Federal appeals court cancels daily Border Patrol chief check-ins
The Department of Homeland Security is celebrating a victory after an “act of judicial overreach has been paused.” On Wednesday, an appeals court blocked an order issued on Tuesday that required a senior Border Patrol official to give unprecedented daily briefings to a judge about immigration sweeps in Chicago. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis had ordered the meetings after weeks of tense encounters and increasingly aggressive tactics by government agents working on Operation Midway Blitz, which has resulted in more than 1,800 arrests and complaints of excessive force. While Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino told Fox News earlier Wednesday that he was eager to talk to Ellis, government lawyers were appealing her decision at the same time, calling it “extraordinarily disruptive.” ICE AGENTS BREAK CAR WINDOW TO ARREST RESISTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN EXCLUSIVE FOX NEWS RIDE-ALONG “The order significantly interferes with the quintessentially executive function of ensuring the Nation’s immigration laws are properly enforced by waylaying a senior executive official critical to that mission on a daily basis,” the Justice Department argued. “We are thrilled this act of judicial overreach has been paused,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to The Associated Press. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE SAYS SHE WANTS BODY CAMERAS FOR FEDERAL AGENTS AMID CHICAGO ANTI-ICE CLASHES On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released footage on X that appears to show Border Patrol agents under siege during an immigration raid in Chicago’s Little Village, a Southwest Side neighborhood often referred to as “La Villita” and home to one of the largest Mexican American communities in the Midwest. “VIDEO EVIDENCE,” DHS wrote in the post with the video attached. Last week, on Oct. 22, three illegal immigrants and six U.S. citizens were arrested on charges on what DHS dubbed “one of the most violent days” of Operation Midway Blitz. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump inches closer to DC federal property sell-off with Ernst’s help
FIRST ON FOX: Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst introduced legislation Thursday that would clear the way for Trump administration officials to sell underutilized federal buildings, Fox News Digital learned. “Despite President Trump calling federal employees back to work, vacant government buildings could easily be mistaken as future locations for Spirit Halloween stores,” Ernst said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “For too long, the entrenched bureaucracy has used red tape to prevent these ghost towns from being sold off,” she continued. Her Disposal Act “immediately lists six prime pieces of D.C. real estate on the auction block and slashes through pointless regulations to fast-track the sale of the government’s graveyard of lifeless real estate to generate hundreds of millions of dollars and save taxpayers billions.” Ernst is the founder and chair of the Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, and first exposed the federal government’s lack of use of its federal buildings back in 2023 when she released a “naughty list of no-show federal agencies” following the pandemic, when federal employees worked from home amid government-mandated shutdowns. SHUTDOWN FACES TAXPAYER RECKONING AS LAWMAKER WORKS TO EXPOSE ‘TRUE COST OF DEMOCRATS’ POLITICAL STUNT’ Dubbed the “Disposing of Inactive Structures and Properties by Offering for Sale And Lease (DISPOSAL) Act,” the legislation works to renew efforts to sell six pieces of underutilized federal properties in Washington, D.C., that headquarter various federal agencies. The legislation specifically calls on the General Services Administration to sell the Frances Perkins Federal Building, home to the Department of Labor; the Department of Energy’s James V. Forrestal Building; the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building, which is home to the Office of Personnel Management; Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, where Housing and Urban Development was headquartered before announcing in June it planned to move; Department of Agriculture’s headquarters at its South Building; and the Hubert H. Humphrey Federal Building, headquarters of Health and Human Services. ERNST DEMANDS $2T IN FEDERAL CUTS, URGES TRUMP TEAM TO ‘MAKE DC SQUEAL’ AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT There are an estimated 7,700 vacant federal buildings nationwide and another 2,265 that are largely sitting empty, according to Ernst’s office. The Office of Management and Budget reported in 2023 that the annual cost of operating federal buildings deemed “underutilized” sits at $81.346 million, while the General Services Administration reported in 2025 that deferred maintenance and repair backlogs at federal buildings exceeds $6 billion and will balloon to more than $20 billion in five years. The General Services Administration identified hundreds of “non-core” federal properties across the nation in March that could be put up for sale. Mold, cockroaches and undrinkable water also have plagued the federal buildings, according to various recent media reports. HOUSING COSTS ARE CRUSHING FAMILIES – HERE’S THE WAY OUT The legislation would clear the path for the Trump administration to make additional sales down the line, should it pass. Sales of federal buildings are wrapped in red tape and procedures, with the bill working to streamline the process by mandating the sale of up to 20 additional federal buildings per calendar year, and charging the GSA chief with determining whether a sale or ground lease would be in the “best interests of the United States.” President Donald Trump‘s DOGE efforts to slim down the size of the federal government and remove overspending have been a hallmark of his second administration. Trump repeatedly has railed against federal employees who stopped reporting to the office since the pandemic, vowing during his joint address to Congress in March that “unaccountable bureaucracy” will end. “We have hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have not been showing up to work,” he said. “My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to America again. Any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately.” Ernst and DOGE successfully mandated the sale of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in June, which headquartered Voice of America in a 1.2 million-square-foot building. Only 72 people worked in the building as of 2024, Fox News Digital previously reported. Fox News Digital reported in February that the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters in D.C., which can accommodate roughly 6,000 people, had become so desolate of employees during the Biden administration that it looked like an off-season Spirit Halloween store. Administration officials confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time that one HUD office even still had a business card left over from the first Trump administration still tacked on a white board when officials with the second administration reported to work following Trump’s inauguration. Ernst’s October legislation follows a bill she introduced in June that called for the sale of six federal properties that would yield at least $400 million in revenue while canceling roughly $2.9 billion in overdue maintenance at the buildings.
Ex-FBI agents say bureau used internal probes to punish whistleblowers
The FBI has a longstanding pattern of using its internal review processes to dissuade whistleblowers, a former special agent told Fox Digital. What started in 2021 as a workplace conflict for Special Agent Valentine Fertitta snowballed into a yearslong dispute when Fertitta escalated concerns about his treatment, his wife said. Emily Fertitta, who also served in the bureau under the Biden administration, believes that’s emblematic of a larger problem. “A very simple equal employment opportunity case has grown into this huge whistleblower case that has implications for everybody,” she said. “National security retaliation is huge for so many whistleblowers.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE BIDEN’S FBI OF RETALIATING AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWER WHO EXPOSED MISCONDUCT After a deployment overseas, Valentine Fertitta returned home with serious injuries that limited his participation at work for the FBI. After a manager took issue with his reduced productivity, the agency blocked him from consideration of a promotion in 2021 — a decision Valentine Fertitta believed violated the FBI’s policies and federal employment law, according to the family’s attorney. “Val’s supervisor at the time — this guy is just obsessed with statistics,” Matthew Crotty, the Fertitta family’s legal counsel said. “He was a troublemaker, really obsessed with advancing in his career.” But that was only the beginning of Valentine Fertitta’s conflict with the FBI. TERRY ROZIER’S ATTORNEY ACCUSES FBI OF SEEKING ‘MISPLACED GLORY’ WITH NBA PLAYER’S ARREST Believing that his management had violated government protections against injured employees among other employment safeguards for veterans, Valentine Fertitta filed a whistleblower complaint. Not long after, he received his first-ever negative work performance review, was denied access to trainings, was asked to provide past, present and future medical records and more, according to his wife. Exasperated, Valentine Fertitta appealed his case to the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM) — the FBI’s internal body charged with acting as a backstop against whistleblower retaliation. Less than a month later, the FBI opened an evaluation of his security clearance, according to their lawyer. “The key thing is the timing,” Crotty said. “Within two weeks of Val starting this OARM process, the FBI starts to investigate Val’s suitability to hold a top secret security clearance.” “The way the FBI can essentially fire you without saying ‘you’re fired’ is to just revoke your clearance,” Crotty added. Emily Fertitta explained that the process carries with it some punitive effects. Among them: suspension of pay during the time of review. Emily Fertitta said the investigation also put pressure on her. As a part of the security clearance evaluation, she said the bureau asked her to testify against her husband in what was going to be a three-day interview. When she asked for legal counsel, she said the FBI denied her request. Emily Fertitta decided to quit the agency. She said her husband’s clearance dispute is ongoing. FBI AGENTS FIRED AFTER KNEELING AT GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST IN 2020: REPORTS The Supreme Court has granted the FBI broad powers to make decisions about its employees and their security clearances, with few exceptions. That means that for their duration at the bureau, FBI agents have no external recourse to appeal a clearance dispute. Crotty said that goes for a lot of the internal review measures inside the FBI. “It doesn’t matter who’s in the White House. It’s a structural FBI thing. It’s been going on since Hoover,” Crotty said, referring to the FBI’s original director. “This is an agency that makes loyalty part and parcel to its core — and if you go against it by trying any of these internal processes — [they] are going to get back at you.” “This is what lawmakers need to know,” Crotty said. Emily Fertitta said other whistleblowers face similar opposition, pointing to public reporting provided by the FBI. The OARM, the body that Valentine Fertitta had appealed to shortly before his clearance evaluation began, records complaints that the FBI has received from whistleblowers who believe they’ve faced some sort of retribution. In the past 10 annual reports submitted to Congress, OARM has received 107 complaints. In that time, OARM identified nine cases of retaliation. “This is much bigger than Val and Emily. It applies to so many other people who just don’t have the ability to speak up,” Emily Fertitta said. She said the Biden administration did little to address the issue and hopes that, amid Trump’s openness to retool government structures, the new administration will follow through on promises of reform. “Congress could fix this without costing the taxpayer a dime by saying hey, if you’re a reservist at the FBI, you can go to federal court — just like an Amazon worker can — you can make that claim before a federal jury in federal court. That’s what needs to change,” Crotty said. “Having a couple of jury verdicts that nail the FBI on retaliation; once the FBI starts cutting checks for millions of dollars in jury verdicts, that’s how stuff gets fixed,” he added. According to Crotty, the Fertitta family has a pending civil case against the FBI. That litigation faces delays amid pending internal FBI deliberations over Mr. Fertitta’s security clearance, he said. The FBI declined to comment on the Fertitta case.
JD Vance reveals why Christian values are key to America’s future during TPUSA tribute to Charlie Kirk
Vice President JD Vance spoke at length during a large Turning Point USA gathering at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in honor of Charlie Kirk, during which he shared the slain conservative activist’s impact on his faith and told students that “a properly rooted Christian moral order” is key to the future of the country. After the audience heard from Kirk’s widow, Erika, Vance took the stage and spoke for a brief time before taking questions from the audience on a range of issues from immigration to National Guard deployments and the Second Amendment. But several of the questions revolved around Vance’s faith and the impact it has had on how he governs as Vice President. Some asked about his views on religious liberty while another questioned how he was raising his family in a dual-religion household where his wife is Hindu. “I make no apologies for thinking that Christian values are an important foundation of this country,” Vance said when responding to a question about the separation of church and state. “Anybody who’s telling you their view is neutral likely has an agenda to sell you. And I’m at least honest about the fact that I think the Christian foundation of this country is a good thing.” RILEY GAINES PRAISES TO ERIKA KIRK BEFORE OLE MISS TURNING POINT EVENT: ‘SHE IS A FORCE’ Meanwhile, Vance railed against contemporary liberalism in his comments about faith Wednesday night, calling it a “perverted version of Christianity.” “There’s nothing wrong, of course, with focusing on people who are disenfranchised, for example. That’s the focus of liberalism. But if you completely separate it from any religious duty or any civic virtue, then that can actually become, for example, an inducement to lawlessness,” Vance said while responding to a questioner. “You can’t just have compassion for the criminal. You also have to have justice too. Which is why I think that a properly rooted Christian moral order is such an important part of the future of our country.” Vance went on to say that he does not think God must be kicked out of the public square, adding he did not believe that is what the founders intended. “Anybody who tells you it’s required by the Constitution is lying to you,” Vance argued. “What happened, is, the Supreme Court interpreted ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion’ to effectively throw the church out of every public place at the federal, state and local level. I think it was a terrible mistake, and we’re still paying for the consequences of it today.” JD VANCE DECLARES THERE IS ‘NO UNITY’ WITH PEOPLE WHO CELEBRATE CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION In addition to taking tough policy-oriented questions about faith and religion, Vance was also asked at one point about living in an interfaith household. Vance’s wife is Hindu. Vance noted how when the pair met he was not a Christian, but over time he and his wife, Usha, decided to raise their boys Christian. Vance said open communication and respect for each other’s beliefs played a part in his marriage and his family’s decision to raise their kids Christian. “Most Sundays she will come with me to church. As I’ve told her, and I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say now in front of 10,000 of my closest friends, ‘Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, I honestly, I do wish that.’ Because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way. But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.” Vance also spoke about the impact Kirk has had on his faith during the Wednesday night event honoring the slain activist. Vance said that, at least in part, Kirk moved him to be more vocal about his faith. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This is another way in which Charlie has affected my life – I would say that I grew up again in a generation where even if people had very deep personal faith, they didn’t talk about their faith a whole lot,” Vance told the crowd while remembering his late friend. “But the reason why I try to be the best husband I can be, the best father I can be, the reason why I care so much about all the issues that we’re going to talk about, is because I believe I’ve been placed in this position for a brief period of time to do the most amount of good for God and for the country that I love so much. And that’s the most important way that my faith influences me.”
Virginia school district slapped with complaint alleging new claims in viral trans locker room fight
The legal team representing two boys suspended for questioning a transgender classmate’s access to the boys’ locker room have now filed an amended federal complaint alleging fresh factual claims and a new conspiracy charge, as they escalate their federal case against the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in Virginia. America First Legal and the Founding Freedoms Law Center, who are representing the boys and their families, added new factual allegations to their previously submitted federal complaint on Wednesday, alleging LCPS engaged in a conspiracy to retaliate against the boys. It also claimed there were alleged inconsistencies in the district’s handling of its Title IX investigation that found the boys guilty of sexual harassment and suspended them for 10 days. “Loudoun County Public Schools’ Title IX investigation into our clients inexplicably relied on non-credible evidence, ignored credible witness testimony, failed to interview keywitnesses, deleted potentially exonerating video evidence, and failed to disclose LCPS’s own admission that the allegations against our clients did not constitute sexual harassment,” said Ian Prior, Senior Counsel at America First Legal. VIRGINIA PARENTS CRUSH FUNDRAISING GOAL FOR TRANS LOCKER ROOM FIGHT AFTER JUDGE ORDERED MASSIVE BOND “Making matters worse, and as we set forth in the amended complaint, it appears that the school board was passing along confidential information to a political action committee for the purpose of further retaliating against our clients and their families. If proven true at trial, and we intend to do exactly that, this entire affair is a travesty of justice, a waste of taxpayer money to defend, and everything that is wrong with the Loudoun County School Board and its misplaced priorities.” Earlier this year, LCPS, located in Northern Virginia, launched a Title IX sexual harassment investigation into two high-school-aged boys after they were videotaped by a biological female who identified as transgender inside the boys’ locker room. The video caught them outwardly complaining to each other about the fact that there was a biological girl who identified as a boy using their facilities. Before taking the case to federal court, the boys and their parents sought to appeal LCPS’s Title IX sexual harassment finding to keep the boys from being suspended or marked as sexual harassers on their permanent record. However, their appeal was ultimately denied by the district, leading the families to pursue action in federal court. On Wednesday, the families turned up the heat with fresh allegations not laid out in their original complaint, including that the district conspired with a local political action committee, Loudoun for All, for the purpose of retaliating against the boys and their families. The amended complaint also points to inconsistencies in the district’s Title IX investigation, such as relying on non-credible evidence, ignoring credible evidence and witness testimony, misrepresenting evidence, failing to interview key witnesses, and failing to disclose potentially exonerating evidence. PRESSURE MOUNTS ON VIRGINIA DEMS TO CLEARLY STATE VIEW ON TRANS BATHROOMS AFTER BOMBSHELL EMAILS The fresh complaint claims that days after the federal court issued a preliminary injunction halting LCPS from suspending the boys or making Title IX findings part of their student record, the district reached out to Loudoun For All and corroborated with them in a press release and other messaging materials that included “a number of false and defamatory allegations” used to generate a public narrative against the boys and their families. The press releases and other materials, such as a