DC public schools face special grand jury probe into attendance, truancy and graduation records
Federal prosecutors have launched a rare special grand jury probe into D.C. public schools, zeroing in on truancy, graduation rates and attendance records. The investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post, is examining the supervision and oversight of young people in the nation’s capital, according to people familiar with the matter. D.C. public schools have been contacted about truancy and graduation rates, as well as attendance records. One law enforcement official emphasized this probe is about, “safeguarding youth in the District.” The use of a special grand jury is unusual. Fox News is told a judge must approve the creation of such a panel, which can conduct a sweeping investigation and issue a detailed report on its findings even if prosecutors ultimately file no criminal charges. DETROIT SCHOOLS OFFER STUDENTS UP TO $1,000 FOR PERFECT ATTENDANCE AS PROGRAM EXPANDS A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office told the Washington Post it could neither confirm nor deny an investigation. The office of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said its focus remains on the new school year. “Our focus remains on welcoming students and families back for a strong start to the new school year, and that is what we want our principals and teachers focused on as well,” the mayor’s office told the Washington Post. “We make all school data public and will continue to do so.” CHAOTIC TEEN BRAWL GOES VIRAL AFTER TEEN TERROR PROMPTS US ATTORNEY PIRRO’S PLAN TO PROSECUTE PARENTS The Washington Post reported that senior prosecutor Steven Vandervelden, one of Pirro’s top allies in the U.S. attorney’s office, is overseeing the inquiry. Pirro has repeatedly linked school truancy to youth crime and disruptive teen gatherings in the District. At a May news conference, she said authorities could take action when teens repeatedly break curfew or skip school. GRADY JUDD PUTS PARENTS ON NOTICE OVER TIKTOK TEEN TAKEOVERS: ‘WE’RE GONNA COME LOCK YOU UP TOO’ “We’re coming for you, and we’re coming for your parents,” Pirro said. She also said her office wanted school records involving students accused of chronic truancy and curfew violations, according to the Washington Post. The outlet reported that the city did not voluntarily turn over those records. EXPLOSIVE REPORT FINDS $230M IN ALLEGED K-12 EDUCATION FRAUD AMID TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN: ‘ESPECIALLY HIDEOUS’ The new probe comes years after D.C. schools were rocked by a graduation scandal centered on Ballou High School. A 2018 city investigation found the school had awarded diplomas to students who failed to satisfy attendance rules or had improperly completed makeup coursework. While the scandal initially centered on Ballou High School, it eventually spread to several D.C. high schools. The investigation found that about one-third of D.C. students who graduated in 2017 had not actually met the requirements for a diploma, according to the Washington Post. District officials later said they tightened enforcement of attendance standards. MORE THAN 400K NEW YORK CITY CHILDREN ENROLLED IN FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS: REPORT Absenteeism, however, has persisted. During the 2023-24 school year, nearly 16,000 D.C. Public Schools students, roughly one-third of K-12 enrollment, were considered truant after missing at least two weeks of classes without an excuse, the Washington Post reported last year. The special grand jury’s work is unfolding as D.C.’s school system, which serves more than 50,000 students, begins a new academic year. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education for comment.
