Progressive challenger complicates Democrat path in House fight to unseat GOP incumbent Rep Mike Flood
Progressive journalist Austin Ahlman announced he is running for Congress in Nebraska’s first congressional district as a nonpartisan independent on Thursday, challenging incumbent Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., and Democratic nominee Chris Backemeyer. Ahlman, a journalist for the progressive left-wing outlet The Intercept, entered the fray Thursday, two days after his opponents advanced in their respective primaries. Flood has held his seat since winning a special election in 2022. Democratic challenger Backemeyer is a former State Department employee who worked in President Barack Obama’s administration and also served as a Special Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris on national security and policy issues. Ahlman criticized Backemeyer as a “creature of the establishment in D.C.” and said he didn’t see much of a difference between the Democrat and Flood. FROM NEBRASKA TO WEST VIRGINIA TO NEW JERSEY: PRIMARY CLASHES SET STAGE FOR FIERCE MIDTERM FIGHT “I have taken on the corporations that are actually hollowing out our state. I have uncovered the corruption among the politicians that are crushing us and selling us out. And I don’t think that either one of the two can say that,” Ahlman told the Lincoln Journal Star. “I think that they have just been a part of the system. They are the establishment, and I am not that. I’m actually from the working class,” he said. After winning his 2022 special election by a five-point margin, Flood won both of his general elections by a comfortable margin. He won by 15 points in the 2022 general election and by more than 20 point in 2024. Nebraska’s first district is also a solid Republican stronghold, according to the Cook Political Report. Cook posits it would take both an “anemic” Republican turnout and a strong Democrat one to turn the tables for Democrats in Nebraska’s first district. The prospect is now made more complicated with Ahlman, as some of Nebraska’s political leader point out to local press that the progressive candidate could split the vote. KEY HOUSE PROJECTION SPELLS TROUBLE FOR TWO REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS “Mike Flood has failed this district, and splitting the vote with a fringe third candidate won’t fix that,” Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said in a Thursday statement provided to the Nebraska Examiner. “Nebraska doesn’t need noise from either extreme. We need a steady, experienced leader who will fight for fairness and protect our democracy. That’s Chris Backemeyer.” Backemeyer’s campaign told the Examiner, “After winning almost every county by a large margin in the primary, Chris is focused on defeating congressman Flood in order to stop Trump’s tariffs, devastating healthcare cuts and illegal war that are hurting Nebraskans.” Meanwhile, Flood’s team pointed to the independent challenge as a weakness in the Democratic Party, claiming Ahlman is “trying to sabotage the campaign of a Kamala Harris adviser because the Democratic Party is in shambles.” “While Backemeyer and Ahlman fight over which D.C. transplant finishes second, Congressman Flood will keep getting things done for Nebraskans,” Flood spokesperson Daniel Bass told the Examiner. Fox News Digital contacted the Ahlman, Backemeyer and Flood campaigns for additional comment.
