Boeing lands $20B-plus Navy deal for sixth-generation fighter to deliver ‘absolute air superiority’
The U.S. Navy has tapped Boeing to build a new fighter jet that officials say will help American pilots dominate the skies, defeat enemies and come home safely. The Department of War announced Tuesday that Boeing secured a contract worth more than $20 billion for full-scale development of the F/A-XX, a sixth-generation strike fighter intended to expand the reach of Navy aircraft carriers and eventually replace some of the service’s longtime combat aircraft. The deal gives Boeing its second sixth-generation fighter program following its selection for the Air Force’s F-47 in 2025, the company said. “Delivering two advanced fighters in parallel was always our plan, and we invested accordingly. We are ready and able to build multiple concurrent future combat aircraft franchise programs,” Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said in a statement. EUROPE’S $116B FIGHTER JET ‘FAILURE’ RAISES FRESH DOUBTS ABOUT ABILITY TO DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US The Navy contract includes multiple test aircraft for ground testing, airworthiness evaluations and systems and weapons integration, according to the Department of War. STARTUPS BRING INNOVATION TO DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE “The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength. F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter,” Michael P. Duffey, under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said in the announcement. Duffey called the aircraft a “crucial, non-negotiable investment” in America’s national security and long-term air combat capabilities. PENTAGON CONSOLIDATES DRONE OVERSIGHT AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PUSHES RAPID UNMANNED WARFARE EXPANSION “We are joining forces with Boeing to field these capabilities rapidly, ensuring our warfighters possess the lethal and highly networked systems required to deter aggression, project undisputed power, and secure absolute air superiority,” he said. The F/A-XX falls under the Next Generation Air Dominance program. The department said the carrier-based fighter will extend the Navy’s operational reach and work alongside both manned and unmanned aircraft, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft. BATTLEFIELD ROBOTS OPEN NEW FRONT IN INNOVATION WAR WITH MAJOR US ADVERSARY Officials said the fighter will also increase the capability of the unmanned aircraft it teams with. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao hailed the contract as the beginning of “a new era” for the service. TRUMP TAPS ‘TRUE WARRIOR’ HUNG CAO AS NAVY SECRETARY AFTER 4 MONTHS AS ACTING LEADER “The Sixth-Generation fighter is a generational leap in air superiority and will provide the world’s best aviators with unparalleled capabilities to fight, win, and come home safe,” Cao said. “We are excited to partner with Boeing, and for our warfighters to continue to dominate the skies and defeat our nation’s enemies.” AMERICA FACES A CRISIS IN OUR MILITARY ARSENAL THAT TRUMP IS RACING TO FIX Boeing said the aircraft will bring advances in mission systems and operational reach and capacity, though technical and program details remain classified under U.S. national security and export laws. “It’s an honor to be selected to produce the Navy’s first sixth-generation platform,” Parker said, adding that the company’s team is “ready to execute this critical program.” INNOVATION IS KEY TO AMERICA STAYING A SUPERPOWER. BUT IT IS MISSING AN ESSENTIAL PIECE The company said construction continues on a secure manufacturing facility in St. Louis as it prepares to build multiple aircraft with next-generation capabilities. “Investment in facilities is just one part of the story; we’re also investing in technology and people so that we can deliver for our customers,” Parker said. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe celebrated the announcement, pointing to the state’s role in building America’s next generation of military aircraft. “St. Louis is Fighterland, USA!” Kehoe wrote on X. “Proud of this incredible win that further cements Missouri as a critical leader in the future of America’s air dominance, innovation, and national defense.” Beginning in the 2030s, the F/A-XX is expected to augment and eventually replace legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, according to the Department of War. It will also operate alongside the F-35C.