California bill recognizing 2 Islamic holidays nears Newsom’s desk
California could soon formally recognize two of Islam’s most important holy days under legislation that would give state workers greater flexibility to take them off and allow public schools to close in observance of the holidays. The measure, which overwhelmingly passed the state Assembly and is awaiting Senate action, would recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in state law and could soon head to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Assembly Bill 2017, introduced by Democratic San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, passed the Assembly 64-1 in late May. It must clear the Senate before the legislative session ends Monday to reach Newsom. TRUMP DOJ EXPANDS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTIONS AFTER MAJOR SUPREME COURT RULINGS The bill would let state employees use existing paid holiday credits to take time off for Eid. Public schools and community colleges could also close for the holidays. “California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country, and their traditions deserve recognition and respect,” Haney said in a news release about the bill in March. “No student should have to choose between celebrating one of the holiest days of their faith and showing up to school, and no worker should feel they have to sacrifice their religious observance.” Haney also said the bill is also about treating Muslim Californians equally. “AB 2017 is about making sure Muslim Californians are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state,” he said. Eid al-Fitr, or the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Eid al-Adha, or the “Festival of Sacrifice,” commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUED OVER FIELD TRIP TO MOSQUE WHERE STUDENTS ALLEGEDLY DONNED MUSLIM GARB Supporters say the bill would make it easier for Muslim workers and students to take part in Eid prayers and spend the holidays with their families. “For decades, Muslim families across the state have had to navigate an unfair balancing act between their faith and their academic or professional obligations,” Oussama Mokeddem, legislative and government affairs director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) California chapter, said in a statement in July. “AB 2017 is a meaningful step toward ensuring Muslim students can celebrate Eid with the same dignity, respect, and accommodation afforded to other faith communities.” Hala Hijazi, founder of the Muslim Impact Council, recalled missing Eid with her family earlier in her career while working for the city of San Francisco. “It was really painful to not be with my family,” Hijazi told the Sacramento Bee. She said her family would go to lunch after Eid al-Fitr services and give gifts to the children. The California Family Council, a conservative Christian advocacy group, opposes the bill’s school provisions, while saying it supports allowing students to take time off for religious holidays. FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS TEXAS LAW REQUIRING TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC CLASSROOMS The group objects to language allowing schools to hold exercises “acknowledging and celebrating the meaning and importance” of Eid. It also criticized a provision allowing the State Board of Education to develop a model curriculum guide for those exercises. “No California statute authorizes public schools to hold exercises celebrating the meaning of Christmas, Easter, or Good Friday,” the group said in a May statement, arguing Christian and Jewish holidays have not received comparable treatment. “The asymmetry is written into the law.” If signed into law, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha would join other holidays California has recognized, including Lunar New Year and Diwali. California would not be the first state to recognize the Eid holidays. Washington was the first, according to the Sacramento Bee. Hijazi told the newspaper that California’s proposal would go further by allowing state workers to use paid holiday credits, while Washington allows unpaid time off.
Trump indicates support for Christian-backed plan to help Canadian Jews escape antisemitism
Jewish Canadians facing rising antisemitism might have President Donald Trump’s support for an expedited legal pathway into the United States. Trump shared a report on the plan Sunday with his millions of followers on Truth Social, amplifying the appeal as Christian lawmakers and religious leaders press his administration to act because of a “disproportionate” amount of antisemitic incidents north of the U.S. border. The National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) founder and President Jason Rapert told Fox News Digital from Israel on Sunday morning that he wants Trump to press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney directly on the perceived “roadblocks” set up against the “quick recognition of the plight” of thousands of Jewish Canadians fearing for their safety. TORONTO POLICE INVESTIGATE GUNFIRE, VANDALISM TARGETING JEWISH-OWNED BAKERY CHAIN “We will find out” if Canada is getting in the way of the more than 2,000 Jewish Canadians who have expressed interest in relocating, Rapert said. “Trump should ask Carney right now,” he added. “Canada should be embarrassed and ashamed of these perceived roadblocks. And we’re trying to rally leaders to take a stand.” The comments come after the NACL and its partners asked Trump to direct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to create “lawful, secure, and appropriately expedited pathways” for Jewish Canadians and their immediate family members who face persecution or can credibly demonstrate fears for their safety because they are Jewish. TRUMP DOJ EXPANDS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTIONS AFTER MAJOR SUPREME COURT RULINGS “For generations, America has served as a refuge for people fleeing religious persecution,” the group wrote in a letter Thursday to Trump. “We urge you to ensure that, consistent with federal law and the security interests of the United States, that door remains open to our Jewish brothers and sisters in Canada who need it today.” Rapert and former U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback signed the letter along with more than 50 state legislators, religious leaders and other civic figures, sending it to Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and congressional leaders. “Recent data demonstrate that Jewish Canadians are being targeted at a grossly disproportionate rate, while community-based reporting reflects thousands of antisemitic incidents across Canada,” Rapert wrote. “These numbers represent more than statistics. They represent families who increasingly question whether they can safely send their children to Jewish schools, worship openly, display their faith publicly, or continue building their lives in communities where they no longer feel secure.” ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE ESCALATES AS DEADLY WEAPON ATTACKS SURGE IN 2025: REPORT Canada, which recently had a broadcaster reject the use of the word “terrorism” with regard to 9/11 coverage, has reported nearly 7,000 antisemitic incidents in a country of roughly 41 million people. By comparison, the U.S. has more than 342 million people and has reported fewer than 6,300, Rapert noted. “It’s definitely a problem” by greater proportions in Canada, and “it’s eerie to hear,” he told Fox News Digital after a Sunday visit to the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in northern Israel along with a delegation of U.S. lawmakers, where he spoke with a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor. CHRISTIAN LEADERS HOLD EMERGENCY SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM TO CONFRONT GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM Rapert said the NACL was alerted of the concerns of the Jewish Canadians fearing their inability to emigrate to the U.S. from a piece in the National Post by Canadian/American Jewish community leader Michael Sachs, who is currently the Senior Director of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, Okla. Jewish Canadians have expressed interest in relocating because of safety concerns, harassment, vandalism, intimidation, threats and violence against Jewish schools, synagogues, businesses, institutions and families following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel, according to Sachs. Now, amid Trump’s frustration with Canada and Carney, Rapert sees the urgency for a proposal that would use existing refugee, humanitarian and visa authorities to help facilitate movement. ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE REACHES DEADLIEST LEVEL SINCE 1994, NEW GLOBAL REPORT FINDS Carney has himself acknowledged a severe rise in antisemitism in Canada, saying his country has failed to adequately protect its Jewish community. “Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians,” Carney told an audience at Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple in June, saying the country’s antisemitism crisis is “specific, severe and demands a targeted response.” Carney said antisemitism in Canada had surged to levels not seen since the aftermath of World War II. More than two-thirds of religion-motivated hate crimes recorded in the previous year targeted Jewish Canadians, he said, despite Jews making up only about 1% of the country’s population. The prime minister pointed to bullets fired at Jewish schools, firebombings at synagogues, attacks on community centers and Jewish-owned businesses and the targeting of Jewish students on university campuses. MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD-LINKED NETWORKS EMBEDDED ACROSS CANADIAN INSTITUTIONS, NEW REPORT ALLEGES The NACL letter urged the administration to coordinate with state and local governments, Jewish organizations, churches, nonprofits and employers willing to help families establish new lives in the United States. “Antisemitism is a moral evil, and Christians must be willing to stand with our Jewish friends when they face hatred and persecution,” Rapert said. “We are asking President Trump and his administration to consider what lawful steps America can take to help Jewish Canadian families who are genuinely concerned for their safety.” Oklahoma has emerged as one potential destination. Jewish and Christian leaders in Tulsa have offered to help receive Canadian Jewish families, while Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has told Trump his state would welcome Jewish families who legally enter the United States, according to a July 22 letter obtained by Fox News Digital. “They bring talent, faith, family values, entrepreneurship, and a sincere desire to contribute to the Nation that offers them safety and religious liberty,” the letter said. Alex Gray, a former deputy assistant to the president and Chief of Staff of the White House National Security Council (NSC) from 2019 to 2021 during the first Trump administration, says Oklahoma is ready to accept Jewish Canadians. “Oklahoma has a long tradition of helping those seeking refuge from
Massive AI boom puts one of America’s oldest manufacturers on path to double in size, CEO says
The race to build more data centers for artificial intelligence is driving demand for more than chips and electricity. It also requires vast networks of high-speed optical fiber to move data between servers, putting one of America’s oldest manufacturers at the center of the boom. Corning, the New York-based company best known to many Americans for its kitchenware and smartphone glass, is ramping up optical-fiber production as the data-center buildout accelerates. Nearly 175 years after its founding, the company is supplying a critical piece of the infrastructure behind the AI boom, the glass connections linking the servers inside the facilities powering it. ONE OF THE WORLD’S HOTTEST INDUSTRIES IS SPARKING A BLUE-COLLAR JOBS BOOM The company is partnering with NVIDIA to build three advanced optical-manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas. The project is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs and expand Corning’s U.S. optical-manufacturing capacity tenfold. The investment offers a window into how the data-center boom is reaching well beyond the massive facilities themselves, creating demand for American factories and workers who make the equipment needed to keep them connected. CRACKDOWN ON CRITICAL TECH COULD OPEN AMERICANS TO A NEW NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT At a time when many Americans worry that artificial intelligence will replace human workers, Corning chairman, CEO and president Wendell Weeks said the opposite is happening inside one of the nation’s oldest manufacturers. “AI is a huge job creator, and it’s a huge manufacturing job creator,” Weeks told Fox News Digital. He said demand for Corning’s optical fiber is fueling the company’s fastest period of growth in nearly two centuries. “As a 175-year-old company, we’re going through our fastest growth period,” Weeks said. “We will probably double our size over the coming years and almost all of our new hires will be in advanced manufacturing, a significant part of them right here in America.” That growth is already taking shape on Corning’s factory floors. “As the world develops and tells us what it needs, we’re right there at the forefront,” Emily Capek, planning supervisor at Corning’s Wilmington, North Carolina, facility, told Fox News Digital. She said employees are seeing firsthand how demand for AI platforms is driving demand for Corning’s products. FROM NETFLIX TO GPS: 10 WAYS THIS HIDDEN TECH INFRASTRUCTURE QUIETLY POWERS MODERN LIFE “Right now, the world needs our glass optical fiber to support the AI demand we’re seeing,” Capek said. “It’s a great feeling on the factory floor.” While much of the attention surrounding AI has focused on chipmakers and software developers, companies like Corning are supplying the glass technology that connects those systems and supports the industry’s rapid expansion. “The common story is AI being powered by chips, but actually, those chips are connected by glass,” Weeks said.