timeline of the case’s events, were listed on the political action committee’s website, Facebook page, Reddit account and Bluesky account, and allegedly also contained privileged, confidential information pertaining to the case cited in a subsequent local media report titled, “Locker Room Lawsuit Against LCPS Involves Misinformation, Loudoun4All Says.” The press release Loudoun For All put out accused the boys’ parents of “orchestrat[ing] a coordinated campaign of disinformation, knowingly misrepresenting facts to fuel political outrage,” and argued that they were trying to “inflame voters ahead of an election.” It also claimed that 24 witnesses corroborated that the boys’ called the female student, who identifies as transgender, a “girl,” “it,” “girl-boy,” and told them “get out” while inside the boy’s locker room. But, according to the boys’ legal counsel, witnesses never corroborated these claims and the female student’s accusations of when the harassment took place appeared to be inconsistent. Loudoun For All did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. WOMAN DISROBES AT CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN PROTEST OF LOCKER ROOM POLICIES Meanwhile, the complaint also alleges that LCPS failed to disclose that a video cited as evidence in the district’s Title IX finding against the boys included the female student saying “I got it” while laughing. It adds that the district allegedly deleted other video the female student took of boys using or coming out of the bathroom. The amended complaint notes that despite inconsistencies in the female student’s story at times, they were credited with “superior credibility” by Title IX investigators in the district. Furthermore, it claims that a threat assessment of the male students found no threat and the district had previously concluded that a situation similar to the one at hand resulted in the district finding no cause for a sexual harassment under federal law. LCPS declined to comment on the amended complaint, telling Fox News Digital that it is the district’s practice not to comment on pending legal matters. Shortly after LCPS denied the boys’ Title IX appeal, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found LCPS violated Title IX by discriminating against the boys on the basis of sex. Specifically, the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights determined LCPS “failed to meaningfully investigate complaints of sexual harassment by two male students concerning the presence of a member of the opposite sex in male-only intimate spaces yet thoroughly investigated the female student’s sexual harassment complaint about the boys.” Both of the boy’s parents told Fox News Digital in August that their sons attempted to voice discomfort to school officials about the female classmate
Trump orders US nuclear weapons testing to begin ‘immediately’ after Russia tests new missiles
President Donald Trump announced that he has ordered the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately,” saying he directed the Department of War to match other nations’ programs. He called the move a necessary step to maintain global parity. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday night: “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office.” “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years,” Trump said. “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.” The announcement comes days after Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. has a nuclear submarine stationed “right off their shores.” The warning followed Russia’s recent missile tests. TRUMP REPOSITIONS 2 NUCLEAR SUBMARINES AFTER ‘HIGHLY PROVOCATIVE’ RUSSIAN COMMENTS Trump made the comments during a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday morning, saying the U.S. is “not playing games” with Putin. “Russia said this week that they’ve tested a new missile that can go more than 8,000 miles. Is that saber-rattling for you? What is that?” a reporter asked. PUTIN HAILS SUCCESSFUL TEST OF NUCLEAR-POWERED UNDERWATER TORPEDO “I know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores. So, I mean, it doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles, and they’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either,” Trump responded. “We test missiles all the time. But, you know, we do have a submarine, a nuclear submarine. We don’t need to go 8,000 miles. And I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying either, by the way. You ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon [to be] fourth year. That’s what you ought to do instead of testing missiles,” he added. TRUMP FREEZES OUT PUTIN FOR LACK OF ‘ENOUGH ACTION’ TOWARD PEACE — FUTURE TALKS UNCERTAIN Trump later hinted he may impose additional sanctions on Russia, telling reporters simply, “You’ll find out.” Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday it successfully tested a nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, claiming it can travel more than 8,000 miles and pierce defense systems. Putin said Russia is moving to deploy the weapon. Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, told Putin the missile traveled 8,700 miles and remained airborne for about 15 hours during its October 21 test. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Reuters contributed to this report.
