SEE IT: Mark Kelly blames Trump’s agenda for boosting AOC as Dems presidential pick
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., argued that President Donald Trump is driving Democratic voters toward far-left candidates like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after the New York Democrat topped a recent 2028 presidential primary poll. A recent New Hampshire poll found Ocasio-Cortez was the top choice among likely Democratic voters for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination. Kelly placed third with 9% support, behind Ocasio-Cortez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, while ahead of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris. The poll comes as several self-described Democratic Socialists have defeated more moderate Democrats in recent primary elections, showing the growing influence of the party’s progressive wing. Kelly has teased a run for president in 2028, recently saying in an NBC interview that it is part of an ongoing discussion with his family that he has “plenty of time” to decide on. HASAN PIKER MAKES AOC HIS 2028 PICK FOR PRESIDENT, SAYS IT’S ‘NOT EVEN A QUESTION’ “I don’t know about her message, but people are really struggling,” Kelly told Fox News Digital about why Ocasio-Cortez was Democrats top 2028 pick. Fox News Digital asked Kelly why Ocasio-Cortez and other candidates associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are resonating with the Democratic voters ahead of upcoming election seasons. “The policies of this president — supporting billionaires over hardworking people,” Kelly said. “1% of the country now owns more wealth than the middle class, and I think it’s a response to that.” BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS In 2021, Federal Reserve data showed the top 1% of households now hold more wealth than the bottom 60% combined for the first time since the central bank began tracking the data in 1989. Trump has defended his economic agenda as aimed at boosting middle-class Americans through tax relief and lower costs, pointing to efforts to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay and lower energy costs. Kelly said voters’ frustration with Trump’s policies is driving support for candidates like Ocasio-Cortez, while also criticizing the president more broadly. LIZ PEEK: TRUMP IS STARVING THE MACHINE THAT CREATES AMERICA’S SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONARIES “It’s unfortunate we have people like this running the government and I think people are really frustrated,” Kelly said about Trump to Fox News Digital. “I mean this president doesn’t prioritize anybody but him and his family,” Kelly said. “The corruption is just off the charts. “
Trump reflects on infamous phone-number stunt that sparked friendship with Graham
In an emotional farewell Tuesday, President Donald Trump paid tribute to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., recounting how their relationship evolved from fierce political foes into close allies and friends. