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Smithsonian America 250 exhibit features 3x more liberal items than conservative ones

Smithsonian America 250 exhibit features 3x more liberal items than conservative ones

A Smithsonian exhibit designed to commemorate America’s 250th birthday displays numerous objects linked to key points in the nation’s history, though it provides relatively little representation of Christianity or conservatism despite ample coverage for LGBT rights and racial justice movements, among other liberal causes, a Fox News Digital review of the exhibit’s online catalog found. In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness is an exhibit curated by the Smithsonian Institution with the aim of displaying 250 objects that help to tell the story of America from the 1700s to the present. Among these objects are historically significant items, such as a compass from the 1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, a dress belonging to Dolly Madison, Abraham Lincoln’s hat and the desk the Declaration of Independence was written on. Also included in the exhibit, according to an online catalog published by the Smithsonian, are a number of objects with clear ties to modern liberal politics, such as a pink “p-ssy hat” worn by a participant of the 2017 Women’s March, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s gavel, monarch butterfly wings worn by an illegal immigrant activist and a typewriter belonging to liberal writer Maya Angelou. Next to Angelou’s typewriter is a picture of a 1970s drag queen “wearing an off-the-shoulder shimmery gown,” according to a visual description of the exhibit published by the Smithsonian. TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY The exhibit’s selections are drawing scrutiny as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans challenge the Smithsonian’s portrayal of American history around the nation’s 250th anniversary. Fox News Digital reviewed the Smithsonian’s online catalog and grouped objects according to the movements, causes and institutions identified in the museum’s descriptions, finding seven tied to conservative movements, compared with nearly two dozen tied to causes including LGBT rights, abortion access, racial justice, organized labor and Democratic politics. The apparent domination of liberal causes in an exhibit designed to celebrate the contributions of all Americans to the nation’s history could further inflame conservative criticisms of the museum. While the exhibit examines how left-of-center individuals and movements shaped American history, conservatives have less representation. Just seven items representing conservative movements — a MAGA hat, a Tea Party placard, a pro-life sign, a dress worn by Melania Trump, a sign opposing the feminist-backed Equal Rights Amendment, a Ronald Reagan campaign T-shirt and a National Rifle Association button — are presented by the Smithsonian, according to its online catalog. By comparison, the same catalog shows that liberal causes — such as LGBT rights, farm-worker rights, abortion access, racial justice, environmentalism, labor unions and the Democratic Party — collectively have nearly two dozen items representing them. THE WAR ON AMERICA’S JUDEO-CHRISTIAN ROOTS THREATENS EVERYTHING WE SHARE Among those, the Smithsonian chose four total items representing the gay rights movement, for example.  That wasn’t far behind the six it curated to represent Christianity, including items from churches and a Bible, per its catalog. Christianity historically was America’s dominant faith, influencing nearly all aspects of life, though it has declined in prominence in recent decades. Even the items representing Christianity, however, include undertones of racial justice.  A pew from a Black Presbyterian church, for example, is accompanied by a description of its pastor’s racial activism. The one Bible on display as part of the exhibit, meanwhile, discusses the owner’s anti-slavery sentiments. Other religions, such as Judaism, with a Seder plate and a Hanukkah lamp, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, colloquially known as Mormons, with a plate depicting one of their temples, received representation as well. Among the LGBT artifacts displayed by the Smithsonian is a red tie that belonged to the late lesbian activist Carmen Vázquez. A description for the item notes that she described it as her “seduction necktie.” “Vázquez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New York City. After College, she lived in San Francisco for many years, honing her political understanding of immigrant rights and women’s and public health,” the online exhibit description continues. “Her endless energy for LGBTQ+ rights and justice for all, and her work, writing, and speeches ensured the safety and capacity to thrive of countless people across the United States.” LGBTQ PRESS CONFERENCE AT TRACK MEET INVOLVING TRANS ATHLETE DESCENDS INTO CHAOS, POLICE SUMMONED The online catalog also shows that nearly two-dozen items displayed at the exhibit are related to recent waves of Asian and Latino immigration. Earlier migrant groups such as the Irish, French and Italians, received just one entry each. One display dedicated to recent immigrants is a soccer ball donated by the founder of the Fugees soccer team for refugee children in Clarkston, Georgia, describing how the group “overcame anti-immigrant backlash.” The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital. However, comments made by the National Museum of American History’s director provide some insight as to why curators made the decisions they did when selecting items for the exhibit. “How do you structure a commemoration, celebration and time for reflection?” Anthea Hartig, the museum’s director, told British newspaper The Guardian. “What we landed on were those moments where individuals or communities had fought for recognition and advocated for their own sense of identity and self in their role in creating and becoming a part of the United States. But we also wanted to do the playful.” Beyond items of political or ideological significance, the exhibit also makes an effort to showcase historical changes to domestic life, technology and pop culture through the display of everyday objects. Various household appliances from different points in American history, props from the Star Wars movies, currency spanning hundreds of years, instruments belonging to famous musicians, technological advancements in areas such as video games and telecommunications and sports paraphernalia, like hockey gloves worn during the 1980 “miracle on ice” Olympic match against the Soviet Union, are all on display.

