FBI investigating claims of Comey-era ‘honeypot’ operation against Trump 2016 campaign: report
The FBI is reportedly beginning an investigation into allegations that the agency, when headed by then-Director James Comey, launched a “honeypot” operation to infiltrate the 2016 Trump campaign with two female agents. The Washington Times reported that the agency is looking into an alleged 2015 operation, which was revealed by a whistleblower in a disclosure to the House Judiciary Committee last year and was said to involve two agents acting as “honeypots” while traveling with the Trump team. “Honeypots” typically refer to undercover agents who act romantically interested in a target in order to draw out information. In the disclosure, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital, the whistleblower is said to be an FBI employee and was involved in an “off-the-books” investigation targeting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. The whistleblower reportedly claimed that they knew Comey had ordered a probe into Trump and had “personally directed it” shortly after Trump announced he was running for president. FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL VOWS TO RESTORE TRUST IN BUREAU, HUNT DOWN BAD ACTORS ‘IN EVERY CORNER OF THIS PLANET’ The whistleblower claimed two agents were inserted into the high levels of the campaign and were directed to act as “honeypots” and travel with Trump and his campaign staff. However, the investigation was allegedly closed because a media outlet obtained a photograph of one of the agents and was about to publish it. The whistleblower said they observed one or more employees being directed to never discuss the operation with anyone, including those involved in the operation. The Washington Times reported that the bureau, now headed by FBI Director Kash Patel, is looking for those employees. “The FBI has no comment,” the agency told Fox News Digital when reached for comment on Wednesday. HERE’S WHAT KASH PATEL’S FORMER COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING ABOUT HIM Patel was sworn in as FBI director last week and promised to rebuild trust in the FBI and end what he saw as the politicization of the agency. “The politicization of our justice system has eroded public trust — but that ends today,” he told Fox News Digital. “Let good cops be cops,” he said. “And rebuild trust in the FBI.” “Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the bureau and our partners, we will rebuild an FBI the American people can be proud of,” he said. FBI IGNORED ‘CLEAR WARNING SIGN’ OF CLINTON-LED EFFORT TO ‘MANIPULATE’ BUREAU FOR ‘POLITICAL PURPOSES’ Patel previously served as the chief investigator for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Throughout his investigation, he led the effort to uncover FISA abuse and exposed the FBI and the DOJ’s unlawful actions before federal court to illegally surveil Americans, including members of the 2016 Trump campaign. The alleged honeypot investigation is said to be separate from a 2016 FBI investigation, known as “Crossfire Hurricane,” which investigated whether the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia to influence the outcome of the election. Trump fired Comey in May 2017. Days later, Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel to take over the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe and investigate whether the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election cycle. That investigation yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election.
Eric Adams lawyers seek to dismiss charges with prejudice
Attorneys for New York City Mayor Eric Adams asked a U.S. judge to dismiss with prejudice all charges against their client on Wednesday, seeking to expedite the dismissal nearly two weeks after prosecutors moved to drop the corruption case. In the filing, Adams’ legal team asked the presiding judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, to grant the Justice Department‘s request to dismiss charges against Adams swiftly and with prejudice, arguing that an “extraordinary flurry” of leaks by prosecutors had violated Adams’ right to a fair trial. In particular, Adams’ lawyers pointed to the leaking of a Feb. 12 resignation letter by former acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, which they said “destroyed whatever presumption of innocence Mayor Adams had left.” TRUMP STRIPS SECURITY CLEARANCES FROM LAW FIRM TIED TO JACK SMITH CASES “In addition to violating Mayor Adams’s fundamental constitutional rights and ability to receive a fair trial, the government’s leaks violated numerous statutory and court rules, including the Justice Department’s own longstanding policies aimed at curbing prosecutorial misconduct,” they argued in the filing. The charges against Adams will remain intact until Judge Ho agrees to dismiss them. Adams was indicted last fall on five federal corruption and bribery charges tied to the alleged solicitation of illegal campaign contributions and the alleged receiving of luxury travel perks on behalf of Turkish foreign nationals, according to Justice Department documents. Adams pleaded not guilty to all charges and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. DEMOCRAT REP RITCHIE TORRES ENDORSES CUOMO FOR NEW YORK CITY MAYOR OVER ERIC ADAMS: REPORT U.S. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove asked federal prosecutors earlier this month to drop all corruption charges against the mayor— an unusual move, and one that requires the formal sign-off of the presiding judge in the case. In the motion to dismiss, Bove said the legal proceedings against Adams were detracting from other Justice Department priorities, such as illegal immigration and violent crime. However, Judge Ho declined to immediately grant the motion to dismiss at a court hearing last week, telling Bove and Adams’ legal team that he needed more time to further consider the facts. Ho also appointed former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement to argue against the motion to dismiss and to look into the Justice Department’s motives for dismissing the charges. He has instructed legal briefs to be filed on March 7 and, if necessary, said there would be a hearing on March 14. “This is a very complicated situation, at least from where I sit,” Ho said after the roughly 90-minute hearing last week, adding, “I’m not going to shoot from the hip right here on the bench.” Not dropping the charges against Adams is highly unusual, and no U.S. appellate court has ever sided with a federal judge who declined to grant an unopposed motion to dismiss. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on its view of the new filing and if it agreed with the assertion that the case against Adams should be dismissed with prejudice.