Longtime Democratic Rep Steve Cohen announces end to re-election bid
Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee announced on Friday that he signed a document requesting not to be included on the ballot in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. The congressman described the district determined by “new lines” as “nothing like the 9th district that I’ve represented.” The Democratic primary in the district is scheduled to take place in August. Cohen’s ending his re-election bid after 19 years in Congress. This is a breaking news story and will be updated
Iowa Dem admits being ‘uncomfortable’ with whiteness as she seeks to flip competitive House seat
FIRST ON FOX — A Democrat running for Congress in Iowa admitted to feeling “uncomfortable” by the whiteness of her hometown in Minnesota after returning from a stay in New Mexico years ago. Sarah Trone Garriott, 47, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country, is coming under fire for her comments as she seeks to unseat incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa. “Yeah, I remember the first time I came back to northern Minnesota to visit, and I was kind of shocked at how many white people there were,” Trone Garriott recalled of the area of the U.S. where she grew up in a resurfaced podcast episode released nearly a decade ago. “The feeling was very different. I was like ‘whoa,’ and again I was uncomfortable in a different way,” she added. IOWA DEMOCRAT RUNNING FOR CONGRESS WROTE THAT 9/11 MADE HER MORE ‘AWARE’ OF ‘ANTI-MUSLIM BIGOTRY’ About 78% of Iowa’s third congressional district that Trone Garriott wants to represent in Congress is white, according to a breakdown by DataUSA. Republicans argue the candidate’s past and recent comments are out of step with the district’s demographics. “Every time Sarah Trone Garriott’s handlers let her loose, the wicked witch of woke finds a new way to insult Iowans,” Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said. “We haven’t even reached the general election yet, and she has already managed to call nearly every person in the state racist, sexist, and bigoted,” he added. Trone Garriott’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on previous remarks. Nunn’s campaign also did not respond when reached about his competitor’s comments. According to the Cook Political Report, Iowa’s 3rd congressional district is among the 16 “toss-up” races in the 2026 midterms, with a slight R+2 lean. IMMIGRANTS NEEDED FOR ‘REDISTRICTING PURPOSES,’ HOUSE DEM ADMITS IN VIRAL CLIP: ‘QUIET PART OUT LOUD’ Nine years after Trone Garriott recorded the podcast interview, her comments highlight a wariness of homogeneity and underscore the candidate’s belief that representation should be tied to demographics. In a separate interview with the University of Iowa in 2022, Trone Garriott hinted at support for demographic mandates and quotas for positions within the government, like those she learned about after meeting with legislators from Kosovo. “They actually have quotas, and I know that’s a dirty word for some people, but they have requirements of how many people from different ethnic backgrounds, religious minorities — and gender balance is part of their structure,” Trone Garriott said of the Balkan nation. “And so, there’s kind of a preference for those folks that are underrepresented to be in government. Which I think is really important to bring those voices out,” she added. IOWA POLL SHOWS DEMOCRATS IN POSITION TO FLIP 2 GOP HOUSE SEATS Trone Garriott was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After earning her undergraduate degree in Duluth, Minnesota, she went on to obtain a Master of Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School, and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She worked as a volunteer with the anti-poverty program under AmeriCorps VISTA in New Mexico — where she was apparently awoken to the ‘whiteness’ of her Minnesotan hometown. Trone Garriott began her career as an ordained minister for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), spending time in ministry in Pennsylvania, Chicago, Virginia and finally Iowa. From there, Trone Garriott embarked on a political career in the Iowa State Senate, where she has served since 2021. She announced a bid last year to unseat Rep. Nunn in the state’s third congressional district.
Obama remains Dem headliner while president with most votes ever fades into background: ‘It was all a dream’
President Barack Obama has been at the center of Democrats’ biggest political fights, from redistricting fights to last year’s gubernatorial races, while former President Joe Biden — despite winning more votes than any presidential candidate in history — has remained largely absent from many of the party’s biggest political battles since leaving office. “We went through an election in Virginia that the Democrats invested a lot of money in, and we did not see Joe Biden once to the best of my recollection,” Virginia GOP Chair Jeff Ryer told Fox News Digital, referring to Obama’s heavy campaigning for the Democrat-backed redistricting referendum later struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court. “We did, on the other hand, see Barack Obama on television ad after television ad, during the Democrats’ $80 million campaign, he was clearly the leader of it.” Biden’s absence from several major Democratic campaigns has fueled Republican claims that Democrats are quietly moving on from the former president. “Joe Biden is becoming like the ninth season of ‘Dallas.’ It was all a dream,” Ryer said, referring to the infamous retcon of CBS’ hit show “Dallas,” in which the events of Season 9 were revealed to have never happened. FORMER CLINTON CAMPAIGN MANAGER LAMENTS ‘LEADERLESS’ STATE OF DEMS AS BIDEN REMAINS ‘OFF THE RADAR’ For many Democratic strategists, Obama’s prominent role reflects a broader belief that he remains far more popular and politically valuable than Biden, even ten years after exiting public office. “I think there’s a lot of nostalgia for the Obama presidency,” Democratic strategist Andrea Riccio told Fox News Digital. “I do think there’s a once in a generation excitement around him that just hasn’t been replicated by other presidents, so I can understand why he’s sought after right now.” Riccio said Democrats are likely still reeling from their 2024 presidential election loss, and with the Democratic Party still lacking a clear leader, “Obama is one of the best surrogates” the party has at the moment. Earlier this week, Obama traveled to Texas and met with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who is gaining momentum in polls against Republican candidates Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Winning over Black voters in Texas will be crucial for Talarico, and strategists have said Obama could play a key role in boosting turnout this fall. Fox News contributor and Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov argued that Talarico likely would not campaign with Biden because “a lot of what he is” politically involves distancing himself from the Biden administration. “He’s been very open about mistakes that were made in the Biden administration, especially vis-à-vis immigration,” Tarlov said. “He wants to represent Texas. So, obviously, the border is a really big deal there.” She added that Obama is just more popular than Biden. “I think Biden will go where people want him to, and is taking much more of, like, the Nancy Pelosi approach, which is, ‘if you want me, I’m there for you. If you don’t, I totally get it,’” Tarlov said. “And Obama’s, obviously, fielding requests for those that want him, and there are going to be lots of candidates that don’t want Obama on the trail with him.” “But he makes a lot of sense for someone like James Talarico, especially because he’s a millennial and kind of grew up on Obama,” Tarlov continued. HEATING UP: NEWSOM, PRITZKER, BUTTIGIEG MAKE EARLY MOVES IN 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACE However, Tarlov did say she would have thought California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom would have asked Biden to join the campaign for his redistricting effort in California. “Gavin Newsom is one of the most public defenders of the Biden record,” Tarlov said. “So I think that he would have had Biden if that was possible.” Instead, Obama was the leading voice in Democrats’ redistricting push in California and Virginia, appearing in several advertisements aimed at rallying voter support, while Biden has remained mum. Amid the high-profile governors’ races last November in Virginia and New Jersey, Obama spoke at rallies promoting now Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger. But Biden, who previously endorsed both women amid their prior congressional races, was nowhere to be seen on the campaign trail. But Democratic strategist James Carville told Fox News Digital that Biden isn’t as young as Obama and likely doesn’t have the same level of energy. Last May, Biden was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. BIDEN CLAIMS HE’S ‘GETTING CALLS’ FROM EUROPEAN LEADERS WANTING HIM TO ‘GET ENGAGED’ While Biden may no longer be leading the Democratic Party’s biggest initiatives, he remains engaged. On May 1, he endorsed Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia’s gubernatorial primary, and a few days later he endorsed his former aide Dan Koh in Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District. In April, Biden spoke at Delaware Democratic Party’s annual First State Dinner, and in February he spoke at a South Carolina Democratic Party dinner to commemorate his six-year anniversary of winning the state’s primary election, deemed pivotal in him winning the general election. A Biden insider shared with Fox News Digital that more is to come from the former president this election season. And the Republican National Committee is looking forward to Biden’s growing involvement, according to an RNC spokesperson. “It would be a gift to Republicans for Joe Biden to get involved in the midterms,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital. “We will happily buy him a plane ticket to every swing state in the country.”
