The only map you need to see as California’s billionaire tax fight heats up
California voters are set to decide whether to slap a new tax on the state’s billionaires as IRS data show thousands of taxpayers, and billions of dollars in income, are already flowing out of the Golden State. The outflow is adding fuel to the debate over California’s proposed billionaire tax, with Mark Cuban warning Saturday the measure could drive not only wealthy residents but investment and startups out of the state. Cuban’s warning came amid a heated back-and-forth with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who has defended the proposed tax. The billionaire investor threatened to steer future investments away from California if the measure moves forward. The clash comes as California is already experiencing significant taxpayer outflows, according to the latest IRS data compiled from federal tax returns. AMERICA’S TOP DESTINATION FOR NEW TAXPAYERS IS QUIETLY GETTING POORER, IRS DATA REVEALS Los Angeles County, home to Hollywood and one of the nation’s largest economic engines, led the nation in taxpayer losses, with a net 17,496 tax filers leaving for other states. Those departing taxpayers took nearly $1.9 billion in income with them. Other California counties also saw significant outflows. Orange County recorded a net loss of 11,618 tax filers, followed by San Diego County with 9,401, Riverside County with 8,968 and San Bernardino County with 8,462. The movement of taxpayers and their income can affect state and local tax collections that help fund schools, public safety and infrastructure. AMERICANS KEEP MOVING TO TEXAS AND FLORIDA — BUT ONE OTHER RED STATE IS GROWING EVEN FASTER Against that backdrop, California’s proposed billionaire tax has become a flashpoint in the debate over whether the state’s tax policies could push more wealth and investment elsewhere. The proposed ballot initiative, backed by the Service Employees International Union, would impose a one-time 5% wealth tax on Californians with a net worth exceeding $1 billion. The measure, which has qualified for the November ballot, would apply retroactively to Californians who were residents as of Jan. 1, 2026. Supporters argue the tax would generate billions of dollars for healthcare and education, while critics warn it could drive wealth and investment out of California. Cuban has gone further, arguing the measure could influence not only where billionaires live, but where investors put their money and startups do business. AN OVERLOOKED RED STATE QUIETLY BUILT ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST COMPETITIVE TAX SYSTEMS “If this passes, and it doesn’t directly impact me at all, I won’t be a Cali resident, but you can bet if I’m investing in a multi billion dollar startup, I’m asking them to move from California first,” Cuban wrote. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE He went even further, adding, “IMO, if this passes, only idiot startup founders stay in Cali.”
Hasan Piker torched over playbook to dodge his past controversies: ‘Bats— crazy’
Shannon Watts, a Democratic political operative and gun control activist, torched a rising progressive kingmaker on Friday, accusing him of trying to brush off his past controversial comments online. In her view, Hasan Piker, a far-left streamer, used the same playbook to downplay his unhinged claims after facing backlash on social media. “Hasan Piker defense Bingo card: ‘It’s a joke, satire, hyperbole. It’s out of context. It was years ago,’” Watts said in her post. “’English is my second language. I stream for hours. Bad faith clipping. Smear campaign. Critics are being paid for Israel.’” HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER It didn’t take long for Piker to fire back — even as he admitted the pattern. “All of that is true and valid. You behave as a GOP operative. You’re a shameless grifter who doesn’t care about the Dem Senate majority or punishing Trump,” Piker wrote. “And you are a copycat of MAGA tactics engaging in alternative facts,” Fred Guttenberg, a Democratic activist whose daughter was murdered in the Parkland shooting, fired back. “As a Jewish person whose daughter was murdered in the Parkland shooting and whose brother died because of 9/11, your attack on Shannon is batsh– crazy and your comparison of the NRA and AIPAC only confirms your insanity. “Using your MAGA styled attacks against someone like Shannon or me won’t work. Stop being a copycat,” he continued. Watts’ online clash with Piker showcases the concern some Democrats have shown over comments, posts and videos that have resurfaced among progressives. For example, concerns about former Senate candidate Graham Platner started as eyebrow-raising Reddit posts ballooned into sexual assault allegations. Michigan’s Senate Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, came under fire for past calls to defund the police. Watts’ spat with Piker puts a question mark on whether the party’s banner carriers should shoulder more responsibility for their past rhetoric. Watts, who has dedicated the last 14 years to gun control advocacy, has boldly argued in recent months that Democrats are turning a blind eye to the online histories of some of their candidates at the expense of their electability and trustworthiness. Although he himself is not running for office, Piker has drawn scrutiny for a long list of controversial remarks, especially as he acts as a surrogate for El-Sayed and other progressive candidates. SANDERS SAYS PLATNER HAS THE ‘GUTS’ TO FIGHT BILLIONAIRES DESPITE GROWING SCANDAL PILEUP In 2019, Piker famously said that “America deserved 9/11,” arguing later that the U.S. had “brought it on itself.” He would later walk it back and call it “inappropriate” after massive backlash online. Once, when asked if he supported terrorism, Piker answered by saying, “No, I don’t. I don’t support the state of Israel, and I don’t support the state of the United States of America.” Piker’s clash with Watts began when some of those past comments cost him on Thursday after the University of Washington said