Feds subpoena Hasan Piker, Medea Benjamin over Cuba trips
FIRST ON FOX: Federal officials have served subpoenas to Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker and CodePink cofounder Susan Medea Benjamin as part of a wider investigation into whether U.S. organizations and leaders violated U.S. laws and sanctions in supporting Cuba’s communist regime, Fox News Digital has learned. Piker and Benjamin are among those caught in a federal inquiry into whether activists who traveled to Cuba in March violated U.S. sanctions laws through the financing, coordination or delivery of goods to Cuba, including potential contacts with Cuban government personnel or entities on the island. The administrative subpoenas were sent to the pair by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control The administrative subpoenas — called “Requests for Information,” or RFI — seek financial, logistical and communications information revolving around trips the two widely bragged about making to the island nation in March with delegations of the “Nuestra América Convoy,” or “Our America Convoy,” from a global network of communist sympathizers, activists and influencers who brought supplies to the country’s ruling Communist Party of Cuba, according to sources familiar with the matter. The investigation is part of a broader effort by officials at Treasury, State and Justice departments to curb malign foreign influence operations inside the United States, particularly activities tied to support for political violence, extremist movements or acts the U.S. government classifies as terrorism. The scrutiny reflects growing concern among federal authorities and lawmakers over whether foreign actors and aligned organizations are attempting to shape American political discourse, mobilize activists, sow discord and normalize rhetoric that could encourage violence or undermine U.S. national security interests. According to a Fox News Digital investigation, Singham has pumped $278 million into nonprofit groups that have pushed pro-China, pro-Cuba, anti-U.S. narratives and street protests for almost a decade, since his marriage in February 2017 to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans, who is also being investigated for her role in the March trip. CodePink received $1.33 million from Singham after he married Evans. POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM In mid-March, organizations in the Singham network — from the Venceremos Brigade to People’s Forum, a hub for communist causes in New York City — were leaders of the Nuestra American Convoy, which included an estimated 650 delegates from 33 countries and 120 organizations. The organizations included Democratic Socialists of America, a U.S. nonprofit that promotes Piker as a headline member. The investigation by the Office of Foreign Assets Control is part of a broader dragnet that includes as many as 40 American citizens who joined foreign nationals, including a controversial Brazil activist, Thiago Avila, who are part of a global network of anti-U.S. Marxists, communists and socialists. Additional subpoenas are expected. The administrative subpoenas mark a serious escalation by the Trump administration against a far-left nonprofit activist network that has spent years defending communist regimes, from Cuba to China, while presenting its work as humanitarian aid, anti-war organizing and “solidarity” with people “oppressed” by the “imperialist” U.S “colonial power.” As reported, a Fox News Digital investigation has identified 145 U.S. nonprofits and activist groups with $1 billion in collective revenues that Justice and Treasury Department officials are investigating as part of a wider influence campaign by Cuba’s communist regime and other foreign actors. According to public statements, it’s believed that delegation members stayed at a hotel the U.S. State Department has put on a “Cuba Restricted List,” as businesses directly tied to the communist government of Cuba, designated a state sponsor of terrorism. U.S. law imposes broad restrictions on financial transactions involving Cuba, primarily through the “Cuban Asset Control Regulations,” administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Those rules generally prohibit unlicensed travel-related transactions and the export of goods or services to Cuba, with limited exceptions for journalism, humanitarian projects, educational programs and certain activities meant to support the Cuban people. WHO IS HASAN PIKER? MEET THE FAR-LEFT STREAMER WHO IS STIRRING UP CONTROVERSY ONLINE AND DIVIDING DEMOCRATS Piker, one of the most influential political streamers on Twitch, has built a massive online following with a mix of Marxist politics, anti-American commentary and inflammatory statements that have repeatedly drawn public backlash. On March 10, Piker posted a photo of himself on Instagram with the message: “I’M GOING TO CUBA.” In an Instagram post from the trip, Singham’s wife, Evans, smiled widely in Havana, wearing a red-and-white Palestinian scarf, or kefiyyeh, around her neck, while standing beside Piker, who looked seriously into the camera. On a livestream this week, Piker said that the Justice Department’s indictment of Cuban leader Raúl Castro is a “sham” with “no legal standing,” designed to create a pretext for escalating U.S. pressure on the island. Piker argued that Trump is acting like a “playground bully.” Fox News Digital recently observed Piker outside his Los Angeles home escorting his dog, Kaya, outside the house for a bathroom break early one morning. Kaya, a large-breed dog that is a mix of Tibetan Mastiff, Chow Chow, and St. Bernard, has been the beloved subject of an online campaign, dubbed “Free Kaya,” over allegations Piker trained Kaya with a shock collar that transmits painful stimuli as part of behavior training. At one moment, Piker silently stood over Kaya and gestured with a finger for her to return to the house after relieving herself. Later, Kaya was observed being walked and driven by a woman leaving Piker’s home. Benjamin has made her mark as an activist gadfly who stages media spectacles at Congressional hearings, defense industry trade conferences and the homes of government officials, yelling invectives, chants and slogans, branding herself as “anti-war,” but actually running a pattern of messages denouncing the U.S. and uplifting communist and authoritarian regimes from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Chinese Communist Party and the Communist Party of Cuba. Fox News Digital recently observed Benjamin outside her colorful home in Washington, D.C., with her partner and fellow activist Tighe Barry, who accompanied her on the
