20% of NYC mayor-elect Mamdani transition appointees have anti-Zionist ties: ADL
At least 20 percent of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s administrative appointees are connected to groups characterized as anti-Zionist, according to a Monday report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The report found that more than 80 individuals among Mamdani’s 400-plus transition and administrative appointees either have ties to such groups or a “documented history of making anti-Israel statements.” The organization said Mamdani’s Transition Committee appointees have been linked to groups including Students for Justice in Palestine, a pro-Palestinian college activism network; Jewish Voice for Peace, an American Jewish anti-Zionist organization; and Within Our Lifetime, a New York City-based anti-Zionist group “known for leading protests outside synagogues.” For example, the ADL said at least four appointees have ties to Louis Farrakhan, the antisemitic leader of the Nation of Islam. One appointee, Jacques Léandre, was cited for reportedly attending a conference at which Farrakhan denounced “the Jews and their power.” ADL CHIEF WARNS NYC MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI POSES A ‘CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER’ TO JEWISH COMMUNITY Several other appointees were also cited for statements that appear to support or justify violence against Israel and the Oct. 7 attacks. According to the ADL, Kazi Fouzia posted on Facebook hours after the attacks that “Resistance are [sic] Justified when people are occupied” with video footage from an anti-Israel protest happening that day in Manhattan. The report continued to identify other appointees who publicly expressed hostility toward Zionism. Examples included Fahd Ahmed, who allegedly stated “Zionism is racism“; Ruha Benjamin, who reportedly signed a statement saying Israel was “ideologically founded on Jewish supremacy”; Lisa Ohta, who was accused of referring to “Zionism’s genocidal ideology”; and Mohammed Karim Chowdhury, who shared a post allegedly claiming “Zionists are worse than … Nazis.” MAMDANI’S FATHER SAYS COLUMBIA ‘TARGETED’ ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS WITH ANTISEMITISM CRACKDOWN The organization also identified Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, who was cited for allegedly posting a photo of herself at an encampment in front of a banner displaying an inverted red triangle, a symbol associated with Hamas, alongside the text “LONG LIVE THE RESISTANCE.” The report also states that at least 12 appointees publicly expressed support for anti-Israel campus encampments during the spring of 2024, with at least five attending the protests in person. The ADL highlighted Gianpaolo Baiocchi, who was reportedly arrested at the NYU encampment and later asserted that no hate speech was present. The ADL disputes that claim, citing flyers distributed at the encampment that called for “Death to Israeli Real Estate” and “Death to America.” Mamdani, who takes office on Jan. 1, has previously and repeatedly emphasized that he stands against antisemitism. The ADL noted that many appointees did not raise concerns and emphasized that at least 25 individuals expressed support for the Jewish community, including Rabbi Joe Potasnik, Félix Matos Rodríguez, Wayne Ho, John King, and Jerry Goldfeder. However, the organization said it remains concerned about Mamdani’s team overall. “Many of Mayor-elect Mamdani’s Transition Committee appointments are inconsistent with his campaign commitments to prioritize the safety of New York’s Jewish community,” the ADL wrote in the report. Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for more comment.
ICE arrests 100+ illegal alien truckers in major sweep after deadly crashes across multiple states
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 100 illegal alien truck drivers on California highways in Operation Highway Sentinel, launched after a string of deadly crashes linked to commercial driving licenses (CDLs) issued under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policies. Federal authorities said the sweep was launched after multiple fatal crashes across several states involving illegal alien truck drivers licensed in California, underscoring growing concerns that the state’s commercial licensing policies are putting motorists nationwide at risk. Those arrested included illegal aliens from India, Mexico, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Nicaragua, Russia, Georgia, Venezuela, El Salvador and Honduras. “Gavin Newsom’s sanctuary state policies are costing American lives,” ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said. “His government knowingly issued thousands of CDLs to illegal aliens who had no business driving at all, let alone behind the wheel of a massive semi-truck. These drivers get their licenses, leave California, then terrorize roads all over the country.” ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL-IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FROM UZBEKISTAN OVER ALLEGED TERROR TIES “ICE is stepping in where his state failed,” Sheahan added. “Just like our operations in Oklahoma and Indiana, we are taking these dangerous illegal alien truckers off the roads and making California streets safe again.” ICE said in a press release that Operation Highway Sentinel was launched in direct response to growing concerns that criminal illegal aliens driving commercial vehicles on U.S. roads cause multiple fatal accidents in states like California, Florida and Oregon, claiming “eight innocent lives.” The agency accused California, under Newsom’s leadership, of issuing thousands of CDLs to illegal aliens, some of whom could not read English or understand road signs. Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment on the matter. ICE ARRESTS CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF FLEEING HEAD-ON CRASH THAT SEVERELY INJURED MARYLAND WOMAN Similar operations targeting illegal aliens have been executed in Indiana, New York and Oklahoma, and have resulted in the arrest of over 200 illegal immigrant truck drivers who were issued CDLs. “This week HSI, along with our partners, conducted enforcement operations targeting illegal alien commercial truck drivers across California’s Central Valley in the interest of public safety,” Tatum King, the special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco, said. “In the wake of multiple deadly motor vehicle accidents involving illegal aliens operating as commercial truck drivers, federal law enforcement is taking action to prevent further tragedy.” The latest operation in California targeted trucking companies in central and northern portions of the state that were suspected of engaging in criminal activity, ICE said. DUFFY VOWS ‘WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS LYING DOWN’ AFTER COURT BLOCKS CDL RESTRICTIONS FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ICE also said the trucking industry is known by law enforcement to involve criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling, labor trafficking, narcotics trafficking and cargo theft, among other things. Of the 101 illegal alien truck drivers arrested during the operation, all will be held by ICE pending immigration proceedings. Earlier this year, an Indian national who was issued a CDL by California allegedly killed a carload of people after attempting to make an illegal U-turn on a highway in Florida. MAJOR COUNTY SHERIFF REJECTS ICE DETAINER ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO KILLED YOUNG BOY IN HIT-AND-RUN The Florida Attorney General’s Office said in October that the driver, Harjinder Singh, failed his CDL test 10 times in two months before finally receiving a license in 2023 in Washington State. The Washington company that trained Singh for his CDL attested that he could speak English, even though he struggled to speak it proficiently, the senior official said. Still, Washington issued Singh his first CDL, and California later granted him another. Officials investigating the wreck in Florida said Singh failed English and road sign tests. He’s accused of jackknifing his 18-wheeler during an illegal U-turn, causing a van to smash into the side of the semi, leaving three people dead. The Florida AG’s office has since sued California and Washington in a Supreme Court filing to prevent both states from issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants. The lawsuit accuses the states of failing to comply with federal safety and immigration status requirements.
Democrat lawmakers call on Trump to withdraw rule limiting green cards for people on welfare
More than 125 congressional Democrats are pushing the Trump administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would open the door to denying a person a green card if they use public assistance, including Medicaid or food stamps. “This proposal punishes families for caring for their children. It would scare parents away from health care, food assistance, and early education that U.S. citizen children are legally entitled to, putting kids at risk and destabilizing entire communities,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said in a statement to The Hill. “Congress never intended public charge to be used this way, and we are demanding DHS withdraw this harmful proposal before it inflicts real and lasting damage on American families,” Espaillat added. The Department of Homeland Security‘s proposal would rescind a rule adopted in 2022 under the Biden administration that reinstated a long-standing but relatively narrow definition of “public charge.” OVERWEIGHT FOREIGNERS SEEKING VISAS MAY BE REJECTED TO SAVE HEALTHCARE COSTS, TAXPAYER EXPENSE The 2022 rule defined a “public charge” as someone “primarily dependent” on government assistance, particularly people receiving cash assistance for income maintenance or nursing home care at government expense. Most non-cash benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps did not count toward a public charge determination under that rule. DHS’ new proposal argues that the Biden-era policy is a “straitjacket” on immigration officers that prevents them from considering “all factors and information relevant to an alien’s likelihood at any time of becoming a public charge.” Opponents of the Trump administration’s proposed rule change fear it would open the door to widespread rejection of green cards for people who would otherwise qualify and that it would lead immigrants to not seek assistance they could qualify for over concerns that it could impact their green card applications. If the proposal is finalized, the Trump administration would not have a formal definition of what it means to be a public charge. This would give immigration officials broader discretion to consider a wider array of factors and potentially additional types of benefits in determining what constitutes a public charge, moving away from the narrow “primarily dependent” factor that was included in the 2022 rule. In urging the federal government to abandon the proposal, 127 Democrats said the rule would create “immediate and widespread uncertainty,” according to The Hill. The Democrat lawmakers argue in formal comments that immigration officers would be forced to make a public charge determination with little guidance. DHS TO IMPOSE $1K FEE FOR MIGRANTS GRANTED HUMANITARIAN PAROLE “Removing these definitions invites arbitrary decision-making and creates significant risk that adjudicators will rely on factors that Congress has not authorized,” the lawmakers wrote to DHS. “The proposed rule contains no assurance that adjudicators will refrain from considering benefits received during periods when the federal government expressly stated that such benefits had no immigration consequences,” they continued. The lawmakers also said the proposed rule opens the door to penalizing people who previously used assistance programs when there was no risk for accessing the benefits. “Families seeking adjustment of status — including refugees, survivors of domestic violence or trafficking, children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned, and others whom Congress has long exempted from punitive public charge treatment — cannot navigate a system where the rules shift without warning and where past, lawful conduct that the federal government had stated was permissible could be reinterpreted as a negative factor,” they wrote. “To be very clear, the proposed rule will trigger a massive chilling effect, driving eligible families away from essential assistance in health care, nutrition, childcare, and education, with the heaviest harm falling on U.S. citizen children,” the lawmakers said. Another group of Democrats also submitted comments taking issue with the plan to change the longstanding definition of a public charge. “Since the term was first codified as an immigration restriction in 1882, it has been consistently interpreted to mean an individual who is, or is likely to become, primarily dependent on the government for his or her care (i.e., someone who is effectively a ‘charge’ or ward of the state),” Rep. Jaime Raskin, D-Md., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the top Democrat on their respective chambers’ Judiciary committees, said in comments signed by additional lawmakers, according to The Hill. “Over the years, the method for determining such ‘primary dependence’ has changed, but the principle itself has remained steadfast,” they added. Under the 2019 public charge rule issued during Trump’s first term, immigration officers were instructed to reject applicants who used public programs.
Pentagon taps Musk’s xAI to boost sensitive government workflows, support military operations
The Department of War announced Monday that the Pentagon is partnering with Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem to deploy Grok across its government systems. The agency said the “frontier‑grade” capabilities of xAI’s Grok family of models will be integrated into the department’s recently launched AI platform, GenAI.mil. As soon as early 2026, the partnership will allow the Department’s 3 million military and civilian personnel to safely access more advanced AI tools for everyday tasks, including handling sensitive government information. According to xAI, its tools can support administrative tasks at the federal, state and local levels, as well as ‘critical mission use cases’ at the front line of military operations. DOGE STAFFING SHAKEUP AS ELON MUSK HANGS UP HIS HAT, WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS “Today, the War Department officially entered into an agreement with xAI, paving the way for the deployment of its advanced capabilities on GenAI.mil,” the department said. “This move builds on the rapid deployment of cutting‑edge AI across the Department’s 3 million military and civilian personnel.” The tools will allow employees to use xAI safely on secure government systems for routine work, including tasks involving sensitive but unclassified information, without violating security protocols. With xAI designed to analyze real-time data, the War Department said the partnership would give personnel “a decisive information advantage.” Grok will give personnel access to live information from X, providing the War Department with faster situational awareness around the globe, the department said. TRUMP LAYS OUT WHERE HE STANDS WITH ELON MUSK AFTER BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL BLOWUP xAI added that the partnership could lead to potential future classified workloads. “Through an ongoing, long-term partnership with the DoW and other mission partners, xAI will make available a family of government-optimized foundation models to support classified operational workloads,” the company said. The War Department said that it will continue to scale its AI ecosystem for speed, security and decision superiority. “This announcement marks another milestone in America’s AI revolution, and the War Department is driving that momentum forward,” the department said. “These two new partnerships are part of our longstanding support of the United States Government and xAI’s mission to bring the best tools and technologies available in industry to benefit our nation,” xAI added. The collaboration marks another chapter in Elon Musk’s long-running relationship with government initiatives. Musk previously helped lead the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, where he briefly reformed operations and cut excess spending within the federal government.
