Ilhan Omar staffer shredded for downplaying healthcare CEO’s killing after Luigi Mangione guilty plea
The operations director for a controversial leftist congresswoman downplayed the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to related charges last week. “You’ll never convince me that Luigi is a villain while everyone in the Epstein files is roaming free,” Briana Rose Lee said Friday on X after Mangione pleaded guilty to interstate stalking resulting in death and cyberstalking/use of interstate facilities resulting in death. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is currently seeking re-election for her fifth term in Congress. Lee’s X bio says she does “operations” for the progressive congresswoman. Her LinkedIn profile confirms she has been working for Omar since January 2024, and that she is the former chairwoman of the Minneapolis Democratic-Farm-Labor (DFL) party. “On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan,” Mangione told the court during last week’s proceedings. “I knew what I was doing.” LUIGI MANGIONE PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT TO STALKING AND KILLING UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON Thompson, a husband, father of two and the top executive at UnitedHealthcare, was a Minnesota resident who lived in the suburbs of Minneapolis — just outside of Omar’s district. He was in New York City for business at the time of his death. Lee faced some backlash for her post. “You know you have sold your soul for your political beliefs when you are supporting an assassin who murdered a Minnesota father in cold blood,” one X user said in a reply to the post. “You and many others need to seek help.” “This comment perfectly highlights the mental illness plaguing the Democratic Party. Completely ignorant and psychotic,” said another. ‘THE VIEW’ HOSTS CALL OUT CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT SHOOTING WAS STAGED, WARN AGAINST MAKING SHOOTER A MARTYR “Luigi changed nothing about our healthcare system. And he killed an innocent man,” wrote a third. Omar’s office and campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on her staffer downplaying the killing of a Minnesotan. Other leftists joined Lee in dismissing Mangione’s actions, including one well-known podcaster who served as the national press secretary for independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during his 2020 presidential campaign. “Talking about Luigi as a ‘killer’ without mentioning the tens of thousands of deaths Brian Thompson was responsible for is manufacturing consent for corporate genocide,’” Briahna Joy Gray wrote on X. “The problem with cops is their selective enforcement of crime. It’s about protecting monied interests. Not you.” FORMER HOUSE INTEL LEADER POINTS TO DEM RHETORIC ‘ENCOURAGING’ VIOLENCE; EIGHTH MAN CHARGED IN UFC TERROR PLOT Gray’s post drew the ire of at least one elected Democrat. “Luigi Mangione is a cold-blooded assassin who belongs in prison for the rest of his life,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., from his personal X account. “Any civilization that lionizes a cold-blooded murderer has forfeited the right to call itself civilized.” In response, Gray referred to Torres as a “baby killing Zionist coward.”
Pro-life publisher facing demands to retract calling abortion ‘killing’ fires back: ‘The answer is No’
EXCLUSIVE: A prominent pro-life organization is refusing demands to remove years of abortion-related reporting and to issue sweeping retractions after attorneys representing 13 abortion-rights advocates accused it of publishing false and defamatory claims about their pregnancies. “The answer is ‘No,’” attorneys for Live Action wrote in a fiery response obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital ahead of its public release Monday. The Thomas More Society, representing Live Action, argues that much of the disputed coverage is constitutionally protected speech, including the organization’s use of terms such as “killing” to describe abortion, and signals that it is prepared to defend Live Action in court if the dispute escalates. SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY SLAPS DOWN BLUE STATE TARGETING PRO-LIFE GROUP “Live Action will not cease reporting on abortion,” the response says, rejecting demands to delete its archive, publish sweeping retractions or agree to restrictions on future coverage. Peter Breen, executive vice president and head of litigation at Thomas More Society, told Fox News Digital that he believes the dispute raises a fundamental free-speech issue. “The other side’s argument is that somehow, by using the word kill or calling abortion killing, that you have a problem that you can create that could then be remedied in court,” Breen said. “The issue is every single final court decision to deal with this has previously said that’s not defamatory,” he added. “It’s not legally wrong to call abortion killing.” BABYLON BEE SUES NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS OVER LAW REQUIRING AI DISCLAIMERS ON POLITICAL SATIRE Amplify Legal’s July 15 cease-and-desist, however, alleges that the dispute goes beyond Live Action’s use of terms such as “killing.” Amplify, which represents 13 people featured in Live Action coverage, accused the outlet of publishing false factual claims about their pregnancies, fetal diagnoses and medical circumstances and demanded that Live Action remove articles and social media posts and issue a public apology and retractions. Amplify Legal responded Monday, telling Fox News Digital that its objections concern statements it says Live Action made about families facing wanted pregnancies. “Live Action has repeatedly accused grieving families with wanted pregnancies of ‘wanting to kill’ their babies. These statements are both inaccurate and cruel,” Amplify Legal said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Asked whether Amplify intends to sue following Live Action’s rejection of its demands, the group stopped short of committing to litigation. “As our clients’ lawyers, we will be weighing all of their options,” the