Trump says Iran deal ‘largely negotiated’ as 84-day war nears possible end
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday an agreement has been “largely negotiated” with Iran and several allied nations, signaling a nearing end to the controversial 84-day war. The president wrote in a Truth Social post that following a “very good call” with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, the deal is nearing finalization. “An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed,” Trump wrote in the post. “Separately, I had a call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, which, likewise, went very well.” He added final aspects and details of the deal are “currently being discussed and will be announced shortly.” FORMER WHITE HOUSE ENVOY HAS WARNING FOR TRUMP ON HOW NOT TO GET PLAYED BY IRAN Trump also indicated a key provision of the deal involves opening the Strait of Hormuz. The breakthrough announcement follows intense diplomatic efforts and military pressures surrounding the war with Iran. Earlier in the day, Trump reportedly told Axios that he was a “solid 50/50” on whether he would sign a deal or resume combat operations to “blow them to kingdom come.” However, following the conference call with Arab leaders, a regional diplomat told Fox News the discussions were “very positive” and that regional leaders were highly supportive of “the breakthrough President Trump achieved with the talks.” PATTON OSWALT SAYS BILL MAHAR WAS WRONG TO TRY TO ‘PLACATE’ TRUMP, ARGUES IT ALWAYS BACKFIRES The impending diplomatic agreement comes amid significant U.S. military action in the region. U.S. Central Command recently announced a milestone of redirecting 100 commercial vessels during a weeks-long maritime blockade of Iranian ports aimed at squeezing the country economically. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously signaled negotiators were making progress, emphasizing that any resolution would require Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open without tolls and surrender its enriched uranium. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
RFK Jr announces ‘largest autism fraud bust in American history’ with $46.6M Medicaid scheme indictment
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the indictment of two Minnesota defendants charged in what officials called the “largest autism fraud bust in American history.” The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted 55-year-old Shamso Ahmed Hassan and 25-year-old Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, slapping them with numerous counts of fraud and related charges for their alleged $46.6 million scheme to defraud Minnesota Medicaid’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Program. The indictment was part of a wider enforcement action taken by the DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division that swept up 15 alleged fraudsters in indictments for schemes that targeted over $90 million in taxpayer funds. “Today’s arrests represent the largest autism fraud bust in American history. This was not a paperwork error. It was not a technical violation. This was organized theft that exploited the most vulnerable children in America, deceived families, stole taxpayer dollars meant to help children with autism access legitimate care and support,” Kennedy Jr. said at a news conference Friday. ‘EPICENTER OF FRAUD’: MINNESOTA’S EMPTY STOMACHS, FAKE AUTISM THERAPY AND A SCANDAL THAT COULD TOP $2 BILLION Hassan was a shareholder in two autism centers, Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center, but she did not disclose her ownership to the Minnesota Department of Human Services as required by law, prosecutors said. Yusuf worked at the Smart Therapy Center and helped operate the center, including by submitting the businesses’ claims for Medicaid reimbursement, according to the indictment. MINNESOTA FRAUD SUSPECT WHO JUMPED FROM BUILDING IS ARRESTED, FBI SAYS The pair allegedly paid kickbacks to families to incentivize them to send their children to Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center so they could bill for autism-related services in their children’s names. They then billed Medicaid for services that were not rendered or were not reimbursable by Medicaid, according to the indictment. Of the $46.6 million they filed for reimbursement, $21.6 million was paid out, according to the indictment. The DOJ is seeking restitution for that money. The pair “diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars of the fraud proceeds” to “their families’ personal use and benefit, including through real property purchases and transferring funds overseas, including to Kenya,” according to the indictment. The defendants were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of money laundering. Yusuf was charged with five counts of healthcare fraud, while Hassan was charged with two. “Every fraudulent autism diagnosis steals time, care and resources from the children for whom this program was designed and who desperately need this care. Families with autistic children already face enormous challenges navigating therapies, specialists and support systems. Fraud makes those barriers even steeper,” Kennedy Jr. said in the announcement.