Major blue county in hot seat after violent illegal alien arrested 10 times finally nabbed by ICE
FIRST ON FOX: Fairfax County officials are in the hot seat after the Trump Department of Homeland Security says the county’s sanctuary policies allowed an illegal alien to walk free despite having been arrested ten times and having 19 criminal charges, including for malicious shooting and unlawful wounding. The top Fairfax County official is disputing DHS’ characterization of it as a sanctuary county. However, Salvadoran national Jorge Armando Melendez-Gonzalez, 27, was arrested 10 times and has been charged with 19 different crimes in just over seven years, between March 19, 2018, and July 18, 2025, according to DHS. He was finally arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Oct. 24 after DHS said officials at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center declined to honor an immigration detainer it lodged against him on July 18. The July detainer was not the first time Fairfax County ignored an ICE request to hold Melendez-Gonzalez. ICE also lodged a detainer against him in 2023. According to DHS, “Fairfax County officials refused to honor the immigration detainer and released this dangerous criminal alien back into the community.” ICE NABS 3-TIME DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER: ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’ The agency said Melendez-Gonzalez entered the U.S. illegally in June 2015. An immigration judge ordered his removal from the country just over a year later in October 2016. Despite this, Melendez-Gonzalez stayed in the country for just over ten years, racking up a long list of offenses in Virginia. He has arrests for three counts of malicious shooting, unlawful wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, assault and battery, assault on a family member, grand larceny, trespassing, possessing a false government identification, public intoxication, disturbing the peace and making a false statement to a law enforcement officer. He has two felony convictions for unlawful wounding stemming from a 2023 shooting, which carry sentences of three years in confinement. However, his sentence was reduced to a year. According to a statement from the Fairfax County Police Department, detectives arrested Melendez-Gonzalez in August 2023 in a shooting that injured three men outside a business in Falls Church, Virginia. Fox News Digital reached out to Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, a Democrat, for the reason for Melendez-Gonzalez’s sentence being suspended. A spokesperson for the commonwealth’s attorney’s office declined to comment, referring Fox News Digital to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, which, the spokesperson said, “is responsible for handling ICE detainers.” SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SCREAMS DURING VIRAL DC ARREST: ‘WHAT I VOTED FOR’ Allyson Conroy, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, which runs the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, told Fox News Digital, “We did not have a judicial warrant on file from ICE for Jorge Armando Melendez-Gonzalez for either date, Aug. 28, 2023, nor for July 18 of this year.” Conroy said “the sheriff’s office could not maintain custody over Mr. Melendez-Gonzalez.” Regarding the suspension of Melendez-Gonalez’s sentence, Conroy said that decision “is in the discretion of the judge or the assigned commonwealth’s attorney. You should contact those individuals for further information.” Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives for Fairfax County regarding the Fairfax County Circuit Court’s decision but did not immediately receive a response. Fairfax County Chairman Jeffrey McKay, also a Democrat, responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, saying, “Fairfax County, through the Board of Supervisors, does not control or make decisions regarding ICE detainers or judicial sentencing; those responsibilities fall to the sheriff and the courts, respectively.” He said Fairfax County “does not consider itself a sanctuary jurisdiction and continues to follow all applicable federal and state laws.” ILLEGAL MIGRANT WITH HISTORY OF CHILD ABUSE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO RAM ICE AGENTS IN COLORADO DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, however, placed the blame squarely on the county’s sanctuary policies. “These sanctuary policies make Virginians less safe,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “Fairfax County refused to honor two ICE arrest detainers and chose to release this criminal back onto Virginia’s streets. Virginia sanctuary politicians protected this criminal illegal alien and allowed him to terrorize American citizens,” she added. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this serial violent criminal with 10 previous arrests is now off of Virginia’s streets.”