Democratic Socialists of America activists signed pledge to support, defend ‘Chinese socialism’

Democratic Socialists of America activists signed pledge to support, defend ‘Chinese socialism’

Multiple self-identified Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-linked individuals signed onto a statement extolling “Chinese socialism.” “We, Friends of Socialist China, aim to support the People’s Republic of China and to promote understanding of Chinese socialism,” the statement declares, in part. “The global advance to socialism is indispensable if humanity is to survive and to flourish; humanity needs socialism in order to prevent climate breakdown, end poverty, establish global peace and work towards dismantling structural discrimination and oppression,” the statement says, characterizing the “record of the socialist countries” as “overwhelmingly positive.” CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM ‘AXIS OF AGGRESSORS’ THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS The text asserts that “the continued survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter not only for the Chinese people but for all humanity” and declares that “we resolve to support, defend and build understanding of Chinese socialism.” Some of the people listed as signatories include Mirah Wood, who is described as the “Co-Chair Middle East & Africa Subcommittee, DSA International Committee” in the United States, and John McGrath, who is identified as being part of the “DSA International Committee (anti-war)” in the United Kingdom. Both Wood and McGrath appear on the list as far back as 2022 in archived web pages. Some of the other names on the list include indication of DSA membership. DSA CO-CHAIR EMBRACES ABOLISHING SENATE, ICE, BORDERS AS DEMOCRATIC INFIGHTING ESCALATES The statement describes the view that socialism leads to oppression as “propaganda” that should be challenged. It says that “owing largely to the reach and power of capitalist cultural hegemony, socialism is widely considered (particularly in the imperialist heartlands) to be a brutal, authoritarian system that suppresses human creativity and impedes progress. Socialist states — past and present — are portrayed as miserable backwaters, characterized by overzealous secret services, prison camps, thought control, stale uniformity, dictatorship, famines, social conservatism, corruption and poverty. In order to promote and uphold socialism, it is important to provide a counter-narrative and corrective to this propaganda.” CARVILLE SAYS ONE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST’S ‘LUNACY OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL’ POLICY COULD HAUNT SWING-STATE DEMS Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA and DSA International Committee on Friday.