Exclusive Photos: JD Vance joins Navy SEAL training, pushes limits in grueling workout
EXCLUSIVE: New photos obtained by Fox News Digital show Vice President JD Vance training with U.S. Navy SEALs in California — a 90-minute workout the vice president later said left him feeling like he’d been “hit by a freight train.” Images show Vance carrying logs, rowing in the ocean, running on the beach and climbing a rope obstacle course alongside a group of SEALs. “Just finished PT with the Navy SEALs for 90 minutes,” Vance wrote in an X post Monday. “They took it easy on me and I still feel like I got hit by a freight train.” Vance used the moment to praise the military’s special operations forces, writing that he is “so grateful to all of our warriors who keep us safe and keep the highest standards anywhere in the world.” HEGSETH WORKS OUT WITH US TROOPS IN MALAYSIA AS WAR DEPARTMENT VOWS ‘WE WILL BE FIT, NOT FAT’ The vice president participated in multiple stages of SEALs training at a facility in Coronado, California, per a source familiar. Many of the SEALs’ faces have been blurred to protect their identities. Vance is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Iraq War. He enlisted in 2003 and deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, where he worked in public affairs. TRUMP UNVEILS ‘GOLDEN FLEET’ OF NAVY BATTLESHIPS, TOUTS THEM AS ‘MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY’ EVER BUILT The vice president previously has said his time in uniform shaped his views on national security, the costs of war and the responsibility leaders bear when sending troops into harm’s way. Navy SEALs are among the U.S. military’s most elite special operations forces, known for grueling physical standards and missions ranging from counterterrorism to maritime operations. The post aligns with broader messaging from Trump administration officials emphasizing physical readiness across the armed forces. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has emphasized U.S. troops need to be “fit, not fat,” even up to the general and flag-officer level. He has frequently highlighted physical readiness in public remarks and has taken part in workouts with service members during visits to military units around the world.
98 Minnesota mayors warn state fiscal policies are hurting cities, residents and local budgets
A group of 98 Minnesota mayors raised concerns with state leaders in a letter about their state’s fiscal policies, saying they have impacted their cities and residents, noting a disappearing $18 billion surplus and a projected $2.9 billion to $3 billion deficit for the 2028-29 biennium. In a letter to state lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz, the 98 mayors expressed concern and frustration, said the state was slipping in national economic rankings. “Fraud, unchecked spending, and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities—reducing our capacity to plan responsibly, maintain infrastructure, hire and retain employees, and sustain core services without overburdening local taxpayers,” the letter states. ‘EPICENTER OF FRAUD’: MINNESOTA’S EMPTY STOMACHS, FAKE AUTISM THERAPY AND A SCANDAL THAT COULD TOP $2 BILLION Cities across the state now face workforce shortages, slowed business investment, rising operational and construction costs, and families choosing to leave Minnesota altogether, the letter states. In addition, the mayors noted potential property tax increases as a result of unfunded state mandates and costs that force cities to shift the burden to residents and businesses. “There is a growing disconnect between state-level fiscal decisions and the strain they place on the cities we lead, the letter said. “When the state expands programs or shifts responsibilities without stable funding, it is our residents—families, seniors, businesses, and workers—who ultimately bear the cost.” Unfunded mandates include requests for schools, health and human services, and public safety. Minnesota Republican lawmakers put the blame on Walz and Democrats. MINNESOTA’S ANTI-FRAUD SPENDING HAS QUIETLY BALLOONED, LEAVING TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR FAILURE TWICE “Governor Walz and Democrats passed unaffordable spending and tax increases along with unfunded mandates on the promise it would make life more affordable,” state Republican Sen. Andrew Lang, who serves as the Lead on the Senate State and Local Government Committee, said in a statement. “In reality they just passed down the costs to local governments, schools, and small businesses, who in turn pass down costs to local taxpayers and consumers. “Minnesota Counties sounded the alarm early last session about the proposals to shift costs onto their budgets, so I’m not surprised that nearly 100 mayors across the state are raising their own concerns. This letter is a warning that we must reduce state spending, stop the massive fraud plaguing our state, and remove unnecessary mandates to keep life affordable for everyone.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz’s office. The mayors noted that a state statute requires a balanced budget but that relying on one-time surplus dollars has created structural strain. “Our state owes it to our citizens to practice responsible fiscal management and to stop taxing our families, seniors, and businesses out of Minnesota,” they said. “We urge the Legislature to course-correct and to remember that every dollar you manage belongs not to the Capitol, but to the people of Minnesota.”