statement said. SURROGATE GIVES BIRTH IN TEXAS TO BABY WITH HEART DEFECT AFTER PARENTS REQUESTED ABORTIO Among the examples cited by Amplify is Kate Cox, a Texas woman who sought an abortion after her unborn child was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Amplify says Live Action repeatedly disputed whether the diagnosis meant Cox’s daughter was certain to die. Cox, whose case made national headlines after she asked the Texas Supreme Court for permission to obtain an abortion was denied and later left the state to have the procedure, was a guest of former first lady Jill Biden at the 2024 State of the Union Address. Amplify further says Live Action failed to contact its clients or their medical providers for comment before publication. “The lying, bullying, and complete disregard for the truth must end now,” Amplify Litigation Director Molly Duane said when announcing the demand in July. “What they are doing is not only cruel — it’s illegal.” GOP LAWMAKERS URGE SUPREME COURT TO STRENGTHEN FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS FOR STREET PREACHERS Live Action’s attorneys dispute Amplify’s allegations, but say the organization remains willing to consider specific factual challenges through its normal editorial corrections process. Courts have previously confronted similar rhetoric in the abortion debate. In a 2023 case cited by the Thomas More Society, the Texas Supreme Court considered statements by an anti-abortion activist who characterized abortion-rights organizations as criminal and equated abortion with murder. The court held that the challenged statements were “protected opinion about abortion law made in pursuit of changing that law,” placing them “at the heart of protected speech under the United States and Texas Constitutions.” The court also cited a 1988 Illinois appellate decision, Van Duyn v. Smith, rejecting a defamation claim involving a poster that used the term “prenatal killing” to describe abortion. Ilya Shapiro, director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital that he believes Amplify’s demand runs headlong into First Amendment protections for political debate. GOP RISING STAR DEMANDS ABORTION ADVOCATE NAME ‘FAVORITE’ METHOD IN HEARING CLASH “Amplify Legal’s demand letter is legally frivolous activism,” Shapiro said. “One side says ‘abortion is murder.’ The other side says denying women the right to abortion takes us to a dystopian Handmaid’s Tale. These are opinions, and opinions by definition aren’t defamatory.” Shapiro went further, arguing that describing an abortion as “killing” does not become defamatory merely because the terminology is fiercely disputed. “In short, you can’t criminalize or make someone civilly liable for the standard give and take of heated political debate,” he said. Lila Rose, Live Action founder and president, told Fox News Digital that the organization would not change its language in response to the threatened legal action. “Abortion is an act of killing. It deliberately ends the life of a living human child,” Rose said. “Americans have every right to say that openly and forcefully, without fear of being dragged into court for refusing to adopt the deceptive language preferred by abortion activists.” Rose said the organization would continue using such language regardless of the legal threat. “Threats will not stop us from calling abortion what it is or from fighting for the right of every child to live,” she said. “We will keep fighting, and we will win.” The letter warns that Live Action could seek attorneys’ fees and sanctions if a lawsuit is filed and directs Amplify and its clients to preserve potentially relevant records and communications. Asked whether the Thomas More Society was effectively telling Amplify and its clients, “Go ahead, sue us,” Breen stopped short of inviting a lawsuit, but didn’t back
GOP freshman firebrand targets global consulting giant over ‘plainly illegal’ DEI practices
A top House GOP firebrand is accusing a multibillion-dollar global corporation of injecting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the U.S. economy at a time when Americans are struggling with rising cost of living. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, who chairs the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, is targeting McKinsey & Company in a new probe over DEI reports that he says were “highly influential in American corporations.” He’s accusing the massive consulting firm of publishing reports that say race- and gender-based hiring practices are beneficial to U.S. companies, which he argues are a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Meanwhile, Americans are at the mercy of many of the same companies as they grapple with high prices across housing, food and other areas. GEORGIA GOP GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL VOWS TO ‘BAN DEI’ IN STATE BUT HIS OWN NONPROFIT URGED CEOS TO INVEST IN IT “These McKinsey reports have been highly influential, being cited by publicly traded companies, asset managers, proxy advisory firms, and banking institutions, among others, as cause for embedding illegal racial and sex-based targets into hiring, promotion, executive compensation, and asset manager proxy voting policies,” Gill wrote in a letter sent Monday. “With the support of the previous administration, progressive activists cited McKinsey’s reports to push companies, governments, and stock exchanges to implement rules which forced or incentivized illegal corporate racial or gender-based hiring and disclosure policies.” Gill also questioned whether the findings of that report were legitimate. “Although in 2024 McKinsey stated that it ‘stands by its findings,’ other researchers have found zero statistical correlation between a company’s gender and racial diversity and its financial performance,” the letter said. “Racial discrimination in the employment context, including under the guise of DEI, has been pervasive despite being plainly illegal for over half a century.” LEGAL EXPERT CALLS FOR SMITHSONIAN LEADERSHIP OVERHAUL OVER ‘SELF-LOATHING’ PORTRAYAL OF HISTORY: ‘IT’S BILE’ It