US Army hits 2026 recruiting goals four months early, Pete Hegseth announces at West Point commencement
The United States Army reached its recruiting goals for 2026 four months early, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth revealed during a commencement speech Saturday at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. “Recruitments are up across the joint force, and I’m pleased to announce that, just two days ago, the U.S. Army met its 2026 recruiting goals four months early,” Hegseth said. “A second record year in a row. That means you’re about to train this group right here and lead 61,500 new soldiers. And next year, when we grow the size of the army, it will be even more when you’re out there in your formations as platoon leaders at the tip of the spear. You will be at the tip of the spear of their snapback.” In 2025, the Army set a goal of 61,000 and exceeded it with 62,050, according to the Pentagon. DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH REVEALS WHY MILITARY RECRUITMENT HAS SOARED UNDER TRUMP “The men and women who chose to serve our nation are actively showing their commitment to something larger than themselves,” Command Sgt. Maj. Danny Basham, United States Army Recruiting Division command sergeant major, said in a statement. “The nation depends on their strength, character and commitment.” During Hegseth’s speech, the war secretary also criticized previous military policy of focusing on diversity goals and “anti-American ideologies.” “They embraced the DEI craze and tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies, and they hired professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls. But no more. West Point is set apart. It’s special. It’s above politics. Success here is based on merit. It’s how you perform that matters. This is the United States Military Academy,” he said. WEST POINT DISBANDS GENDER-BASED, RACE CLUBS IN TRUMP’S DEI SWEEP “The single dumbest phrase in military history was peddled in our army only a few short years ago. You’ve all heard it, maybe in your first two years at West Point. Our diversity is our strength. The single dumbest phrase in military history,” he said. “We had generals saying this with a straight face on national television. It was absolute nonsense. Now, these sorts of silly things can be laughed at when they occur in a civilian lounge or civilian faculty lounge or debated in graduate seminars, but they cannot be tolerated in our formations. These ideas are what get people killed. Diversity is not our strength. Unity is our strength,” Hegseth said, garnering applause. He continued to praise the graduating cadets and painted a picture of a dangerous world confronting them. HEGSETH VOWS TO REBUILD MILITARY DETERRENCE SO ENEMIES ‘DON’T WANT TO F— WITH US’ “You’re in a dangerous line of work, and there is no world in which high intensity conflict exists without great pain, agony, sickness and human tragedy. In this War Department, we raise up warriors. Purpose built, not for good weather, blue skies or fancy parades. We’re built to load up on the back of helicopters, C-17s or Strykers in the dead of night, in fair weather or foul, to go to dangerous places, to engage those who would do our nation and our citizens harm and deliver justice in close and brutal combat on behalf of the American people,” he continued. “But what makes us different is that we don’t fight because we hate what’s in front of us. We fight because we love what’s behind us. Our family, our freedom and our flag. The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can’t throw your pronouns at the enemy. Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it.” Hegseth’s speech touched heavily upon faith as he read a verse from Isaiah 6:8. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ and I said ‘Here I am! Send me,’” Hegseth read. “Send me is the timeless, selfless call to service.” He also invoked Charlie Kirk while imploring the cadets to seek God always. “As Charlie Kirk often said, ‘Remember always, this too shall pass.’ The good times will pass. The bad times will pass. You’re never as good as you think you are, nor are you as bad as you think you are. Seek God in every circumstance,” he said. Hegseth delivered his speech Saturday as the U.S. is considering resuming fresh military actions against Iran as a peace deal hangs in the balance. The war secretary discussed what was asked of the U.S. military during Operation Epic Fury. “Your soldiers must be ready for anything because the world is only getting more complex. Just look at what our soldiers have done in just the last few months alone. We’ve asked our airborne and rapid reaction forces to deploy at a moment’s notice to the Middle East, standing as an iron shield to protect American bases and American lives from Iranian proxies. “This includes American Army units using HIMARS to help sink the Iranian Navy. I know the Army loves sinking the Navy. That’s the only navy you’re currently allowed to sink,” Hegseth joked, referencing the known friendly rivalry between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. President Donald Trump is holding a conference call Saturday afternoon with Arab leaders to get their opinions on a draft agreement with Iran. The president reportedly told Axios earlier Saturday he’s a “solid 50/50” on whether a “good” deal could be reached or else “blow them to kingdom come.”
EXCLUSIVE: Trump-backed military vet mocked for disability ahead of Memorial Day: ‘Most shameful thing’
FIRST ON FOX: A Texas congressional race already marred by scandal is facing new controversy after veterans condemned political ads sent ahead of Memorial Day weekend that mock a President Donald Trump-backed veteran over his military disability. With days left in a bitter Republican primary runoff election between John Lujan and Carlos De La Cruz in Texas’ 35th Congressional District, a mail ad sent this week by the Lujan-aligned political action committee Protect and Serve knocked De La Cruz over his disability status, referring to him as “the ‘100% disabled’ kickboxer.” The ad rips into De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, suggesting he “claims a 100% disability to avoid paying any property taxes.” The ad goes on to say that though the “VA defines 100% disabled as for veterans whose ‘conditions are so severe that they result in total impairment,’” De La Cruz “was physically fit enough to train in and operate a kickboxing gym and lists himself as a volunteer carpenter.” REPUBLICANS GET ‘AGGRESSIVE’ IN FIGHT TO WIN TOP COP SPOTS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES Charlotte Neiner, an Air Force veteran and Wounded Warrior Project member, told Fox News Digital that, as a disabled veteran herself, “This is the most shameful thing I have ever pulled out of my mailbox.” She emphasized that “to do this days before Memorial Day is a disgrace.” “Career politician John Lujan’s team is doing his dirty work, attacking a fellow veteran’s wounds,” she posited. “He never wore the uniform a single day. He has no idea what these injuries cost, and he never will.” In Neiner’s opinion, “a man with this little honor has no business anywhere near Congress.” She said that, after this episode, Lujan “will not get my vote, he will not get the vote of a single veteran I know, and I will personally make sure every veteran in this district knows exactly what he did.” Neiner added, “I am proudly voting for Carlos De La Cruz, and John Lujan should be ashamed of himself.” WARREN TORCHED OVER ‘MY KIND OF MAN’ PRAISE FOR PLATNER AFTER DEATH-WISH POST FOR WOUNDED VETERAN RESURFACES The Lujan campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Under Texas law, veterans deemed 100% disabled or individually unemployable by the Department of Veterans Affairs can receive a total exemption from property taxes on their primary residence homestead. More than 164,000 Texas veterans with 100% disability ratings are estimated to receive the state’s full homestead property tax exemption, according to Texas disabled-veteran property tax advocates citing 2024 VA data. De La Cruz owned and operated a kickboxing gym in the San Antonio area. DEM CANDIDATE’S ZIONIST CASTRATION RANT SPARKS FIRESTORM AS PARTY LEADERS REWRITE NARRATIVE TO TARGET GOP Lujan and De La Cruz face off again Tuesday after neither candidate was able to reach the required 50% vote threshold to earn the GOP nomination. In their first matchup, Lujan had an edge, finishing with roughly 32% of the vote and De La Cruz placing second with roughly 27%. Both candidates have garnered top-name endorsements, with De La Cruz being backed by Trump and Lujan being backed by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. This comes as the Democratic primary in the same district has been equally controversial. Democrat Maureen Galindo stirred up national outrage by vowing in a social media post to imprison and castrate “American Zionists.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Protect and Serve PAC for comment.