Trump just brokered a deal with the country sitting atop the world’s largest oil reserves
President Donald Trump’s new oil agreement with Venezuela could give the United States access to a 65 billion-barrel crude-oil prize — an energy-security win, even if drivers are unlikely to see benefits quickly. The deal announced Friday would give the U.S. a stake in 17 Venezuelan oil fields holding an estimated 65 billion barrels of crude, according to Venezuela’s government. Venezuela controls more than 300 billion barrels of crude reserves, roughly 20% of the world’s total. It is the largest oil stockpile on the planet, exceeding even Saudi Arabia’s. TRUMP’S AMBITIOUS ENERGY BET COULD BE A WINNING HAND AS THE WORLD BURNS MORE OIL, GAS THAN EVER Yet Venezuela has long struggled to turn that oil wealth into steady production. Political instability and deteriorating infrastructure have left the country producing only about 1% of the world’s oil despite holding an estimated 17% of global reserves. For Trump, the potential benefit goes beyond the deal’s headline number. Venezuela produces heavy crude, the type many Gulf Coast refineries were designed to process. Much U.S. production is lighter shale crude, while Gulf Coast refiners have historically relied on heavier imports from Canada, Mexico and Venezuela. TOP ENERGY TRADER HAILS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL DEAL AS A ‘GENERATIONAL WIN’ FOR GAS PRICES A steadier Venezuelan supply could support Gulf Coast refineries, diversify U.S. oil imports and provide a buffer against future supply disruptions. It could also help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which remains well below its 714 million-barrel authorized capacity. That prospect has taken on added importance as the war with Iran disrupts oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The average U.S. price for regular gasoline stood at about $4.07 a gallon Sunday, according to AAA, compared with roughly $3.19 a year earlier. For Trump, the deal is a bet that long-term access to Venezuelan heavy crude can strengthen U.S. energy security and eventually ease costs for Americans. Whether it translates into relief at the pump will depend on how quickly Venezuela can turn its vast reserves into market-ready barrels.
Republicans tighten screws on Sherrill as noncitizen voter probe enters new phase
A coalition of House Republicans is escalating its push for answers after lawmakers said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill failed to address most of their questions about the state’s noncitizen voter-registration scandal and instead directed criticism at President Donald Trump. Republican Study Committee member Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told Fox News Digital there will be consequences after Sherrill sent a response that he characterized as “snarky” and politicized and said largely sidestepped the lawmakers’ questions. “The response that we got from the governor was almost like she took a political mailer and embossed it upon her official letterhead,” Van Drew said. “As governor of the state of New Jersey, it was beneath her, it was beneath me, and it was unfortunate.” SHERRILL ESCALATES TRUMP FIGHT OVER VOTER FIASCO DAY AFTER MULLIN PRAISES NJ COOPERATION “I state the obvious,” Van Drew said. “If you are an American, you should be voting in an American election. If you’re not an American, you shouldn’t be voting in an American election.” Lawmakers focused their original inquiry on how the registration failure occurred, its potential consequences and how New Jersey would prevent another breakdown. The July 24 letter from dozens of RSC members, led by Van Drew and Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, posed 12 specific questions about the registration failure and its potential impact. Sherrill replied that affected residents have been mailed notifications, but Van Drew said the overall response failed to address Congress’ concerns. “We’re not done with this,” Van Drew pledged. Van Drew said he is planning a hearing as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee, with expert witnesses expected to testify. Van Drew said he is working with the full committee under Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to get the requested information from Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, the state’s elections chief. ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’: NJ ILLEGAL VOTING SCANDAL EXPLODES WITH MORE KEY SYSTEMS AT RISK “If there’s a complete lack of cooperation after we build up a case, there is a possibility, it’s not definite,” Van Drew said. “But if they’re not, we do, in my opinion, have to look at subpoenas as well.” Sherrill defended her administration while criticizing Congress, Trump and the Republican-backed SAVE America Act. SHERRILL DROPS HEAD-TURNING VOTER ID DECLARATION IN WAKE OF REGISTRATION FIASCO: ‘SIGNIFICANT SHIFT’ “Washington Republicans … seem much more concerned with using the issue for political gain than they are with protecting our elections,” Sherrill wrote, accusing several signatories of supporting Trump’s efforts to “undermine our election system” and noting that seven had challenged electoral votes after the 2020 election. Sherrill also disputed Republicans’ contention that the SAVE America Act would have prevented the error, writing, “I encourage you to become more familiar with the legislation you have cosponsored.” She also raised privacy and abuse-of-power concerns about proposals to expand the federal government’s role in voter registration, including through a centralized voter registry. Van Drew told Fox that “when you have a motor-voter