comes just after Gill’s panel led high-profile hearings into the Smithsonian Institution’s teaching of American history, bringing national attention to what Republicans are calling a warped and politicized version of the U.S. Gill accused National Museum of American History director Anthea Hartig of pushing a left-wing ideological agenda rather than facilitating a straightforward education on the country’s past. Hertig stood by the museum’s teachings, which she called apolitical. In the letter sent Monday, Gill cited a 2026 White House Economic Report that said DEI initiatives cost the U.S. economy roughly $94 billion in 2023. He also pointed out that four reports published by McKinsey between 2015 and 2023 argued that companies with increased racial and gender diversity financially outperformed companies without. NEW YORK TIMES SUED BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER ALLEGED ‘DEI-RELATED’ EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION “Researchers assessing the McKinsey DEI studies cannot recreate the results and also find that McKinsey likely swapped the cause and effect of its DEI conclusions,” Gill wrote. “The Executive Office of the President has identified $94 billion in annual economic costs to the U.S. economy due to promotion of otherwise illegal race and gender-based hiring practices, perhaps in part motivated by the findings of McKinsey’s DEI reports that are partially inaccurate or wholly incorrect.” McKinsey’s corporate website states, “The business case for gender equality, diversity, and inclusion is strong and growing stronger.” The website estimated that the national GDP would go up by $12 trillion if the workforce gender gap is narrowed by 2025, but no update appears to be provided. Another statistic cites $2 billion in additional revenue “if financial inclusion efforts broaden services for black Americans.” Fox News Digital reached out to the company for comment on Gill’s letter.
LA teachers patrol for ICE before class as DHS blasts enforcement ‘false narrative’
Los Angeles teachers are patrolling neighborhoods near schools for ICE agents — a rogue effort the school district disavowed as it ramps up support for immigrant families, while DHS blasts critics for pushing a “false narrative” about enforcement at schools. “We recognize the fear and uncertainty that immigration enforcement activity can create for students, families, and staff,” a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday. “Our responsibility is to ensure our schools remain safe, supportive, and welcoming places for every student. We have strengthened communication and coordination with city leaders and municipal partners, increased our presence in impacted communities, and established rapid-response protocols should enforcement activity occur.” The spokesperson was responding to a report that teachers were participating in “ICE Patrols” before the school day begins, driving through neighborhoods near schools to search for signs of federal immigration agents. CBS Los Angeles reported on the patrols, joining a ride-along with Los Angeles teacher Lupe Carrasco Cardona and other members of an anti-immigration enforcement group, called Unión del Barrio. When the group spots suspected ICE activity, members document what they see — including photographing license plates — and alert families and others in the community. The patrols are not sanctioned by LAUSD, according to the district, but they come as the nation’s second-largest school system has built its own network of services for families worried about immigration enforcement — including legal referrals, “Know Your Rights” resources, transportation assistance and alternative learning options. LOS ANGELES DODGERS REPORTEDLY DONATE $1.1 MILLION TO PRO-IMMIGRATION GROUPS AFTER 2025 FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT “Tinted windows, that is a red flag. We’re looking for double-parked like this one; that would be a red flag,” another teacher riding with Cardona told the outlet. The teachers say their patrols have helped families, with Cardona saying some community members plan their days around the group’s reports. “It’s been really beautiful to witness teachers devoting their own personal time to just watching the neighborhood and making sure that it’s safe,” said United Teachers Los Angeles Chapter Chair Jon Paul Arciniega. “It’s been really beneficial.” The district provides families with “24/7 access to Know Your Rights resources, legal referrals, mental health services, and a dedicated hotline” through its “We Are One” campaign, said the spokesperson. LAUSD also offers a multilingual Family Preparedness Packet to help families understand their rights and prepare for encounters with immigration officers. GEORGIA ICE SWEEP NABS OVER 700 CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, INCLUDING SEX OFFENDERS, CHILD ABUSERS “We do not ask about or share a student’s immigration status unless required by law, and we remain committed to maintaining safe zones around our schools,” said the spokesperson. The schools also offer access to transportation assistance, alternative learning options through the Virtual Academy and referrals to legal service providers. “ICE is not going to schools to make arrests. If a dangerous or violent illegal criminal alien felon were to flee into a daycare, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect the safety of the children,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “This is just another false narrative to try and demonize our brave ICE law enforcement who are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8000% increase in death threats,” the DHS spokesperson added. “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. “ TRUMP’S DC LAW-AND-ORDER BLITZ MARKS ONE YEAR WITH EYE-POPPING HAUL OF SUSPECTS ICE amped up operations in Los Angeles last year, with Mayor Karen Bass recently reaffirming her support for immigrant communities, saying, “We will always protect our neighbors, and we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with immigrant families in LA and everywhere.”