Nearly 37,000 VA employees furloughed or working without pay amid government shutdown
The Department of Veterans Affairs said the federal government shutdown has forced nearly 37,000 employees to be furloughed or work without pay. The department’s medical centers, outpatient clinics and veterans centers remain open and are operating normally during the shutdown because of advanced appropriations from Congress, the agency said. “The Democrats’ government shutdown is limiting services for veterans and making life miserable for VA employees, and things are only going to get worse as time goes on,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “It’s time for Democrats to stop using the suffering of Americans as political leverage to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants. SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN IS LEAVING OUR TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES HIGH AND DRY “I call on them to open the government and enable VA to provide the complete and comprehensive services America’s veterans, families, caregivers and survivors have earned,” he added. Despite some services still being offered, others have stopped. A news release said more than 900,000 veterans are unable to get assistance from the GI Bill hotline, which has shut down, and 100,000 enrolled veterans cannot get Veteran Readiness and Employment program counseling or case management services because employees from those departments have been furloughed. SEN. GALLEGO CLASHES WITH CNBC HOST OVER DEMOCRATIC PUSH TO EXTEND OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES In addition, 56 VA regional benefits offices are closed to the public. More than 16,000 service members who are preparing to leave the military can’t receive VA transition briefings because the contract that provides for this service is not operational during the lapse in appropriations. And 157 VA national cemeteries across the country are no longer doing maintenance or placing permanent headstones. However, burials will also continue at VA national cemeteries. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP VA benefit claims continue to be processed and delivered, including compensation, pension, education and housing benefits, the agency said. Republicans have blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown, accusing them of prioritizing healthcare for illegal immigrants over taxpayers. Democrats say GOP leaders need to negotiate a bipartisan deal that also protects people from a spike in healthcare costs.
America’s quietest crop is set to take center stage in Trump-Xi talks
As President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to meet Thursday, one soft-spoken U.S. export star will take center stage: soybeans. The humble crop, a $30 billion pillar of U.S. agriculture exports, has become a powerful symbol of the economic interdependence and political tension between Washington and Beijing. In short, soybeans have come to embody the volatility of the U.S.–China trade war. Beijing halted purchases of American soybeans in response to Trump’s earlier tariffs on Chinese goods. China pivoted to suppliers in Brazil and Argentina, a move that underscored how quickly global trade patterns can shift and how vulnerable U.S. farmers are to diplomatic rifts between Washington and Beijing. CHINA TRADE FREEZE SQUEEZES US SOYBEAN FARMERS AS COSTS CLIMB, PROFITS VANISH What began as tit-for-tat posturing between the world’s two largest economies has turned into a symbolic and economic gut punch for Trump’s rural base, whose livelihoods depend on the very trade ties now caught in the crossfire. According to the American Soybean Association, the U.S. has traditionally served as China’s leading soybean source. Prior to the 2018 trade conflict, roughly 28% of U.S. soybean production was exported to China. Those crop exports fell sharply to 11% in 2018 and 2019, recovered to 31% by 2021 amid pandemic-era demand and eased back to 22% in 2024. But some policy experts argue that China’s shift away from U.S. soybeans was already underway. BEIJING IS QUIETLY DICTATING THE TRADE WAR’S NEXT MOVES AS TRUMP AND XI PREPARE TO MEET “China was always going to reduce its reliance on the United States for food security,” Bryan Burack, a senior policy advisor for China and the Indo-Pacific at the Heritage Foundation told Fox News Digital. “China started signing purchase agreements with other countries for soybeans well before President Trump took office.” He added that Beijing has “been decoupling from the U.S. for a long time.” “Unfortunately, the only way for us to respond is to do the same, and that process is painful and excruciating,” Burack said. But for farmers thousands of miles from Washington and Beijing, those policy shifts translate into shrinking markets and tighter margins. “We rely on trade with other countries, specifically China, to buy our soybeans,” Brad Arnold, a multigenerational soybean farmer in southwestern Missouri, told FOX Business. He said China’s decision to boycott U.S. soybean purchases “has huge impacts on our business and our bottom line.” AMERICAN SOYBEAN FARMERS FACE FINANCIAL CRISIS AS CHINA TRADE DISPUTE THREATENS LIVELIHOODS “There are domestic uses for soybeans, looking at renewable diesel, biodiesel specifically produced from soybeans,” Arnold said. “In the grand scheme of things, that’s such a small percentage currently, you know it’s going to take a customer like China to buy beans to make a noticeable impact. You can’t take our No. 1 customer, shut them off and just overnight find a replacement.” That reliance on China adds new weight to the diplomatic stage this week as Trump and Xi prepare to meet in South Korea. The two leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Busan, South Korea, marking their first in-person talks since Trump’s return to office. Ahead of the meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expected China to delay rare earth restrictions and resume U.S. soybean purchases, calling it part of a “substantial framework” both sides aim to maintain. Bessent also said that trade negotiations were moving toward averting a fresh 100% U.S. tariff on Chinese goods. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP And in a possible gesture of easing tensions, Reuters reported that China bought around 180,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans in the run-up to Trump and Xi’s meeting. Whether it marks a true thaw in U.S.–China trade relations or just a temporary reprieve, the purchase underscores how deeply intertwined diplomacy and agriculture remain. Fox Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.
Mike Bloomberg reiterates support for Andrew Cuomo as NYC mayoral race heats up in final stretch
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reaffirmed his support for Andrew Cuomo on social media Wednesday, saying the former New York governor’s experience and toughness make him the best choice to lead New York City as voters begin casting early ballots. Bloomberg said on X, “Four months ago I endorsed @AndrewCuomo because I thought his management experience and government know-how made him the best choice for New Yorkers. I still do. And today, with early voting underway, I wanted to reiterate my support for Andrew Cuomo. “Being Mayor of New York City is the second toughest job in America, and the next mayor will face immense challenges. “Andrew Cuomo has the experience and toughness to stand up for New Yorkers and get things done. I hope you will join me in supporting him.” NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI STILL HOLDS COMMANDING DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER RIVALS IN NYC MAYORAL RACE Fox News Digital has reached out to Cuomo’s campaign for comment on the matter. Bloomberg, who served three terms as mayor, first endorsed Cuomo two weeks before New York City’s June 24 primary, just four days before early voting began. At the time, Bloomberg said he cares “deeply about the future of our city, and since leaving office, it has been difficult to watch its struggles, especially since the pandemic. In sizing up the field in the race for mayor, there is one candidate whose management experience and government know-how stand above the others: Andrew Cuomo.” With just over a week until Election Day, state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani holds a double-digit, 10-point lead in the race for mayor of New York City, though Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to the latest public polling. NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI’S LEAD IS SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC SHOWDOWN Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from Queens, shocked the political world in June by defeating Cuomo and nine other candidates to win the Democratic nomination. He now holds 43% support among likely voters, according to a survey released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and is running as an independent after losing the primary, had 33% support in the poll. The survey was conducted Thursday through Monday, after incumbent Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Cuomo in a bid to defeat Mamdani. Adams, who had been seeking re-election as an independent, dropped out late last month, though his name remains on the ballot. FINAL STRETCH: MAMDANI’S LARGE LEAD SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC MAYORAL RACE Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, running again as the Republican nominee, had 14% support in the poll. The poll also showed 6% of likely voters are undecided and 3% refused to respond. Mamdani’s 10-point advantage over Cuomo is down from his 13-point lead in Quinnipiac’s previous poll, which was conducted at the beginning of October. Cuomo sharpened his attacks on Mamdani in the final stretch, warning that “mayhem” would follow a Mamdani victory. Meanwhile, Sliwa, a longtime fixture in New York City politics, has faced mounting pressure to drop out, clearing the way for a one-on-one race between Cuomo and Mamdani. Among those urging Sliwa to end his bid is billionaire businessman and conservative radio host John Catsimatidis, a top New York City Republican and ally of President Donald Trump. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Andrew Mark Miller and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.