House DOGE hearing erupts over Democrat deeming Trump ‘grifter in chief,’ referring to ‘President Musk’
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Tuesday was slated to discuss billions of dollars in government waste identified by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), but first devolved into chaos when one Democrat repeatedly referred to the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as “President Musk” and to President Donald Trump as the “grifter in chief.” Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., kicked off the hearing by accusing Democrats of declining to participate with Republicans in their oversight plan. “Instead of working together that the Democrats informed us that they have amendments to the plan but are refusing to discuss them with me in advance. They kept any changes. They wanted a secret,” Comer said in opening remarks. “Democrats have rejected every opportunity offered to contribute to the oversight plan. So how am I supposed to incorporate secret opinions that they refuse to share? You may be asking yourself, ‘Why would the Democrats do that?’ Democrats say they want to participate in oversight, but if that were true, why would they decline multiple opportunities to actually engage in the plan for that oversight? Because they don’t want to participate. They want to stonewall and engage in theater.” Comer further charged that Democrats “would rather hear themselves talk about President Trump and the evil Elon Musk than work together on actual oversight that the American people are demanding,” adding that polling this week suggests “the American people overwhelmingly support the work President Trump and DOGE are doing.” FEDERAL WATCHDOG RELEASES FIRST DOGE-ERA REPORT DETAILING AREAS OF GOVERNMENT PRONE TO FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE Ranking Member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., shot back, criticizing the Republicans’ oversight plan over what he deemed leniency toward the Trump administration. “The sins of omission in this plan are damning,” Connolly contended. “My amendment would restore the committee’s proper role as a watchdog, not a lapdog.” Tensions across the aisle escalated when Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., addressed the committee. “People like the grifter in chief Trump and President Musk are openly using their public offices to enrich themselves to the tune of billions of dollars,” Frost charged. “So if we want to look at waste, fraud and abuse, which I’m down to do, why is there a complete silence on the other side of the aisle about looking at the complete grifter that is the President of the United States and the richest man on the earth…. Why don’t we investigate the real corruption?” An objection was raised by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Comer called a point of order. Frost contended he could refer to Elon Musk as the president and Connolly asserted that the First Amendment had not been suspended. Comer asked Frost if he would like to “revise” his remarks regarding the president, who is protected by House and committee rules of decorum, but Frost did not back down. “I’ll say President Musk and grifter in chief Trump,” Frost began, before another point of order was called. Committee members began to shout over one another, until Comer again gave Frost a chance to revise his statements. WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BACK ON REPORT CLAIMING SOME CANCELED DOGE CONTRACTS WON’T SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY “President Musk and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who is engaged in grifting of the American people, often use their public offices to enrich themselves,” Frost said, until Comer stopped him. Addressing the motion against Frost for “disparaging the president,” Comer told Frost, “If you’re willing to request unanimous consent to withdraw the disparaging comments about President Trump, I guess you can disparage Elon Musk if you want.” “I will withdraw grifter in chief,” Frost said. “I will say the president’s grifting because you spent the last two years saying President Biden was corrupt.” “I can say that Trump is grifting. What I will withdraw is calling him grifter in chief,” Frost added. Comer said Frost was barred from further participating in the hearing, but Connolly challenged the chair’s ruling and called for a vote. It was voted that Frost’s words should be taken down, and he was not permitted to speak for the rest of the hearing, but he interjected, “It’s despicable that this committee is going to silence me.” “Mr. Ranking Member, I’m going to have the sergeant remove him if he doesn’t refrain,” Comer said. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., and other Democrats further shouted in defense of “free speech,” before Comer again attempted to get the hearing back on course. “We have a hearing on waste, fraud and abuse that hasn’t even begun,” Comer said. “The organizational thing just normally lasts five or 10 minutes. We’ve been in here 35 minutes arguing over the same things…. We’ve got to get to business. If we want to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, we’ve got witnesses waiting. We have tried to do this. The debate has gone on well beyond what was expected.” After about 40 minutes of back and forth, the hearing went into recess. When it returned, the committee heard from GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro regarding the watchdog’s recommendations for DOGE. Frost continued the feud online, writing in an X post, “James Comer can hide behind the Sergeant in Arms and try to have me removed, arrested, and silenced… But that’s not going to stop me from calling out Donald Trump’s grift and his bullsh–” “These snowflakes are really pissed off about me saying President Musk and calling Trump the Grifter-in-Chief. I guess the truth can be tough for some people,” he added from his campaign account.