‘F— her’: Jasmine Crockett torched by ex-Dem colleague over who she left off endorsement list
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, drew backlash from a former colleague for leaving James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, off her list of endorsements Monday. Talarico, who beat Crockett in the party’s Senate primary earlier this year, was not among 14 candidates supported by Crockett’s Feuling Individual Rights Everywhere (FIRE) PAC. To former Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., who served three terms in Congress, the list is clear evidence Crockett is putting personal reservations over the party’s success in the Lone Star State. “F— her. That’s all I can say. And that statement has nothing to do with blind loyalty to Dems,” Wild said in a post to X. “It has everything to do with her being a narcissistic drama queen who has used her platform (such as it is) only to advance herself. Karma will suck.” Wild’s post is just the most recent controversy surrounding Crockett, a progressive who has called on her party to inch further left through fiery rhetoric that’s garnered national attention during her time in Congress. LONGTIME GOP AIDE DEFECTS TO DEM RISING STAR AS TEXAS SENATE BATTLE FOR CORNYN’S SEAT HEATS UP In the past, Crockett has drawn scrutiny for incendiary comments, like calling Gov. Greg Abbott, who is permanently in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels,” describing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., as having a “beach-blond, bad-built, butch body,” and describing MAGA Latino voters as having a “slave mentality.” Most recently, Crockett received public backlash for entering Chris Brown into the congressional record, honoring his musical legacy in the Black community despite a history of violence against women. JASMINE CROCKETT TORCHED FOR HONORING SINGER WITH NOTORIOUS HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: ‘COMPLETELY VILE’ Crockett posted her own reply to Wild and others, noting that she had personally extended congratulations to Talarico after he beat her earlier this year in the March primary. “Y’all are corny! Keep receipts. I’ll be happy when people either give a damn about FACTS or news media goes back to the news instead of deciding to ride the tabloid lane. NOW FOR THE 1000th time maybe write an article about KEN F*in PAXTON. Y’all sound like corny groupies,” Crockett wrote. Crockett, who lost to Talarico by a margin of 52.4% to 46.2%, did endorse Talarico the day after the election after results were finalized. “This morning I called James and congratulated him on becoming the Senate nominee. Texas is primed to turn blue, and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person. This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win,” Crockett wrote. “I’m committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.” SHOCK POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD Crockett’s FIRE PAC has raised only $144,960 and mostly focuses on smaller races. All 14 candidates listed on the post highlighted by Wild are state or local candidates. Gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa was also not on the list. Representatives for Crockett did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Unearthed audit exposes vulnerable Dem’s handling of COVID relief funds: ‘Gross oversight’
During his time as director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., allowed over $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funding to go out the door without required monitoring, records reveal. The 2022 State of Florida Compliance and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting and Federal Awards flagged the weakness in its annual audit, stating, “FDEM did not monitor the activities of any subrecipients.” While Fox News Digital is not aware of fraud that may have been committed with those funds, the resurfaced audit casts an unflattering light on Moskowitz as he pursues re-election in one of the country’s most competitive districts. It also raises questions about oversight efforts for state-level allocations for government funds, an issue Republicans have signaled merits more attention. COVID CASH MEANT TO GET KIDS BACK ON TRACK TOOK SURPRISING DETOUR IN BLUE-STATE SCHOOL DISTRICT Moskowitz’s FDEM approved $210,562,500 in funding to 39 local government recipients in the 2020-2021 fiscal year from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), according to the audit. The next year, it distributed $1,026,225,200 to 55 locations. Taken together, the grants add up to $1.23 billion. “Contrary to Federal regulations, the FDEM did not monitor the activities of CRF subrecipients,” the audit states. “Such monitoring is to include, for example, reviewing subrecipient audit reports and determining whether management decisions are required for any audit findings related to the federal award.” According to the report, an acceptable level of oversight would normally include inquiries of the recipients as well as checks like onsite evaluations. “Monitoring of the subrecipient must include reviewing financial and performance reports, following up and ensuring that the subrecipient takes timely and appropriate action on all deficiencies pertaining to the federal award detected through audits, on-site reviews and other means,” the audit states. MOSKOWITZ REJECTS RICK SCOTT’S CLAIMS HE’S ‘SCARED TO DEATH’ OF SOCIALISTS, BEHOLDEN TO HASAN PIKER Notably, Moskowitz wasn’t head of FDEM for the entire 2020-2021 fiscal year. He resigned from the post at the end of April, two months before the end of the fiscal year in June, making him the head of the FDEM for the vast majority of the 2020-2021 audit cycle but not the complete window. Even so, his congressional opponent, Republican candidate Scott Singer, believes the responsibility lies squarely on Moskowitz’s shoulders. “When Jared Moskowitz ran a state agency, federal regulators and state auditors found that there was a gross lack of oversight of billions of dollars of taxpayer funds, a lack of reporting, a lack of review of where the funds were going,” Singer said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And that’s unacceptable, especially with public tax dollars. But it’s not surprising.” Singer argued the audit echoed earlier questions about Moskowitz’s work involving disaster recovery funds. He pointed to an incident in 2017, when Moskowitz, as an attorney for AshBritt, a disaster-cleanup company, had renegotiated compensation from the City of Parkland after Hurricane Irma. Disclosure reports showed that he was being paid over $400,000 by the company while also serving as a state legislator. “When Jared was a state representative, he went to his own city and demanded that they pay more for hurricane cleanup that went to a disaster recovery company that paid him millions,” Singer said. “We can’t afford people who are continuing to do the same thing. A gross oversight of funds and self-dealing.” When asked about Singer’s criticisms, Moskowitz’s campaign fired back, stating that the congressman was proud of the work that he did, noting that he had been reappointed to the role by a Republican governor. “As Director of FDEM, I worked directly for Governor DeSantis and his administration. Florida had one of the best COVID responses in the country,” Moskowitz told Fox News Digital. TRUMP ANTI-FRAUD DIVISION’S FUTURE RESTS WITH SENATE DEMS AFTER BIPARTISAN HOUSE WIN “I left almost a year before this report was issued as I had to leave the agency to be with my dad, who was battling cancer. Governor DeSantis appointed me again to the Broward County commission. To my knowledge, Florida COVID spending has passed the FEMA audit for reimbursements,” he added. Moskowitz also pointed out that he had received praise from even Republicans for his disaster-related work, including from Singer himself. Moskowitz shared communications between them in which Singer said the state was “in a much better place because of what you’ve done.” Singer also highlighted a second communication from Singer to Moskowitz stating, “seriously, thank you for all of the amazing work you’ve done and all the help you’re providing to our stay [sic].” Having cleared their parties’ respective primaries, Moskowitz and Singer will face off in the Florida general election Nov. 3.