law, [via which] people basically are automatically registered to vote – First of all, New Jersey is a sanctuary state… Illegal criminals shouldn’t be even in the state. But now we find out that illegals were also obviously having the ability to register to vote and were being registered and some of them actually were voting.” The White House also rebuked Sherrill’s response, calling it “laughable” that she would criticize the Trump administration on election integrity. “[This] after she and her fellow Democrats have denied for years that non-citizens are registering and voting in our elections,” said White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis. Sherrill spokesperson Sean Higgins hit back at the criticisms, telling Fox News Digital the governor’s reply detailed how Trenton “moved with transparency and accountability to remediate this error from 2023.” “But Republicans are more interested in playing political games. Considering that Jeff Van Drew’s campaign employed an operative convicted of voter fraud, bribery and blackmail, he might not be the best voice on what is too ‘political’ on this topic,” Higgins said, pointing to a 2020 Politico report about ex-Atlantic City council president Craig Callaway. Pfluger told Fox News Digital that Sherrill spent “three pages on political theater and barely a sentence answering our questions,” adding that she “dodged” whether any elections were decided by fewer votes than the number of illegal ballots cast. “We are not letting this story get buried. It is high time we pass the SAVE America Act to make sure our elections are secure, transparent, and worthy of the public’s trust,” he said. Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., the state delegation’s most senior member and an RSC colleague, said Trenton must give Congress “complete transparency” and a corrective path forward. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Secure elections are the bedrock of democracy; we must take all steps necessary to ensure that votes are cast only by those who have a right to vote,” Smith said. The inquiry will continue on several tracks. Van Drew’s subcommittee is preparing a hearing, the Judiciary Committee is seeking additional state records and lawmakers are weighing further compulsory action as separate executive branch scrutiny continues.
Dem Senate hopeful pivots on data centers as rising power costs collide with campaign
Despite having once applauded the growth of data centers during his tenure as North Carolina governor, Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper is now pitching voters with ways to reel in their expansion as he wages a bid for U.S. Senate. He has framed his stance as a part of his “make stuff cost less” campaign. “We need to make sure data centers pay for their own power and we need to encourage them to build their own energy sources because right now that’s causing rates to go up for consumers and we can’t have that,” Cooper said in an interview with local media. Cooper’s shift in position makes him the latest Democrat to fold the data center issue into affordability concerns — efforts to position themselves as the champions of bringing costs down by getting companies to shoulder the brunt of their utility usage. AI’S MASSIVE APPETITE FOR POWER, WATER IGNITES FIGHT IN HIGH-STAKES TEXAS SENATE RACE Notably, the bulk of North Carolina’s tax breaks already existed by the time Cooper came into office as governor in 2017. The year before, in 2016, the state had implemented statute G.S.105-164.13. Under that provision, lawmakers had expanded data center tax exemptions on taxes for sales, servers, storage and networking. To qualify, companies would have to invest at least $75 million in projects over five years. According to research from CBRE, a commercial real estate firm, the investments have paid off, bringing a 15x jump in data center construction that largely began to spur growth during Cooper’s term as governor. “Several trends are influencing the data center industry, including emerging markets for development due to tax incentives, advancements in renewable energy, power availability and a need for accelerated construction completion timelines,” the group said in its report. In one especially notable case, Cooper’s administration went further. Unlike most companies that qualified for the state’s general tax breaks, Apple received more incentives from North Carolina in 2019 in the form of a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). The grant aimed to further the company’s data center development in Maiden, North Carolina, according to the tech giant’s 2019 annual report. Through the JDIG agreement, the company secured an $845 million grant over a period of 39 years alongside another $112.4 million that would go to an industrial development fund to build out rural infrastructure. At the time, Cooper celebrated the announcement, touting in a press release that the project was estimated to create 3,000 jobs. ONE OF THE WORLD’S HOTTEST INDUSTRIES IS SPARKING A BLUE-COLLAR JOBS BOOM “Innovation has long been North Carolina’s calling card and Apple’s decision to build this new campus in the Research Triangle showcases the importance of our state’s favorable business climate, world-class universities, our tech-ready workforce, and the welcoming and diverse communities that make so many people want to call North Carolina home,” Cooper said. “This announcement will benefit communities across our state, and we are proud to work together to continue to grow our economy and bring transformational industries and good-paying jobs to North Carolina.” Also during Cooper’s time as governor, companies like Meta, Corvid