Reporter’s Notebook: Daylight saving time fight puts Senate up against a ticking clock
The U.S. Senate is on the clock. In a matter of speaking. Or ticking. The House of Representatives approved a bill earlier this year to thrust the nation onto permanent daylight saving time. In other words, the House voted to ditch the twice-a-year ritual of springing forward and falling back. Now it’s up to the Senate to sync up. “Around the country, people are going to be excited because they don’t have to go back and forth,” opined Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., one of the biggest advocates of shifting to year-round daylight saving time. Under this temporal regime, Florida and many southern states would benefit from “more” sun later in the afternoon and evening in the winter. HOUSE PASSES DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME REFORM AS TRUMP SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR ENDING CLOCK CHANGE Scott isn’t the only one who says time should expire for daylight saving time. “People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year. It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly. For Cities and States with Watchtowers, and hard to reach places, it costs Millions of Dollars,” declared President Donald Trump in a post on his social media site Truth Social. It’s unclear whether Trump was trying to reach voters with allegiances to Jimi Hendrix or Bob Dylan when writing about “Watchtowers.” But if the president has his way, the times won’t be “A Changin’,” later this fall. We’d be welded to daylight saving time. President Trump continued. “This is an issue that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can unite behind. I am asking Republican Senators to release their holds, and allow the hotline to clear on the Republican side. LET’S PASS THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, ASAP,” he wrote. Let’s dial things back a bit here and dissect the title of this bill: “The Sunshine Protection Act.” First, there is a finite amount of sunshine available, period. Any time of the year. Bellingham, Washington, scores only about eight-and-a-half hours of sunlight around the winter solstice in December. And whether we’re on daylight saving time or standard time, the sheer amount of sun doesn’t change. The only thing that differs is at what time Bellingham gets that sun. Under standard time (following the autumn clock shift), the earliest the sun sets in Bellingham is 4:13 p.m. in mid-December. But under permanent daylight saving time, you can sing good day, sunshine, at 3:13 p.m. The problem is that the sun goes down really early in northern states in the winter under year-round daylight saving time. But southern states — like Florida — benefit. The reason Congress even bothers with this issue is because Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants the House and Senate authority to establish the “Standard of Weights and Measures.” So all Congress is doing is determining a temporal regimen. In short, if Congress says it’s 3 o’clock, it’s 3 o’clock. But if we fall back in November, then 3 o’clock is really 2 o’clock. However, leave it to Congress to create the illusion that it is safeguarding something for the voters, such as “protecting” sunshine. Or, giving everyone an “extra hour” in the winter. It’s just saying that everything would start earlier. That’s all. TRUMP URGES SENATE TO PASS BILL MAKING DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME PERMANENT AFTER OVERWHELMING HOUSE VOTE Regardless, the push to embrace daylight saving time isn’t partisan. “People across New Mexico and across so many parts of the country don’t want to be changing those clocks day after day,” said Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M. Luján survived a stroke several years ago. He believes that a singular time, year-round, would provide health benefits. “I can speak to it from the perspective of all the neurologists that I’ve spoken to as well. There are more and more health concerns with moving that time change back and forth,” said Lujan. And daylight saving time advocates say passing the Sunshine Protection Act is more pressing than you think. “You know, that might be more important to my people back home than the SAVE America Act,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. That’s a reference to the touchstone of the president’s legislative agenda which is stymied in the Senate. The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship in order for people to vote. But there are detractors. We heard from southern lawmakers. But many in New England fret about how little sunlight they score in the winter anyway. “You want your kid standing out on the bus stop in the dark at 10 a.m.?” asked Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. That’s an overstatement. The latest the sun comes up anywhere in Vermont in late December is 7:28 a.m. But shift that to permanent daylight saving time and you’re still in the dark until 8:28 a.m. But you get the idea. And there’s no consensus from residents of states that are split by two time zones. A staggering 14 states feature two time zones: Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas. Eastern Time and Central Time cleaves Indiana. “Hoosiers care a lot about time,” said Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. “They also have fundamental disagreements within the state, about what time it is or should be at any given moment.” And there’s the old adage that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This potential toggling of the time worries Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas – who represents one of the states that falls within two time zones. HARRIS BECOMES ACCIDENTAL SAVE ACT ‘SALESWOMAN’ AS TRUMP ATTACK SPECTACULARLY BACKFIRES “Didn’t we do this once before?” asked Cornyn. “In the ‘70s,” I told Cornyn. “And we reversed it in six months.” “Yeah, well that should be a cautionary tale,” observed the Texas senator. The U.S. faced an oil shock thanks to an embargo by OPEC in the early 1970s. President Richard Nixon – and many in Congress – believed they could “save energy” by moving the U.S. to year-round daylight saving time.