NYC judge orders Mamdani to redo second-home tax rollout
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday quickly appealed a judge’s decision to cancel previously mailed notices for his second-home tax, triggering an automatic stay of the ruling. “The auto stay allows the city to continue, as we have been, with the implementation of the pied-a-terre surcharge and puts the lower court’s order on pause,” a city official said. Just hours earlier, Judge Wayne Ozzi found that the city failed to follow required procedures before mailing the notices, which he described as “arbitrary and capricious, affected by errors of law, and in violation of the recipients’ due process rights,” according to the ruling. Despite the ruling, Ozzi noted that the policy itself could still survive. He said the city can still apply the tax by removing the current list of taxed properties from its website and posting a corrected list after following the proper procedures. MAMDANI’S LUXURY-HOME TAX ROLLOUT DERAILED FOR NOW AS JUDGE DELIVERS WIN TO NYC HOMEOWNERS OVER MASSIVE LIST New notices must then be mailed in compliance with the law. Tuesday’s decision served as a legal speed bump for Mamdani as he approaches nearly a year since he was elected New York City mayor and is among a handful of other legal challenges he faces as he attempts to implement government-first approaches to promises to bring down costs of living, expand housing and increase public transportation. In addition to his second-home tax, Mamdani has also faced legal pushback on his rent freeze plan, which landlords have characterized as overly punitive, his state-sponsored grocery store plan, which has sparked challenges from the National Supermarket Association and what they see as unfair competition and challenges to specialized high school admissions that some parents believe unfairly discriminates against Asian-American enrollees. Mamdani announced the second-home tax back in April. In its original form, it was designed to levy an annual surcharge on one to three family homes, condominiums and co-ops valued at above $5 million. It also only applied to owners who also had additional property outside of New York City. MAMDANI WARNING TO WEALTHY NEW YORKERS ABOUT ‘FAIR SHARE’ SPARKS ONLINE FIRESTORM: ‘FULL BLOWN COMMUNIST’ “Thanks to the support of Governor Hochul, we are one step closer to balancing our budget by taxing the ultra-wealthy and global elites with a pied-à-terre tax — the first of its kind in our state. Alongside the governor, our administration is fighting every day to make sure we address this fiscal deficit fairly, where the wealthy contribute what they owe and our budget reflects our commitment to the working New Yorkers being priced out of our city,” Mamdani said in a press release at the time. Asked about the plan after Tuesday’s decision, representatives for Mamdani said the mayor would stand by his plan. Matt Rauschenbach, a spokesperson for the mayor, defended the tax rollout, arguing that the pied-à-terre surcharge is a “basic principle of fairness” that supports a city he said should not be a “tax haven for the wealthy few.” “If you can afford a luxury second home in New York City, you can afford to pay your fair share for the schools, streets and parks that make this city work,” Rauschenbach said. “Our administration is fighting every day to deliver for working New Yorkers. The ultra-wealthy are fighting in court to avoid paying their fair share. They have filed lawsuit after lawsuit to protect their privilege, and we will not back down. “Today’s decision is wrong, and we will invoke a stay of the injunction. With a stay, we will continue implementing the surcharge fairly, efficiently and in full compliance with the law, as we have since day one.”
