which he scored 30 out of 30, according to the report. Barbabella also noted bruising on the president’s hand “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking in the setting of aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention.” The physician reported no significant abnormalities in Trump’s laboratory results. Trump’s “lifelong abstinence from tobacco and alcohol” was also highlighted in his medical history. According to the memo, Trump currently takes three medications: Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe for cholesterol management, along with aspirin for cardiovascular prevention.
Donna Brazile brushes off Biden’s stroke fears, says Democrats must ‘focus on the future’
Former acting chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Donna Brazile was not interested in talking about former first lady Jill Biden’s comments on being “frightened” watching her husband in the 2024 presidential debate. Jill Biden recently told CBS that while watching her husband’s debate performance against President Donald Trump, she feared he was suffering a medical emergency and thought he might be having a stroke. Her comments renewed attention on concerns about then-President Joe Biden’s age and health, which intensified after his widely scrutinized debate performance. JILL BIDEN SAYS SHE THOUGHT JOE WAS HAVING A STROKE DURING HIS DISASTROUS 2024 DEBATE PERFORMANCE “I don’t want to talk about Jill Biden right now,” Brazile said when Fox News Digital asked her to share her thoughts on the former first lady’s recent comments on her husband’s debate. Fox News Digital pressed Brazile to respond as conversations have been circulating around the 2024 election and what went wrong — particularly following the calling for and release of the 2024 DNC autopsy report, an internal review of the party’s 2024 defeat and the factors that contributed to it. Brazile, referring to herself in the third person, urged Democrats to deny any calls to look to the past, and instead focus on the future of the party and upcoming elections. “Donna Brazile will not focus on the past,” she said. “Donna Brazile want to focus on the future.” She argued Democrats already made their decision in 2024 when Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE FLIP FLOPS, PULLS PLUG ON ITS 2024 ELECTION ‘AUTOPSY’ “We made that decision in 2024 when the then-president decided to step down and pass the torch to Kamala,” Brazile said. A longtime Democratic strategist, Brazile served as interim chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2011 and again in 2016. She has remained an influential voice within Democratic politics through multiple presidential election cycles and has frequently weighed in on the party’s direction following major electoral setbacks. There has been widespread criticism over how Democrats handled concerns about Joe Biden’s age and his cognitive health, and whether that impacted the party’s performance in 2024. DEMS FACE A LITMUS TEST OVER BIDEN’S COGNITIVE ABILITIES There has been continued debate within the Democratic Party about how it handled concerns about Biden’s age and cognitive health for office before he ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Harris. Brazile’s comments highlight a divide between Democrats seeking a fuller accounting of the events that led to Biden’s withdrawal and the party’s 2024 loss and those who believe the focus should shift toward rebuilding ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and future presidential contests. But Brazile made clear where she stands. “Anyone who’s focusing on the past is not focused on the future,” she said. “I’m actually focused on ’26, ’28, ’32.”
Maryland Lt Gov rejects Trump’s corruption claims over mail-in voting error: ‘It happens’
Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller pushed back on President Donald Trump’s call for a Justice Department investigation into a state mail-in ballot error, rejecting allegations of corruption and arguing election administration mistakes occur in almost “every election.” Trump called for the DOJ to open an investigation into some Maryland voters receiving incorrect mail-in ballots for the upcoming primary elections, after election officials admitted to an error by the state’s election board. This prompted Trump to put the blame on Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, accusing him of corruptly interfering with the election process to ensure a win for Democrats. The Maryland State Board of Elections announced that it had been “made aware of an error by our mail-in ballot vendor,” Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc. TRUMP CALLS FOR DOJ PROBE INTO MARYLAND MAIL-IN BALLOT ERROR, SUSPECTING ‘CORRUPT’ GOV. WES MOORE TIES “This was done by the Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore,” Trump wrote on Truth Social May 18. “He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win. Miller told Fox News Digital that the Maryland State Board of Elections operates independently from the governor’s administration and characterized ballot-distribution errors as a recurring issue in election administration. “The administration, they’re a separate body from us, the board of elections,” Miller said. “And it happens, sometimes,” she continued. “Ballots get mailed the wrong way. It happens almost in every election. While election administration errors have occurred in Maryland, including a voter-roll software glitch in 2018, there is no publicly available evidence showing that incorrect mail ballots are an “every election” occurrence. The state elections board will send out new ballots to all voters who were mailed one before May 14, acknowledging that many voters receiving new ballots may not have been affected by the mishap. The state elections board said there was “no risk of duplicate voting as a result of this issue,” claiming the state has safeguards in place to avoid this from happening. Trump also questioned how the issue would be resolved without any potential threat of duplicate voting. POLITICAL STINK: MARYLAND GOV. WES MOORE CALLS TRUMP’S SEWAGE SPILL BLAME ‘ABSURD’ “In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent.” “In addition, many of these Ballots went to Democrats, so any Republican running in Maryland doesn’t have a chance!” Miller rejected the idea that this issue was intentional or was the result of corruption within the state. “I don’t think it was in malice, in any bad way that this happened,” she told Fox News Digital. “I think it was just error by the vendor.” State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis also denied Trump’s claim that any “illegal” ballots were distributed. MARYLAND BALLOT BLUNDER TRIGGERS GOP PUSH FOR FEDERAL REVIEW OF BLUE STATE’S VOTER ROLLS Trump said he has asked Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department to investigate the ballot error, but the DOJ has not publicly announced the opening of an investigation. Miller also said that she has not had any information shared with her by the DOJ into what the investigation will entail. “We’ll see what the investigation shows,” Miller said.
