VanDeaver
Relating to the regulation of certain products derived from hemp, including consumable hemp products and the hemp-derived cannabinoids contained in those products; requiring occupational licenses and registrations; imposing fees; creating criminal offenses; authorizing an administrative penalty.
Leach | Hickland | Troxclair | Pierson | Metcalf
Relating to prohibitions on the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs, including the jurisdiction of and effect of certain judgments by courts within and outside this state with respect to the manufacture and provision of those drugs, and to protections from certain counteractions under the laws of other states and jurisdictions; authorizing qui tam actions.
King | Meyer | Moody | Wilson | Darby
Relating to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, including required training for justices of the peace and responding to mass fatality events; requiring a license; authorizing fees.
King | Meyer | Louderback | McQueeney | Martinez
Relating to the interoperability of emergency communication equipment and infrastructure in this state, including the creation and operation of the Texas Interoperability Council, a grant program administered by the council, and the purchase of certain public safety radio communication systems.
Darby | King | Meyer | DeAyala | McQueeney
Relating to youth camp emergency plans and preparedness; authorizing penalties.
Labor Dept deploys ‘strike team’ to California over $21B unemployment debt, fraud concerns
The Labor Department deployed a “strike team” to California to address federal findings of improper payments and alleged fraud within the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) program. California has been found to have a depleted UI trust fund, along with $21 billion in borrowed federal funds to keep the system running — which federal officials say has led state employers to pay higher UI taxes to repay the debt. In a statement, the department cited an 83-page California State Auditor report that determined the state’s UI system is high-risk, in part due to “inadequate fraud prevention and claimant service [in its employment development department (EDD)], as well as a high rate of overturned eligibility decisions in its Unemployment Insurance Program.” EXCLUSIVE: SENATE BILL TARGETS MINNESOTA-STYLE ‘RUNAWAY FRAUD’ TO FORCE SCAMMERS REPAY TAXPAYERS “Financial issues and potential fraud in California’s unemployment insurance program will be fully examined. The previous administration turned a blind eye toward failing Labor programs: This ends now,” Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said. “Immediately, we are engaging a specialized strike team to uncover any potential fraud or abuse and quickly moving to protect the American worker and taxpayers. I look forward to restoring the California UI program’s integrity and financial health.” Chavez-DeRemer added that the “strike team” will include Labor Department specialists from both its national and regional offices. The secretary also wrote a letter to the EDD, citing increasing improper payment rates, insufficient timeliness, data accuracy and quality concerns, and questions about participants’ eligibility and the use of taxpayer funds. California received about $290 billion in COVID relief, part of, part of which helped what the California Post described as “rapidly implementing expanded unemployment benefits.” FEDERAL PROSECUTOR CALLS NEWSOM ‘KING OF FRAUD’ AS TRUMP LAUNCHES CALIFORNIA CORRUPTION PROBE At least one California UI steward was convicted of using her position to file nearly $860,000 in fraudulent UI claims, while some civilians were convicted of creating nonexistent businesses to claim UI. Just prior to the strike team’s deployment, DOL Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said he found nearly $1 billion in taxpayer funds “at risk” nationwide due to COVID-related UI fraud. D’Esposito, a former NYPD officer and ex-congressman from Long Island, said in a statement that an analysis of 6.5 million prepaid debit cards used for COVID UI benefits still had $720 million loaded on them. WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES “My office has warned that, absent swift action, U.S. taxpayers risk losing nearly a billion dollars in fraudulently obtained benefits,” D’Esposito said in a statement. “This is taxpayer money — and it demands immediate attention.” D’Esposito said fraud is not a victimless crime and that every misspent dollar is one that an actual needy family could use. “When we root out fraud, we protect taxpayers and lower the real cost of living,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom and the state Senate’s top Republican for comment.