it had decided to cancel an upcoming event with him, citing his rhetoric on Israel. In response, Piker took to X, arguing that Democrats should stand up for First Amendment principles. “We must fight back against the undemocratic & unamerican forces of Trumpism, which means protecting free speech and due process, two fundamental rights Trump is actively seeking to destroy at this moment!” Piker wrote. The comment prompted a retort from Watts, noting that Piker has a seemingly uneven track record of calling for the defense of rights. She recalled an instance where Piker had encouraged President Donald Trump to “lock up” a longtime Dem nemesis. “When Trump threatened to arrest Adam Schiff for being his political enemy, Hasan Piker said: ‘Oh my God, I hope they arrest him. Oh my God, I hope he goes to prison. Yeah, this is political. Sure. I don’t care. Lock him up. Lock him up,’” Watts reminded audiences. Piker has repeatedly criticized Schiff for receiving contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and for, in his view, not doing enough to push back against U.S. ties to Israel. HASAN PIKER CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE ‘PUNISHED’ In 2019, Piker told Schiff to “suck my entire d—” while bashing the senator for hosting a fundraiser hosted by Raytheon, a prominent U.S. defense contractor. Piker, faced with his own past words, said his remarks about Schiff had been a joke. “I voted for him. This is a joke, you dumb—,” Piker responded to Watts. A Democratic commentator fired back at Piker’s comment, asking, “How is it a joke? You just gonna say that for every single thing you’ve said? You are very clearly serious in this video.” Representatives for Piker did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital on whether the party’s base was placing enough emphasis on past online comments, or at what point online rhetoric should be disqualifying for political candidates.
Swing-state’s fraud reckoning raises Minnesota-style alarm as wild schemes exposed
The DOJ’s expanded anti-fraud task force made its first sweeping bust of Medicaid scofflaws in Pennsylvania this month, drawing comparisons to the massive fraud scandals that rocked Minnesota — but with one major difference. Republicans and Democrats in the state united in outrage after nearly two dozen people were charged in Philadelphia and elsewhere. The DOJ noted Pennsylvania spends $8 billion on Medicaid home-care services, more than almost any other state, and those services were the target of the busts. “The allegations are really disturbing just as they are in Minnesota and other places where we’ve seen this,” House Ways and Means Committee member Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. PENNSYLVANIA AG EXPLAINS WHY STATE LEADS NATION IN MEDICAID FRAUD CONVICTIONS WHILE OTHERS BATTLE MASS SCHEMES “It’s criminal activity that is taking money from individuals who really need it. And this is Medicaid — It’s not Medicare, which is more for seniors. But this is for people who truly need help, who are disabled — these are individuals who are relying on Medicaid to help them get through every day. And these are criminals who are taking that money and lining their pockets with it,” said Smucker, whose Lancaster-area district has an older population and has anywhere from two in 10 to four in 10 constituents enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or both, according to reports. The DOJ’s anti-fraud chief echoed those sentiments while describing some of the most egregious cases among the 19 Pennsylvania defendants charged as of last week. One suspect billed Medicaid for services that supposedly occurred while police had pulled him over for a moving violation and charged him on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to the DOJ. Another suspect billed Medicaid for services during a period when he was in court watching a family member get sentenced for Medicaid fraud-related offenses, according to Colin McDonald. I’M OHIO’S STATE AUDITOR — MEDICAID FRAUD IS NOT JUST A WASHINGTON PROBLEM Another suspect billed Medicaid for home-care services that McDonald said were supposedly provided while the suspect was driving for a rideshare company. Another billed for services while in prison, according to McDonald. Smucker said Pennsylvania welcomes fellow Keystone Stater and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and his investigators, adding that he is grateful state officials in Harrisburg are also taking note. That cooperation sets the Pennsylvania busts apart from those in Minnesota, where Gov. Tim Walz has faced accusations of inaction over what has become a multibillion-dollar scandal. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signaled cooperation and collaboration with Republicans in going after Medicaid fraudsters in remarks his office made to Fox News Digital. TIM WALZ BECOMES GOP PUNCHLINE IN SWEEPING NEW WAR ON WELFARE FRAUD Shapiro, a Democrat and the commonwealth’s former attorney general, prosecuted public assistance-related crimes and now governs the state with the nation’s highest number of criminal convictions for Medicaid fraud. The governor — who was considered a runner-up to Walz in then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ search for a running mate — said the commonwealth is a “national leader in stopping fraud.” “Here in Pennsylvania, we combat fraud wherever we find it. In 2024, we charged 119 cases of Medicaid fraud — recovering more than $11 million for taxpayers,” Shapiro said in a recent statement. “Governor Shapiro has made fighting public assistance fraud a cornerstone of his career in public service, rooting out waste, fraud and abuse as attorney general where he cracked down on fraud and public assistance benefit theft, charging dozens of people who stole millions in taxpayer dollars,” Shapiro spokeswoman Rosie Lapowsky told Fox News Digital. READ: DR. OZ PUTS ALL 50 GOVERNORS ON NOTICE OVER BILLIONS LOST TO MEDICAID FRAUD Lapowsky said the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) brought one of the cases referenced by McDonald to