‘Trojan horses’ in America: Congress probes influence networks tied to China, Iran and Cuba
Last Tuesday, at the corner of Church Street and 16th Street NW, blocks from the White House, Christine Balling, a former advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command South, led a panel discussion on the national security threat that communist-run Cuba poses to the U.S. Suddenly, a fresh-faced former college basketball star, Olivia DiNucci, stood up to steal the stage at the Institute of World Politics, yelling as she clutched a hand-painted banner: “SANCTIONS KILL IN CUBA.” “There is global solidarity with Gaza and Cuba and ICE here,” DiNucci shouted breathlessly, as security officials grabbed her banner and pushed her out a side door as she kept yelling, “because the liberation of our people is rooted in our neighbors!” In small print, the banner had DiNucci’s organizational and ideological affiliation: “CODEPINK.” DiNucci is a D.C.-based political organizer with CodePink, a left-wing political agitation group, spending her days and evenings as a professional protester and a regular gadfly, disrupting dinners, hearings and conferences as a sidekick to CodePink co-founder Susan Medea Benjamin. Their group supports the Communist Party of Cuba and has led caravans to the island nation, as Treasury Department officials investigate whether they violated any laws barring Americans from doing business with the communist regime. For Balling and her co-panelist, Michael Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a Cuban American firmly opposed to the communist government of Cuba, DiNucci’s political theater wasn’t the benign act of an “anti-war” group, as CodePink describes itself. “CodePink – and other organizations like it – essentially act like Trojan horses. They burst in onto the scene, and they’re meant to disrupt and destroy from within,” Balling told Fox News Digital. “They’re really interested in dividing America and, in doing so, weakening it,” she continued, “and increasing the friction between Americans by convincing some Americans that the American idea, the American dream, the freedoms we enjoy, all that sort of thing, that they are lies and they’re not worth fighting for, and that our enemies are our victims.” POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM The confrontation comes as House lawmakers convene a hearing on Tuesday, titled “Trojan Horses: Covert Foreign Malign Influence Operations in America,” to examine a broad question: how do American activists, nonprofit organizations, media operations and social media influencers, like Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, advance the interests of adversarial nations, including China, Iran and Cuba, inside the United States? Piker joined CodePink’s delegation to Cuba earlier this year, posing for a photo in Havana with CodePink cofounder, Jodie Evans, both of them also drawing Treasury Department scrutiny. “Adversarial nations like China, Russia, and Cuba conduct malign influence operations here in the United States by utilizing social media influencers such as Hasan Piker as proxies to promote communism and push their false propaganda,” Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, told Fox News Digital. “My goal is to raise the curtain to expose these operations and stop them from undermining our national security, capitalism and the American Dream,” Huizenga said. HASAN PIKER CALLS HAMAS ‘FAR MORE MODERATE,’ DISMISSES TERROR GROUP’S BRUTAL RULE IN GAZA The hearing will bring together several strands of alleged foreign influence that Fox News Digital has documented over the past year through investigations into money, political organizing, overseas travel, media operations and relationships between American activists and foreign entities and interests. Most of the groups fall into the “red-green alliance” of socialist and communist groups, symbolized by the color red, working closely with Islamist groups, such as the anti-Israel organization Students for Justice in Palestine, reflected by the color green, a symbol of Islam. The largest financial network examined in Fox News Digital’s reporting centers on Neville Roy Singham, an American-born tech tycoon who lives in Shanghai, late last year standing on a stage at the Golden Tulip Hotel during a conference on the “Global South,” delivering a speech supporting the Chinese Communist Party, China’s leader, Xi Jinping and China’s “new world order.” RUBIO’S CALL TO COMBAT GLOBAL FUNDERS OF FAR-LEFT TERRORISM COULD PUT SINGHAM IN CROSSHAIRS A five-part Fox News Digital investigation published earlier this year examined 223 transactions totaling $591 million across five continents between 2017 and 2025, tracing the flow of money through multiple layers of organizations and into a transnational network estimated at approximately 2,000 organizations. In 2017, Singham married Evans, the CodePink co-founder, in a ceremony in Jamaica attended by Benjamin and other pro-communist leaders. The Fox News Digital analysis documented $278 million flowing from Singham into six core nonprofit organizations that promulgate anti-America, pro-China propaganda, beginning in 2017: BreakThrough BT Media Inc., CodePink Women for Peace, Justice and Education Fund Inc., People’s Forum Inc., People’s Support Foundation Ltd. and Tricontinental Ltd. The organizations and their executives have denied any wrongdoing and allege they are the target of anti-communist “witch hunts.” Singham hasn’t responded to repeated requests for comment. CUBA BUILT COVERT NETWORK