US awards Raytheon $22.9B Tomahawk deal as Trump dismisses weapons stockpile concerns
The Department of War announced Monday that the U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon, an RTX business, a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate production of Tomahawk missiles, as the Pentagon moves to expand the nation’s munitions capacity and replenish critical long-range strike weapons. The news came after President Donald Trump pushed back on concerns over the strain the Iran conflict might be placing on U.S. weapons stockpiles. “What we’ve used is peanuts,” Trump told Fox News’ Trey Yingst in an exclusive phone interview earlier Monday. “We have a lot of mid-level weapons.” PENTAGON RACES TO BUY 10X MORE MISSILES AS IRAN WAR DWINDLES ARSENAL, THREATENS READINESS FOR CHINA AGGRESSION The massive Tomahawk award is intended to give RTX the stability needed to expand its workforce, increase manufacturing output and strengthen supply chains while speeding deliveries of the long-range cruise missile to U.S. forces, according to the department. “The Department called upon industry to expand munitions production, and RTX has answered that call,” Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey wrote in a statement. “This Tomahawk award increases our ability to equip the Joint Force, ensuring our Warfighters never face a fair fight.” Pentagon officials have increasingly focused on expanding the U.S. defense industrial base and shortening the time required to produce key weapons as military operations and heightened global tensions put renewed attention on the size and resilience of American weapons stockpiles. “Guaranteeing our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount,” acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao wrote in a statement. “This landmark $22.9 billion investment will accelerate Tomahawk missile delivery to our warfighters at unprecedented speed. TIM SHEEHY EXPOSES A ‘SCARY’ SHIPBUILDING COLLAPSE THAT LEAVES THE US VULNERABLE TO CHINA “By working closely with industry to expand our munitions industrial base’s capacity, the Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of our current operations, ensuring they are equipped to fight, win, and come home safe.” The Navy said the agreement also supports the Department of War’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy, which is aimed at accelerating weapons deliveries and reducing procurement lead times. The Tomahawk is one of the U.S. military’s primary long-range strike weapons and can be launched from Navy ships and submarines against targets hundreds of miles away. The Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Munitions oversees procurement and delivery of the service’s munitions and strike capabilities and is working to coordinate weapons programs with the industrial base to expand production capacity.