the Justice Department for further investigation during Shapiro’s tenure. “[That is] clearly showing our system works,” she said, adding that Pennsylvania’s high number of home-care service providers is not by itself an indicator of fraud. Conservative critics in Minnesota and Washington state have pointed to similar provider numbers to raise suspicions about fraudulent activity. Pennsylvania — the fifth-most populous state, behind California, Texas, Florida and New York — has seen a 20% increase since 2018 in the number of adults in home-care programs, according to DHS. DHS said it employs “ongoing monitoring,” including an electronic visit-verification system, to ensure proper billing and curtail fraud. The department refers potential fraud cases to Republican Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday’s office. WATCH: DR. OZ SAYS NEWSOM, OTHER BLUE STATES HAVE TURNED MEDICAID FRAUD INTO A ‘FEATURE’ “This criminal conduct is much more than someone ‘working the system’ — the impact is deep and wide-ranging, as every dollar diverted deprives someone in need of care,” Sunday said in a statement. “In collaboration with our partners, my office last year convicted more than 100 defendants, and clawed back more than $40 million that was intended for Pennsylvanians in need.” In 2025, Sunday’s office handled 744 referrals from DHS alone, according to Harrisburg sources. Smucker said all stakeholders must continue being vigilant for both Medicaid and Medicare-related fraud. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “People like the four seasons here,” he said, referring to the high number of retirees who call Amish country home. “But we have a lot of people who are relying on these programs… and we have seen fraud across the system in federal programs. This is probably hundreds of billions per year that is being siphoned-off from taxpayer dollars,” he said. Pennsylvania officials say investigators continue to make progress fighting Medicaid fraud. “We are coming for you,” said former Pittsburgh U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, whom President Donald Trump tapped to lead the White House’s nationwide anti-fraud task force The DOJ’s “Northeast Strike Force” was originally organized in Brooklyn and Newark before expanding into Pennsylvania as part of the broader crackdown. “Our message is clear: if you are a medical provider who chooses greed over your professional responsibility, DEA will hold
Americans clash over transgender athletes as debate heats up: ‘Just getting outrageous’
As the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports intensifies, Americans who spoke with Fox News Digital offered sharply divided views on whether transgender women should be allowed to compete against female athletes. “It’s all right if you wanna be what you wanna be, but you shouldn’t be competing against a woman and you’re a man,” a Washington, D.C., resident said. “Biologically, it’s an advantage.” Another person disagreed. SOFTBALL HALL OF FAMER SENDS BLUNT WARNING TO THOSE DEFENDING INCLUSION OF BIOLOGICAL MALES IN FEMALE SPORTS “I feel like a transgender woman should be able to play in women’s sports,” another person told Fox News Digital. “They might have been a man before, but they’re trans. They’re changing into a woman, so why not play a woman’s sport? Like they’re not gonna let her play men’s sports.” The participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports has long been debated, particularly discussing claims there is an unfair advantage posed when biological men are able to compete at the same level as women — with critics pointing to the physiological differences among males and females. “It’s a little bit of an unfair advantage,” Theresa from Virginia said. “I don’t think it really makes sense because a man is more physically fit than a woman,” the D.C. resident said. “Automatically stronger than a woman.” But those in favor of allowing transgender athletes to compete in the league of the gender they currently identify with argue the movement to ban biological men from competing in women’s sports is part of a targeted attack against transgender people. SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM DOUBLES DOWN AHEAD OF SUN GAME AFTER ESPN PROFILE STIRS CONTROVERSY: ‘I SAID WHAT I SAID’ It is also argued that biological advantages are differentiated by the specific genetics of every individual rather than an entire gender. “I see why they’re saying that because they could be stronger than a woman,” one said about the potential safety risks at play. She continued, “But at the same time, like, girls are strong.” The debate has also spilled into professional basketball after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham indicated that she is against biological men competing in women’s sports, according to a recent ESPN article. “I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” Cunningham said to ESPN. “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love.” She continued, “But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” Cunningham brushed aside the backlash and doubled down on her comments, calling it “common sense.” WNBPA ISSUES STATEMENT EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AMID TRANS ATHLETE DEBATE IN WOMEN’S SPORTS The Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) put out a statement praising the different backgrounds of all its players, stating that while difficult conversations will be continued in the league, “we will not be political pawns.” The statement also came after Cunningham’s comments and as former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom announced that he was declaring for the WNBA draft, arguing he meets all the eligibility requirements and simply just needs to identify as a woman. “I think that it’s crazy,” the D.C. resident said about a biological man being able to compete in the WNBA. “I think that a lot of people just say that they’re women just to go compete against women to make themselves look good.” “They’re just getting outrageous with this rainbow stuff,” he said.