INSIDE AMERICA THROUGH SPIES, ACTIVISTS AND UNIVERSITIES, STATE DEPT ALLEGES Huizenga and the hearing’s witnesses say Congress must examine whether adversarial governments are influencing American political discourse through domestic messengers while keeping the foreign power itself at arm’s length. Fox News Digital’s reporting followed the money to the six nonprofits: That was only the first layer. The six nonprofits that directly received Singham money subsequently distributed approximately $163 million to 52 organizations — including themselves — and five geographic regions identified in financial records. Eleven groups at another layer distributed approximately $150 million into four nonprofits and five geographic regions, including $23 million directed to Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Fox News Digital analysis. The financial architecture has been accompanied by political organizing, media operations and ideological activity that includes the fresh example of political theater that CodePink unleashed at this week’s disruption at the Institute of World Politics’ panel on Cuba. Balling, the former advisor to U.S. Special Operations Southern Command, used the opportunity to
House Dems face Trump tariff dilemma as major Russia sanctions bill heads to floor
House Democrats will soon have to grapple with a decision over whether to give President Donald Trump more tariff authority or potentially block Congress from cracking down on Vladimir Putin’s bloody war in Ukraine. The House Rules Committee has teed up votes on several bills this week, including the Senate’s legislation aimed at sanctioning Russia and Iran. That bill was named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a massive supporter of Ukraine who died unexpectedly at the age of 71 in July. And while the majority of Democrats support action to help Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, they’ll also be forced to reckon with the legislation’s language giving Trump additional authority to punish Russia and its allies with significant tariffs. LINDSEY GRAHAM’S FINAL MISSION TO PUNISH PUTIN CLEARS SENATE AFTER YEARLONG FIGHT Democrats have long been critical of Trump’s unchecked use of tariffs against U.S. allies like Canada and Mexico, which have also been subject to a slew of court battles. TRUMP JUST EXPANDED HIS TARIFF PLAYBOOK WITH A POWERFUL TRADE WEAPON NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER USED It’s part of why senior House Democrats said earlier this year that they would oppose the bill. “House Democrats are rock solid in our support for Ukraine, but the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia And Iran Act would do more harm than good. This bill would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia, both of which are unacceptable,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., Ranking Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said in a statement. SEN RAND PAUL: DC’S RUSSIA SANCTIONS BILL WON’T STOP PUTIN — BUT IT WILL HURT YOU House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not give up his position on the bill during a Monday press conference, telling reporters, “We’re going to continue to stand by the Ukrainian people and find a path forward to get a sanctions bill done while addressing the very real concerns that [Democrats] have raised about giving Donald Trump authority that the Supreme Court recently made clear he does not currently have, and should not have, because it belongs to the Congress pursuant to the Constitution.” The bill would direct the president to hike up to 500% tariffs on Russia and up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy. MIKE PENCE: CONGRESS MUST FINISH LINDSEY GRAHAM’S FIGHT AGAINST PUTIN Trump would also be directed to impose significant sanctions on Russian officials and others responsible for continuing the war on Ukraine. The bill advanced through the House Rules Committee on Monday night, setting up a House-wide procedural hurdle called a “rule vote” on Tuesday afternoon. If passed, the full House will vote on the sanctions bill on Wednesday afternoon, according to a preliminary legislative schedule obtained by Fox News Digital. And with an increasingly vocal isolationist wing permeating the House GOP Conference, at least some Democrats will be needed to help the bill pass. The package, pushed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Graham, was in purgatory for nearly two years as the lawmakers and administration went back and forth to find a compromise that Trump and Congress could stomach. Blumenthal defended the tariff language in the bill to Fox News Digital, “If Donald Trump wants to break this law, he will be restrained by the courts, just as when he broke the law on tariffs previously.” And Senate Democrats largely voted in favor of giving Trump limited tariff authority in exchange for the bone-crushing sanctions against Russia, despite raging against duties for years. Though some raised concerns, like Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., most Democratic caucus members gave a thumbs-up to the tariff power. EXCLUSIVE: PENCE PUSHES TO RENAME BILL FOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, RECALLS FINAL TALK: ‘BRING PUTIN TO THE TABLE’ That all came after Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., received guarantees from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that the tariffs baked into the sanctions package would just be limited to the top five energy trading partners with the Kremlin.
Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to revive strict mail-ballot rules before midterms
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s emergency bid to enforce new U.S. Postal Service (USPS) restrictions on mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, leaving a lower court’s nationwide block in place. In a brief order, the court said the government was “unlikely to succeed on the merits” for purposes of obtaining emergency relief and had not shown that the legal and practical considerations warranted a stay. The rules would require federal ballot mail to be sent in envelopes bearing an election-mail logo, capable of being scanned by high-speed equipment and carrying a barcode unique to each voter. State and local election officials would also be required to submit envelope designs to the Postal Service for review and upload basic voter information to an online USPS portal. USPS PUBLISHES RULE TO BLOCK MAIL-IN BALLOTS FROM STATES THAT DON’T PROVIDE VOTER LISTS Under the USPS rule, mailings that failed to comply would not be accepted and would instead be returned to election officials to correct and resubmit. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESTRICTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS A federal judge previously blocked the USPS from implementing the rules, including the online portal that could be used to track millions of mail ballots. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the Supreme Court’s decision but indicated the USPS may ultimately have the authority to impose the requirements. TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS “In my view, based on the briefing the Court has received at this interim stage, there is at least a fair prospect that the final rule falls within the Postal Service’s statutory authority,” Kavanaugh wrote. However, he said attempting to apply the rules during the 2026 elections would be “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have enough time to reasonably implement them. JACKSON RIPS INTO SUPREME COURT COLLEAGUES’ ‘SERIOUS LEGAL ERROR’ ON TRUMP MAIL-IN VOTING ORDER Justice Samuel Alito dissented from the decision, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas. Alito argued that some of the plaintiffs lacked legal standing and that the remaining challengers were pursuing what the court has previously called a “Hail Mary pass” that “rarely succeeds.” ALABAMA AG MARSHALL FIRES BACK AT USPS MAIL-BALLOT ORDER CRITICS: ‘THIS IS ABOUT SECURING ELECTIONS’ “The Government has made the showings necessary for a stay, so I respectfully dissent,” Alito wrote. Alito said the USPS has broad authority to regulate the collection, handling, transportation and delivery of mail. He also argued that the government would suffer irreparable harm because any reversal of the lower court’s injunction would come too late for the midterms. New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office helped lead the legal challenge, celebrated the decision as a victory for voters. “Today, the Supreme Court protected one of our most fundamental, inalienable rights – the right to make your voice heard at the ballot box,” James said. “This last-minute change could have thrown our elections into chaos, and I am truly relieved the Court granted this reprieve.” “Voters should never have to wonder whether a ballot they legally cast will be counted because the federal government suddenly changed the rules,” she added. “We will keep fighting to make sure every eligible ballot is counted come November.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also praised the ruling, calling it “one of the most important cases to protect voting rights before the Supreme Court.” “Trump’s plan to make it harder to vote was obviously unconstitutional,” Schumer said. “The Supreme Court had no choice but to make the right decision.” “The President’s attempt to screw around with vote by mail was obscene,” he added. “Finally, his scheme is dead. Trump: you lost another one.” FEDERAL JUDGE AGAIN BLOCKS TRUMP’S MAIL BALLOT ORDER JUST BEFORE MIDTERMS President Donald Trump directed the USPS earlier this year to develop new standards for handling election mail. The agency finalized the requirements in late August. The administration and the USPS then asked the Supreme Court to intervene after a federal judge converted a temporary restraining order into a nationwide preliminary injunction. The decision leaves the preliminary injunction in place, preventing the USPS from enforcing the new requirements for the 2026 elections while the litigation continues.