Castro indictment fuels speculation Trump may be reviving Maduro playbook against Cuba
The Trump administration’s decision to indict former Cuban leader Raúl Castro is fueling comparisons to the pressure campaign President Donald Trump previously used against Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro as the White House ramps up economic pressure, direct appeals to Cubans and military visibility in the Caribbean. The indictment, tied to Cuba’s 1996 attack on two civilian aircraft that killed three U.S. citizens, has raised questions about whether the administration is testing a Venezuela-style pressure strategy against Havana’s communist regime. The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group has been operating in the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command authorities, providing a visible military backdrop to the administration’s increasingly confrontational posture toward Havana. Publicly announced assets include fighter aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft and guided-missile destroyers. The broader posture has drawn comparisons to the administration’s earlier campaign against Maduro, which similarly began with criminal charges against a longtime anti-American strongman before expanding into a wider regime-pressure effort involving sanctions, diplomatic isolation and heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean. OBAMA’S BASEBALL OUTING WITH CASTRO REIGNITES FURY AFTER TRUMP DOJ DROPS HAMMER ON CUBAN LEADER Federal prosecutors charged Castro and several former Cuban officials Wednesday in the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue civilian aircraft that killed four men, including three U.S. citizens. Castro was Cuba’s defense minister at the time of the attack. U.S. prosecutors allege Castro helped authorize the operation after the civilian planes repeatedly entered Cuban airspace while conducting missions linked to the Miami-based Brothers to the Rescue organization, which searched for Cuban migrants at sea and opposed the communist government in Havana. Cuban fighter jets ultimately shot down two unarmed aircraft over international waters in 1996, according to the indictment, triggering international condemnation and one of the most severe crises in U.S.-Cuba relations since the Cold War. “At the very least, it means symbolically that he is now set up just as Nicolás Maduro was,” Christine Balling, a Cuba expert at the Institute of World Politics and former advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command South, told Fox News Digital. During Trump’s earlier pressure campaign against Maduro, the U.S. indicted the Venezuelan leader on narco-terrorism charges, tightened sanctions on the country’s oil sector, backed opposition efforts to remove him and increased military operations in the Caribbean. The campaign culminated in a U.S.-backed operation that removed Maduro from effective power and reopened channels of American influence inside Venezuela through energy negotiations and cooperation involving senior figures, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. RUBIO LAYS OUT THREE-PHASE PLAN FOR VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO: ‘NOT JUST WINGING IT’ “I don’t think that we are necessarily going to conduct the same operation,” Balling said. “Raúl Castro is 94 years old. It might not be worth the trouble.” Still, Balling argued, the indictment sends “a very straightforward message that we are 100% behind the fall of the Castro regime.” The White House could not immediately be reached for comment. RUBIO SAYS CUBA NEEDS ‘NEW PEOPLE IN CHARGE’ AS BLACKOUTS, UNREST GRIP ISLAND Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced that message this week with a direct appeal to the Cuban people, accusing the communist government of blaming the island’s collapse on the U.S. “blockade” while enriching military-linked elites who dominate the Cuban economy. Rubio also highlighted the success of Cubans living abroad, arguing the Cuban people — not the regime — were capable of prosperity. Balling described Rubio’s remarks as a deliberate attempt to undermine Havana’s domestic propaganda and convince Cubans that the regime, rather than the United States, bears primary responsibility for the island’s economic collapse. “Rubio wants them to understand that the regime is acting against their own interests,” she said. Trump further fueled speculation this week when asked whether tensions with Cuba would escalate following the Castro indictment. “There won’t be escalation,” Trump said. “We won’t have to.” Some analysts interpreted Trump’s comments — combined with Rubio’s direct appeals to ordinary Cubans — as a sign the administration may believe internal pressure against the regime could eventually accomplish what direct military escalation would not. “It’s sowing the seeds of a counter-revolutionary feeling,” Balling said. But Balling warned that any serious destabilization of Cuba could trigger consequences far beyond the island itself, particularly a potential mass migration crisis just 90 miles from Florida. “If we go so far as to engage militarily, we are probably looking at thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of refugees,” she said. Cuba has already been suffering through rolling blackouts, fuel shortages and a worsening economic crisis as the administration increases pressure on the island’s energy lifelines. Despite the increasingly confrontational rhetoric, Washington has also kept open limited channels of communication with Havana. CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled publicly to Cuba on May 14 for talks with senior Cuban security officials, delivering what U.S. officials described as a warning that Cuba could no longer serve as a “safe haven for adversaries” while also offering the prospect of deeper economic and security engagement if Havana makes “fundamental changes.” The visit came as the Trump administration pressed a $100 million humanitarian aid proposal aimed at addressing Cuba’s worsening blackout and fuel crisis. Cuban officials signaled they were open to accepting assistance distributed through independent humanitarian and religious organizations rather than directly through the government. Analysts say Cuba’s armed forces are far weaker than during the Cold War, when the island fielded one of Latin America’s largest militaries with Soviet backing. Today, experts describe the Cuban military as severely degraded by decades of economic collapse, fuel shortages and aging equipment. “Cuba had a First World military in a Third World country,” Frank Mora, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Western Hemisphere under President Barack Obama, told The Wall Street Journal this week. “It’s a shell of a shell of what it used to be.” Still, analysts caution that Cuba’s weakness does not necessarily make the island easy to pressure or destabilize. Unlike Venezuela, where the U.S. has at times maintained limited economic engagement despite sanctions on Maduro’s government, Cuba’s military-linked conglomerate GAESA controls
Sanders-backed gubernatorial hopeful’s past pro-life views clash with current abortion stance
A Democratic gubernatorial hopeful in Maine, who is scheduled to campaign with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sunday and Monday, has been pitching himself to voters as a pro-choice candidate for governor, but his track record indicates that wasn’t always his stance. As a state lawmaker, he received a 100% rating from the Maine Right to Life, a designation indicating a voting record wholly consistent with pro-life policies. Jackson’s reversal demonstrates the fallout of the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision that ended a constitutional right to an abortion and made the issue, previously a federal debate, a state-driven consideration. In its 2022 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that no guarantee of a right to an abortion existed in the Constitution, meaning that individual states would have to decide on a case-by-case basis where to draw the line under which circumstances residents could legally end a pregnancy. TIM WALZ TALKS ABORTION DURING FINAL CAMPAIGN RALLY WITH MICHIGAN VOTERS: ‘EVERYTHING IS ON THE LINE’ Maine, with Jackson’s help, immediately passed expansions to abortion access, removing restrictions on late-term abortions. The move prompted praise for Jackson from Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion provider. “We applaud President Jackson and the 20 state senators and 76 representatives acting in the best interest of Mainers today,” Planned Parenthood said in a press release. Just 10 years earlier, Jackson had voted for a bill in 2011 that would have affirmed personhood in the womb. Two years later, in 2013, Jackson also voted to advance counseling requirements for women considering an abortion, providing them with second-opinion resources designed to explore alternatives to ending a pregnancy. Both of those efforts failed. PUERTO RICO GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW RECOGNIZING UNBORN BABIES AS HUMAN BEINGS Even so, they garnered enough attention to put Jackson on the radar of abortion rights groups — and not in a good way. In 2014, Emily’s List, a pro-abortion group, launched a six-figure TV ad campaign against Jackson, according to local reporting. “Politicians should not be involved in a woman’s personal medical decisions about her pregnancy. Period,” Emily Cain, Jackson’s primary opponent in 2014, told The Portland Press Herald. As recently as October 2022, just four months after the Dobbs decision, Jackson told local reporters he was struggling with the issue. Since declaring his candidacy for governor last May, Jackson seems to have left that struggle behind. “The right to decide if and when to start a family is fundamental to our freedom and to who we are as Americans. It is a deeply personal decision that should not be made by politicians or justices,” Jackson said in a post to Instagram last year. “On the anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I will continue to fight back against efforts to undermine abortion rights and stand up for reproductive freedom in Maine,” Jackson wrote. Sanders, who has supported abortion and has run as a pro-choice candidate for decades, officially endorsed Jackson on Friday, calling him the governor “that working Mainers need.” “Troy is different,” Sanders said. “Fighting for the working class of Maine is not something new for Troy. That’s what he has done for his entire life as a logger and as a member of the Maine state legislature. Troy knows what’s going on with the working class of Maine because he’s part of that working class. ‘WE’VE INVITED YOU’: CHRIS WALLACE SPARS WITH GILLIBRAND OVER ABORTION CONTROVERSY “Troy has also been part of our progressive working-class movement from the beginning,” he continued. “He has always stood with those of us who understand that healthcare is a human right, that workers deserve a living wage and that we need a government that works for all, not just the ultra-wealthy and well-connected.” Notably, Jackson does not list abortion access as a top priority on his campaign website. In Maine, there is no strict cutoff that prevents abortion at any point in a pregnancy, although some protections apply after viability, around the 24 to 26 week mark. Late-term abortions are permissible with the approval of a licensed physician. Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders and Jackson’s campaign.