Trump approves DC emergency declaration over Potomac sewage spill, FEMA mobilizes
President Donald Trump on Saturday approved a disaster declaration for Washington, D.C., over the Potomac River sewage disaster. The declaration will allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to step in and provide assistance after a sewer line collapsed in January and dumped millions of gallons of raw filth into the water outlining the nation’s capital. “The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population and to provide appropriate assistance to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe,” FEMA said in a statement. FEMA’s assistance will cover the nation’s capital and the areas in Maryland and Virginia where the District of Columbia has responsibilities, the agency said. TRUMP WORRIES POTOMAC ‘WILL STILL STINK’ DURING AMERICA250 CELEBRATION AFTER MASSIVE SEWAGE SPILL A sewage pipe interceptor ruptured on Jan. 19, releasing upward of 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a disaster emergency over the Potomac sewage spill on Wednesday and requested federal assistance with the cleanup. Trump is worried the Potomac River will still stink when America250 celebrations kick off this summer, according to the White House. The president has directed his ire toward Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and other local leaders in Virginia and Washington, D.C., on the issue, claiming alleged incompetence led to the disaster. Moore and his office, however, have pushed back on Trump’s assertions, claiming the federal government has oversight over the sewer utility. “This is a Washington, D.C., pipe on federal land,” Moore told Fox News Digital this week. “Maryland has nothing to do with this. In fact, the only thing Maryland did was when we saw a neighbor who was in need. That’s why I ordered people, our people to go support them, and that’s what we’ve been doing the past month.” TRUMP SLAMS MARYLAND GOVERNOR, LAUNCHES FEDERAL EFFORT TO PROTECT POTOMAC AFTER HISTORIC SEWAGE SPILL “We’ve been doing essentially the federal government’s job, because it’s the federal government’s job to be able to protect the Potomac interconnector, because that’s federal land,” Moore said, adding, “For the president now to come and attack me on this, I find that to be… absurd.” The sewage pipes are managed by D.C. Water, an independent utility based in the District of Columbia, which has made emergency repairs, but says it will take four to six weeks to completely fix what’s known as a broken interceptor. This is a developing news story; check back for updates. Fox Business’ Edward Lawrence and Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
DOGE’s Medicaid data dump aims to expose fraud — but privacy and legal hurdles loom
The Department of Government Efficiency’s release of years of anonymous, open-source Medicaid data was hailed by former DOGE chief Elon Musk as a transparency win that will make fraud “easy to find.” But turning internet sleuthing into prosecutions could prove far harder for the Justice Department— and legally messy. Prosecutors and privacy experts warn the leap from anonymous tips to a courtroom case runs through three choke points: patient privacy, proof standards and the uneven quality of state-reported Medicaid data. The DOGE data will include aggregate-level information about providers, claims, and other general information, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Senior Trump administration officials have stressed that any information released will be done in accordance with federal privacy laws, in order to avoid identifying individuals or sharing private medical information. The release comes as the Justice Department ramps up healthcare fraud enforcement, particularly targeting schemes involving Medicaid and other taxpayer-funded programs. Its healthcare fraud “strike force” now operates across 25 federal districts and has brought charges against roughly 5,000 individuals, according to information shared with Fox News Digital. FLORIDA EXECS SENTENCED IN $233M OBAMACARE FRAUD THAT TARGETED HOMELESS, HURRICANE VICTIMS But before the Justice Department can chase down new leads, it may have to sort through mountains of flawed data. Information shared by DOGE in its early days may be imperfect due to its reliance on state data submitted through the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, or T-MSIS — a system that has struggled with data quality and reporting issues that vary widely from state to state. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is actively working to improve state compliance. There are open questions as to how the federal government might seek to retroactively “claw back” Medicaid reimbursements from states, in the event fraud is detected. Others have cautioned that investigations could be hindered by new or thorny legal challenges — including privacy concerns, statute of limitations questions and evidentiary hurdles. The emphasis on healthcare fraud reflects a broader enforcement priority for Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who built her prosecutorial profile in Florida cracking down on opioids, drug trafficking, and so-called “pill mills.” That enforcement posture has translated into expanded resources for federal prosecutors, particularly within the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit. Formed in 2007, the unit has grown in scope and funding in recent years as officials confront increasingly complex and large-scale fraud schemes. The unit has benefited from the creation of its data analytics team in 2017 and the newly announced healthcare fraud data “fusion center” late last year. The center draws on DOJ’s criminal and fraud divisions, the FBI and outside agencies, including HHS-OIG, to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other analytics tools to more quickly identify and prosecute sweeping healthcare fraud in the public and private sectors, at a rate and scope that would have been unimaginable just years ago. A Justice Department official with knowledge of the unit’s operations told Fox News Digital that the effort allows prosecutors to identify so-called “outlier” providers earlier. “It’s an area of work that’s not only reactive prosecutions — but proactive prosecutions, using data analytics,” this person said. The new data analytics have been crucial to helping DOJ develop and prosecute widespread instances of healthcare fraud cases, as well as major prescription drug cases. One official pointed to the recent conviction of a California telehealth company founder and CEO who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for illegally prescribing and distributing roughly 40 million Adderall pills, a Schedule II controlled substance, over the internet using false and fraudulent information. The tools the Justice Department used in that case were critical in quickly identifying the $100 million scheme. The Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit announced the largest-ever national healthcare fraud takedown in its history in 2025, securing an estimated $15 billion in losses and forfeitures and returning a record $560 million to the public.
OpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
A new report from the Wall Street Journal revealed that employees at Open AI, the artificial intelligence company known for creating ChatGPT, raised alarm about transgender Canadian mass shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar’s interactions with its chatbot but did not alert authorities. Around a dozen employees reportedly were aware of the concerning interactions months before Van Rootselaar killed multiple family members and school-aged kids in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. The interactions, first flagged by an automated review system, included violent scenarios involving gun violence over the course of multiple days, people familiar with the matter indicated to the Wall Street Journal. OpenAI’s policy is only to alert law enforcement if there is an imminent threat of real-world harm or violence, and some of the employees reportedly wanted to go to the police. But, in the end, the company opted not to contact authorities. AI COMPANIONS ARE RESHAPING TEEN EMOTIONAL BONDS On Feb. 10, Van Rootselaar, 18, gunned down his mother and step-brother at their home in British Columbia, before heading to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where the deranged teen shot and killed five students and a teacher before turning the gun on himself. Twenty-five others were reportedly injured. Authorities later revealed Van Rootselaar, who had dropped out of the school he attacked, was biological male who had been identifying as female since he was 6. Police were aware of Van Rootselaar’s mental health struggles, as they had reportedly made visits to his house on multiple occasions in the past due to various incidents. FAMILY SPEAKS OF ‘PROFOUND PAIN’ AFTER TRANS DAD GUNS DOWN EX-WIFE, SON AT HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY GAME The teen killer was found to have had an obsession with death, being an avid poster on a website that hosts videos of people being murdered, according to the New York Post. Van Rootselaar’s social media footprint included images of him with firearms and content about hallucinogenic drugs. Van Rootselaar’s mother expressed alarm at his actions in a Facebook parent’s group in 2015, the New York Post also reported. A spokesperson for the company told Fox News Digital that the company banned Van Rootselaar’s account in June 2025 for violating its usage policies, but determined the activity did not rise to the level where it needed to be alerted to law enforcement. They noted that the company is compelled to weigh privacy concerns, adding that being too trigger-happy with police referrals can create unintended harm. OpenAI’s chatbot model is made to discourage real-world harm when it senses dangerous situations, Fox News Digital was told. The company reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) after the incident, and is supporting their investigation with information on Van Rootselaar’s chatbot activity, the spokesperson indicated. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy,” the company said in a statement following the incident. “We proactively reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with information on the individual and their use of ChatGPT, and we’ll continue to support their investigation.”
Sheriffs plot ICE cooperation ‘workarounds’ after new Maryland law bans cooperation with immigration officers
Maryland’s plan to end local law enforcement cooperation with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has hit a snag as many local sheriffs plan to continue workaround efforts that still keep them in compliance with state law. After Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation this week to end long-standing programs known as 287(g) cooperation agreements between local law enforcement and ICE, sheriffs from nine counties declared they will continue working with federal immigration officials. “We can continue to work with ICE without necessarily being in the program,” Fredrick County Maryland Sheriff Charles Jenkins told Fox News Digital. “We can still do the 48-hour holds on individuals with detainers, we can still contact ICE to let them know if an individual is about to be released with a detainer, we can also provide arestee lists to ICE so they can review and check it.” FORMER MAINE COUNCILOR GIVES IMPASSIONED SPEECH OPPOSING CITY BLOCKING COOPERATION WITH ICE Jenkins pointed out that his county has the longest standing 287(g) program in the country, adding that throughout the 18-year program, law enforcement in Fredrick County has helped turn over about 1,890 illegal immigrants to ICE. The other counties with 287(g) programs prior to the state legislation banning them include Wicomico County, Harford County, Carroll County, Allegany County, Cecil County, Garrett County, St. Mary’s County and Washington County. Jenkins told Fox News Digital that he fears what is happening in his state – with state lawmakers banning local law enforcement cooperation with ICE – could exacerbate the tensions between federal officials and American citizens upset with the way ICE is handling its deportation efforts. DEM GOVERNOR’S ‘DANGEROUS’ ANTI-ICE LAW IGNITES BACKLASH AFTER ALLEGED BOX CUTTER ATTACK BY ILLEGAL ALIEN “This was all passed because of the current administration, and the perception of what everybody is watching on television, is also what is happening here. It’s just the opposite,” the Maryland county sheriff continued. “What we’re now going to see as we release these criminals over time, and we don’t turn them over to ICE in our jails, ICE is going to come out on the street to make their apprehensions.” Fox News Digital reached out to Moore for comment on the sheriffs’ plan to continue working with federal immigration officials, but no response was provided. A representative for Moore deferred to a press release from the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office indicating the law signed by Moore “does not eliminate or hinder our ability to communicate with ICE regarding the impending release of individuals of interest.” Lawmakers in Maryland are set to restrict local law enforcement cooperation with ICE even further next week, potentially making the ‘workarounds’ described by Jenkins illegal as well.