Liberal court stuns with ruling that hands Trump major immigration win

Liberal court stuns with ruling that hands Trump major immigration win

A liberal-led federal appeals court handed President Donald Trump two immigration victories Wednesday, reversing separate district court orders that had delayed the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from South Sudan and Ethiopia. The judgments from the First Circuit Court of Appeals come after U.S. District Judges Brian Murphy and Patti Saris issued back-to-back orders temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Ethiopia and South Sudan, respectively, late last week. The rulings drew sharp criticism from legal experts and Trump administration officials, who called the judges “rogue” and argued their decisions defied the Supreme Court. The three-judge First Circuit panel consisted of Judges Julie Rikelman and Seth Aframe, both appointed by President Joe Biden, and Judge Joshua Dunlap, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. BIDEN JUDGE BLOCKING ETHIOPIAN DEPORTATIONS DESPITE SCOTUS RULING CLASHED WITH ICE BEFORE SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS In nearly identical rulings, the majority liberal panel found that the lower court judges’ orders conflicted with the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe, which held that courts cannot block TPS terminations based on non-constitutional claims. “Mullin held that ‘the TPS statute’s judicial-review bar applies to all non-constitutional claims’ challenging the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determination with respect to the termination of a TPS designation,” the judges wrote. Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan told Fox News Digital that the First Circuit correctly applied the precedent established by the Supreme Court. “These are clear wins for President Trump following his big win at the U.S. Supreme Court, explaining that district courts are not supposed to second guess TPS terminations, and even as this plays out, we’re moving towards the end of this litigation because district courts should not be hearing these disputes, and that’s what the Supreme Court said,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. SUPREME COURT’S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO ‘DIE AND SUFFER’ ATTORNEY WARNS A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson welcomed the rulings as “a win for the rule of law and common sense.” “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that—temporary,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.” The lawsuits were brought by African Communities Together, a New York-based immigrant advocacy organization that serves as the lead plaintiff in both cases, alongside individual TPS recipients from Ethiopia and South Sudan. The plaintiffs argue DHS unlawfully ended the protections in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution, alleging the agency failed to properly assess conditions in the two countries and that the decisions were motivated by racial discrimination. Murphy and Saris temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating TPS last week, issuing procedural orders to preserve the status quo while they considered whether the plaintiffs should be permitted to amend their complaints to pursue renewed constitutional claims. DHS EVISCERATES MEDIA FOR ‘ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY’ OVER CONCERN ABOUT ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ACTIVIST JUDGES LIST While the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe foreclosed most statutory challenges to TPS terminations, it left open the possibility that courts could consider claims alleging constitutional violations. However, Wessan said the district judges were operating outside the “legal bounds” by blocking the TPS terminations before any constitutional claims had been established. “If they want to let the plaintiffs amend their complaint, they’re allowed to do that, but in the meantime, TPS is over,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. The First Circuit’s decisions mark the latest setback for Murphy and Saris after the Trump administration accused both judges of effectively sidestepping the Supreme Court’s June ruling. After Murphy’s order, DHS General Counsel James Percival wrote on X that the district judge was engaged in “mutiny against the Supreme Court,” while he described Saris’ ruling as “open defiance” of the justices’ decision. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Murphy and Saris for comment.

Investigators believe Iranian hackers are likely behind cyberattack on Minnesota water systems: report

Investigators believe Iranian hackers are likely behind cyberattack on Minnesota water systems: report

U.S. investigators believe a cyberattack that targeted dozens of water systems in Minnesota this week likely was orchestrated by Iranian hackers, a report said. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) said the “coordinated cyberattack targeted operational technology at more than 30 Minnesota community water systems” on Sunday and Monday, but the Minnesota Department of Health is “not aware of any active requests from Minnesota cities to have their residents modify their drinking water usage.” U.S. and state officials and others familiar with the incident told The New York Times that Iranian hackers were likely behind the cyberattack. The newspaper reported that three state officials briefed on an investigation into the cyberattack said the tradecraft used and the absence of a ransom demand led analysts to initially determine Iran was involved. Officials also cautioned that the assessment could change as more data is collected by investigators, according to the newspaper. However, President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Friday that he would “blame it on Minnesota and the governor.” “Today, I just want to mention that, we heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack, and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent. There was a cyberattack of 30 water plants, and I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota,” Trump said, referencing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. “They like to say, ‘oh it’s Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.” IRAN-LINKED HACKERS TARGET US MEDICAL TECH COMPANY The FBI said earlier in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday that it is “aware of recent public reporting around Water and Wastewater sectors.” “The FBI and our interagency partners are fully engaged to protect critical infrastructure and we remain well-equipped to protect against cyber threats of all varieties,” the FBI added. The New York Times reported that the hackers targeted infrastructure used to manage and monitor water towers operated by municipal governments. The mayor of the city of Braham, Nate George, said on Monday, a “plant operator found that the water tower was calling for water, but the well was not operating.” “After learning that similar problems were occurring in at least four other Minnesota communities, Braham staff determined that the plant’s computerized control system had been compromised,” he continued. “Public works isolated the affected system, restored a backup, and restarted the plant within approximately 90 minutes. While the plant was offline, residents continued receiving water from the city’s water tower. City administration temporarily requested that residents conserve water to prevent the tower’s limited supply from being exhausted,” George added. LIVE UPDATES ON IRAN WAR: TRUMP ANNOUNCES HAMAS DISARMAMENT DEAL WHILE SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCHES RED SEA DEFENSE COALITION In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, MNIT noted that “the investigation remains active, and Minnesota has not attributed the activity to a specific actor.” MNIT said it “continues to collaborate with federal, state, local, Tribal, and private-sector partners to investigate the attack, support affected communities, and strengthen the security of Minnesota’s critical infrastructure.” “Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure require a coordinated, whole-of-government response,” John Israel, MNIT assistant commissioner and Minnesota chief information security officer, said in a statement. “MNIT is working side by side with our partners to share intelligence, support affected communities, and help utilities restore operations safely while strengthening defenses against future attacks.” Israel told the Times that the breach was first detected Sunday and that hackers targeted 36 municipal water systems. “Minnesota was one of the early detectors of this, but we’re seeing that this same threat activity has likely been occurring in other states throughout the nation,” he was quoted as saying. Nick Andersen, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) acting director, told the newspaper that the agency was aware of “multiple potential incidents affecting local water utilities.” In the days leading up to the incident, CISA issued an advisory warning U.S. organizations of “ongoing Iranian-affiliated cyber activity targeting internet-connected operational technology (OT) devices.” “Iranian cyber actors continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure, and the FBI is committed to identifying, disrupting, and imposing costs on those responsible,” Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division said in the advisory. It stated that a “group of Iranian-affiliated actors” has “targeted devices spanning multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including Water and Wastewater Systems, Energy and Government Services and Facilities, to include local municipalities.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also issued an advisory on Thursday “to warn critical infrastructure asset owners and operators that malicious cyber actors are conducting cyber attacks targeting Operational Technology devices.” “Since 27 July 2026, Water and Wastewater Sector utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents to the FBI, and some of that activity degraded water operations,” it added.