Military families want DOJ to distribute nearly $800M from French cement company found guilty of bribing ISIS
In November 2017, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy was injured in Raqqa, Syria, while clearing the second floor of a hospital that ISIS had booby-trapped with explosives. Now a quadriplegic, Stacy, his wife Lindsey and their four children are part of a lawsuit brought by military families against the French cement company Lafarge recently found guilty by a French court of paying millions of dollars in bribes to ISIS to keep their factory open in ISIS-controlled territory in Syria. “I mean, they were essentially funneling money to fund terrorists and ISIS and all these heinous crimes and evil acts,” Lindsey Stacy told Fox News while standing by the side of her husband, the former Navy Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialist, who just had another surgery to deal with injuries sustained in Syria nine years ago. “It’s very overwhelming, Kenton struggles mentally and physically with his own battles and the kids and I, we have our own struggles,” she said. “It’s hard to juggle, especially when our oldest son has cerebral palsy and he requires his own 24-7 care.” President Donald Trump praised Stacy’s service to the nation in his 2018 State of the Union Address to Congress. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Peck bounded into a booby-trapped building to rescue Kenton and then gave him more than two hours of CPR while medics worked to save his life. 9/11 FAMILIES CELEBRATE ‘HISTORIC, LANDMARK DECISION’ IN LONG-RUNNING SAUDI ARABIA LAWSUIT “Kenton Stacy would have died if not for Justin’s selfless love for a fellow warrior. Tonight, Kenton is recovering in Texas. Raqqa is liberated… All of America salutes you,” Trump said. In a landmark ruling in April, a French court convicted Lafarge, the world’s largest cement manufacturer, of providing material support to a terror group and sentenced its former CEO to six years in prison. Eight former Lafarge employees were found guilty. Lafarge is appealing. The company acknowledged the court’s finding describing the issue as a “legacy matter,” which was “in flagrant violation of Lafarge’s Code of Conduct.” Nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, most of them military families, are part of earlier litigation in the Eastern District of New York. “They were killed, in Syria, by a gruesome terrorist organization that was funded in part by Lafarge. And that’s not an allegation. That is undisputed fact. Lafarge [pleaded] guilty to doing that in 2022,” said Todd Toral, the lawyer from Jenner & Block representing Stacy and about 25 other families. Toral, who is also a U.S. Marine, is seeking compensation for those families from the $777 million Lafarge paid to the Justice Department as part of the settlement. The Justice Department has had that money since October 2022. AMERICAN VICTIMS OF TERRORISM COULD SOON SUE INTERNATIONAL ORGS IF CRUZ’S BILL PASSES “I think the ruling by the court in France is significant generally, because it’s the first time in many, many years that a corporation, and not just the corporation, but executives at a corporation have been held to account for their misconduct in aiding terrorism,” Toral said in an interview with Fox News. In order to operate in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria, Lafarge paid more than $6.5 million to ISIS from 2013–2014 through its Syrian subsidiary to keep production facilities running. The cement produced at its factory in Jalabiya, a factory which was bought for $680 million months before the Syrian uprising began in 2011, was also used for tunnels and bunkers, which helped the terrorist group. The lawsuit is significant because it marks the first time a company has faced U.S. charges for supporting a terrorist group. In October 2022, Lafarge settled with the U.S. Justice Department before the French ruling, paying more than $777 million into an asset forfeiture fund currently controlled by the DOJ, funds which are supposed to compensate victims of the ISIS attacks, many of them American Gold Star families like Hailey Dayton, whose father was the first American killed by ISIS in Syria on Thanksgiving Day 2016. “I was 15 when my dad was killed,” Hailey Dayton told Fox News from her home in Florida. “I saw six guys in Navy white step out of the van. I got so excited because I thought my Dad came back to surprise us. I remember opening the door, huge smile on my face, and I was looking at the men, trying to find my dad and I didn’t find, I didn’t see him, but instead I saw six guys with tears in their eyes.” The Biden Justice Department denied requests to distribute the Lafarge funds while the case was still pending before a French court. Lafarge was found guilty by that court in April. In February, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., pressed then-Attorney General Pam Bondi on when the DOJ planned to release the funds to the families. FEDERAL JUDGE ISSUES $20M VERDICT AGAINST SYRIA FOR TORTURE OF US CITIZEN TAKEN CAPTIVE IN 2019 “In February 2025, my colleagues and I sent you a letter urging the department to review the petitions for remission submitted by the families of those fallen service members, including several of my constituents. The previous administration ignored these victims and our requests and left their petitions unresolved,” Biggs said to Bondi during a congressional hearing. “Congressman, we are aware of that and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support the victims and work with you. Thank you for that question,” Bondi replied. That was more than a year ago and still DOJ has not distributed the compensation funds. Now the plaintiffs, most of them military families, say the decision to release the funds rests with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “I don’t know why. I don’t know why they’re ignoring us. To me, it feels like being a pawn. My dad, he went in when he was 19, he served 23 years,” Dayton, the Gold Star daughter of Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, said. “To the current Department of Justice, I would, say, make things right.” Lindsey Stacy says she and her family
DOJ, Treasury investigate nonprofits and leaders allegedly coordinating with Cuba in influence campaign