Key China-Iran infrastructure exposes critical hole in Trump’s war strategy
The U.S. is trying to choke off Iran’s economy at sea, but a growing China-linked rail corridor is giving Tehran a workaround that Washington cannot easily shut down without risking a wider conflict. As freight traffic between China and Iran increases along an overland route beyond the reach of American warships, the dynamic is exposing a core limitation in the U.S. strategy: maritime pressure is powerful, but it doesn’t fully extend across Eurasia. According to Bloomberg, cargo trains running from central China to Iran have jumped from roughly one per week before the blockade to one every three or four days, highlighting a growing alternative channel as Tehran looks to blunt maritime pressure. The corridor runs through multiple sovereign countries, including Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, making it far more complex to disrupt than shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. CHINA-LINKED ROUTE EXPOSED AFTER US SEIZES IRAN-BOUND SHIP WITH SUSPECTED DUAL-USE CARGO Directly targeting that overland network would risk widening the conflict and escalating tensions with Beijing, which has spent years investing in trade routes designed to bypass maritime choke points dominated by the U.S. Navy. That combination of geography, diplomacy and escalation risk helps explain why Washington has focused overwhelmingly on maritime interdiction rather than attempting to shut down overland trade routes. Experts say the rail corridor remains limited in its ability to offset Iran’s main oil exports. “There’s no substitute for a very large crude carrier,” Isaac Kardon, a senior fellow focused on Chinese strategy and maritime security, told Fox News Digital. Kardon estimated that “maybe like 1% of the exports that Iran would typically be pushing out through Hormuz could go over land.” Max Meizlish, a former Treasury official focused on sanctions policy, similarly described the rail corridor as “a drop in the bucket compared to Iran’s traditional oil exports over maritime transit routes.” TRUMP WARNS CHINA OF ‘STAGGERING’ 50% TARIFF IF CAUGHT SUPPLYING MILITARY AID TO IRAN Still, analysts warn the route carries strategic risks beyond its limited scale. Meizlish said the rail network “provides a pathway for China to supply Iran with critical dual use goods or just military logistical infrastructure” beyond the reach of U.S. naval enforcement. Kardon pointed to similar concerns, including the potential movement of “parts for drones” and “missile precursor chemicals.” Even so, Kardon emphasized the corridor cannot sustain large-scale economic or military flows. “It’s a flow question,” he said. “Can you sustain the Iranian war-fighting effort solely with cargoes from China or from its other Eurasian neighbors? And I think the answer is really no.” Taken together, the rail corridor is not an economic lifeline for Iran, but it underscores a broader shift as China builds trade networks designed to blunt U.S. pressure at sea and test the limits of how far Washington is willing to go to enforce its strategy. The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment.
Trump wraps widely-watched trip to China, departing on Air Force One after high-stakes Xi meeting
Air Force One lifted off after U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up his visit to China where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. The president spoke to the press aboard Air Force One, calling Xi “an incredible guy.” Trump said Xi “feels very strongly” on the Taiwan issue, but noted, “I made no commitment either way.” “But, you know, I think the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away,” Trump later opined. Trump indicated that Xi asked him whether he’d defend Taiwan. “I said, I don’t talk about that,” the U.S. president noted. TRUMP SAYS CHINA’S XI JINPING OFFERED TO HELP END IRAN CONFLICT Trump said that Xi “told me that would be a tough one,” regarding the possibility of releasing prisoner Jimmy Lai. “He said he’s gonna strongly consider the pastor,” Trump said, apparently referring to imprisoned Pastor Ezra Jin. During a state dinner in Beijing, Trump publicly invited Xi and his wife to visit the White House on September 24. Aboard Air Force One the next day, Trump said the visit could take place September 24 or September 26. This was Trump’s first trip to China during his current term. He had previously visited the foreign nation during his first administration. Here are some notable moments from his trip: China literally rolled out a red carpet for President Donald Trump’s arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport. Chinese Vice Presdient President H.E. Han Zheng was among those who greeted Trump. Trump and Xi appeared together outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi and Trump met for a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall. Leaders from some of America’s biggest businesses joined part of the meeting according to a White House readout. TRUMP REVEALS XI’S STANCE ON ARMING IRAN AS HORMUZ TENSIONS RATTLE MARKETS Trump’s China visit came amid the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran. “On Iran, it’s very interesting, he feels strongly they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said of Xi during the gaggle aboard Air Force One while flying back to the U.S. While speaking at a banquet, President Donald Trump invited Xi and his wife to visit him at the White House later this year. “And tonight it is my honor to extend an invitation to you and Madame Peng to visit us at the White House this September 24th, and we look forward to it,” he said. Trump added, “I’d now like to raise a glass and propose a toast to the rich and enduring ties between the American and Chinese people. It’s a very special relationship,” he said. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