Technologies, GIGA, Microsoft, Segra and Google all either completed projects or announced new data center expansion in North Carolina. State reporting found that between 2015 and 2025, 37 companies had secured state tax exemptions. Like Apple, Corvid Technologies also received a JDIG: a $9 million reimbursement from the state spread over 12 years that would facilitate the construction of two, three-story data centers, according to a press release. The company also was set to partner with local groups like Duke Energy, a utility company. Cooper praised that development, although he didn’t mention the data centers themselves. “North Carolina is the perfect choice for Corvid, thanks to our world-class universities, major military installations, and highly skilled workers,” Gov. Cooper said. “I’m pleased Corvid decided to keep growing right here by bringing more, good-paying engineering jobs and its headquarters to Mooresville,” Cooper said. A few years later, developments like the one with Corvid have flipped on their heads as figures like Cooper’s successor, Gov. Josh Stein, have pointed to data centers as a driver of rising utility costs through providers like Duke. “Duke Energy’s proposed rate hike is simply too high and comes as the company is also retreating on more affordable clean energy. At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, we should be doing everything we can to make life more affordable, not less,” Stein said at a press conference earlier this year. “I will continue to fight on behalf of every North Carolinian to lower costs and grow the economy.” Cooper has also joined those calls, touting his work in pushing back against rising utility pricing. “As Governor and Attorney General, I put aside party politics to fight utility cost increases for North Carolinians. I vetoed a Senate bill that prioritized higher profits for utility companies over more cost-effective energy solutions. And I battled Duke Energy in court to get their profit margin lowered,” Cooper said in a press release last month. Notably, Cooper hasn’t called for an outright ban on data centers, but has strongly advocated that they be required to pay more directly for their energy consumption. TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT EFFECTIVELY PAUSES NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS PENDING STATEWIDE GRID AUDIT “The companies that build these data centers must pull their own weight, pay for the power they use and completely remove this burden from North Carolina families and small businesses. We must encourage companies that build data centers to also build their own power sources, which will help reduce utility costs for consumers,” Cooper added. Asked about his shifting rhetoric around data centers, the Cooper campaign stressed that he believes local communities should set the bar for how they want to approach data center expansion restrictions. “Roy believes local communities must have the final say on new projects coming to their area which includes local moratoriums, and data centers must pay for all of the energy
South Carolina mail-in voting law illegally discriminates, appeals court rules
A federal court in South Carolina ruled that the state’s rules for mail-in-voting violated the constitution last week. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling relates to South Carolina’s mail-in ballot laws and certain allowances it makes for voters over the age of 65. Typically, voters looking to send mail-in ballots must meet certain criteria, such as being out of the country during the early voting period or being disabled. SUPREME COURT RULES ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY A state law removed those requirements for all voters over the age of 65, however, and the fourth circuit’s ruling found that provision to be unconstitutional. “By granting voters aged sixty-five and older unconditional access to absentee-by-mail voting while conditioning that same option for younger voters on eligibility categories, documentation, and a rigid deadline, the state allocates voting opportunities unequally based solely on age,” U.S. Circuit Chief Judge Roger Gregory wrote in the order. The case arose after a group of younger voters sued the South Carolina Elections Commission in 2023, arguing the rule violated the 26th Amendment. A lower court initially dismissed their argument, but the case continued on appeal until it appeared before the Fourth Circuit. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REJECTS TRUMP BID TO ENFORCE MAIL BALLOT ORDER AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS The new ruling sends the case back to lower courts with specific instructions on how to decide the case. Gregory wrote that either all South Carolina voters must be entitled to vote absentee without restrictions, or none of them can be. That is unlikely to be the end of the question, however, as representatives of South Carolina say they plan to appeal further, potentially reaching the Supreme Court. NEWSOM PROMISES NEW LEGAL FIGHT AFTER TRUMP GETS SUPREME COURT VICTORY ON MAIL-IN VOTING The order came the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a largely favorable ruling for President Donald Trump’s effort to limit mail-in ballots across the country. Former White House deputy counsel Gene Hamilton said federal agencies such as the Postal Service can now move forward with parts of Trump’s election-integrity order, including new ballot-mail standards and efforts involving state citizenship lists, as opposing states wait to see which concrete federal actions could form the basis of new lawsuits. Further litigation is expected on that front as well.