Iran war live: Trump due to make ‘final determination’ on deal with Tehran
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Israel pushes deeper into Lebanon just days after Israel’s prime minister ordered the occupation of Gaza to expand to 70 percent of the Palestinian territory. Published On 30 May 202630 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
First survivor rescued from flooded cave in Laos
NewsFeed Divers in Laos have rescued the first of five villagers trapped in a flooded cave for more than a week. The men entered the cave to look for gold before flash floods blocked their escape. Two other villagers are still missing. Published On 30 May 202630 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Louisiana lawmakers pass congressional map favouring Republicans
Louisiana lawmakers have passed a new map of congressional districts designed to help Republicans pick up a seat in the United States House of Representatives. But to do so, the map eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts, both of which are represented by Democrats. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Approval in Louisiana’s legislature came on Friday. It follows an April decision from the US Supreme Court striking down Louisiana’s current map as an illegal racial gerrymander because it was drawn to include two majority-Black districts. That ruling, in the case Louisiana v Callais, weakened the landmark 1965 federal Voting Rights Act, meant to prevent discrimination against minorities at the ballot box. It also intensified a national redistricting battle fuelled by President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect the Republicans’ slim House majority in the midterm elections. Louisiana is one of several Southern states now redrawing their maps to help Republicans. Louisiana Republicans had considered drawing a map giving the party a shot at winning all six of the state’s US House seats. But that would have required adding more registered Democrats to Republican-held districts, which could have potentially backfired with Republican losses. Republicans currently hold four of Louisiana’s six congressional seats, and they are slated to pick up a fifth with the newly passed map. It was approved on Friday by the Louisiana state Senate in a 28-to-10 vote. ‘Vicious race to the bottom’ Republican Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the new map into law, even as threats of more litigation emerged Friday. Advertisement A half-hour Senate floor debate revolved around Democrats contending that the proposed map is racially gerrymandered to squeeze more Black voters, who tend to be registered Democrats, into a single district. Democratic state Senator Royce Duplessis pointed out that some fellow Southern states, such as South Carolina, had refused to redraw their maps in the middle of an election year. He warned that Louisiana is participating in a “vicious, vicious race to the bottom” by participating in the redistricting push. The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Senator Jay Morris, repeatedly insisted that party affiliation, not race, drove the new district boundaries. “I purposely put more Democrats into District 2 to make the remaining districts better performing for Republicans,” Morris said at one point. Morris said he instructed the map demographers to avoid including any data on race or including those statistics in information shared with lawmakers before the vote. Democratic state Senator Sam Jenkins told Morris, “I think it’s a racially gerrymandered district that’s going to get us into a lot of trouble here.” “Agree to disagree,” Morris told Jenkins. More litigation expected in Louisiana Louisiana is currently using a map ordered by a lower court in 2024 to comply with the Voting Rights Act. It includes a second district with a majority-Black population. That map, however, was challenged in court, and the Supreme Court responded on April 30 by striking it down as an illegal racial gerrymander. Landry has postponed the state’s closed US House primary slated for May 16 to allow for the new congressional map to be implemented. He later signed a law making the US primary open and shifted the date to November 3 to allow time for Republican lawmakers to draw and pass a new map. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will be on the ballot for voters in their district. The proposed map redraws a district currently represented by Democratic Representative Cleo Fields, clustering it around predominantly white communities in the Baton Rouge area and southern Louisiana. It also adds part of Baton Rouge to a heavily Democratic, majority-Black district based in New Orleans, represented by Democratic Representative Troy Carter. More lawsuits are expected over the new map. Democrats say the proposed map could draw a legal challenge over racial gerrymandering, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Louisiana suggested Friday that it could sue, calling the map a “racial gerrymander hiding behind the thin veneer of partisanship”. Advertisement “This fight is just beginning,” the ACLU branch added. Meanwhile, the victorious plaintiffs in the US Supreme Court’s decision criticised the legislature’s map for leaving a majority-Black district in place. Nationwide battle over district lines In the weeks following the Supreme Court’s decision, other Republican-controlled Southern states have seized upon the weakened federal Voting Rights Act to redraw their own congressional districts. So far, Republicans are winning the nationwide redistricting contest, passing more partisan maps to gain House seats than Democrats. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will win in the narrowly divided US House in November. Republicans think they could gain as many as 15 seats from their redistricting efforts so far, while Democrats think they could gain six seats from new districts in California and Utah. Meanwhile, a court decision in Wisconsin on Friday could give Democrats a new avenue to pick up seats in 2028. The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court said it would hear an appeal of a case filed by a bipartisan coalition of business executives that seeks to redraw the state’s Republican-friendly congressional districts. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight House seats, but only two are considered competitive. A three-judge panel dismissed the case in April. Those who filed the lawsuit weren’t seeking a ruling in time for the 2026 election. Instead, they asked the state Supreme Court to send the case back to the lower court for a trial on their claims, which would likely not take place until 2027. Adblock test (Why?)