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New Trump-linked consulting firm launches in DC to navigate crypto, AI : ‘Trust, connected voice’

New Trump-linked consulting firm launches in DC to navigate crypto, AI : ‘Trust, connected voice’

A new government relations firm led in part by a former Trump lawyer has launched in Washington, D.C., with the aim of advocating for clients in the crypto and artificial intelligence space that has gained momentum since Trump’s election and inauguration.  NexusOne Consulting, founded by attorney Jeff Ifrah of Ifrah Law, former Trump administration attorney Jim Trusty and former Trump Commerce Department official Ross Branson, opened its doors this week, marketing itself as a firm “focused on shaping federal policy and regulatory frameworks for clients in the emerging technologies sector, including AI, cryptocurrency and social media.” Fox News Digital spoke to Ifrah, who outlined what he believed was a gap in the crypto and AI consulting space heading into the next four years of the Trump administration. “I think primarily before the Trump administration, there wasn’t really a need. It wasn’t like the industry was searching out D.C.-based advocates on a federal level,” Ifrah said. “Shortly after Trump won the election it became kind of clear that these two verticals, AI and crypto, were going to need representation, and they previously hadn’t thought about that.” SEN. TIM SCOTT OUTLINES FIRST 100 DAYS OF CONGRESS, CRYPTO, TARIFFS Ifrah explained that his team did not see many firms with the necessary experience in the space and saw a benefit in “starting up a new shop with our kind of relationships and connections in the administration” and “also paired that to a vertical industry we were familiar with you know, for which there wasn’t a lot of competition out there.” In a press release, Trusty said, “NexusOne was launched to give the crypto, AI, and other emerging tech industries a seat at the table.” TRUMP SIGNS EDUCATION-FOCUSED EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON AI, SCHOOL DISCIPLINE, ACCREDITATION, FOREIGN GIFTS AND MORE “We are perfectly positioned to help both the Executive Branch and private industry understand and appreciate each other’s roles and abilities in forging the new economy.” NexusOne also unveiled members of the company’s advisory board, which includes Bill Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush, former GOP Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Andrew Graves, a Wall Street veteran who co-founded a nonprofit fundraising organization with Eric Trump.  “Headquartered across from the White House, NexusOne is the essential bridge between regulation and innovation,” the company said in the press release.  Bo Hines, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, told Fox News Digital earlier this month that Trump is aiming to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world,” and that the administration is well on its way to ushering in “the golden age for digital assets.”  Ifrah told Fox News Digital that many potential clients in the space are looking for a “seat at the table” and he believes NexusOne is the firm to help them do that.  “Technology is outpacing policy, and that creates both opportunity and risk,” Ifrah said in the press release. “We created NexusOne to ensure that companies at the frontier of innovation have a trusted, connected voice in Washington.” “There’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of tech policy. We’re here to make sure innovators don’t just react to policy—they influence it.”

‘Shark Tank’ star insists AOC is a capitalist at heart: ‘The best marketeer in politics’

‘Shark Tank’ star insists AOC is a capitalist at heart: ‘The best marketeer in politics’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would “destroy America” as president – but is a first-rate entrepreneur – says Canadian businessman and star of ABC’s “Shark Tank” Kevin O’Leary. O’Leary’s comments came over the weekend during the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner in response to questions about a new campaign-style video the far-left progressive lawmaker put out amid speculation she is considering a run for president. “I think she’s the best marketeer in politics. I buy her T-shirts, I gift them the tax the rich T-shirts – I love them. She makes 82% in margin on them, which, I think, shows you that inside of every socialist, there’s a capitalist trying to get out,” O’Leary said. “Now, would she destroy America? Absolutely. There’s no chance she’ll ever be president. I don’t agree with anything she says, but I love her social media. She’s a crazy chicken.”  AOC POSITIONING HERSELF TO BE ‘LEADING VOICE’ OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY “Her district is a wasteland,” O’Leary added. “Why would anybody want her running anything? But I love what she does on T-shirts, so maybe she should start a T-shirt company.” The “Shark Tank” star’s comments came as Ocasio-Cortez has been criss-crossing the country over the last several weeks, participating in a “Fight Oligarchy” tour alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in protest of President Donald Trump and his policies. The events have drawn large crowds and speculation over whether Ocasio-Cortez is testing the waters for a potential presidential run.  Meanwhile, last week, Ocasio-Cortez posted a new campaign-style video to her social media accounts, invigorating that speculation even further. ‘WE ARE ONE’: CAMPAIGN SPECULATION GROWS AROUND AOC’S VIDEO   Prominent pollster Nate Silver suggested earlier this month that Ocasio-Cortez is currently the leading Democrat to pick up the party’s presidential nomination in 2028, selecting her as his top choice in a 2028 election exercise with FiveThirtyEight’s Galen Druke.  “I think there’s a lot of points in her favor at this very moment,” Druke said, adding, “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broad appeal across the Democratic Party.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

I already have REAL ID but have second thoughts, can I go back?