Supreme Court takes up fight over Trump’s third-country illegal alien deportation policy
The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed the Trump administration an interim victory in its ongoing immigration crackdown, clearing the way for officials to continue deporting illegal aliens to third countries while the justices consider a legal challenge to the policy. The justices granted the administration‘s request to stay a February ruling from a federal district court in Massachusetts that imposed additional procedural requirements before illegal immigrants could be removed to countries other than their own. The high court also agreed to hear the administration’s challenge, treating its emergency application as a petition for review and ordering the parties to prepare for arguments during the court’s December session. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT DEALS BLOW TO TRUMP DEPORTATION AGENDA Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have denied the administration’s request for a stay. The decision gives the administration the immediate relief it sought as it presses ahead with third-country removals, even as the Supreme Court has yet to decide whether the policy remains. The dispute centers on the Trump administration’s efforts to remove illegal aliens to third countries. Lower courts have not categorically prohibited those removals but have required procedures intended to give aliens an opportunity to raise claims that they could face persecution or torture in the destination country. The Trump administration returned to the Supreme Court last week, arguing that those requirements were interfering with its ability to carry out removals and disrupting sensitive diplomatic negotiations with countries willing to accept deportees. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY “The order below also undermines our standing abroad,” the administration argued in its filing, according to the ruling. “Finding third countries willing and able to accept aliens is a delicate diplomatic endeavor.” The government also argued that judicial intervention in those arrangements could cause “significant and irreparable harm to U.S. foreign policy.” Attorneys challenging their policy pushed back, arguing that the lower court’s ruling did not prevent the administration from conducting third-country removals but instead required the government to provide notice and an opportunity for illegal aliens to raise protection claims before they were sent abroad. “The judgment does not require release from detention, prohibit third-country removals, or undo existing arrangements,” the challengers argued in their response. DHS’ TOP LAWYER THREATENS PENALTIES FOR ATTORNEYS CLOGGING ASYLUM SYSTEM They alleged that illegal aliens removed without meaningful notice or an opportunity to raise country-specific protection claims had faced “prolonged and arbitrary detention, beatings and sexual assault, disappearance, and chain refoulement.” Tuesday’s order puts the February district court judgment on hold while the Supreme Court considers the case. The stay will remain in effect until the high court sends down its judgment. The decision gives the administration the immediate relief it sought as it presses ahead with third-country removals, even as the Supreme Court has yet to decide. “For the third time in 18 months, the Supreme Court has been called upon to stay the same local district judge’s campaign to halt the Trump Administration from removing illegal aliens including many of the worst-of-the-worst criminals to countries willing to receive them,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. “The President will stop at nothing in his effort to make America safe again,” Bis added. “Today’s ruling from the Supreme Court yet again affirms the lawfulness of the President’s homeland security agenda.” The court directed its clerk to establish a briefing schedule allowing the case to be argued during its December 2026 argument session.
FBI’s Andrew Bailey blasts exit ‘lies’ as he reveals real reason he’s leaving agency
EXCLUSIVE — Andrew Bailey is heading home to Missouri, and the outgoing FBI co-deputy director has a blunt message for anyone suggesting turmoil at the bureau pushed him out. “This was 100% about my need to get home and raise my four small children,” Bailey told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I love my kids.” Bailey, who announced Monday that he is leaving the FBI after just over a year, rejected suggestions that problems at the bureau played a part in his decision. KASH PATEL TO TOUT ‘LARGEST’ YEAR-TO-YEAR VIOLENT CRIME DROP IN US HISTORY “My decision to go home is based solely upon my need to be a parent to my four children,” he said. He accused some news outlets of spreading “lies” about the reason for his departure and offered a forceful defense of FBI Director Kash Patel amid scrutiny of the bureau’s leadership. “Any accusation that Director Patel has focused on anything other than fulfilling the president’s promise to make America safe again are bold-faced lies,” Bailey said. “We wake up every day and work early every morning and stay up late, oftentimes without sleep, to ensure mission accomplishment.” ‘WORSE THAN WATERGATE’ NEW FBI FILES DETAIL AGENT’S PUSH TO JOIN TRUMP PROBE, INVESTIGATE ELON MUSK Patel, in his own statement Monday, said Bailey was leaving to return to his family in Missouri and praised his role in the FBI’s overhaul. “Andrew’s leadership at the FBI will be missed but we are grateful he answered the call to serve!” Patel wrote. He said Bailey had helped institute “critical reforms” and thanked him for his dedication to the bureau’s mission. EXCLUSIVE: FBI EXTRADITIONS SOAR AS PATEL RAMPS UP FOREIGN OUTREACH, VOWS ‘NO SANCTUARY’ Bailey had left his post as Missouri attorney general to join the bureau in 2025. Asked whether anything about the job factored into the timing of his exit, Bailey insisted it did not. He said