Congress flees town as health care premiums set to explode for millions of Americans in January
Lawmakers left town. Last Thursday was the final day Congress met until early January. And despite health care dominating the conversation on Capitol Hill since late summer and through the autumn, Congress failed to execute a legislative fix for soaring health care premiums set to spike in January. It was a Congressional jailbreak around 3 pm et Thursday as the House called its last vote and lawmakers sprinted for the exits, piling into cars on the Capitol plaza. “Don’t send us home without a vote,” implored House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., on the House steps earlier in the day. “Our message to (House Speaker) Mike Johnson, R-La., is clear,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “You can run. But you cannot hide.” SANDERS BLASTED AFTER BLOCKING BIPARTISAN KIDS’ CANCER RESEARCH BILL: ‘GRINCH,’ ‘SELFISH’ Lawmakers packed up for December, practically channeling partisans of the (once) hapless Chicago Cubs, declaring “Wait til next year.” “I’m optimistic that we still have a chance to do better in 2026,” forecast Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. “I think before the end of January, we really do want to do something,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. There’s a reason why 2026 is fundamentally different from 2025. “It’s an election year,” observed Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. “I think that Members of Congress are going to start hearing from their constituents.” Freshman Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., beat former Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., by one point in 2024, flipping the district from blue to red. Last week, Mackenzie became one of four House Republicans who rebelled against top Republican leaders – and aligning with Democrats – to renew Obamacare subsidies. The “Fed Up 4” signed what’s called a “discharge petition.” This is a maneuver to go around the Speaker and put a bill on the floor – if the Speaker won’t. Democrats pushed a discharge petition to re-up the expiring subsidies for three years. But they needed four Republicans to join them in their parliamentary guerilla tactic to take this out of the hands of the Speaker. CROCKETT FIRES BACK AT JD VANCE’S ‘STREET GIRL’ COMMENTS, SAYS IT’S A RACIST TROPE “There is no silver bullet. If there was, either party would have done it,” said Mackenze. When asked about the politics of this in his battleground district, Mackenzie replied that “we have a long way to go before the midterms.” Discharge petitions don’t ripen for a vote immediately. The House must wait seven legislative days before consideration. The House is out until January 6, 2027. After two days to trigger the discharge petition, the House may consider this maneuver around January 8 or 9. But even one top House Republican believes this coalition of Democrats and few Republicans will succeed in January. “My gut tells me that the COVID era subsidies, because we had the four members of the House sign onto that discharge petition, that it probably will pass,” predicted House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI) on Fox Business. But the Senate blocked a similar plan earlier this month. That’s why Democrats are skeptical that Congress can fix the problem once premiums explode in the new year. “Huge damage has already been done. And nothing we do after January 1st can undo so much of that damage,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Some Republicans advocate a complete legislative overhaul of health care next year. “What is different, though, about 2026 on health care compared to 2025 about health care? Why does this suddenly change?” yours truly asked Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. JD VANCE TURNS TURNING POINT SPEECH INTO MIDTERM BATTLE CRY — AND A PREVIEW OF 2028 “There won’t be anything different if you keep doing the same old thing. So that’s the point,” said Graham. But he added that there was a “deal to be had” on health care. Only a bipartisan health care bill can overcome a Senate filibuster. That’s why the Senate nuked separate Democratic and Republican plans a few weeks ago. Some Republicans are now advocating going it alone on health care next year. They can do that – if they use a special budget process called “reconciliation.” Via reconciliation, senators can pass a bill with just a simple majority. But the measure must be budget neutral over a decade and just pertain to fiscal policy. Some Republicans prefer this path. They believe President Trump would sign a partisan bill. “The only way for us to be able to lower the cost of health care is to do another reconciliation bill,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), referring to the mechanism the GOP used to pass the Big Beautiful Bill. Democrats also deployed reconciliation to pass Obamacare. “For the life of me, I cannot figure out why my friend (Senate Majority Leader John) Thune, R-S.D., will not agree to do another reconciliation bill,” continued Kennedy. “Why would you give up the chance to put together a sound social and economic policy when you only need 51 votes to do it.? Why would you give that up?” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) agrees with Kennedy. He believes Democrats prefer to have health care as an issue in 2026 – and not actually address the problems. “They’re an obstruction party. They despise President Trump,” said Schmitt of the Democrats. “We have majorities. We should use them.” But that’s the problem. Congressional Republicans have never coalesced around a health care plan which can pass both bodies. Even with their majorities. It didn’t happen in 2017. It’s doubtful that can happen now. So lawmakers aren’t passing out presents at the holidays. They’re dishing out blame. “Because of Republicans, it is now impossible, sadly, to prevent people from having to pay hundreds, if not thousands more on their premiums next year,” said Schumer. “The Democrats do not want a solution,” said Johnson. “They want a campaign talking point.” So Democrats and Republicans alike abandoned the Capitol for the holidays without voting on a subsidy extension. “House Republicans have chosen to get out of town before
DOJ appeals dismissal of James, Comey criminal cases in long-shot legal gamble
The Justice Department on Monday appealed the dismissal of its criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, making good on its vow to revive both cases despite what appear to be significant legal and procedural hurdles. Lawyers for the Trump administration appealed both cases Monday to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va. “The power to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546 during the current vacancy lies with the district court until a U.S. Attorney is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate,” the Justice Department said in its appeal. Both appeals challenge a ruling handed down by U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie in November, which found that former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed to her role as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Because Halligan was unlawfully appointed — and was the sole prosecutor who secured the indictments — Currie ruled that the indictments were invalid and dismissed both cases without prejudice. “Ms. Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role since September 22, 2025,” Currie said in an opinion filed in both cases. “All actions flowing from Ms. Halligan’s defective appointment” as a result, he said, “constitute unlawful exercises of executive power and must be set aside.” COMEY SEEKS TO TOSS CRIMINAL CASE CALLING TRUMP PROSECUTOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ APPOINTEE Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed then to “immediately” appeal the decision, and FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI and Justice Department are exploring other options to keep the case against Comey alive. James was charged with two counts of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution during her 2020 purchase of a home in Norfolk, Virginia. Comey was charged with making false statements to Congress and for obstruction related to his testimony in September 2020. Currie dismissed Comey’s case and James’ case “without prejudice” – a detail that left the door open for the government to secure new indictments. Prosecutors ultimately attempted, without success, to re-indict both Comey and James, prompting new questions about the strength of the case. Federal prosecutors twice tried and failed to secure a new indictment against James from grand juries in Norfolk and then in Alexandria. Neither effort was successful. RAIGNED IN VIRGINIA ON FEDERAL BANK FRAUD CHARGES TIED TO 2020 HOME PURCHASE In Comey’s case, a separate judge ordered prosecutors to erase certain evidence – including emails and data – that had played a central role in the Justice Department’s case. Comey’s case also raises statute-of-limitations concerns, as both charges carried five-year limits that expired Sept. 30 – just three days after Bondi installed Halligan at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. It is unclear whether the judge’s order “resets the clock” on the statute of limitations under a federal law, as Trump’s allies have argued it should. Under the same law, a dismissal by the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals would trigger a 60-day window for the Trump administration to re-indict Comey. The Justice Department notified the lower court Monday that it had filed both requests to the Richmond-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Trump unveils ‘Golden Fleet’ of Navy battleships, touts them as ‘more powerful than any’ ever built