This article is Part I of a Fox News Digital investigative series examining allegations that the communist government of Cuba built an influence network inside the United States that federal authotiries are now investigating. Part I focuses on the network’s rapid response following the indictment of Cuban leader Raúl Castro. Just nine minutes after U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced murder charges against Cuban leader Raúl Castro for the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft flown by exile group Brothers to the Rescue, a coordinated rapid response network was already mobilizing across the U.S. to defend Castro and the Communist Party of Cuba. At 1:54 p.m. on Wednesday, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a Marxist political organization deeply embedded in a “Hands Off Cuba” campaign, published six pre-produced graphics denouncing the indictment as a “BASELESS INDICTMENT OF RAUL CASTRO” and “A PRETEXT FOR ANOTHER WAR.” Hours later, at 3:18 a.m. early Thursday morning, Vijay Prashad, executive director at Tricontinental, a Marxist think tank, wrote on X, “Cuba is not a menace to the world. The United States is a menace to the world. The world stands with Raúl Castro, hero of the Cuban Revolution. The world turns its back on Donald Trump, clown of human destruction.” Manolo De Los Santos, executive director of the People’s Forum, a New York-based nonprofit, shared the message without a word, as did leaders from CodePink, another leftist organization. Then, 24 hours after Blanche’s announcement, at 1:46 p.m. on Thursday, BreakThrough News, a media platform aligned with the same activist ecosystem, published a video featuring defiant Cubans, with one man declaring, “We won’t hand over Raúl.” Fox News Digital has learned that Justice and Treasury Department officials are investigating U.S. nonprofits and activist groups for allegedly coordinating lobbying, messaging, fundraising, delegations and political organizing efforts with Cuban government officials as part of a possible foreign influence campaign operating inside the United States. A Fox News Digital investigation has identified 145 nonprofits, labor groups, advocacy organizations and activist collectives across the U.S. that are mobilizing in support of the Cuban government and the Communist Party of Cuba. Together, the organizations report about $1 billion in combined annual revenue. LAWMAKERS RAISE ALARM OVER NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S $278M NETWORK SPREADING CCP PROPAGANDA IN THE U.S. To U.S. national security officials examining the influence of foreign governments in the U.S., the rapid-response messaging campaign offers a striking example of how quickly the nationwide Cuba “solidarity” infrastructure synchronizes political messaging across nonprofits, media platforms, labor organizations and activist coalitions following major geopolitical developments involving the Cuban regime. Making the alleged influence campaign even more complicated, the ANSWER Coalition, Party for Socialism and Liberation, BreakThrough News, CodePink, People’s Forum and Tricontinental are all part of a network funded by American expatriate tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who lives in Shanghai, supporting the Chinese Communist Party and its global agenda, including its defense of the communist regime in Cuba. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokeswoman for the Embassy of Cuba in Washington denied any improper activity and said the country’s diplomats operate within the bounds of the Vienna Convention, where Article 41 states that diplomats “have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs” of a state. “Cuban diplomats strictly comply with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the embassy spokeswoman said, noting that “part of diplomatic work” is to “promote friendly relations” and “interact with organizations and institutions of civil society in the State to which one is accredited.” The embassy added that “it is neither extraordinary, nor a violation of any international or U.S. law, for Cuban diplomats to engage with civil society,” and said it doesn’t encourage Americans “to overthrow or act against the constitutional order of the United States.” Sources familiar with the probe said investigators are also examining the activities of several prominent activists and organizers connected to the Cuba solidarity movement, including Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin and CodePink D.C. coordinator Olivia DiNucci. DHS, WAR DEPT JOIN PROBE INTO SINGHAM NETWORK ALLEGEDLY SOWING DISCORD IN US Federal investigators are also probing about 40 Americans who allegedly coordinated with Cuban government officials to bring goods and supplies to Cuba in “convoys” and “flotillas” earlier this year, sources told Fox News Digital. The organizations under scrutiny span labor unions, activist nonprofits, solidarity campaigns, travel networks, socialist political groups and media operations. The pro-communist Cuba ecosystem includes seven clear communities: 600 GROUPS WITH $2B IN REVENUE MOBILIZE 3,000 MAY DAY PROTESTS IN A ‘RED-BLUE’ ALLIANCE, PROBE FINDS Investigators are also scrutinizing travel and delegation infrastructure tied to the network, including organizations coordinating labor trips, educational exchanges, people-to-people tours, activist brigades and humanitarian convoys to Cuba. Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Americans who engage in political activities in the United States at the direction or control of a foreign government may be required to register with the Justice Department. Advocacy itself is protected under the First Amendment, and registration under FARA doesn’t prohibit political activity. Investigators are examining whether any organizations crossed the line from independent activism into coordinated activity directed by Cuban government officials. Investigators are examining whether some organizations and activists are coordinating lobbying, messaging, delegations, fundraising and political organizing efforts with Cuban government officials without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, known as FARA, according to sources familiar with the inquiry. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, enforces the decades-old U.S. sanctions regime against Cuba, including restrictions on financial transactions, material support, shipping and the transfer of goods and services to the island. While humanitarian exemptions and licensed travel categories exist, investigators are examining whether some activists and nonprofit groups coordinated shipments, fundraising, “convoys,” flotillas and aid campaigns in ways that may have violated sanctions regulations or evaded reporting requirements. CHINA SLAMS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER US SANCTIONS ON CUBA Investigators are also scrutinizing whether organizations used intermediary nonprofits, fiscally sponsored projects or generic donation language in ways that obscured Cuba-related transactions that