protecting children had been central to his work as Missouri attorney general and remained a priority at the FBI. FBI NABS MORE THAN 350 ALLEGED CHILD SEX ABUSE OFFENDERS According to Bailey, the bureau added 55 agents to child protection efforts and increased the number of victim service providers in field offices nationwide. During field office reviews, Bailey said he pressed staff on whether the bureau was “fulfilling our moral and legal obligation for victim notification and quality victim services.” He called the FBI’s victim services program “top-notch.” FBI AND TEXAS AUTHORITIES ARREST 276 SUSPECTED CHILD PREDATORS, RESCUE 89 CHILDREN IN SWEEPING OPERATION Bailey portrayed his time in Washington as part of what he called a “truly historic transformation” of federal law enforcement under President Donald Trump and Patel. He credited the administration’s creation of homeland security task forces and designation of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations with helping law enforcement pursue its mission. He also said the FBI had made it easier for state, tribal and local officers to join its task forces, adding more than 2,000 task force officers in a year. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED MORE THAN 10,000 SUSPECTED GANG MEMBERS Bailey also pointed to what he described as a 20% reduction in homicides, more than 5,000 violent offenders arrested by the FBI and thousands of child victims identified and rescued as evidence that the administration’s approach is working. The outgoing official also said the bureau had seized 3,258 kilograms of fentanyl in one year and arrested more than 4,200 members of foreign terrorist organizations. He cited 11,000 child victims located and identified, without specifying a time period for those latter two figures. Asked what the public might misunderstand about the FBI, Bailey described the scale of an agency with roughly 38,000 employees and 11,000 armed agents, charged with both criminal investigations and national security work. He said the leadership team had pushed resources from headquarters to field offices, where agents could have a greater impact. KASH PATEL REVEALS FBI’S CAPTURE OF ALL 10 MEMBERS OF MOST WANTED FUGITIVE’S LIST DURING HEARING “We’ve done so much to push resources out of headquarters back to the field where they can maximize their impact,” he said. PROSECUTOR JOSEPH DIGENOVA RESIGNS FROM DOJ ROLE INVESTIGATING TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBES Bailey said more than 1,500 positions had been shifted from headquarters to field offices and that reducing layers of approval allowed agents to follow leads more quickly. He said the FBI processed more than 1.8 million DNA samples and reduced its backlog to zero for the first time in bureau history. Asked about political considerations at the FBI, Bailey said protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution were “the only considerations.” When asked how he protected agents’ ability to follow the facts, he pointed to those staffing and approval changes. He did not address whether he had seen politics influence a specific investigation or personnel decision. He rejected criticism of Patel’s approach as resistance to change inside an organization accustomed to the status quo. Bailey alleged that the FBI had previously been “weaponized” against Trump and his family and said Patel wanted to return it to its core mission of protecting Americans and upholding the Constitution. “That is going to anger those sacred guardians of the status quo,” Bailey said. As for what comes next, Bailey said he expects to return to public service someday, though he did not name a role. He traced a career that took him from the Army and two deployments to Iraq through Missouri state government and the FBI before returning to the reason he is leaving now. “I’ve dedicated my life to public service and anticipate that I’ll look to serve again in the future in some capacity,” he said. “But I’m excited right now to get home to the kids and be able to enjoy time with them and their activities.”
Supreme Court climate showdown jolted by Alito’s last-minute decision
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from a closely watched case over climate change liability less than a week before oral arguments were scheduled to begin. Scott Harris, the clerk of the Supreme Court, informed the parties’ lawyers in a letter Monday that Alito had recused himself from Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County without providing an explanation. “Justice Alito does not take his duty to sit lightly. We do not know why he recused himself, as the reason has not been made public, but I do not expect his recusal to ultimately change the outcome of Suncor v. Boulder,” Carrie Severino, president of JCN, told Fox News Digital. LAWSUITS COST EVERY AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. SUPREME COURT CAN HELP The justices were scheduled to kick off the 2026-27 term by hearing oral arguments in Suncor v. Boulder on Monday. The case centers on whether Boulder, Colorado, can use its state-law tort claims to sue oil and gas companies over their alleged role in contributing to climate change. The case has drawn scrutiny from Republicans, who argue Colorado officials are weaponizing the court system to get their environmental agenda enacted. “What they’re doing is they’re going around to these cities and these states, and using tort litigation, mass tort litigation, public nuisance lawsuits in state courts, and in a coordinated way to effectuate the same kind of a result, but just without having to go through their democratically elected officials,” Steve Cox, former Alaska attorney general and current counsel to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy , said in a Tuesday conference call. “It’s not a fight about climate change,” O.H. Skinner, former Arizona solicitor general and executive director of the Alliance for