Fauci refuses Senate appearance after invoking Fifth Amendment more than 100 times in COVID probe
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday declined a request to voluntarily appear before a second Senate panel, opening another front in Republicans’ investigations into the former public health official’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. An attorney for Fauci rejected the request from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, arguing that compelling Fauci to testify again after his contentious July 29 Senate hearing would “impermissibly harass or degrade Dr. Fauci for political purposes.” Johnson has been conducting a parallel investigation into Fauci and the federal government’s response to COVID-19, including the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. SEN RON JOHNSON TALKS FAUCI EMAILS, NEW SENATE FILIBUSTER STRATEGY ON ‘RUTHLESS’ The refusal comes after Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted along party lines last week to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during the July hearing. Committee chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., has sought to send the contempt referral directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia, bypassing a full Senate vote. “It’s a good legal discussion, and we will make those legal points to DOJ in sending the referral over,” Paul told Fox News Digital ahead of last week’s contempt vote. At issue is whether Fauci can invoke the Fifth Amendment after former President Joe Biden issued him a preemptive pardon before leaving office. CAN FAUCI HIDE BEHIND THE FIFTH? GAME-CHANGING BIDEN PARDON MAY NOT PROVIDE COMPLETE COVER, EXPERTS SAY Paul has argued that Biden’s pardon removed Fauci’s risk of federal prosecution and therefore undermined his basis for refusing to answer lawmakers’ questions. Fauci and his attorneys have disputed that position. Paul has spent years investigating Fauci’s role in the government’s response to COVID-19 and has accused the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director of funding “risky” research that led to an alleged lab leak of the COVID-19 virus in China. Paul has repeatedly called for Fauci to be prosecuted. Johnson’s subcommittee has separately obtained records related to Fauci and the government’s pandemic response. Fox News Digital previously confirmed that the Department of Health and Human Services sent the subcommittee a copy of Fauci’s pandemic-era cellphone. The broader Homeland Security panel also received more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before his July hearing. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office to ask whether he intends to subpoena Fauci following the refusal. Fox News Digital also sought reaction from Paul’s office and asked Fauci attorney David Schertler whether Fauci would comply with a subpoena compelling his testimony. Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Trump backs Republican challenger to oust Letitia James amid ongoing mortgage fraud feud
New York Attorney General Letitia James has drawn a Trump-backed challenger, and President Donald Trump is throwing his “complete and total endorsement” behind Republican Saritha Komatireddy in a bid to oust his longtime political foe. “It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Saritha Komatireddy, who is running to be the next Attorney General of the once wonderful State of New York,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday. “Between Kathy Hochul and the Most Corrupt Attorney General in the Country, Letitia James, it has gone to HELL!” Trump’s endorsement of Komatireddy, who he nominated to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 2020, comes as he continues pressing for James to be prosecuted over mortgage fraud allegations, adding another front to his yearslong feud with the Democratic attorney general who once took him to court. TRUMP’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES NEW YORK, OTHER BLUE STATES OVER TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Trump did not mince words in his criticism of James, who successfully sued Trump and The Trump Organization in 2022, accusing them of fraudulently inflating the value of assets on financial statements to obtain more favorable loans. An appeals court later wiped out the nearly $465 million financial penalty against Trump, ruling the massive disgorgement award violated the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines. “Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James, is considered by many to be the WORST Attorney General in our Country. She is a Complete and Total Disaster, who tried running against Kathy Hochul for Governor, and got less than 1% of the Vote in the Polls, and QUIT, taking many innocent suckers down with her,” Trump wrote. “She then went back to her WITCH HUNT against your favorite President, (ME!), and others, yet Murder and other Violent Crime is RAGING OUT OF CONTROL in New York, as People and Businesses flee, in Record Numbers, to other States!” He contrasted James with Komatireddy, touting her qualifications as Drug Enforcement Administration chief of staff and a former federal prosecutor, adding she clerked for Brett Kavanaugh, who became Supreme Court justice. “On the other hand, as your next Attorney General, Saritha Komatireddy will fight tirelessly to Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Grow our Economy, Champion our Law Enforcement and First Responders, Support our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Uphold our Constitution, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote. TRUMP MAY HAVE ENDORSED DARLINE GRAHAM, BUT GOP SENATE HOPEFULS AREN’T BACKING DOWN Komatireddy, who has been outspoken against James’ handling of the state’s fraud investigations, thanked Trump for his endorsement. “I was honored to be nominated to be a federal judge by the President in 2020 and I’m honored to receive his endorsement today. I’m working hard to win the support of all New Yorkers and defeat Letitia James this November,” Komatireddy wrote on X. Fox News Digital reached out to James’ campaign for comment.