I already have REAL ID but have second thoughts, can I go back?

With the deadline for obtaining a REAL ID just one week away, some who are wary of making the change or who have already done so and now regret their decision may be asking if they can return to alternative forms of ID. For many across the country, the short answer is yes. Many states will continue to offer non-REAL ID forms of identification that can be obtained the next time someone needs to renew their ID. However, this comes with the significant caveat that, starting May 7, only REAL ID-compliant forms of identification will be acceptable for federal purposes such as boarding domestic flights or accessing federal facilities.   It has been 20 years since Congress passed the REAL ID Act, mandating states to implement certain minimum-security standards for issuing IDs. A REAL ID is not a national identification card but rather an ID issued by the state in compliance with certain federal standards. IS REAL ID REALLY NECESSARY? WHAT AUTHORITIES ARE SAYING After a series of delays in implementing the law, the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration finally set a deadline for all adults wishing to travel by plane or access federal facilities to obtain a REAL ID-compliant identification card by May 7. The Trump administration argued that the deadline had already been postponed long enough, asserting that travelers had ample time to gather the necessary documents for the more rigorously verified form of identification. Some critics, however, have claimed that REAL ID presents a risk to citizens’ privacy, while some on the left have claimed the additional documentation to obtain the card presents an undue difficulty for certain demographics, such as the poor or minorities. Though it will vary from state to state, if someone with a REAL ID has regrets, all they have to do is opt for another form of identification the next time they are due for renewal. NEED REAL ID IN A HURRY? HERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS OUTSIDE THE DMV However, Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, explained to Fox News Digital that the “difference between the REAL ID version and the kind of noncompliant version is not that big.” Hankinson explained that to obtain a REAL ID, all that is needed is an extra form of documentation beyond what is normally required for an identification card. “Let’s say I apply for a regular driver’s license. I need proof of residence. I’ve got a bill from my electricity company and my cable company, and I’ve got my birth certificate. Okay, that’s what I give to get my regular I.D. And then in order to get the REAL ID, I have to add a passport or a social security card,” he said. With this in mind, for many, the supposed benefits of opting out of REAL ID are likely not worth the drawbacks. ‘WE’RE SIMPLY NOT READY’: REAL ID ROLLOUT COULD TRIGGER NATIONAL HEADACHE, STATE LAWMAKER WARNS Meanwhile, Hankinson said that the REAL ID’s benefit to national security is significant. He pointed to the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, in which several of the al Qaeda terrorists involved had obtained valid state licenses, which were accepted for boarding their flights. “They did the 911 Commission report, and they realized one of many mistakes that had been made and one of many loopholes was that two of the hijackers, at least the two that the crashed the plane at the Pentagon had been able to get a driver’s license in California,” he said. “As a national security issue, you can’t go to other countries and just get a driver’s license with zero ID. I mean, it just doesn’t work that way. So, I think it’s about time we caught up.”   In response to concerns about security and privacy, Hankinson said the government will have to be held to the highest standards to uphold citizens’ privacy. Still, he compared the risk-reward scenario posed to the nation by REAL ID to nuclear power.   USAID REPORTEDLY BANKROLLED AL QAEDA TERRORIST’S COLLEGE TUITION, UNEARTHED RECORDS SHOW “If it’s done right, you can mitigate the risks, and you can have, like France, 75, 80 percent of your power from nuclear power plants,” he said. “If you cut corners, and you put the wrong people in charge and you take risks, then you end up with Chernobyl.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP All in all, Hankinson said, “I think really this adds a little bit of hassle … but it gives us a lot in exchange.” Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Supreme Court to hear arguments on school choice case involving Catholic charter school

Supreme Court to hear arguments on school choice case involving Catholic charter school

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in the case of a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma that is seeking the support of public funds. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would be the nation’s first religious charter school, setting a precedent sure to be capitalized on by other religious institutions. Both the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, have argued funding the school is unconstitutional.  Oklahoma Gov. Gov. Kevin Stitt, also a Republican, argues the First Amendment allows funding for the school. For Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing, the St. Isidore case has been consolidated with the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board, another similar case. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the school In the brief, the Republican senators flipped Drummond’s First Amendment argument on the attorney general, arguing Oklahoma violated the First Amendment by denying St. Isidore a charter because it’s a religious school.  LGBTQ CHRISTIANS CRUSADE AGAINST TRUMP’S RELIGIOUSLY ‘HOSTILE’ POLICIES DURING HOLY WEEK “It’s no secret that parents want to educate their children in line with their values. And a public good shouldn’t be denied to anyone based on their religion. The outcome of this case will be revolutionary for religious liberty and education freedom, and Oklahoma is at the forefront,” Stitt’s office said in a statement. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore’s contract request in June 2023, allowing them to receive public funds. Lawsuits soon brought the case up to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled against the school last year. The Supreme Court is now reviewing that ruling by Oklahoma’s highest court, which found that funding the school violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” “Charter schools no doubt offer important educational innovations, but they bear all the classic indicia of public schools,” Drummond argued in SCOTUS filing. Advocates of the school point to the Free Exercise clause, which has been used in recent Supreme Court rulings to defend public funding going to religious institutions.  TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE “A State need not subsidize private education,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue in 2020. “But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.” The amicus brief from GOP lawmakers made a similar argument, claiming the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling was ill-considered. “Upholding the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act with the included exclusion of religious organizations would set a dangerous precedent, signaling that religious organizations are not welcome in public projects. This would not only violate the First Amendment, but it would also deprive society of the valuable contributions that these organizations make,” the Republican senators wrote.  Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report