CEO says doing business in state ‘sucks’ as company heads to Texas amid California exodus
DALLAS – “Doing business in the state of California sucks,” Hil Davis, a California businessman, bluntly told Fox News Digital. That frustration ultimately drove Davis, CEO of Digital Brands Group, more than 1,300 miles to Texas. The apparel and e-commerce company relocated its headquarters to Round Rock, just north of Austin, leasing roughly 70,000 square feet of warehouse and office space as it expands its collegiate sports apparel business. Davis said the sprawling Texas facility costs roughly the same as the company’s former space in Vernon, California, about five miles south of Los Angeles. And rent was only part of the equation. BILLIONS IN TAXPAYER INCOME ARE LEAVING TWO ICONIC STATES — AS A NEW ECONOMIC MAP EMERGES Davis pointed to California’s high cost of living, long employee commutes and the rising cost of doing business, including defending against lawsuits. “You start to add all those things up,” he said. “It doesn’t work. It doesn’t make sense. It’s too hard.” The relocation comes as California wrestles with a much bigger question about whether the state’s costs, taxes and regulations are driving away the businesses and wealthy residents it relies on. That debate has intensified around a proposed one-time tax of up to 5% on Californians worth more than $1 billion. Supporters say the billionaire tax could raise billions for health care and other public programs by asking the state’s wealthiest residents to pay more. Opponents warn it could instead send major taxpayers packing — and take future tax revenue with them. California is already seeing taxpayers and their income move elsewhere. Los Angeles County led the nation in taxpayer losses in the latest IRS data, with a net 17,496 tax filers leaving for other states and taking nearly $1.9 billion in income with them. THE ONLY MAP YOU NEED TO SEE AS CALIFORNIA’S BILLIONAIRE TAX FIGHT HEATS UP The losses extended beyond Los Angeles. 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. Those departures can carry fiscal consequences. When taxpayers move, the income they take with them can shrink the state and local tax base that helps fund schools, public safety and infrastructure. Davis does not predict a sudden stampede out of California. He expects a slow drip. “I don’t know if there’ll be, like, an explosion,” he said. “I just think it’ll be a constant leak.” California still has powerful anchors. Silicon Valley remains a magnet for technology talent and capital, while Los Angeles has a deep bench of creative workers. Davis acknowledged those industry “centers of gravity” are difficult to replicate elsewhere. THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND Digital Brands Group will keep some production operations in Los Angeles after moving its headquarters to Texas. But Round Rock offered Davis a different equation with lower operating costs, a central shipping location for a company serving universities across the country and access to Austin’s creative workforce. He said permitting for the new facility also moved quickly. Employees now have their own choice to make. Some are eager to follow the company to Texas, Davis said. Others have deep roots in California and may stay behind. Digital Brands Group has already made its choice. And as California debates how to tax its wealthiest residents, Davis says the real story is still unfolding, one company at a time.
Far-left politicians still using ActBlue as 88-year-old disputes donating nearly $150,000 to fundraising giant
Several prominent progressives — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed — continue raising campaign cash through the embattled fundraising platform ActBlue despite congressional investigations into allegations it failed to stop illegal foreign donations from entering U.S. political campaigns. The fundraising behemoth has been thrust back into the spotlight after a recent viral video showed an 88-year-old Michigan woman disputing nearly $150,000 in political donations attributed to her in federal campaign finance records. She acknowledged using ActBlue to make political donations but disputed nearly the amount attributed to her. Federal Election Commission records attribute more than 15,000 contributions by the woman over a six-year period. ActBlue says it has processed more than $19 billion in donations since it was founded in 2004, making it one of the largest online fundraising platforms serving mostly Democratic candidates, party committees and progressive organizations. It brands itself as a grassroots fundraising platform that is a “counterweight to the dark money special interests that dominate our politics.” FIRST ON FOX: ACTBLUE BOARD MEMBERS IN HOT SEAT AS GOP PROBES ‘SERIOUS’ MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS Republicans argue the platform has become vulnerable to fraud and illegal foreign donations. Since 2023, House committees have conducted an ongoing investigation into ActBlue’s fraud-prevention practices and whether its safeguards adequately prevented illegal foreign and fraudulent contributions. ActBlue denies the allegations and any wrongdoing. An April 2025 interim staff report also cited internal ActBlue records showing the platform detected 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using domestic prepaid cards during a 30-day period in late 2024, a pattern the committees described as a leading indicator of fraud. The congressional investigation remains ongoing, and ActBlue has not been found to have violated campaign finance laws or been prohibited from processing political donations. KEY HOUSE COMMITTEE SCHEDULES HEARING WITH EMBATTLED ACTBLUE CEO: ‘NEEDS TO COME CLEAN’ ActBlue has evolved from a simple donation processor into one of the Democratic Party’s most powerful fundraising platforms. According to its website, ActBlue provides fundraising, organizing, campaign websites, voter outreach and other digital tools for thousands of Democratic candidates and progressive organizations, describing its mission as creating technology to “fuel Democratic wins.” ActBlue continues to process donations for some of the Democratic Party’s highest-profile