Bernie-backed California House candidate called DEI a ‘social justice-driven duty,’ embraced activist role
A Bernie Sanders-backed California congressional candidate who touts his career as an educator has used the classroom and academia to push diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and activist groups, according to his own writings and reports on his work with students. Randy Villegas is taking on Republican Rep. David Valadao in California’s 22nd Congressional District in a high-stakes Central Valley showdown that could help determine control of the House. Democrats have made the seat a top pickup target, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district a “toss-up” and gives the district a razor-thin D+1 partisan lean. COAST GUARD ENDING RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS FOR OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM UNDER TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWN Villegas, a political science professor at College of the Sequoias and a Visalia school board trustee, co-authored a 2022 academic paper arguing that DEI is central to the mission of community college educators and describing it as a “social justice-driven duty.” The paper, “A Commitment to Teaching, Learning, and Student Advocacy: Community College Careers,” was published by the American Political Science Association as a chapter in Strategies for Navigating Graduate School and Beyond. “At the heart of community college teaching is diversity, equity, and inclusion, and culturally responsive teaching,” Villegas wrote. “Community colleges commit to teaching excellence and to a social justice-driven duty to accessibility. Most community colleges have similar institutional characteristics as a result. For example, community colleges are open-access institutions. This means that all students are accepted.” Villegas and his co-authors framed diversity and inclusion as a responsibility that extended beyond campus, writing that “a commitment to diversity and inclusion expands from the classroom to the communities in which students live” and arguing that students’ “social and economic realities” should also shape course design. While the paper predates President Donald Trump’s push to eliminate DEI mandates across the federal government and education system, it sheds light on Villegas’ views on DEI and social justice in higher education. In his dissertation, “Voices from the Valley of Vulnerability,” written for the University of California, Santa Cruz, Villegas identifies himself as a “former community organizer and scholar activist” and makes the case that activism can be part of his scholarly work. He bats away concerns that activism could affect academic objectivity, arguing his activism gave him access to information and that his identity and life experiences made his research stronger. He cites scholar Chris Zepeda-Millán, who argued that researchers’ “biases can actually be assets.” MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE Throughout the paper, Villegas described taking part in grassroots activism that included organizing May Day demonstrations, protesting outside an immigrant detention center and working with community groups to advocate for far-left causes. He argued that schools often failed to sufficiently engage students in politics, describing educational institutions as “anti-political” while praising community organizations for “actively politicizing and socializing youth” and empowering them to become “agents of change.” That push to turn students into political activists went beyond his academic research. In 2018, Villegas helped lead the Central Valley Freedom Summer (CVFS), a program that connected students with community organizations for voter outreach, civic engagement and grassroots organizing. Participants worked on issues, including LGBTQ rights, immigration, environmental justice and racial inequality while conducting voter registration and turnout efforts. Among those groups that teamed up with CVFS was Jakara Movement. In 2020, the group launched a campaign seeking the removal of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, citing what it described as Gandhi’s “history of anti-Blackness and racism,” Breitbart reported. Some CVFS graduates went on to launch activist groups of their own, including LOUD for Tomorrow, a self-described “queer and trans BIPOC youth-led” organization that has hosted youth drag events across the Central Valley. 600 GROUPS WITH $2B IN REVENUE MOBILIZE 3,000 MAY DAY PROTESTS IN A ‘RED-BLUE’ ALLIANCE, PROBE FINDS “Randy Villegas was cooked up in a lab to be the radical left’s perfect woke freak. The only thing he cares about is political power and his far-left agenda,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poche told Fox News Digital. Villegas did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about his statements that educators also wear the hat of a “social activist.” Instead, a spokesperson made remarks about incumbent Valadao. “David Valadao ripped away healthcare and food assistance from Valley families to hand his billionaire buddies a tax break,” the spokesperson said in an email. “These desperate attacks won’t hide his toxic record or the domestic abusers bankrolling his campaign.” The comments appear to refer to Valadao voting in favor of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, a sweeping tax and spending package that included roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. Democrats have argued the cuts could cause tens of thousands of people in Valadao’s heavily Medi-Cal-dependent district to lose coverage. Fox News Digital reached out to Valadao’s chief of staff and communications director for comment and Villegas’ campaign for clarification on the allegation that “domestic abusers” are financing Valadao’s campaign.