Blue state sheriff unleashes on ‘un-American’ sanctuary laws, makes special offer to Homan
EXCLUSIVE: As most leaders in deep blue Washington state double down on sanctuary policies and refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Sheriff Bob Songer of Klickitat County is pledging to support federal immigration enforcement in any way he can, telling Tom Homan to “put me on speed dial.” In December, Songer published a video through the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office’s official Facebook page in which he said the Biden administration had “allowed our country to be invaded” and publicly vowed to help ICE enforce immigration law. Songer’s stance flies directly in the face of Washington’s migrant sanctuary laws, which prohibit law enforcement from assisting federal authorities in enforcing immigration laws. It also puts him at odds with other law enforcement authorities in the state and Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson, who has vowed to “protect law-abiding Washington families” including the “overwhelming majority of undocumented residents” who he said are “decent, hard-working, law-abiding residents.” ALLEGED FENTANYL-SMUGGLING IMMIGRANTS LEAD POLICE ON DANGEROUS CORNFIELD CHASE Uncowed by this, Songer – who, after serving in law enforcement for 56 years, is currently serving his third term as sheriff – said, “I will cooperate with ICE 100 percent because they’re doing the right thing.” In an interview with Fox News Digital, he explained that, despite being a small, rural county in Washington, illegal immigrants regularly pass through the county and very often receive government benefits paid for by the taxpayers. “When people have invaded our country across the southern border and even the northern border, Canada, our government, it’s their job to protect our American citizens by preventing that invasion,” he said. “Why would any governor, any mayor, any county commissioner, or any sheriff or police chief knowingly allow criminals, serious criminals for murder, rape, whatever, protect them from immigration, protect them from ICE?” “So why am I standing up against that?” he continued. “You bet I’m saying that Tom Homan, if you wish to contact me, I’ll give you my phone number, he can have me on speed dial.” TOM HOMAN TELLS MIGRANT TERROR GROUPS TRUMP WILL ‘WIPE YOU OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH’ Songer said there are two main reasons for his bold stance. First, he believes Washington’s sanctuary law is unconstitutional, and secondly, he feels the U.S. citizens of Klickitat County are demanding it. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “I honestly believe that it’s the best thing for our citizens,” he explained, adding: “You know what’s neat about an elected sheriff versus police chief … an elected sheriff is elected by the people. His or her only boss is the people, not the governor, not the county commissioners, not anybody but the people themselves. That’s the sheriff’s boss.” Responding to criticisms from Democrats and the media that not all illegal immigrants should be arrested and deported by ICE, Songer said, “They’ll try to tell you, ‘well, those who just waded across the Rio Grande, that’s a civil infraction,’ that’s bull, it’s a crime under federal law. Period. No matter what their intentions were.” TEXAS GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES CRACKDOWN ON MASSIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY NEAR MAJOR CITY “They’re coming into this country across the border with no legal representation at all. In other words, they know they’re breaking the law. Why not? They get free phones, free medical, free sign up, it’s Christmas for them,” he said. “And at the same time, our government, Democrat government, they didn’t give a d— about veterans or homeless that are U.S. citizens.” “I know Washington State is a blue, blue, blue sanctuary state. It’s scary to live in this kind of atmosphere,” he concluded. “But I wanted to make it clear and make it known to Tom Homan and President Trump and Vance, the vice president, that as long as I’m in office … I will totally cooperate with it and I want them to know that all they got to do is reach out and ask for assistance in Klickitat County, and I’ll be there, standing at attention and willing to carry out the duties.”