Silicon Valley exec ignites firestorm after accusing JD Vance of bringing DEI back
Ankit Gupta, a general partner at Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator, is facing backlash after describing Vice President JD Vance’s call for American companies to “hire and train Americans” as a return of “DEI.” “In a win for the woke left DEI is back,” Gupta wrote on X. “No, Ankit. It’s called putting your own citizens first,” Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito wrote, arguing that American companies should prioritize American jobs and workers. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, and Nalin Haley, the son of former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, also publicly pushed back on Gupta’s framing. Gupta’s X post came in response to Vance’s call for American corporations to hire and train American workers when they need employees. TRUMP ADMIN’S PUSH TO SCRAP DEI IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES LANDMARK STEP WITH NEW HIRING RULE “Y Combinator is a supposed champion of ‘Little Tech’ but perhaps they’re nothing more than a front for the far left,” Ferguson wrote in response to Gupta’s post, which has since become private after the CEO changed his social media settings, according to X. “I’m deeply uncomfortable with wealthy investors attacking American workers like this. I’m afraid it’s increasingly obvious to many people that individuals such as this guy do not have the best interests of America and her citizens in mind. The purpose of the American economy is to promote the general welfare of American workers, not provide jobs for the rest of the world.” Ferguson subsequently posted a screenshot of his X account, showing Gupta had blocked him amid the criticism. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE TORPEDOES TRUMP’S BID TO PROTECT US JOBS BY REFORMING CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRATION POLICY “It’s now DEI to train and hire Americans? Plenty of data to show that Americans are more than qualified, but corporate greed refuses to pay them respectable wages,” Haley added on X following Gupta’s post. “You can have a meritocracy in AMERICA but it has to apply to AMERICANS. Otherwise we’re just a globalist entity and not even a country anymore. Ban the H-1B Visa now!” Fox News Digital reached out repeatedly to Y Combinator and Gupta for comment on his characterization but did not receive a response. CEO UNDER FIRE FOR MASS LAYOFFS AMID FOREIGN WORKER HIRING SPREE NOW APPOINTED TO FED’S TASK FORCE ON JOBS Dhillon, meanwhile, accused some technology companies and other employers of exploiting visa programs and hiring practices to obtain cheaper foreign labor for jobs she said Americans could perform, including by failing to advertise openings through regular channels and relying on staffing pipelines. “These are not good business practices; they are not patriotic economic practices; and they are illegal labor practices,” Dhillon wrote, adding that the Trump administration “will not allow American employers to discriminate against American workers.” FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN TRUMP’S $100K H-1B VISA FEE, RULING IT AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAX Dhillon added that the Justice Department, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Labor Department were working together to “level the playing field for U.S. workers.” The clash comes as the Trump administration pursues an overhaul of the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire temporary foreign workers in specialty occupations. The Trump administration’s 2025 effort to impose a $100,000 payment on new H-1B petitions through a presidential proclamation was blocked by a federal judge. The administration is now trying a different route, with the Department of Homeland Security proposing a formal rule that would establish a $103,265 fee for cap-subject petitions. The Labor Department has separately proposed changing how wages are calculated in H-1B and related visa programs. The department said the proposal is intended to curb incentives to hire foreign workers at below-market pay and to protect the wages and job opportunities of American workers.
West Virginia looks to AI data center boom to help eliminate state income tax
West Virginia leaders are escalating the debate over data centers, with Gov. Patrick Morrisey unveiling a seven-point plan developed with lawmakers to reduce and eventually eliminate the state income tax while addressing concerns about natural resources and infrastructure. The plan comes as data centers are becoming a political flashpoint nationwide, with states looking to cash in on billions of dollars in investment and new jobs while communities raise concerns about utility costs, water use and local control. The massive facilities needed to power the artificial intelligence boom are also driving electricity demand higher, putting new pressure on power grids across the country. Under the plan, West Virginia would dedicate 50% of revenue generated by approved hyperscale data center projects to reducing and eventually eliminating the state personal income tax, while directing some remaining revenue to counties and infrastructure projects. “Today, as the world stands on the cusp of a new digital and economic frontier, West Virginia is stepping forward once again to lead, not by repeating the mistakes of other states, but by implementing a proactive, 20-year development strategy on our terms,” Morrisey said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. ‘BACKYARD BRAWL’ IGNITES AS WEST VIRGINIA’S MORRISEY MOVES TO POACH BLUE STATE RIVAL SPANBERGER’S JOBS The second listed “principle” in Morrisey’s plan says all West Virginians should benefit from data center projects approved through Charleston’s “High Impact Data Center Designation (HIDC)” process and the revenue they generate. The process was established under a separate 2025 state law. Morrisey’s plan includes “direct tax relief for citizens,” with none of the HIDC revenue entering the state general fund. AN OVERLOOKED RED STATE QUIETLY BUILT ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST COMPETITIVE TAX SYSTEMS “By law, 50 percent of project revenue is dedicated directly to reducing and ultimately eliminating the State Personal Income Tax,” the plan reads. Counties hosting data centers would receive 30% of the revenue for schools and local government, while 10% would be distributed to all 55 counties and another 10% would fund infrastructure upgrades, including public water systems. Water infrastructure has become a flashpoint across parts of southern West Virginia that have struggled since the coal industry’s decline. ONE MONTHLY BILL AMERICANS CAN’T AVOID IS QUIETLY SURGING THANKS TO EMERGING INDUSTRY: DATA “This shared framework gives us the exact blueprint we need to attract billions in private investment, create thousands of high-paying construction and technology jobs, lower taxes for our citizens, and revitalize economically distressed regions, all while preserving the wild and wonderful state we call home,” Morrisey said. But the promise of tax relief comes as some West Virginians are raising concerns about who could bear the costs of the state’s data center expansion. The bipartisan bill underpinning the governor’s plan also sought to protect utility customers from added costs — a major concern across the Eastern Panhandle, which borders the Washington, D.C. metro area. MARXIST ORGANIZER LEADS CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIRGINIA AI DATA CENTER AS FOREIGN INFLUENCE CONCERNS MOUNT “No Data Centers” signs are becoming common along roads in Jefferson and Berkeley counties and neighboring Clarke County, Virginia, as residents point to nearby Loudoun County, Virginia, where sprawling data center development has increasingly pushed up against residential subdivisions and commercial centers. “We are a cautionary tale for the rest of the country,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., of Ashburn said in recent remarks critical of the data center explosion. “[I]f my district were a country, it would have more data centers than almost every other country in the world.” TEA PARTY FOUNDER LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ‘DATA CENTER REVOLT’ AGAINST AI DATA CENTER EXPANSION Back in West Virginia, some state lawmakers are pushing for additional safeguards as data center development accelerates. West Virginia House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Huntington, was listed as a sponsor of the 2025 bill that helped set the plan in motion but recently said the law should be amended to allow some local control over data center development. FOX NEWS POLL: COOL YOUR SERVERS! VOTERS REJECT DATA CENTERS “We are not going to allow a hostile takeover in our communities. It’s not going to happen on our watch,” Hornbuckle said in June, according to the Steubenville Herald-Star. “We all know what House Bill 2014 did, and it’s setting a very dangerous precedent in the state of West Virginia, [where] we all know we love our property rights,” he added. But Morrisey emphasized in comments to Fox News Digital that “all West Virginians must directly benefit from data center revenue.” “By statute, 50% of the proceeds … will be dedicated to directly reducing and ultimately eliminating the state income tax.” “[It’s] very powerful [and] it’s going to benefit many, many West Virginians.” West Virginia income taxes have already been falling. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.V., signed a record 21% cut while serving as governor, and Morrisey followed with another 5% reduction this year. The top marginal rate stands at 4.58%. A spokesperson for West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw said the plan came from the governor’s office but echoes what the legislature enacted in the 2025 law. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Hanshaw has supported data center development in West Virginia, previously telling the Warren Tribune-Chronicle that Charleston is “not only working with industrial partners as friends and allies to grow and diversify an economy, but also to regulate appropriately industries that are important to the communities in which they’re situated to the people of West Virginia and to the residents that we all collectively represent.” Morrisey’s plan also focuses on power grid reliability, requiring data center developers to work directly with PJM and other interstate grid operators. The plan also casts data centers in West Virginia as strategic infrastructure with national security implications in the nation’s competition with China.