Walz says says Harris picked him for VP to ‘code talk to White guys’

Walz says says Harris picked him for VP to ‘code talk to White guys’

Former vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., continued a self-described “listening tour” across the country at a Harvard Kennedy School forum on Monday night, ruling out a 2028 presidential bid and revealing why former Vice President Kamala Harris chose him as her running mate.  Walz said Harris chose him, in part, because, “I could code talk to White guys watching football, fixing their truck” and “put them at ease.” The Minnesota governor described himself as the “permission structure” for White men from rural America to vote for Democrats.  “I think I’ll give you pretty good stuff, but I’ll also give you 10% problematic,” Walz added when pushed by moderator Brittany Shepherd, ABC News national political reporter, about why he didn’t take that message to cable news to reach a larger audience. Walz laughed off criticism over inconsistencies in his background on the 2024 campaign trail, describing himself as a “knucklehead.” Walz told CNN’s Jake Tapper earlier this month that he was considering a third bid for Minnesota governor but was not thinking about running for president in 2028. When asked by Shepherd to explain, Walz said the Democratic Party should run a collective 2028 presidential campaign.  WALZ ‘VERY PESSIMISTIC’ ON DEMOCRATS RETAKING THE SENATE “I think we need to collectively run a presidential campaign without a candidate right now that builds all the infrastructure… by the time we get to 2028, we’re ready,” Walz said.  WHITE HOUSE TORCHES TIM WALZ’S SPEECH ABOUT TRUMP’S ‘GULAGS,’ ‘CHAOS’: ‘HIS LARGEST CITY BURNED TO THE GROUND’ And on what he would have done differently in 2024, Walz said, “We would have won.” Acknowledging that Democrats came up short in November, Walz said the party is “better off doing more” in “every forum,” following criticism that Democrats didn’t prioritize media appearances enough in 2024, whether long-form podcasts or traditional network news shows.  “There is room for Gavin Newsom’s podcast, and there is room for Bernie Sanders’ rallies,” Walz said, as he described both instances as opportunities for Democrats to reclaim their own narrative. Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., long considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has invited President Donald Trump’s allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, onto his new podcast to show he is open to “criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another.” The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 presidential election that Democrats didn’t prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough.  Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has been jet-setting across the country on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour alongside another potential 2028 presidential candidate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. The self-described Democratic socialists have amassed tens of thousands of supporters to what they say are record-setting rallies for both politicians.  Walz has been on his own cross-country tour, hosting town halls in Republican-held congressional districts. But the former vice presidential nominee has fallen into familiar missteps from the 2024 campaign trail – on the road and back at home.  Walz was heckled by veterans at the Minnesota Capitol earlier this month for claims of “stolen valor.” At a town hall in Wisconsin last month, a woman who registered for the event told Fox News Digital she was removed for filming Trump supporters getting kicked out. And during one of his first town hall events, Walz was slammed by Republicans for celebrating Tesla’s stock drop amid a spree of vandalism.  While the Democrat said he was chosen by the Harris campaign to relate to White men, Walz has been unable to escape the nickname “Tampon Tim,” coined by conservatives for his bill providing free menstrual products to “all menstruating students” in school restrooms grades 4 to 12, including the boys’ room.  Regardless of the comment or legislation, conservatives find a way to criticize “Tampon Tim,” including when Walz claimed he could fight most Trump supporters earlier this year.  Further reflecting on the Democrats’ 2024 losses, Walz said the party wins on the issues and “competency,” but “we lose the message, and we lose power.” “Why have we lost the self-identity that the Democratic Party is for personal freedoms, middle-class folks, for labor folks. How did we lose it, where people didn’t self-identify with that? How did we get to a point where people didn’t feel like this was an important enough election to get out and vote?” Walz asked during his speech Monday.  Walz’s speech was on the eve of Trump’s first 100-day celebration, and he warned his fellow Democrats, “If you leave a void, Donald Trump will fill it,” and added, “If I ever had 100 days to live, I would spend it in the Trump administration because it’s like a lifetime.” “It’s been 100 days of destruction. You think we can survive 550 more? That’s the challenge. That’s how long it is until the midterms,” Walz said.