campaigns, including El-Sayed, who has been endorsed by Sanders, I-Vt. Sanders’ campaign website also directs supporters to ActBlue to donate to El-Sayed’s campaign. The platform also processes donations for the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and thousands of other Democratic campaigns and progressive organizations. Its “Trending Campaigns” page currently highlights El-Sayed alongside Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Texas state Rep. James Talarico, Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. Other prominent progressives who continue using ActBlue include Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, who is running for governor, and former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who is running to return to Congress. Beyond candidate campaigns, ActBlue has become a central fundraising platform for thousands of Democratic committees, progressive organizations and advocacy groups. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE The Republican National Committee says Democratic candidates should explain why they continue relying on ActBlue despite the congressional investigation and allegations from donors who say contributions were made in their names without their knowledge. “Democrats claim to oppose special interests with one exception: their own. They defend fraud and schemes like ActBlue because they know cheating the system is the only way for their corrupt campaigns to raise money,” Ally Triolo, the RNC’s election integrity communications director, told Fox News Digital. ActBlue has denied wrongdoing and the ongoing congressional investigation has not resulted in any finding that the platform engaged in fraud or violated campaign finance laws. One of the cases fueling the renewed scrutiny involves 88-year-old Milan, Michigan, resident Elizabeth Waffle, who acknowledged making donations through ActBlue but disputed donating nearly $150,000 attributed to her in a now-viral interview with the Michigan Enjoyer. Fox News Digital independently reviewed Federal Election Commission records attributing more than 16,000 political contributions totaling nearly $150,000 between September 2020 and June 2026 to an Elizabeth Waffle of Milan, Michigan. During the interview, a reporter presented Waffle with what he said were Federal Election Commission records documenting those contributions. Waffle disputed the nearly $150,000 in political donations attributed to her in those records after a reporter arrived unannounced at her trailer and presented her with records he said were from the Federal Election Commission during the interview. “One hundred and fifty thousand? Hell no. I don’t have that kind of money,” Waffle said. “I don’t see $150,000. That’s very abnormal and I think it’s wrong. I think there’s something in there that’s off.” Federal Election Commission records reviewed by Fox News Digital attribute 47 ActBlue contributions totaling about $518 to an Elizabeth Waffle of Milan, Michigan, for El-Sayed’s campaign between October 2025 and July 2026. Waffle was not asked about those specific contributions during the interview. She did, however, acknowledge using ActBlue to make political donations while disputing the nearly $150,000 in political contributions attributed to her in records presented during the interview. “Everything goes through ActBlue. ActBlue is like the bank,” Waffle said. Waffle was interviewed outside the trailer where she said she has lived since her home burned down two years earlier. During the interview, she said her phone was not getting internet service as she attempted to demonstrate how she used ActBlue to make political donations. El-Sayed, who has pledged to reject corporate PAC money and campaigned on reducing the influence of money in politics, continues to raise campaign funds through ActBlue, which remains under congressional investigation. His campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on its continued use of ActBlue or the allegations raised by Elizabeth Waffle. ActBlue, meanwhile, has rejected the allegations against it as politically motivated. “For three years, ActBlue has been targeted by MAGA Republicans because of who we are and what we stand for, not because
Russell Fry endorses ex-rival Darline Graham after failing to advance to special GOP US Senate primary runoff
Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., the candidate who placed third in the Aug. 11 South Carolina special Republican U.S. Senate primary, has endorsed top-finisher Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C. “President Trump needs fighters and allies in the Senate who will show up every day and get results. I believe Darline Graham will be exactly that,” Fry said in part of a Friday post on X. “Darline knows what it means to struggle, persevere, and keep fighting when life deals you a difficult hand. Those experiences shaped her, and I believe they give her a real understanding of the challenges families across South Carolina face,” he continued. MARK LYNCH ENDORSES RALPH NORMAN AS CONGRESSMAN HEADS INTO RUNOFF AGAINST DARLINE GRAHAM “On August 25, I’m asking everyone who supported our campaign to join me in supporting Darline Graham for the United States Senate. Campaigns are temporary. The cause is bigger than any one candidate. Now let’s get it done,” he noted. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who placed second in the South Carolina special GOP U.S. Senate primary, will face Graham in the Aug. 25 runoff. SOUTH CAROLINA GOP SENATE SHOWDOWN HEADS TO RUNOFF IN RACE TO SUCCEED LINDSEY GRAHAM Last month, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to serve the remainder of her brother’s term. President Donald Trump, who backed Graham ahead of the special primary contest, is continuing to support her in the runoff. DARLINE GRAHAM DETAILS HOW SHE’D FORGE OWN PATH IN SENATE WHILE CARRYING ON BROTHER LINDSEY’S LEGACY “SOUTH CAROLINA: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR DARLINE GRAHAM ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH. DARLINE HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” he wrote in a Friday Truth Social post, which included an image of Fry’s post on X endorsing Graham.