GOP can’t agree on key part of Trump’s housing affordability push as infighting continues
President Donald Trump is leaning on Congress to tee up an affordability win ahead of November’s midterm elections, but entrenched GOP disagreement on a sweeping housing proposal threatens to derail it. Trump on Monday called on the House to swiftly approve Senate-passed legislation aimed at easing housing affordability that has languished in the lower chamber for several months. House Republicans, however, have balked at that request and are pitching a rival plan. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., teased earlier in the week that Republicans and Democrats would come together to bring a “bipartisan, bicameral bill to the president’s desk.” “I think everybody feels like it’s important, so we’re just working out some nuances,” Johnson said. TRUMP-BACKED AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERHAUL CLEARS SENATE, WHILE HOUSE GOP RAISES RED FLAGS Senior House lawmakers on Thursday unveiled a modified version of the Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which is expected to receive a vote in the lower chamber as early as next week. Any changes to the Senate’s proposal would force the upper chamber to consider the measure again, prolonging the timeline lawmakers can send legislation to Trump’s desk. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of the chief architects of the Senate’s bill, declined to say whether she was speaking with her counterparts in the House about tweaks to the bill, and argued that lawmakers were running out of time to do something. “There’s a housing crisis out there,” Warren said. “This bill can pass today if the House would just put it on the floor and vote on it. We need to get started, and if the House has more ideas than they’d like to add, start another bill.” Some GOP lawmakers are not sweating the wait. “We cannot take the Senate bill to the floor,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital in an interview earlier this week. The political dynamics are much different in the Senate, however. And the housing bill passed with fewer than a dozen defectors in March — a rare feat in such a hyper-partisan Congress. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that the easiest route to putting the legislation on Trump’s desk is passing the Senate’s version. “It’s been sitting over there for a while and the president’s weighed in on it. I think, you know, the White House made it clear, they would like to see the House pick up and pass the Senate bill,” Thune said. “We’ve done what we can do. It’s in the court of the House now.” The House product struck out a controversial provision taking aim at the build-to-rent market that drew the opposition of conservatives, who argued the language amounted to excessive government interference in the housing market. The clause in the Senate’s proposal would have specifically required some developers to sell single-family homes built for the purpose of renting within seven years after construction. The build-to-rent industry and opponents of the provision argued their properties provide a more affordable option for some Americans priced out of the housing market and could imperil the supply of rentals across the country. “We’ve got to make sure we do it in a right way that continues to keep free markets,” Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, said, adding that the clause in the Senate bill could make it “impossible” for some people to access housing. FOREIGNERS ARE SNAPPING UP US HOMES AND STEALING THE AMERICAN DREAM OUT FROM UNDER FAMILIES The proposal, however, would also weaken a ban on large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes — a priority of the Trump administration. The House’s rival housing bill notably preserves a ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDC) through 2030 that was included in the Senate’s legislation. House conservatives raged at the Senate bill for stopping short of enacting a permanent CBDC ban — a top priority of GOP privacy hawks, who have sought to add the language to various legislative vehicles. “It has to be permanent,” Cloud said. “We’ve got to put the nail in the coffin on it.” House Financial Services Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., a co-author of the House’s rival housing package, said he shared Trump’s goal of expanding access to affordable homeownership in a statement Thursday. “It cuts unnecessary barriers to new home construction, modernizes HUD programs, and allows banks to more freely deploy funding into their communities,” Hill said regarding the lower chamber’s proposal. “We must get this right — and I am committed to working hard to do that.” Not everyone in the Senate is upset by the House’s decision to modify the bill. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., was one of the few lawmakers to vote against the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and told Fox News Digital that housing affordability isn’t something that’s dictated by the federal government. “If you wanted to actually reduce housing costs, it’s local governments who are gonna have to allow more houses to be built,” Scott said. The legislative standoff comes as a recent Fox News poll found that nearly 80% of voters said housing costs were a problem for them or their family. The same survey also found that Democrats hold a lead over Republicans on inflation and the economy.