‘Moderate’ Dem’s unearthed ‘deconstruct’ law enforcement comments draw fire from GOP critics
FIRST ON FOX: Vulnerable border Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., is being slammed for “hypocrisy” on his pro-law enforcement stance after a Black Lives Matter post and interview calling to “deconstruct” and “defund” the police resurfaced. Vasquez, who is widely reported as a “moderate Democrat” and is a self-described “bipartisan player,” also recently voted against a House resolution expressing support for law enforcement officers and condemning defund the police efforts and sanctuary policies. With Republicans currently holding a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, every congressional seat considered competitive is critical to both parties in this midterm election. Vasquez’s New Mexico swing district in particular is considered highly vulnerable and is a top target for the GOP this cycle. This week, Vasquez published an opinion piece in the Las Cruces Sun News in which he argued police officers “deserve thanks, support and funding.” In the piece, Vasquez pointed to the funding streams he helped secure for local law enforcement and wrote that “no amount of public recognition can ever fully express the gratitude they deserve.” However, a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman said, “Defund the police Gabe Vasquez’s shameless hypocrisy isn’t fooling anyone.” TEXAS DEM TALARICO’S ‘CULTURE OF VIOLENCE’ REMARKS RESURFACE AS HE DENIES DEFUND POLICE TIES On June 1, 2020, exactly a week after the death of George Floyd and in the midst of widespread anti-police riots, Vasquez, a Las Cruces city council member at the time, posted on social media, “Black lives matter. Until we deconstruct and rebuild the systems of oppression that keep black people in perpetual harm, justice will not be served.” He added, “that includes law enforcement, the economy, and the disgusting wealth inequality that keeps white rich men in power.” Further, a 2022 article published by The Washington Free Beacon resurfaced a local news interview with a masked man resembling Vasquez but named “James Hall” at a 2020 George Floyd protest. In the interview, the man says, “We need serious police reform in this country,” and “it’s not just about defunding police, it’s about defunding a system that privileges white people over everyone else.” The outlet reported that deleted screenshots of social media posts showed Vasquez present at that same rally. The Free Beacon wrote that a Vasquez spokesperson confirmed he was the man who made those statements, saying, “the name was attributed to him by the news station when he declined to give his name as he wanted the focus to be on the organizers.” DEM CANDIDATE’S ZIONIST CASTRATION RANT SPARKS FIRESTORM AS PARTY LEADERS REWRITE NARRATIVE TO TARGET GOP More recently, during National Police Week last week, Vasquez voted against a resolution expressing support for law enforcement officers. The measure praised police officers’ service and sacrifice, condemned “defund the police” rhetoric, criticized sanctuary city policies, and credited Trump-era “law and order” policies with helping reduce violent crime. Democrats argued the resolution was overly partisan and politicized. This week, Vasquez published an opinion piece in which he detailed recent visits with local law enforcement leaders and wrote, “I will always stand with our law enforcement officers.” He also touted a $250,000 cutout he secured for the Carlsbad Police Department, as well as a $1.06 million investment for Albuquerque’s Real Time Crime Center and a $500,000 investment for technology and training upgrades at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Vasquez emphasized in his opinion piece that “in addition to our thanks and admiration, they also need and deserve resources, investments, and funding.” A Vasquez campaign spokesperson responded to the new criticisms by telling Fox News Digital, “If you want to know where Vasquez stands on public safety, look at the receipts.” “This year alone, Vasquez singlehandedly brought $1.8 million home for local police departments from Albuquerque to Carlsbad to pay for technology, station upgrades and facilities for more officers to keep themselves and New Mexicans safe,” the spokesperson said. The campaign also pointed to a recent speech Vasquez delivered on the House floor honoring Doña Ana County Deputy Sheriff Antonio Aleman, who was killed in the line of duty in 2025. MAMDANI-STYLE DC MAYORAL HOPEFUL DRAGGED OVER ‘EXACTLY BACKWARDS’ RESPONSE TO VIOLENT TEEN MOBS His critics, however, believe his prior statements will come back to haunt him this November. Richardson told Fox News Digital that “New Mexicans know Vasquez is firmly anti-law enforcement, which is why they’ll elect long-time Albuquerque Police Officer Greg Cunningham to replace him this fall.” A Marine veteran and 20-year New Mexico law enforcement officer, Cunningham is running unopposed in the GOP primary for the seat. In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Cunningham asserted that Vasquez “wants New Mexicans to forget who he really is.” “He spent years parroting the same anti-police rhetoric that gutted morale and hollowed out departments across this country. Now, six months out from an election, he writes a love letter to law enforcement and hopes nobody remembers the rest,” he said. “I remember. So do the officers I served alongside for years on the streets of Albuquerque. I know what it’s like to work a drug case at three in the morning. I know what these drugs are doing to New Mexico families, because I spent my career going after the people pushing them. And I know the difference between a politician who shows up for a Police Week photo op and a leader who has his officers’ backs the other 51 weeks of the year.” He added that “when I get to Washington, the men and women wearing the badge in NM-02 will finally have something they have not had in this seat. One of their own.”