Advocate reveals freed Marine vet’s physical, mental torment in Russian prison as 5 Americans remain held
Kieran Ramsey, the chief investigative officer for Global Reach, detailed the horrific conditions U.S. Marine veteran Robert Gilman experienced while wrongfully detained by Russia and urged the immediate release of five other Americans held in Russia in an interview with Fox News Digital. Ramsey, who worked with U.S. authorities to secure Gilman’s release after 1,666 days in a Russian prison, praised President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure Gilman’s return on humanitarian grounds. “Mr. Gilman’s home, no doubt, because of the leadership from President Trump. He made a full court press with his senior most team requesting that the Russians release him on a humanitarian basis, which is exactly what happened. MARINE VETERAN ROBERT GILMAN RETURNS TO US SOIL AS TRUMP ADMIN FULFILLS REQUEST: ‘NO AMERICAN LEFT BEHIND’ “And no doubt it was the work of some good, quiet diplomacy on the part of people like Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, and Secretary Rubio and even the CIA director was involved,” Ramsey told Fox News Digital. Gilman was released to U.S. authorities Tuesday after Russian police arrested him in the city of Voronezh in 2022 after he made an unplanned diversion to Russia on his way to a new teaching job in Moldova. Ramsey detailed the circumstances that led to his arrest. “The start of this horrific nightmare comes from the fact that he was actually transiting Moscow. He never intended to stay or visit Russia. He was en route to a new teaching job in Moldova. And while en route, he became really sick. He had to stay and recuperate. And he does have some extended family in Russia. “His father had emigrated from Russia years ago. So, after he recuperated to where at least he thought he was well enough, he decided to go to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to renew his passport. “But, again, en route to the embassy, he became violently ill, and that’s where Russian police came upon him, thought he was drunk, assaulted him, said that he assaulted them, and then it just snowballed from there,” Ramsey revealed. Ramsey also revealed the treatment Gilman received while in a Russian prison, which included an extensive campaign of beatings and apparent psychological torture. “Never have we seen the treatment that Mr. Gilman suffered as bad as anybody else. He was provoked in prison. He was beaten in prison, He was forced to exercise, he was forced to fight and then he was told just some crazy things like, you know, there was a hit team to go assault his father in Boston. “And things like that, when they’re all together, and you’re cut off from the outside world, and you have no idea if there’s any hope, you can imagine how that compounds on somebody,” Ramsey explained. AMERICAN EX-MARINE FEARED NEAR DEATH AFTER WEEKS IN CATATONIC STATE IN RUSSIAN PRISON When asked if there was any legitimacy to the Boston hit team, Ramsey said, “Totally psychological mumbo-jumbo disinformation campaign to make him feel awful.” Gilman, Ramsey told Fox News Digital, is now recuperating in a U.S. hospital alongside family, and while he “still has a long road to go,” he was able to receive immediate medical care thanks, in part, to the State Department designating him as a wrongful detainee. Global Reach is representing five other Americans detained in Russia who Ramsey argues also deserve that status and have yet to receive it. “All five of those we would assert are wrongfully detained do meet the criteria under the Robert Levinson Hostage-Taking and Accountability Act,” Ramsey told Fox News Digital, referencing the 2020 bill that grants the president “visa- and property-blocking sanctions against any foreign person responsible for or complicit in the unlawful or wrongful detention of a U.S. national abroad.” FREED MARINE RETURNS HOME ‘VERY FRAIL’ AFTER RUSSIAN ‘NIGHTMARE’ AS FAMILY ADVOCATE URGES TRUMP TO FREE OTHERS But Ramsey also detailed the political hurdles that may prevent the U.S. from immediately recognizing the detainees as wrongfully detained. “There’s been a policy debate inside the State Department as to whether classifying them or categorizing them as wrongfully detained will raise the price in that diplomacy or that hostage diplomacy negotiations with the Russians to get their release,” he explained. Ramsey then told the stories of his five clients, each facing debilitating health conditions in their imprisonment. Alexander Antonov, the first of Ramsey’s clients he described to Fox News Digital, is an international businessman from California. “He’s a proud husband and father. He’s an international businessman. He had business interests in Russian-occupied Crimea and Ukraine,” Ramsey explained. Antonov was on his way home from a business trip from Ukraine and transited through Russia, “which obviously is a risky venture,” Ramsey said. Russian authorities stopped him and found his U.S. passport, and “immediately he became a target for them,” Ramsey also said. Antonov is now sitting in a Russian prison and was recently violently assaulted by another inmate, Ramsey said, adding that he continues to hear reports that Antonov’s being harassed simply