Israel, Jews targeted worldwide as well-funded leftist, Islamist groups join for ‘Nakba 78’ protests
A global network of anti-Israel activist groups is mobilizing coordinated “Nakba 78” protests across the United States and around the world today, with organizers using the anniversary of Israel’s founding to challenge the Jewish state’s right to exist. A Fox News Digital investigation found that about 425 organizations — including communist groups, Muslim advocacy organizations and anti-Israel activist coalitions attributed with blatant antisemitism — are working together in a coordinated transnational protest network with a combined funding footprint of about $1 billion in annual revenues. The groups have organized an estimated 736 events across 39 countries this weekend in locations including New York , Chicago, Los Angeles, London and Sydney, according to an analysis of protests listed at a website organizing actions against Israel. Organizers describe the demonstrations as marking the “Nakba,” an Arabic word for “catastrophe” used by Palestinians to describe the founding of Israel on May 14, 1948, the displacement of Palestinians and their historical grievance. The “Nakba 78” protests reflect a “sinful marriage between the radical left and radical Islamism, the groups that hate Western liberal democracies and desire to destroy them,” Dalia Ziada, a Middle East scholar and Washington, D.C.-based coordinator at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, told Fox News Digital. 500 GROUPS WITH $3B IN REVENUES ARE BEHIND THE #NOKINGS PROTESTS AND COMMUNIST CALL FOR ‘REVOLUTION’ Critics say that the coordinated organizing of the mass protests reveals a global antisemitic movement that presents itself as humanitarian while mainstreaming rhetoric that denies Jewish self-determination and the right of Israel to exist as a state. SHANGHAI SABOTAGE: INSIDE SINGHAM’S SECRET STRATEGY TO DEMONIZE AMERICA In New York City yesterday, the People’s Forum, a pro-communist activist hub and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, funded by a Marxist tech mogul, Neville Roy Singham, made signs at an “art build” for a protest today against the “ongoing Nakba.” Their Marxist comrades within the Party for Socialism and Liberation are fanning out across the country to rail against Israel’s existence. ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS CLASH WITH NYPD OFFICERS NEAR SYNAGOGUE Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Judiciary and Finance Committees, told Fox News Digital that she is very concerned about the Chinese Communist Party and its sympathizers using the U.S. nonprofit industry to create an infrastructure to pull people together to undermine the United States. “One of the things we know about the Singham group and about the Chinese Communist Party is they are going to look for a fellow bad actor… and they’re going to try to partner with them in causing chaos in our cities,” Blackburn said. CHINA’S AMERICAN MAO: INSIDE SINGHAM’S BLUEPRINT TO ‘WAGE WAR’ FOR A ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’ Blackburn added that such efforts are part of a broader strategy. “There is no limit to what the Chinese Communist Party will do to create chaos in the United States,”: she said. POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM Over almost a decade, Singham has funneled $278 million into a network of nonprofits, including the People’s Forum, CodePink and BreakThrough BT Media, which have organized a steady wave of anti-Israel protests in the United States, particularly after the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israelis by Hamas militants, and they are now supporting this year’s “Nakba 78” protests. A Fox News Digital investigation identified the flow of Singham’s money into nonprofits promoting the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party, and U.S. Treasury, Justice, State Department officials are investigating their funding structures and operations in the U.S. Lawmakers in the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees are also investigating the Singham network and the nonprofits it supports for possibly violating laws that require agents of foreign interests to register with the Justice Department, as well as other possible improprieties. ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS TERRORIZE AMERICANS: SEE 2024’S MOST EXTREME MOMENTS A Fox News Digital investigation of mobilization materials, social media posts, event graphics, coalition lists and public announcements found that the “Nakba 78” campaign isn’t about a ceasefire to conflicts or a two-state solution, but the dismantling of the state of Israel itself. The U.S. is the No. 1 hub for events with 187 events, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Canada, Spain, France, Ireland and Australia, all countries with organized Muslim and Palestinian diaspora communities. Organizers say they are standing against “genocide,” “apartheid’ and U.S. “imperialism.” MAY DAY PROTESTS ACROSS EUROPE AND ASIA TURN INTO ANTI-AMERICAN, ANTI-ISRAEL POLITICAL BATTLEGROUNDS In the San Francisco Bay Area, University of California, Berkeley lecturer Hatem Bazian is slated to speak at a three-day “Islam, Memory and the Nakba” conference in Burlingame, Oakland and Los Gatos. In Brooklyn, activists with the Palestinian Youth Movement, Al-Awda and Within Our Lifetime are continuing a “Nakba Week of Action” that included violent protests directed at Jews at Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue and Brooklyn’s Young Israel of Midwood earlier this week. In London, police are preparing for a major “Nakba 78” march amid warnings about hate speech and public disorder. In Sydney, activists are calling demonstrators to town hall for a protest declaring, “Stop the Genocide! Free Palestine!” FIRST ON FOX: POWERFUL HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIR THROWS HAMMER DOWN ON ‘FOREIGN-ALIGNED INFLUENCE NETWORK’ Fox News Digital used a large-language model to analyze scores of “Nakba 78” protest literature and found that 85% of the protest language repeatedly parrots the language of U.S. adversaries, framing the United States as a “fascist” and “imperialist” nation and Israel as a “genocidal settler state,” a “Zionist entity,” a “Zionist project” and part of a “grand settler-colonial design,” erasing any use of the country’s name. The other 15% frame the protests as “solidarity with Palestine.” The organizers’ materials call for “Unity, Liberation, Return,” an arms embargo and end to U.S. aid to Israel and the “right of return” for millions of Palestinian in the diaspora, in a demand Israel’s defenders argue would demographically end Israel as a Jewish state. The chants on social media
This Midwestern state leads the nation in home foreclosures as US filings jump by 26%
Home foreclosures in the U.S. are up 26% from last year as inflation rates and rising costs are catching up with homeowners. Indiana was hit hardest and logged one foreclosure filing for every 739 housing units in the first quarter of 2026, according to findings from property data firm ATTOM. This is nearly two-thirds higher than the nationwide rate of one in every 1,211 house facing foreclosure in that same period. The latest data released in April shows that red states are being hit the hardest by the sweeping affordability crisis — and with the 2026 midterm elections approaching, economic woes are at the top of mind for many voters and policymakers. WHITE HOUSE TEASES MAJOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PLAN AS PRICES SQUEEZE AMERICANS The top three states with the worst foreclosure rates at the start of 2026 all voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. South Carolina came in second behind Indiana with one in every 743 properties with foreclosure filings in the first quarter of the year, and Florida was in third with one in every 750 housing units facing the same fate. While foreclosure activity is on the rise across the U.S., it remains well below levels seen during the 2008 housing crisis. But that isn’t stopping Democrats from pouncing on the issue, and using affordability, inflation and rising housing costs as their candidates’ leading messaging ahead of the November elections. A total of 118,727 U.S. properties had a foreclosure filing in the first quarter of 2026, up 6% from the previous quarter and 26% from a year ago. Foreclosure filings came in for 45,921 properties for March alone, increasing 18% from February and 28% from March of last year. THE PRICE OF BUILDING A HOME KEEPS CLIMBING — AND UNCERTAINTY ISN’T HELPING Looking more closely at the data, more homes are entering the foreclosure process, a potential sign of future distress. A total of 82,631 properties started foreclosure processes in the first quarter of 2026, up 20% from the year prior, while lenders repossessed 14,020 properties, marking a 45% annual increase. Blue