Mamdani blasts feds for waging ‘campaign of violence and terror’ against NYC’s immigrants
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday blasted the federal government for waging a “campaign of violence and terror” against the immigrant communities he described as the backbone of the city. He made the statements during an announcement that he and five other sanctuary jurisdictions are suing the Trump administration over a new rule expanding how immigration officials determine whether applicants are likely to become a public charge. “The federal government has waged a campaign of violence and terror,” Mamdani said. “ICE has broken into our neighbors’ homes, work sites and schools. And it has targeted those who have come to our country in search of refuge and in search of opportunity. These actions are an assault on our civic fabric, on our shared values. And no matter how much destruction they have already caused, it continues.” MAMDANI, LETITIA JAMES SUE TO BLOCK TRUMP ADMIN FROM REFUSING IMMIGRANTS OVER WELFARE STATUS Mamdani further credited immigrants from around the world with helping build and sustain New York City, including by contributing to its infrastructure and public services. “Immigrants from every country, from every continent, who speak every language and worship in every conceivable way, drive our buses and our trains, teach our children how to read, and tend to us when we are sick,” Mamdani said. “Immigrants fought for the 8-hour workday for fair pay and workplace protections that deliver dignity into the lives of so many,” he added. AMERICA NEEDS WORKERS, BUT TRUMP’S POLICIES ARE SHARPLY CUTTING LEGAL IMMIGRATION The city will lead a coalition of five other sanctuary jurisdictions, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County and King County, in challenging the Trump administration’s stricter version of the public charge rule, which is set to take effect Friday. The changes, issued in July by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will expand officers’ discretion to weigh noncash benefits, such as Medicaid, SNAP and housing vouchers, when determining whether an immigrant is likely to become a public charge. Under the previous guidelines, established in 2022 under the Biden administration, officers’ discretion was narrowed to consider only whether applicants were likely to become “primarily dependent” on government assistance based on cash benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). In response to New York City filing the lawsuits, the White House on Monday blasted Democrats for seeking to provide illegal aliens with support at the expense of American taxpayers. “Extreme Democrats are once again fighting to give benefits to illegal aliens at the expense of American taxpayers. Immigrants must be able to support themselves and not depend on hard-working American taxpayers. President Trump and this administration will always put American citizens first,” spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement. Mamdani described the changes as a “gross illegality” that will cause “irreparable damage.” “Make no mistake, this is an undisguised effort to strip New Yorkers of the services they rely on, the public benefits they are entitled to. Families, including those with children who are U.S. citizens, have already begun to forego essential services like SNAP, Medicaid, and affordable housing out of the fear that if they use these programs, immigration officers could use it as justification to deny them a future in our country,” he said. USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler previously said the move is intended to safeguard the financial well-being of American taxpayers. “The Trump administration is upholding the rule of law and protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits. USCIS is committed to safeguarding the safety, security, and financial well-being of Americans,” Kahler said in a statement. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
House unanimously votes to eliminate 1-cent coin permanently
Americans may soon no longer be able to offer a penny for their thoughts — because the 1-cent coin will be relegated to the ash heap of history. The House of Representatives voted to send the smallest piece of U.S. currency the way of the dodo on Monday, passing the bipartisan Common Cents Act in a unanimous vote. In addition to blocking the Treasury from minting any more pennies save for collector coins, the bill would also set up a framework for cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents, in order to eliminate the need for pennies altogether. AMERICANS SAY TIPPING PRACTICES ‘HAVE BECOME RIDICULOUS’ AS DIGITAL PROMPTS PUSH HIGHER GRATUITIES An exception would be provided for cash wages, which must be rounded upwards if the total is not divisible by 5 cents. Existing pennies will still remain legal tender. TREASURY HAILS SUCCESS OF ANTI-FRAUD PROCESS THAT FLAGGED AND PREVENTED $99 MILLION IN PAYMENTS TO DEAD PEOPLE The U.S. Mint stopped producing pennies in November 2025 after 232 years of circulation. But an act of Congress, if signed into law by President Donald Trump, would ensure a future administration does not reverse course. The cost of minting pennies has risen dramatically in recent years, costing more than three times their value to produce as of 2025. The Treasury estimated an immediate annual savings of $56 million in a press release explaining the decision. The bill was led by House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. It builds on a past bill McClain led in the House that also passed the Senate directing the federal government to stop minting the penny, but that legislation did not include language on rounding out cash payments. An additional provision would allow the U.S. Mint to produce nickels from cheaper material than they currently are made with. Congress would also monitor any disruptions the new rule causes to Americans by directing the Treasury to examine its effect on low-income people, older consumers, debanked people, among other groups.
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed says leaders must address ‘unpaid debts’ to Black communities
Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said Saturday that the country must confront what he described as “unpaid debts” owed to Black communities, arguing that leaders have a responsibility to “understand” and “address” them. El-Sayed — who is facing Republican nominee and former Rep. Mike Rogers in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races — made the remarks while speaking at a meeting with women faith leaders hosted by the Woman Difference Collaborative in Detroit, according to a video shared by C-SPAN. “When it comes to black communities in Michigan — when it comes to black communities in America — there are unpaid debts that have long since come due that we are unwilling to acknowledge, let alone pay down,” El-Sayed said. “And I understand that we need leaders who are going to understand those debts and address them.” ABDUL EL-SAYED PROTESTED AGAINST ‘EX-TERRORISTS’ WHO CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY, UNEARTHED REPORT REVEALS El-Sayed made the remarks while responding to a question about how he plans to energize Democratic voters who did not support him in the primary. He said his approach is to keep showing up, engaging with voters and emphasizing his record. “But the question for me is, within my power have I done my best?” El-Sayed said. “And I will challenge people to look at my history and say, ‘Yeah, that man hasn’t done everything he could around the problems he says he cares about.’” ABDUL EL-SAYED DISMISSES QUESTIONS ABOUT HASAN PIKER TIES ON ‘FACE THE NATION,’ PIVOTS TO GROCERIES During his response, El-Sayed highlighted his work on infant and maternal mortality, asthma and lead exposure. He also called for expanding access to capital for small businesses and increasing investment in housing and schools. El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, unsuccessfully ran for Michigan governor in 2018 before launching his Senate campaign. EL-SAYED’S LIBERAL AGENDA CLASHES WITH MUSLIM VOTERS WHO BACK HIM ANYWAY: ‘MALE VERSION’ OF ILHAN OMAR The Detroit event also featured discussion of El-Sayed’s public health record, U.S. aid to Israel, his endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, campaign attack ads from Rogers and criminal justice issues, according to C-SPAN. El-Sayed’s campaign could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.
Ex-Dem insider exposes what Harris told top donors days before Biden dropped out: ‘Insulting’
FIRST ON FOX: Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser who switched party affiliation over unheeded warning signs about President Joe Biden‘s decline in the 2024 election, believes Kamala Harris was setting herself up to poach Biden’s donors just days before he dropped out of the race — while still telling voters he could win. Li said she threaded that political needle by staying far away from any criticism of Biden. “It was all charade. She was auditioning for Biden’s endorsement, and the way that she did it was by imposing a fake rule on her staff to not talk about her ascending to the nomination,” Li said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. Li’s chronicling of the months leading up to Biden’s suspended campaign, which are included in her book, “Unburdened,” adds more detail about how even those closest to Biden understood that his campaign would likely come to a grinding halt following his disastrous 2024 debate — and even before it. EX-BIDEN STAFFER BLAMES BIDEN’S ‘HUBRIS’ FOR THE ‘HELLSCAPE THAT WE LIVE IN’: REPORT As a top fundraiser for both Biden and Harris and someone who had achieved a high profile with the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Li worked with both teams to raise campaign contributions. In the wake of the election, Li has gone public with much of her insider knowledge, raising the alarm over just how many figures inside the Democratic Party had seen the writing on the wall but remained silent. She also detailed how others, like Harris, quickly moved to prepare themselves for what would happen next. In Li’s view, Harris prioritized face time with donors she knew could soon back her own bid. “I was on the call; she would host calls with donors and pretend to support Biden and say there’s no daylight between Biden and herself. All the while she was auditioning for those very donors,” Li said. HARRIS REACHES OUT TO SOCIALIST MAYOR MAMDANI IN LATEST SIGN SHE’S SHORING UP SUPPORT FOR POSSIBLE 2028 BID Li recalled how, in one case, Harris addressed donors about Biden’s viability as a