for being an American. IRAN JAILS PSYCHOLOGIST OVER TRUMP PLEA AS REGIME DEMANDS HE MAKE AMERICANS ‘LOOK STUPID’: FAMILY Antonov was detained just over a year ago, Ramsey told Fox News Digital. He then detailed the case of David Barnes, a Texas native who traveled to Russia to retrieve his children after his Russian ex-wife fled and took them to Russia. Barnes was involved in a contentious custody battle with his ex-wife, Ramsey explained, in which she allegedly made unsubstantiated claims about him. “Mr. Barnes went to Russia to recover his children, and his ex-wife yet again made claims of criminality against him. And the Russians acted upon it. And he’s been sitting in a prison now for over four years, and he’s got his own health issues,” Ramsey explained. Olga Jezler, a 36-year-old green card holder who lived in New York, is another detainee Ramsey represents who was taken after flying to Russia to take care of her sick sister. AMERICAN MISSIONARY KEVIN RIDEOUT
Court filings reveal Kyrsten Sinema had sex multiple times with married bodyguard while serving as senator
Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema testified that she repeatedly had sex with her then-married security guard while she was in office representing Arizona, according to federal court filings. Matthew Ammel’s ex-wife, Heather Ammel, is suing the Democrat turned independent, who left office at the beginning of last year for allegedly breaking up her 14-year marriage. Heather Ammel sued Sinema in a North Carolina court under the state’s alienation-of-affection law. Sinema’s legal team moved the case to federal court, then sought dismissal there, arguing her relationship with Matthew Ammel occurred outside North Carolina and that the federal court lacked personal jurisdiction over her. Sinema, who is unmarried, said in a July 31 deposition that she first had sex with Ammel around Memorial Day 2024. UTAH JUSTICE ALLEGEDLY SENT ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ TEXTS TO LAWYER IN KEY REDISTRICTING CASE, OFFICIALS LAUNCH PROBE “We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California. We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex,” Sinema said in her deposition, which took place at a law office in Raleigh. Sinema said she and Ammel were staying at the property with her friends, Penny and Grant Croissant, along with another member of her security detail. Their next tryst came in June when Sinema said she attended the wedding of CNN anchor Jessica Dean in New York City. She and Ammel had separate hotel rooms but were “intimate” in Sinema’s room, she said in the deposition. In mid-July, the two had sex at her Washington, D.C., apartment after taking a red-eye flight from the West Coast, Sinema said, according to the transcript. And in mid-August, Sinema and Ammel traveled to Aspen, Colorado, for a “fundraising trip.” She had sex with him again during that trip, she said. Sinema was not able to recall another supposed sexual encounter with him in Washington, D.C., in late September, though Ammel confirmed it in his own deposition. The affair continued into October 2024, when the two had sex at Sinema’s house in Phoenix. Sinema acknowledged that she knew Ammel had three children and was married amid all the sexual encounters. During her deposition, a lawyer asked Sinema about a photo she texted to Ammel of herself in a towel. “I’m an endurance athlete. So a photograph of me with cupping marks is about sports,” Sinema responded, saying she didn’t specifically recall a photo of herself in a towel that she sent. In another message to Ammel, Sinema wrote, “Putting my hand on your heart. I’ll see you soon. I miss you.” UTAH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RESIGNS AMID PROBE INTO ALLEGED RELATIONSHIP WITH REDISTRICTING ATTORNEY “You understand, Ms. Sinema, don’t you, that a wife reading this might get concerned about who is sending her husband that kind of message referring to putting his — her hand on his heart? Can you see that?” the lawyer asked. “Yes,” Sinema said. Heather Ammel also sat for a deposition in the case. She recalled discovering the affair when her husband came home “severely intoxicated” while they were staying at her parent’s house, according to her testimony. In the deposition, Heather Ammel read aloud a message she discovered on her husband’s phone from Sinema. “I hope your day was okay. Thinking of you. I am with you. I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me,” the message said. A screenshot of the message was visible in court filings. FORMER NEBRASKA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH ADMITS SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EX-PLAYER, LAWSUIT CLAIMS In a text message she sent to her husband in June 2024, Heather Ammel described Sinema as “insidious” and “a woman who is willing to break up a family.” Later in the deposition, Heather Ammel testified that her husband is an “established liar and manipulator,” adding that she thought he was “actively manipulating” her and Sinema. The Ammels separated on Nov. 1, 2024, and their divorce was finalized in March 2026, according to court records. In the case against Sinema, there will be an evidentiary hearing on Aug. 19, according to court documents.