President Donald Trump announced a new fleet of ships Monday, known as the “Golden Fleet,” as he revealed he approved plans for two new “very large battleships.” “As you know, we’re desperately in need of ships. Our ships are some of them have gotten old and tired and obsolete,” Trump said, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan. Trump said the new ships would be “100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” in an address from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. NAVY SECRETARY WARNS SHIPYARDS MUST ‘ACT LIKE WE’RE AT WAR’ AS CHINA’S AI-POWERED FLEET RACES AHEAD Renderings behind the president showed the new “Trump class,” including one named the USS Defiant. “We haven’t built a battleship since 1994. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships … other than our submarines.” Trump said the Navy would immediately start procuring two ships, working up to 10 and eventually 20 ships to 25 ships in total, and would aim to have the first two within two and a half years. Trump described the ships as heavily armed platforms combining missiles and traditional naval guns, arguing that gun-based firepower could deliver combat effects at a fraction of the cost of missiles. Each ship would displace more than 30,000 tons to 40,000 tons and serve as a flagship of the U.S. fleet, he said. The president said the battleships would be equipped with advanced weapons, including hypersonic missiles, electric rail guns and high-powered laser systems, as well as nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missiles currently under development. Trump also said the ships would feature state-of-the-art defensive systems and carry what he described as “tremendous numbers of missiles.” Trump denied that the ships were meant to counter China. “It’s a counter to everybody. It’s not China, we get along great with China,” Trump said. “I have a great relationship with President Xi and it’s not China. It’s, just everybody you don’t know who comes along, but, we just wanted peace through strength.” The announcement comes amid an ongoing debate within defense circles over the future of the U.S. fleet, with recent naval strategy emphasizing submarines, unmanned systems and more distributed surface forces. Some defense planners have argued that large surface ships can be more visible and vulnerable targets in modern, missile-heavy conflicts, while others argue larger platforms can provide greater firepower, endurance and command-and-control capabilities. He pointed to World War II-era shipbuilding as a model, noting that the U.S. once produced multiple ships per day, compared with what he described as today’s slower production pace. Trump also tied the battleship announcement to a broader push to accelerate U.S. defense production. He said he plans to meet next week with major defense contractors to demand faster delivery timelines, increased capital investment in new factories, and limits on stock buybacks and executive compensation. “We make the best equipment in the world, but they don’t make it fast enough,” Trump said, arguing that companies should reinvest profits into production capacity rather than dividends and buybacks. “I mean, I have sold more planes than any president by far times, probably 20. So every time I go someplace, I sell 100 planes,” he said. “And I’m always having to say five years, six years, seven years helicopters, Apache helicopters, many years.” The announcement comes at a time when the Trump administration has elevated shipbuilding to a White House–level priority, establishing a dedicated office to oversee maritime industrial policy and signaling a broader push to expand U.S. naval capacity. Defense leaders for years have warned that the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base has struggled to keep pace with demand, citing workforce shortages, fragile supplier networks, aging infrastructure, and persistent delays at major shipyards. Navy leaders have long pointed to shifting requirements and design changes after construction has begun as another factor driving delays and cost growth in major shipbuilding programs. In April, Trump signed an executive order declaring the erosion of America’s shipbuilding and maritime workforce a national security risk, directing a government-wide overhaul aimed at expanding domestic shipbuilding, stabilizing long-term funding, strengthening the workforce and countering China’s dominance in global ship production. Inside the Navy, Phelan has echoed that urgency, warning that the service must “act like we’re at war,” with shipbuilding and weapons production speeds. He has moved to overhaul the Navy’s acquisition culture, launching a new Rapid Capabilities Office designed to cut development timelines, enforce accountability and push new technology into the fleet faster than traditional Pentagon procurement allows. TRUMP WANTS TO REVIVE THE LAGGING US SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY. HERE ARE THE HURDLES HE FACES U.S. officials warn the shipbuilding crunch is colliding with an enormous capacity gap with China: the Office of Naval Intelligence has assessed that China has roughly 230 times the shipbuilding capacity of the United States, a disparity that has helped Beijing expand its fleet far faster than American yards can produce new hulls. While U.S. officials say the Navy retains a technological edge in areas such as undersea warfare and carrier operations, they warn that China’s growing fleet size and industrial capacity are narrowing that advantage. The U.S. Navy currently operates about 294 warships, while China now fields the world’s largest navy by hull count, with more than 370 ships in service. At the same time, several of the Navy’s marquee programs have struggled with delays and cost growth, including the Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine, the Virginia-class attack submarine and the Constellation-class frigate, which has faced schedule pressure amid design and requirements changes.