Consumers, said during a Tuesday conference call. “It’s not a fight about climate science.” “It’s a fight about whether we’re going to allow this maneuver to be what reshapes American society, and that’s why I think everybody should care, irrespective of their views on climate change or their views on how to fix this problem or that problem. Do you want courts as our primary policymakers?” Skinner acknowledged that Alito did not come to his decision lightly, but said its “never good for the court” when a justice is missing from a ruling. CONSERVATIVE GROUPS SAY JUSTICE KAGAN CANNOT BE IMPARTIAL IN UPCOMING SUPREME COURT CLIMATE LITIGATION “This is part of why the left constantly screaming at the justices about recusal and other things is counterproductive for the country,” Skinner said. “It doesn’t help the court when they don’t have their full complement.” “At the same time, he made that decision knowing all of that and based on his own personal considerations, and we will never know all of the details of that. At the end of the day, it does not help the court to not have their full complement, but it is also not something that we think will be dispositive of the case, and it’s not something that we think is noteworthy, other than that he made that decision based on his own considerations and didn’t do it lightly, and he is making the right choice in his mind,” Skinner continued. Alito’s last-minute decision to recuse himself from the high-stakes climate case follows his January recusal in Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish, a Louisiana coastal erosion dispute, because he owned stock in ConocoPhillips, the parent company of one of the parties in the related litigation, Burlington Resources Oil and Gas Company. SUPREME COURT FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES REVEAL CONCERT TICKETS FROM BAD BUNNY’S LABEL, MILLIONS IN BOOK PAYMENTS Meanwhile, Justice Elena Kagan has faced calls to recuse herself from Suncor v. Boulder because she wrote the foreword to the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, which included a climate science chapter that was later criticized by Congress and Republican attorneys general as biased and was eventually removed. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER In July, more than a dozen legal groups, in a letter spearheaded by Severino, urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to open an investigation. “Justice Kagan’s endorsement of the partisan and now-removed climate science chapter of the judges’ reference manual continues to raise questions about her ability to impartially decide the case. I hope she is taking her own ethical obligation seriously.”
Bombshell report exposes healthcare fraud schemes as taxpayers lose up to $521 billion annually
FIRST ON FOX: House GOP lawmakers are rolling out a slew of new bills after a bombshell report found that hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are potentially being targeted by fraudsters every year. As people across the U.S. are battling high costs that make it hard to make ends meet, a report released Tuesday by the House Energy & Commerce Committee warns that federally subsidized healthcare programs are rife with fraud and abuse — “impacting every single American, in one way or another.” While no estimate for Medicare and Medicaid fraud exists specifically, the report noted, a 2024 estimate by the Government Accountability Office said $233 billion to $521 billion taxpayer dollars going to federal programs are lost to fraud every year. Federal healthcare programs accounted for 24% of federal spending in 2024, according to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities. Medicaid specifically is rife with vulnerabilities making it susceptible to fraud, the report said, which is why House Republicans are rolling out 14 bills aimed at closing loopholes in the system, shrinking bureaucracy, and making it easier for states to recoup lost dollars while also incentivizing them to go after potential fraudsters. “Taxpayers that fund benefit programs with federal and state taxpayer dollars are cheated by fraud, inflating healthcare costs that are passed along to everyone,” the committee’s report states. “Every dollar stolen from federal health care programs is a dollar that is not spent on high quality healthcare for those that need it most.” WHITE HOUSE PUSHES ‘WATERSHED’ FRAUD-FIGHTING REFORM IN CONGRESS AS VANCE CONVENES TASK FORCE “The amount of fraud that the Biden-Harris Administration allowed to go unchecked in government health programs is unacceptable. Every dollar stolen by fraudsters or wasted on improper payments is a dollar that cannot be used to support families in need who rely on these programs,” House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital. REPUBLICANS DECLARE WAR ON ‘ORGANIZED THEFT’ WITH GOVERNMENT FRAUD CRACKDOWN Republicans’ new bills can be lumped into three categories: legislation aimed at improving identification of fraud in state and federal health programs, legislation aimed at enforcing anti-fraud rules, and legislation to hold states that allow fraud to run rampant accountable. One bill led by Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, for example, would force states to designate a single role for internal financial controls of state Medicaid programs. READ: DR. OZ PUTS ALL 50 GOVERNORS ON NOTICE OVER BILLIONS LOST TO MEDICAID FRAUD A bill by Rep. Mike Rulli, R-Ohio, would force each state to annually report to the federal government on any potential Medicaid fraud vulnerabilities and their plan to fix it. And legislation by Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., would require states to check whether someone enrolling for Medicaid was removed from another taxpayer-funded healthcare program. The report released on Tuesday said that Medicaid spending accounts for an average 30.7% of states’ budgets, and that those outlays have increased exponentially in recent