Justice Thomas reveals this elite institution is ‘off limits’ to him: ‘That’s the world we’re in’
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently claimed that certain law schools and colleges were completely “off limits” for him and other conservatives to visit. “You know, I have never been to Stanford Law School,” Thomas told Peter Robinson during an on-stage discussion hosted by the Hoover Institute. He said current conservative thought leaders, like himself, are largely unwelcome from higher education institutions like Stanford Law School. “That’s the reality,” Thomas said. “That’s the world we’re in, because there’s certain places that are just presumptively off limits. This is the way it works. And that’s true. I mean, I’ve been to Yale Law School, but that’s the way it works. And to say it isn’t is to lie.” CLARENCE THOMAS WARNS AMERICA: LIBERTY DIES WHEN WE CHOOSE COMFORT OVER COURAGE The comments from the high court justice came amid ongoing criticism from conservative pundits that college campuses have become intolerant to right-wing ideas and that students are being indoctrinated by liberal professors. Thomas alleged that, if not for YouTube, the ideas and works of American economist Thomas Sowell, who profoundly shaped his political views, would be lost to the younger generation of students because some people’s views are “unpalatable” to the student body. “And, so, what these kids are getting is all that stuff [that] is not there,” Thomas said, referring to colleges. “It’s just on YouTube. It’s available to everybody, and they get to make up their own mind.” A Stanford spokesperson rejected Thomas’ notion that the law school was “off limits” for him to visit. “We would be honored to host Justice Thomas at Stanford Law School,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Stanford Constitutional Law Center, directed by professor Michael McConnell, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, regularly hosts members of the judiciary on campus. “Our students and faculty would welcome the opportunity to hear from Justice Thomas and engage with his perspectives on the court, the Constitution and the law.” WATCH: CHAOS ERUPTS AS LEFTISTS INTERRUPT CONSERVATIVE GROUP’S UCLA EVENT FEATURING DHS LAWYER In the past couple of years, there have been multiple incidents in which a conservative speaker’s visit to the school was disrupted by student protesters. When Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, visited in 2023 to give a presentation titled “Covid, Guns, and Twitter,” he was met with fierce backlash from students affiliated with LGBTQ groups because of his judicial record. The student groups — OutLaw and Identity and Rights Affirmers for Trans Equality (IRATE) — repeatedly pressured the hosting organization, the Federalist Society, to cancel the event or move it to Zoom. When that failed, a group of 90 law students appeared with signs and bullhorns to protest Duncan’s talk, causing major disruptions that made it impossible for Duncan to complete his presentation. Duncan requested assistance, and DEI administrator Tirien Steinbach took the podium acknowledging his free speech rights but siding with the student protesters. “For many people here, your work has caused harm,” Steinbach told Duncan. “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” The incident led Stanford Dean Jenny Martinez and President Marc Tessier-Lavigne to issue an apology to Duncan. The school required students to participate in mandatory training and subsequently made the school’s position unusually explicit: protesting Duncan was protected, but preventing an invited speaker from effectively delivering a presentation violated Stanford’s disruption policy. DHS LAWYER SAYS UCLA ‘UTTERLY FAILED’ TO STOP PROTEST CHAOS AT LAW SCHOOL APPEARANCE Three years earlier, when then-Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins visited the law school to host a discussion, twelve student organizations organized a walkout. The groups took issue with Hawkins’ role in litigation to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Just five minutes into Hawkins’ address, more than three-quarters of the audience left. Thomas did not point to either incident during his remarks at the Hoover Institution, nor did he say whether he had ever been invited to speak at Stanford. He did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Still, Thomas suggested that the ideological divide he sees within higher education has made engagement between conservatives and some of the nation’s most prominent academic institutions increasingly difficult.