Ben Sasse’s latest pancreatic cancer update comes amid his stark warning about America’s future

Ben Sasse’s latest pancreatic cancer update comes amid his stark warning about America’s future

FIRST ON FOX: Battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is looking ahead with optimism for his own health but expressed less hope for America’s future. He cautioned that America’s greatest challenges are still to come in a pre-recorded interview for the Western Conservative Summit in Lakewood, Colorado, exclusively shared with Fox News Digital. “Pancreatic cancer is nasty, and I would never wish it on my worst enemy, but I also would never want to go back to a stage of my life where I didn’t know the power of pancreatic cancer prayer,” said Sasse, quoting Pastor Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York. Sasse, 54, shared in December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has spread to multiple organs — including his liver and lungs. He was initially given three to four months to live but entered a clinical trial for a drug called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to block the defective gene that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth. PANCREATIC CANCER VACCINE SHOWS PROMISE IN FIRST HUMAN TRIAL, PREVENTING DISEASE IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS “My tumors have shrunk by over 80% in the six and a half months I’ve been on this drug,” said Sasse in his update. “The drug has been amazing, and I’m grateful for that common grace extension of time.”  “We’re a couple days away from being seven months since my diagnosis at three to four months to live.” Even as he reflected on his own mortality, Sasse said he’s increasingly concerned about the country’s future, cautioning that the U.S. must outcompete China, overhaul its failing schools and adapt to an AI-driven economy. “I want the U.S. Via decentralized corporate structures to rule the world, not CCP, tyrannical, Maoist to rule of the world, and I think most middle powers, most countries in the world, know that somewhere between 25 years from now, we’re going to say the world is Western/U.S. led,” said Sasse. CHINA IS BUILDING A MASSIVE SHIP THAT SHOULD SCARE AMERICANS ABOUT THE FUTURE He describes a world that is led by the U.S. passing along values with free trade, the rule of law, transparency and acknowledgment of human rights. The alternative would be “CCP led,” said Sasse. “Which is them controlling all trade through Beijing.” From the campus of Colorado Christian University, where conservative leaders gathered for the Western Conservative Summit, Sasse also weighed in on the challenges facing higher education. “Our educational systems are just a complete disaster,” said Sasse. The latest Nation’s Report Card found that roughly one in three eighth graders cannot read at even a basic level, nearly 40% fall below basic in math, and fewer than one-third are proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment Governing Board report for 2025. BEN SASSE CLAIMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE CREATED TO SEPARATE CATHOLIC KIDS FROM PARENTS, PRIESTS Sasse argued that academic benchmarks are too low and that increasing government spending on education has failed to improve student outcomes. “The potential and the capacity of most souls and most brains is a lot more than that, and we’ve just got a disastrous system,” said Sasse. Sasse said that the rise of AI is going to “externalize a lot of IQ” changing what schools will teach. He added that America is entering an AI revolution that will disrupt work, education, and global power. “A hundred years from now, when we look back on our moment, we’re not gonna talk about our politics very much. I think we’re gonna talk about the fact that we are living through a technological revolution,” said Sasse.