years. States like New York and California are also projected to see costs spike, the report said. TOP FEDERAL PROSECUTOR CALLS CALIFORNIA A ‘FRAUDSTER’S PARADISE,’ WARNS STATE OFFICIALS COULD FACE CHARGES The Golden State is expected to see annual Medi-Cal spending, its state healthcare program, rise from $83 billion per year in 2014 to $219.7 billion by 2027, the report said, adding, “New York is projected to spend 11% more on Medicaid from all funding sources in 2027 — a total of $124 billion.” The report noted that federal healthcare is ripe for fraud given its size and complexity, as well as the traditional enforcement model of “pay and chase,” which relies on law enforcement to investigate fraud suspicions after a false claim has already been settled. Provider fraud is also a common area of losing tax dollars, with healthcare providers being known to submit multiple claims for a single service or bill services and equipment for patients that they have never seen at all, the report said. Transnational criminal groups have also profited from U.S. healthcare fraud, the report said, alleging that hardworking Americans are seeing their tax dollars not only lost to fraud at home but overseas as well. TRUMP ADMIN’S FRAUD CRACKDOWN TARGETS FOREIGNERS ACCUSED OF INFILTRATING US FEDERAL PROGRAMS The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “Operation Gold Rush” uncovered that Russian organized crime actors billed over $10 million in false claims made via 30 medical supply companies they purchased in a years-long scheme, the report said. It highlighted further foreign healthcare schemes that saw malign actors in Hong Kong, Georgia, Estonia, Pakistan and elsewhere attempt to steal billions more in U.S. taxpayer dollars. The fraud reports come at a time when millions of Americans across the country are struggling with high living costs that have made it a challenge to make ends meet. Guthrie said the House GOP legislative package amounted to “commonsense steps” to ensure states can recoup lost fraud dollars and incentivize them to close loopholes in the future. It comes as the Trump administration is also prioritizing healthcare fraud crackdowns. Vice President JD Vance announced last week that 760,000 enrollees under the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, would be removed over fraud claims.
Office of Personnel Management uncovers $500M in fraud and waste in federal health benefits programs
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration announced $500 million in waste and fraud findings at the Office of Personnel Management – revealing a recovery of potentially fraudulent funds for federal health benefits programs. Health insurance carriers in the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits programs reported preventing nearly $510 million in losses before or during payment and recovering an additional $21.9 million after claims were paid, according to the Office of Personnel Management. “OPM runs health insurance for about 8.9 million retirees and federal employees, and we spend about $80 billion a year,” Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Fox News Digital. “The $500 million, a little more than half percent, is a good number, but certainly we have a long way to go here to root out more fraud, waste and abuse.” FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP ADMIN OPENS NEW FRONT IN FRAUD CRACKDOWN TARGETING HEALTH INSURERS, DRUG MIDDLEMEN The White House anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance has reported $260.7 billion in fraud uncovered since Trump took office, and $72 billion in fraud stopped on an annualized basis. Kupor said his agency is conducting its own review of health insurance claims data for the first time, allowing the agency to analyze billing patterns across providers and health plans to identify unusual prescribing habits, surgery rates and other anomalies that could signal overuse, misuse or potential fraud. TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKS MORE THAN $1.6B IN POTENTIALLY IMPROPER MEDICARE LAB PAYMENTS, AGENCY SAYS He said the agency will use those findings to remove providers from federal health programs when warranted and will refer cases involving suspected criminal conduct to the agency’s Office of Inspector General and the Justice Department for further investigation. Kupor leads the agency responsible for overseeing the federal workforce while managing key employment and benefits programs for millions of current and former federal employees. One of the most prominent examples of his work stems from Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) targeting of a mine in Pennsylvania. EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE THE SECRETIVE MINE DOGE HELPED DRAG OUT OF A DECADES-OLD BUREAUCRATIC BLACK HOLE Last April, Fox News Digital first reported that the United States government applied the use of artificial intelligence for federal employee recordkeeping – the first time the federal government implemented AI at scale. The movement was led by Kupor and Musk, and Musk didn’t hide his shock that federal records were being stored and managed solely on paper at the time. TRUMP UNLOADS ON TECH TITANS PUSHING FOR SLOWDOWN ON EMERGING INDUSTRY: ‘WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS!’ “The speed at which the mine shaft elevator can move determines how many people can retire… And the elevator breaks down and then nobody can retire,” Musk said last February. “Doesn’t that sound crazy?” When asked for an update on progress made on modernizing the mine, Kupor said it is now fully operational on an electronic system. “This past year, we did 180,000 electronic online applications for retirement, which is just unprecedented,” he said. “That’s almost double the production that we’ve had in any prior year. Electronic applications can get solved in less than half the time today that a paper one does.” “We will take something that has been a six-month, nine-month, 12-month horrendous process for retirees, and I think we will be able to do it in as little as 15 days with the continued development of technology.” WHITE HOUSE PUSHES ‘WATERSHED’ FRAUD-FIGHTING REFORM IN CONGRESS AS VANCE CONVENES TASK FORCE Kupor’s previous experience working with artificial intelligence has led to his name being floated to serve as the AI czar in the Trump administration – a role cast into the spotlight as data center development and artificial intelligence have become midterm election talking points. After working as an investment banker at Credit Suisse, Kupor worked at Loudcloud, which was co-founded by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, in 1999. He was then hired as the first employee by Andreessen and Horowitz at the duo’s venture capital firm. Kupor also served as the chair of the National Venture Capital Association from May 2017 to May 2018. TRUMP SAYS ANTI-FRAUD EFFORTS ARE UNCOVERING BILLIONS IN WASTE, CLAIMS SAVINGS COULD BALANCE BUDGET When asked about whether he has had any conversations with the White House about the role, Kupor said he had seen the reports he was being floated, and discussed President Donald Trump’s views on artificial intelligence broadly. “I’ve read all the same reports you’ve read and don’t have anything to add there,” he said. “What the president has said is exactly 100% right, which is that AI is the most important piece of technology that will determine economic growth for us, national security, sovereignty for our country.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNCOVERS $1.2B IN SUSPECTED COVID CONTRACT FRAUD TIED TO BIDEN-ERA SPENDING “One of the things that I know, again, having spent all my life in the venture world, is there is no limit to the intellect and inventiveness of entrepreneurs in this country. And we just need to make sure that the conditions around, you know, regulatory controls and others continue to allow the U.S. to flourish in the way that it’s always done.” Kupor did not rule out accepting the role if Trump should offer it to him, saying that while he is focused on his job as director of the agency, he serves “at the will of the president.” Reports had suggested that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was being considered for the AI czar position, but last week Trump said he would not be selecting him for the role.
Soros nephew divulges how family’s power helped bankroll El-Sayed’s education during secretive fundraiser
FIRST ON FOX: Jeffrey Soros, the wealthy nephew of billionaire Democrat mega-donor George Soros, detailed his yearslong connection to Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed during a Monday night fundraiser, according to footage obtained by Fox News Digital. The Soros nephew, a wealthy Hollywood producer, hosted El-Sayed at his home Monday night for a fundraiser that attracted controversy given the emphasis the candidate has placed on getting money out of politics. During remarks, Soros noted that he played a key role in helping El-Sayed get his career off the ground, according to footage obtained by Fox News Digital. “I just wanted to welcome you here and express my appreciation for coming. And it’s been a privilege,” Soros said while standing next to El-Sayed during the event, the footage showed. “Speaking of privilege, I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Abdul since 2012. I got to interview him as a finalist for my parents. Fellowship, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.” The El-Sayed campaign and the Los Angeles Media Fund, where Soros serves as CEO, did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Tuesday. DEM INSURGENT TURNS ON THE CHARM WITH PARTY ESTABLISHMENT AS SCHUMER LEAVES BITTER FEUD HANGING Attendees were asked not to record the event, a common practice at many political fundraisers, organizers said in footage reviewed by Fox News Digital. The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, which is designed to help immigrants and the children of immigrants get a leg up in the United States, pays out tens of thousands of dollars in stipend and tuition support to winners. El-Sayed won the fellowship in 2012, and it is touted on its website as one of its success stories. MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL CALLS AIPAC DONATIONS ‘LEGALIZED BRIBERY,’ REMAINS SILENT ON OTHER DONATIONS The financial and political ties come as El-Sayed has made the influence of wealthy donors a recurring theme of his campaign. “The fundamental corruption of our politics has been the system that allows corporations and would-be oligarchs and billionaires to buy politicians,” El-Sayed said during a 2025 local news interview. “I want to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, pass Medicare for All,” he said during a follow-up interview. A flyer promoting the Soros fundraiser, which was attended by Hollywood notables, stated that attendees could donate up to $57,800 to the Abdul for Michigan Victory Fund, Fox News Digital previously reported. The Soros family’s political machine has also dumped millions into political committees that are supporting El-Sayed’s run for Senate. SOROS NETWORK REBUILDS PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTOR PUSH AFTER STRING OF ELECTION LOSSES “Abdul El-Sayed raising dark Soros money in California after begging Chuck Schumer for money in DC is the least surprising thing he’s done all cycle,” Alyssa Brouillet, communications director for GOP nominee Mike Rogers’ campaign, previously told Fox News Digital. “That’s what a conman does — says one thing and does another. Michiganders can’t trust this guy.” El-Sayed’s campaign has defended itself by arguing that “corporate special interests are spending millions of dollars in dark money to try to buy Rogers a Senate seat because he’s spent his entire career making himself and his billionaire donors richer while Michiganders pay the price.”