Ratcliffe shrugs off concerns about potential threat of fired agents armed with CIA’s secrets
FIRST ON FOX: CIA Director John Ratcliffe is unconcerned by speculation that agents who are fired under Department of Government Efficiency cuts may take the nation’s secrets to foreign adversaries. “Any individual who would be willing to sell the Nation’s secrets to a foreign adversary has no place working at the Agency that plays an incredible role in keeping Americans safe every day,” Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital in a statement. CNN reported on Monday that mass firings and buyouts offered to agents were under discussion among CIA “top leadership,” who were apparently worried that losing their jobs might prompt disgruntled former officers to take their classified intelligence to foreign intelligence services like those of China or Russia. “You’re telling me that a professional setback could cause people to risk the consequences of treason and betray their country, and your argument is that those are the kind of people who should stay inside CIA?” a source familiar with the CIA head’s thinking added to Fox News Digital. “There’s a general sense that it’s more of a justification for maintaining the status quo, but if potential traitors are there, it’s hard to argue the solution is for them to continue maintaining access to the nation’s secrets.” NSA INVESTIGATES ‘SECRET SEX CHATS’ UNDER GUISE OF DEI ON INTERNAL AGENCY MESSAGE BOARD “You’re just rolling the dice that these folks are gonna honor their secrecy agreement and not volunteer to a hostile intelligence service,” an unnamed U.S. official reportedly told CNN. The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently tried to fire 51 employees who worked on diversity issues, and newer employees are potentially on the chopping block to comply with a government-wide effort to root out probationary employees before they earn civil service protection. A judge put the diversity firings on pause after agents sued to stop them. Kevin Carroll, an attorney who represents 19 of the CIA officers affected, said his clients were just “regular American intelligence officers” who had been assigned to complete diversity tasks on a rotational basis or in addition to their day jobs. “Some of these people are like 18 years in, they’re a couple years short of their pensions. So firing them instead of just letting them first look for another job in the agency or elsewhere in the intel community, is a lack of due process,” he told Fox News Digital. “These people had regular career paths within the intel community and were slotted into these jobs for a bit. That’s all.” JUDGE BLOCKS PARTS OF TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS TARGETING DEI, CITING FREE SPEECH A judge will determine whether to offer injunctive relief on Thursday. The CIA also offered buyouts to employees who offered to resign, in line with a government-wide push to trim the federal workforce, but it’s not clear how many employees were offered and accepted the offer. Earlier this month, the agency reportedly sent an unclassified email listing the names of agents, first name and last initial, who had been there less than two years to the White House, prompting concerns those names could fall into the wrong hands. Though the exact number of people employed by the CIA is classified, the agency is known to employ thousands who engage in covert collection and analysis of intelligence, both at its Virginia headquarters and overseas. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Foreign adversaries like China and Russia are known to target former U.S. intelligence officials, offering them large sums of money for the classified information they are privy to. The Justice Department has charged multiple former military and intel officials for providing information to China. The CIA was known for friction with the White House during Trump’s first administration but was hit with a wave of retirements in 2021 and 2022 as those who were recruited after the September 11, 2001, attacks hit their 20-year mark. The agency hit a recruiting high point again in 2024.
States fire back against ‘sanctuary’ resistance as they rally around Trump’s deportation efforts
A number of states are stepping up to aid the Trump administration in its efforts to arrest and deport millions of illegal immigrants, with Republican states countering the pushback against the operation from “sanctuary” jurisdictions. The Florida Sheriff’s Association announced last week that jails in all of Florida’s 67 counties have now entered into 287(g) agreements, which originate from a Clinton-era immigration law and allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate immigration functions to state and local law enforcement. Additionally, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this month that the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida State Guard had also entered into agreements. FLORIDA SHERIFF SAYS ICE PARTNERSHIP ONLY THE BEGINNING IN ILLEGAL MIGRANT CRACKDOWN “With the head of steam that President Trump has, being swept into office with this as the centerpiece of his agenda, now is the final time, final opportunity to end the illegal immigration crisis in this country once and for all, we need to be willing partners with the federal administration,” he said at a press conference. ICE said the agreements allow state and local authorities to “to act as a force multiplier in the identification, arrest, and service of warrants and detainers on foreign-born individuals arrested on local criminal charges.” A number of state and local law enforcement agencies entered into 287(g) agreements during the first Trump administration, but there were no new additions during the Biden administration, which largely limited interior enforcement. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January green-lighting new 287(g) agreements. The agreements come in three forms: a jail enforcement model to identify removal of immigrants with charges or convictions arrested by state or local law enforcement; a task force model that allows agencies to enforce immigration law during police duties; and a warrant service officer program that allows ICE to train agencies to execute warrants in their jails. ICE now says that as of this week, they have jail agreements with 60 law enforcement agencies in 16 states, warrant agreements with 80 law enforcement agencies in 12 states and task force agreements with 15 agencies in six states. While many of those agreements were signed in 2019 and 2020, agreements signed in 2025 include agencies from Florida, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, according to ICE’s website. FLORIDA SHERIFF ASKS TRUMP’S ICE TO REMOVE BIDEN-ERA ‘SHACKLES’ There are additional pending applications from local agencies in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee and Wyoming, according to ICE. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced last week that his office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation were entering into agreements that see agents receive ICE training. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “All across Kansas, illegal aliens who are dangerous criminals or gang members are released back to the streets on a regular basis. That will end. This agreement will ensure that those criminals are deported,” Kobach said. Meanwhile, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced agreements with Oklahoma’s Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Narcotics and Bureau of Investigation. “Law enforcement can’t do their jobs with one hand tied behind their back. By working directly with ICE, our law enforcement officers now have additional tools to keep dangerous criminals off our streets and protect Oklahomans,” Stitt explained. “Oklahoma is proud to lead the way in strengthening border security from the state’s side and enforcing the rule of law.” The agreements show the willingness of authorities in states across the country to help the Trump administration in its promise to ramp up arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants. It counteracts the moves by “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit or forbid local or state cooperation with ICE. The Trump administration has already started legal action against some of those jurisdictions, and has been pushing back against officials who are touting those policies.
White House explains bruise on Trump’s hand seen during Macron meeting
The bruise seen on the back of President Donald Trump’s hand is from him “constantly” shaking other people’s hands, the White House said. Trump was photographed earlier this week with a bruise on his right hand as he met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. “President Trump is a man of the people,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News. “His commitment is unwavering, and he proves that every single day.” FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON TELLS TRUMP TO ‘BE CAREFUL’ IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS TO END RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE “President Trump has bruises on his hand because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day,” she added. TRUMP’S BUDGET BILL WITH $4.5 TRILLION IN TAX CUTS SURVIVES HOUSE VOTE The White House did not immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request for comment by Fox News Digital. Around Thanksgiving last year, Trump, during an interview with TIME magazine, was asked about the bruising, and he said, “It’s from shaking hands with thousands of people.”
Gretchen Whitmer sounds off on push to condemn US Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling: ‘Hell no’
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, spoke out against a proposed resolution that condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges gay marriage ruling. The resolution declares that “the Michigan House of Representatives reaffirms the definition of marriage as put forth by the Michigan voters and enshrined in our Constitution: a union between one man and one woman.” The state’s constitution stipulates “the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose.” ICE ARRESTS HOMELESS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO ASKED TO BE DETAINED OR ELSE HE WOULD ‘GO OUT AND COMMIT CRIMES’ But the landmark high court decision forced states to allow gay marriages. The opinion asserts “same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry. No longer may this liberty be denied to them.” The proposed resolution is being pushed by state Rep. Josh Schriver and multiple other Michigan state lawmakers. “Has Obergefell v. Hodges not widened a portal, where gays, queers, transsexuals, polygamists, minor-attracted persons, and other perverts advance attacks on our children?” Schriver asked. JUDGE ORDERS WALMART SHOPLIFTERS TO WASH CARS IN STORE PARKING LOT “Now is the time to do the right thing. Now is the time to reassert the sovereignty of Christ as our king. Now is the time to restore the authority of God and submit our will to He who knows what’s best,” he declared. Whitmer decried the effort in a video, saying that “some extreme members” are requesting for the nation’s high court “to overturn marriage equality.” “Here’s my response to that: Hell no,” she declared in the video posted to social media on Tuesday. MICHIGAN MOM WHO BRAVED FLAMES FOR SON IN HYPERBARIC CHAMBER EXPLOSION STRESSES TREATMENT DANGERS: ATTORNEY CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Schriver had recently urged people to pray for the governor, tweeting on Sunday, “Pray for Gretchen Whitmer today.”