IN PICTURES: Historic Smithsonian museum packed with woke political messaging on race and gender
As the Smithsonian Institution continues to face scrutiny over its leftward drift, a Fox News Digital tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History revealed exhibits that present the nation’s past through the lens of oppression of minority groups. Perhaps nowhere in the museum was that more apparent than the popular Entertainment Nation Exhibit. The series of installations, focused mainly on sports, television and music, is a ubiquitous hotbed of woke history. One display focuses on the 2010 “Los Suns” protest, which features a special basketball jersey worn by a Phoenix Suns player during the protest. SMITHSONIAN AMERICA 250 EXHIBIT FEATURES 3X MORE LIBERAL ITEMS THAN CONSERVATIVE ONES “In solidarity with the Latinx community, the Phoenix Suns basketball team challenged Arizona’s new immigration law on the court,” says the headline of a placard explaining the display. “In 2010 Arizona empowered police to question anyone on their immigration status, in effect targeting any Spanish-speaking person with brown skin,” the placard says, adding that the professional team described the state’s new law as a violation of “our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law.” A mannequin head displays the hijab worn by the first Muslim woman to win a major ice skating competition while wearing the religious head covering. Another display links a 2014 “X-Men” movie to the Black Lives Matter movement, which sparked during the summer of that year. “As #BlackLivesMatter went viral in the summer of 2014, one of the first Black woman superheroes was fighting discrimination on the big screen,” says the headline on the placard for that display. DESCENDANT OF SLAVES SHAMES SMITHSONIAN’S WOKE ‘INDOCTRINATION’ AGAINST THE ‘GREATEST NATION ON EARTH’ The writing describes the main characters in the fantasy the film faced discrimination for “being different,” Halle Berry was the lead actress in the film, and her costume is featured in the museum. The exhibit also pays homage to the massively successful mid-2010’s show “Glee,” which ran for eight seasons. Its placard says the show “celebrated the arts, and, most importantly, humanity.” “The television series Glee told the story of a fictional high school glee club comprised of a diverse group of students: Black, white, Asian, straight, LGBTQ+, disabled, brassy, rebellious, shy, and geeky. Even as they grappled with navigating interpersonal conflicts and developing their identities as young adults, they came together to support each other and sing as one—exemplifying the motto on a plaque in their school auditorium: ‘See the world not as it is, but as it should be,’” says the placard. Another exhibit display, focused on the 1960s and 70s, mentions NBA legend Bill Russell’s greatness on the court, but rather than solely highlighting his accomplishments in sports, the placard focuses on his racial activism. SEN TIM SCOTT: MY FAMILY’S JOURNEY SHOWS AMERICA’S FOUNDING PROMISE IS ALIVE AND STRONG “Bill Russell was a defensive powerhouse on the court who played offense against racism,” the title says. “Bill Russell redefined defensive play, blocking shots and capturing rebounds. The five-time MVP led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships as he championed civil rights,” says the placard. “In 1961 Russell led Black teammates in a protest against racial discrimination, staging the first NBA game boycott.” Yet another display features a massive gold chain, a crew neck sweatshirt and a notepad with handwritten song lyrics belonging to rapper Nipsey Hussle, a proud Rollin’ 60s Crip gang affiliate who rapped about violence and drugs. His real name was Ermias Asghedom. “Nipsey Hussle’s political ethos was as strong as his rap,” the placard says. CHARLES BARKLEY ADMONISHES SOCIETY FOR BEING HOMOPHOBIC IN VIRTUE-SIGNALING RANT ABOUT JASON COLLINS’ DEATH “Raised in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, Grammy Award-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle made his mark through music, activism, and business savvy,” it continues. “As an artist, Hussle’s lyrics painted vivid pictures of West Coast life filled with insights well beyond his years. As an activist, he mentored and inspired a generation to become politically engaged. And as an entrepreneur, he chose to reinvest millions into the streets that raised him. Despite his untimely passing, his spirit of dedication, self-reliance, and community empowerment continues to resonate.” The nondescript “untimely passing” refers to the rapper’s murder after he confronted a Rollin’ 60s gang member, Eric Holder Jr., and accused of “snitching” to law enforcement. An enraged Holder produced a handgun, shooting and killing Asghedom and wounding several others. Also on display are a jersey worn by the first active and openly gay NBA player, Jason Collins, the hat worn by Dr. Anthony Fauci when he threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals game when the team league restarted after COVID-19 shutdowns and a skateboard highlighting the struggles of female skateboarders to break into the male-dominated sport. Fox News Digital reached out to the Smithsonian for comment.