Judge blocks ICE from re-detaining Abrego Garcia – but signals ruling could come fast
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Monday extended a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from immediately re-detaining Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, after the government again failed to produce a final removal order. Xinis agreed to keep in place the TRO she issued earlier this month, which ordered Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody, and blocked immigration authorities from immediately re-detaining him. The extension rested on the court’s earlier determination that ICE had not obtained a final court order needed to remove Abrego Garcia from the U.S. Without that removal order, Xinis said, Abrego Garcia could not remain detained in immigration custody. Ultimately, Monday’s hearing ended with little in the way of new information for the court in the way of that document or any other details sought by the court. Instead, the proceedings were punctuated only by moments of frustration from Xinis – the judge who has presided over Abrego Garcia’s civil case since March – as she tried and failed to ascertain the status of the same deportation order she cited as the basis for his release from ICE custody 10 days earlier. “I don’t know what the government’s position is,” Xinis said Monday, exasperated. US JUDGE VOWS TO RULE ‘SOON’ ON ABREGO GARCIA’S FATE AFTER MARATHON HEARING Xinis ultimately adjourned court with a vow to work “as quickly” as possible to issue a ruling. She set a deadline of Friday – one day after Christmas – for the Justice Department to submit additional information on its removal plans, including the deportation document and third country of removal. She also ordered additional information from the plaintiffs, due by the end of the month. Lawyers for Abrego reiterated on Monday that his preferred country of removal is Costa Rica, which had agreed to accept him in August. Xinis noted that the government told her in court last month that Costa Rica had rescinded its offer to accept Abrego Garcia; a subsequent declaration submitted by a government official for the country clarified that it had not. She used her earlier order to excoriate what she described as the government’s “persistent refusal to acknowledge Costa Rica as a viable removal option, their threats to send Abrego Garcia to African countries that never agreed to take him, and their misrepresentation to the Court that Liberia is now the only country available to Abrego Garcia, all reflect that whatever purpose was behind his detention, it was not for the ‘basic purpose’ of timely third-country removal.” Xinis reiterated these concerns Monday. ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS ASK US JUDGE TO ORDER RETURN TO MARYLAND AMID ONGOING CRIMINAL CASE She said that without the extension of the TRO, she feared that the Trump administration would seek to illegally detain Abrego Garcia “in the middle of the night” and without due process. “I am trying to get to the bottom of whether there are going to be any removal proceedings,” Xinis told the Justice Department lawyers on Monday. “You haven’t told me what you’re going to do next.” ABREGO GARCIA REMAINS IN US FOR NOW AS JUDGE TAKES CASE UNDER ADVISEMENT Xinis used a separate memo opinion earlier this month to tick through, in extemporaneous detail, the court’s unsuccessful, five-month effort to obtain information from the Trump administration about ICE’s plans to deport Abrego Garcia to the four African countries it had identified for his removal – Uganda, Ghana, Eswatini and Liberia. At times on Monday, Xinis struggled to keep her incredulity at bay. “I’m again making a finding that these representations, which are misrepresentations – are in bad faith,” Xinis told the government lawyers. The hearing was fairly short, and notable if only for the fact that Abrego Garcia, newly released from ICE custody, attended in person. He addressed a large crowd outside the courthouse after the hearing adjourned. Abrego Garcia’s status has been at the center of a legal and political maelstrom since March, when he was deported to his home country of El Salvador, in violation of a 2019 court order and in what Trump officials acknowledge was an “administrative error.”