candidate two days before Biden bowed out. “It was either on July 19th or July 20th. Actually, I think it was July 19, 2024; Kamala Harris held a call saying that there was no way that Biden would drop out and that she would stick with him until the end. And these were some of the biggest donors in the party,” Li recalled. Biden announced that he would no longer pursue reelection on July 21. After Biden’s announcement, Li recalled that Harris moved aggressively within the Democratic camp to shore up support, insinuating that she had some form of Biden’s backing. “She was flattering people left and right. The first 24 hours were a very intensive charm offensive on her part. And that’s how she was able to consolidate it so quickly. She flattered people up the wazoo. It made it abundantly clear that Biden had endorsed her. And Biden initially — I don’t know if people know this, but he didn’t want to endorse her right away. It took him a while.” Despite the vice president’s efforts to maintain her support of Biden and back his viability, Li recalled that some of those same donors didn’t buy her story. LIBERAL CNN ANCHOR LASHES OUT AT DEMOCRATS’ DECEIT AFTER JILL BIDEN’S ADMISSION ABOUT JOE’S DEBATE SHOWING “A lot of us have group chats. And the immediate reaction is what an effing waste of time. What a charade, how fake. Like these are like the wealthiest people in the country saying that. They were very aware they were being lied to, that Biden was clearly not okay and to be told that he was okay when he was clearly incapacitated,” Li said. “It was insulting.” Representatives for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
McConnell returns after months-long absence for crucial vote
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will return to the Senate to cast his first vote following months of speculation on his condition and when the longtime lawmaker would reemerge into the public eye. McConnell said in a statement on Monday, the first day back for the Senate taking over a month-long break, that he would “cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June.” “I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues. My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier,” McConnell said. “I’m still not quite back to 100%, but I’ve assured Leader Thune that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.” MCCONNELL IS OUT OF REHAB, BUT HIS ABSENCE HAS STUNTED A KEY REPUBLICAN PRIORITY “Elaine and I are very grateful for all the continued well wishes from our fellow Kentuckians, and I’m glad to get back to more of business as usual on their behalf this month,” he continued. Having McConnell back changes the math for upcoming votes and future action on a possible budget reconciliation package to ram through chunks of the SAVE America Act and defense funding. He chairs both the Senate Rules Committee and Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, two key panels that could have a major impact on whether Republicans can move forward with the process. But first, he had to cast his first vote. His first appearance on the Senate floor since June was to vote in favor of one of President Donald Trump’s judicial picks, Matthew R. Byrne, to be the U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio. MCCONNELL OUT OF HOSPITAL, STILL NOT ‘MEDICALLY CLEARED’ TO RETURN TO SENATE McConnell, 84, has not been in the Senate for votes nor committee work since early June after being hospitalized from suffering a fall at his Washington, D.C., home. His absence was further prolonged when he developed pneumonia, and went through a stint a rehab to further recover from the fall. And his return comes as Republicans are again gearing up to vote on massive farm aid and funding package this week. The last time Senate Republicans tried to advance the bill it failed without McConnell’s key vote. The Senate Agriculture Committee is slated to again vote on the bill on Wednesday, and the committee’s chair, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., teased that McConnell’s return was imminent just before the announcement was made. MCCONNELL’S ABSENCE PUTS TRUMP AGENDA AT RISK AS KENTUCKY SUCCESSION QUESTIONS GROW “I think they feel like he’s moving in that direction,” Boozman said. “So watch for him.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that he had spoken with McConnell last week, and that the longtime Republican leader was “dialed in” on how campaigns for this midterm election cycle were going. Still, it’s unclear how long he will stick around during the forthcoming three-week sprint before lawmakers make a jailbreak for the campaign trail in October.