states like Delaware and Illinois are also facing high foreclosure rates — showcasing that the issue crosses party lines. Among major metro areas, cities like Cleveland, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; and Indianapolis, Indiana ranked among the highest for foreclosure rates. The revelation of spiking foreclosure rates comes as the U.S. grapples with a slew of housing challenges that have helped contribute to today’s crisis. Against that backdrop, experts say rising mortgage rates, higher living costs and other homeownership expenses are putting increasing pressure on some homeowners, pushing up monthly payments and making it harder to keep up with housing costs. THE TOP 3 REASONS HOUSING HAS BECOME SO UNAFFORDABLE IN THE US MARKET The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.37% for the week ending May 7, up from 5.98% in late February. Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM, said that while foreclosure levels remain below those seen during the housing crisis, the recent uptick suggests more homeowners may be coming under financial strain. Taken together, the data points to a housing market that remains stable overall, even as affordability challenges persist for some homeowners.
Trump touts ‘fantastic trade deals’ in final Xi meeting amid tariff standoff
President Donald Trump held his final meeting with Chinese President Xi touting a big win on one of the central focuses orf the high-stakes summit after the two leaders held a bilateral tea at the Zhongnanhai compound. “This has been an incredible visit,” Trump said to reporters. “I think a lot of good has come of it, and we’ve made some fantastic trade deals. Great for both countries.” The announcement comes against the backdrop of a yearslong tariff standoff between the U.S. and China, with Trump arguing aggressive duties are needed to force fairer trade terms while Beijing has repeatedly pushed back. While it is unclear which deals were reached, it was shared that China agreed to order 200 Boeing jets. TRUMP MEETS US AMBASSADOR TO CHINA AS TENSIONS FLARE AHEAD OF XI SHOWDOWN U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were present for the meeting. America’s top business leaders traveled with Trump to Beijing and met with Premier Li Qiang Thursday to discuss U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation. “China is willing to work with the United States to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strive for more positive outcomes, achieve mutual success and promote common prosperity, and better benefit the people of both countries and the world,” reads a press release about the meeting from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. TRUMP AND CHINA CLOSE IN ON TRADE DEAL AFTER PRODUCTIVE TALKS, BESSENT SAYS The ministry stressed that both countries should “meet each other halfway” and “safeguard bilateral economic and trade relations.” The White House and Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the matter. During an interview Thursday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump said China was interested in investing “hundreds of billions of dollars” alongside the American business leaders visiting Beijing. “Those business people are here to make deals and to bring back jobs,” Trump said. TRUMP PUSHES XI ON TRADE AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING DENTS KEY CHINA PRESSURE TOOL A major piece of Trump’s “America First” agenda has focused on leveling the global trade playing field by holding other countries accountable for trade deficits. One of his first moves after returning to office was rolling out the “Liberation Day” tariffs in April 2025, which were designed to serve as leverage in trade negotiations while also generating new revenue. Tariffs have been at the center of Trump’s China strategy since his first term, when he imposed duties on Chinese imports and Beijing retaliated with tariffs of its own. The fight has remained one of the defining pressure points in the relationship between the world’s two largest economies. Trump’s first visit in 2017 produced more than $250 billion in announced commercial deals and cooperation pledges, but it did not prevent trade relations from deteriorating in 2018. Most notably, Trump announced a $12 billion deal for cellphone chips from Qualcomm and $37 billion for Boeing commercial jets, AP reported at the time. Trump said that Xi and his wife will visit the U.S. in September.