Massachusetts select board removes town administrator following controversy over Trump flag
The town of West Boylston, Massachusetts, voted to fire its administrator following a dispute over a Trump flag hanging in the police station. The vote took place during a closed-door Zoom meeting “to discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual.” The result was a 4-1 vote to remove former Town Administrator James Ryan. TRUMP FLAG IN MASSACHUSETTS POLICE STATION GYM DIVIDES TOWN AS CHIEF, OFFICIAL FEUD OVER ITS REMOVAL: REPORT The dispute allegedly began when Ryan toured the police station in January and viewed a Trump flag hanging in its gymnasium. At the time, Ryan claimed the flag was a civil rights violation, according to a statement. Police Chief Dennis W. Minnich, Sr., removed the flag but alleges that Ryan later had a town employee sneak into the police station after hours to verify the flag was removed. According to him, at that time a new flag was then hanging, but has since been taken down. TRUMP PARDONS FORMER DC POLICE OFFICERS CONVICTED IN DEATH OF MEN DURING DEADLY PURSUIT Minnich says he was “targeted” and sent a three-page memo to the Board of Selectmen to request “an immediate and thorough review” of Ryan’s actions. “Either he’s gone or I’m gone,” Minnich said Friday. “I’m going to take all vacation time until this is resolved. I’m not reporting to the guy. I don’t trust him. There’s no trust there.” The select board said Ryan’s firing had nothing to do with the police dispute, but him allegedly sending an employee inside the station that could have seen private information. Ryan’s attorney, John Clifford, said in a statement that his client was “disappointed” with the select board’s decision. “James acknowledges that he could have handled the situation differently, but his insistence that there be no political signs in a public building was completely justified,” the statement read. “In tonight’s meeting, James expressed his sincere regret that he had any role in what became an embarrassment and distraction for the entire town. While he knows he may have made some mistakes as a very new town administrator, he is not responsible for the controversy that has ensued.” Clifford released a statement on Ryan’s behalf which read, in part: “James will be reviewing his options with respect to litigating his termination, but he would like to make it clear that he has no ill feelings toward town employees, volunteer officials, or the citizens of West Boylston. He remains grateful for the short opportunity to serve in West Boylston and wishes the town the best of luck in the future.”
New poll finds about half of rural young people feel job market pressures in their hometowns
A new Gallup-Walton Family Foundation survey released Wednesday shows that nearly half of rural Generation Z Americans feel they can’t find fulfilling work in their communities and are considering moving. Rural Gen-Zers are also nearly 20 percentage points more likely to feel that way than their urban brethren. Urban young people also have a higher confidence in their ability to land crucial internships out of school, and parents of rural youths are similarly concerned about quality-of-life issues for their grown children and in their ability to accomplish their goals. Forty-nine percent of Gen Zers believe they can find a worthy job at home. Thirty-eight percent say they’re confident in their internship searches. LGBT AMERICANS REACH RECORD NUMBER, MORE LIKELY TO BE DEMOCRAT: POLL The pressures of the contemporary occupational landscape are also leading 77% of Gen Z adults to seek to move away from their hometowns, if they are able. But that feeling is met with countervailing sentiment against leaving home. More than half of urban Gen Zers say they are comfortable relocating out of state or even outside the U.S., while about half in rural areas prefer to entertain moving to another place within their state, at most. About two-fifths would consider moving out of state and only a few percent would think to leave the U.S. for a job. “The desire to stay closer to home contrasts with those in urban areas who are more likely to say they would like to leave their state (54%), or even the country (15%),” the poll found. “Career and education opportunities strongly influence young people’s decisions to relocate, but rural Gen Zers often face limited access compared to their urban peers,” said Stephanie Marken, senior partner for U.S. research at Gallup. “Expanding access to job training, career opportunities and higher education in rural areas could help more young people stay connected to their communities while pursuing their goals.” TRUMP’S SURPRISING NEW POLL NUMBERS Only one-fifth of adult Gen Z Americans who have moved away from their home areas mentioned the ability to live financially comfortably. Many, however, still love their hometowns despite a changing job landscape in recent years and decades. The panel was conducted in November, the week of the presidential election. Pollsters sampled 3,963 people ranging in age from 12 to 27 in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. They were randomly selected using an address-based methodology, but the polling firm also said it uses random-digit telephone dialing to cover both landlines and cellphones. The margin of error was +/- 2.3 percentage points overall. A total of 382 respondents were in rural areas with a 7.3 percentage point margin, and 2,969 were from urban areas with a 2.7 percentage point margin of error. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Despite facing fewer job and education opportunities, rural Gen Zers remain deeply connected to their communities, with their desire to move only slightly numerically higher than their urban peers (82% vs. 78%). The co-leader of the poll, the Walton Family Foundation, was launched by late Walmart founder Samuel Walton and his wife, Helen. The foundation seeks to improve the U.S. education system, communities and waterways, particularly in northwest Arkansas, where the family and mega-store chain are both based.