Obama, Biden judges draw fresh fire as Trump’s immigration court clashes heat up: ‘Almost impossible’
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is drawing a distinction between the federal judges he says the Trump administration can work with and those he says are “almost impossible” to deal with, singling out judges appointed by President Joe Biden as the administration continues to fight immigration battles in federal court. “We find judges, for the most part, honestly, that we can work with in almost every area. But you’ve got some of the judges that were appointed underneath Obama and definitely, if they’re appointed by Biden, they are almost impossible to work with,” said Mullin on the sidelines of the RNC Midterm Convention on Thursday. Mullin’s comments come as the Trump administration has repeatedly run into federal judges over its immigration policies, including recent rulings involving birthright citizenship and immigrant visa issuance. But while those court fights have received significant attention, Mullin offered a broader assessment of the judges he believes are most difficult for DHS to work with, specifically pointing to judges appointed by Biden — and, to a lesser extent, Obama. WHITE HOUSE RIPS ‘ACTIVIST’ BIDEN JUDGE WHO UPENDED TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER In April, Biden-appointed Judge Brian Murphy blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status for more than 5,000 Ethiopians, while in September, Biden-appointed Judge Deborah Boardman blocked enforcement of Trump’s August executive order limiting birthright citizenship, finding the order likely unconstitutional. Mullin said immigration cases should be “cut and dry,” arguing that they ultimately come down to whether an individual entered the country legally and has the proper paperwork. He compared the issue to homeownership, asking whether someone has “the deed of the house you’re living in” and whether they legally own it. Mullin also criticized state and local officials in blue states for limiting cooperation with ICE detainer requests, including in cases in which DHS alleges that detainees are violent criminals, drug dealers or known terrorists. “It makes absolutely zero sense,” Mullin said. Beyond the court system, DHS is also facing battles with elected leaders in blue cities and states. SPANBERGER’S ICE RESTRICTIONS DEALT MAJOR SETBACK AS JUDGE WARNS OTHER BLUE STATES “Virginia is out of control right now. I mean, when you start looking at the great state of Virginia, who had a great governor in Governor Youngkin … and now what they have, they canceled their 287(g) programs, they’re not allowing any cooperation with ICE or any of DHS’s law enforcement push to make sure we get the criminals off our streets,” said Mullin. Within weeks of taking office, Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger directed the state’s law-enforcement agencies to terminate their existing 287(g) agreements with ICE, which her administration said placed participating officers under federal supervision to conduct civil immigration enforcement. Mullin claimed that 50% of recent deaths in Fairfax County were “at the hands of an illegal.” “I’ve said this multiple times, every death that happens at the hands of an illegal is 100% preventable. So why the governor of Virginia, why they wouldn’t participate with us being DHS and forcing our nation’s laws and getting their criminals off the streets make no sense,” he said. DHS BOSS REVEALS OVAL OFFICE PLAN TO ‘WITHHOLD FUNDING’ FROM SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER AGGRESSIVE NEW YORK BUST Still, Mullin said the Trump administration would not force blue cities to accept federal assistance, arguing that DHS would remain ready to help communities that request it. “What we’re not gonna do is force our way in. You’re gonna have to decide that,” Mullin said, leaving the decision to individual communities. In Danbury, Connecticut, the City Council amended its police hiring ordinance to allow lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply to become police officers. “I don’t understand how you can be in law enforcement and yet you have no legal status. I just don’t know what, in some of these very liberal towns and liberal states, what are they thinking,” said Mullin. “They’re prioritizing criminals over law-abiding citizens. We are a nation of laws, and either we respect them or we don’t,” he added. “What separates us from a third world country is we don’t believe in lawlessness and when you came in this country illegally, you chose to skip the line because we have a legal process.”
Hochul accused of ‘hit job’ on behalf of teachers’ unions in act of ‘pure censorship’: labor group
New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is being accused of conducting a “hit job” on free speech on behalf of teachers unions after she signed a law giving the state attorney general the power to fine groups deemed to be engaged in deceptive communications that falsely appear to be authorized by a union. Hochul signed a law last week prohibiting people and organizations from using deceptive communications that falsely appear to be authorized by a union or union representative. The law, which took immediate effect, allows Democratic Attorney General Letitia James to investigate and sue to stop alleged violations, including those involving out-of-state groups. Courts can impose fines of up to $1,000 per incident. In response, the Freedom Foundation, a conservative nonprofit that campaigns against public-sector unions, including teachers’ unions, says New York’s new law is a targeted effort to silence its outreach by making its communications vulnerable to government investigations, lawsuits and fines. CEO Aaron Withe called the law a “hit job.” He said the law “isn’t about protecting anyone,” adding that it instead “exists because government unions in New York are terrified of an inconvenient fact: when public employees learn they don’t have to pay union dues, a lot of them stop. So instead of making their case to their own members, union bosses ran to their friends in the legislature and got them to write a law that makes speech illegal.” NATION’S LARGEST TEACHERS UNION UNDER FIRE AS CONTROVERSIAL AGENDA PUTS CENTURY-OLD FEDERAL CHARTER AT RISK A spokesperson for Hochul responded by telling Fox News Digital that “Governor Hochul takes fraud of any kind seriously, which is why she signed the legislation prohibiting the false impersonation of union officials to protect workers from being mislead by deceptive communications.” The spokesperson added that “employee organizations and unions play a crucial role in New York’s infrastructure as a whole, and the Governor has always championed legislation that supports, protects and uplifts workers across the state.” Fox News Digital reached out to James’ office for comment as well. Fox News Digital also reached out to the New York State United Teachers, United Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO for comment. The law allows James to investigate alleged violations, issue subpoenas and ask a court to block communications deemed deceptive. Courts can impose fines of up to $1,000 per violation, including against organizations outside New York. The New York State American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (NYS AFL-CIO) praised Hochul’s decision to sign the bill, which she signed along with two other pieces of legislation related to labor rights. Mario Cilento, president of NYS AFL-CIO, remarked that the law will be “holding individuals accountable for fraudulently claiming to be union representatives.” He said the slate of bills signed by Hochul “put workers first.” In an X post, Hochul similarly framed the bills as prioritizing workers, writing, “Today marks a new day with even more protections, because I’ll never stop fighting for our workers.” “New York State gave birth to the labor movement. Over the last five years, I have continued that legacy by fiercely supporting the men and women of labor,” wrote Hochul. TRUMP UNLOADS ON AOC, MAMDANI FOR LAUGHING DURING SACRED 9/11 CEREMONY AT GROUND ZERO Meanwhile, the Freedom Foundation has mailed and otherwise contacted New York public employees, including teachers, to inform them of their ability to leave their unions and stop paying dues. Nearly 7,500 New York public employees have used Freedom Foundation materials to cancel their union memberships, including more than 1,400 so far this year, according to the group. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Withe pointed to the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, which held that public-sector employees, including public school teachers, cannot be forced to pay union fees for collective bargaining or other speech because that speech can involve political issues protected by the First Amendment. He said that while the New York law “lets Letitia James fine the Freedom Foundation for outreach the state decides ‘impersonates’ a union … all we’re doing is telling public employees what already gives them: the right to leave their union and stop paying dues.” “This is an anti-speech law aimed at one kind of speaker,” said Withe. He asserted that the New York law was “copied” from a similar measure in Oregon, which the Freedom Foundation is already challenging in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He said his organization will “make the same case here.” Fox News Digital spoke with Ryan Walters, former superintendent of Oklahoma public schools and CEO of Freedom Foundation’s education arm, the Teacher Freedom Alliance. Walters called the New York law an example of “pure censorship and targeting of political opponents by Democrats protecting their union bosses.” INSIDE TEACHERS’ UNION MAY DAY ‘DRESS REHEARSAL’ CRITICS WARN WILL ‘GROOM’ STUDENTS INTO DEM ‘FOOT SOLDIERS’ “This is such a canary in the coal mine moment where if New York is allowed to do this – an openly socialist mayor, a governor operating as a tyrant doing the behests of the teachers’ unions – it’s going to go on across the country, and our schools will not be able to improve in that kind of environment,” he said, adding, “Where New York goes with this is going to be where the other blue states follow.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER He posited that the New York law “shows you how important that power structure is for the Democrat party.” “They have to control the school system to continue to control the country,” he said. “Despite elections, they still control these education systems at large. That’s why the teachers’ unions are enemy number one of progress in this country and why New York needs to be taken on directly for what they’re doing.”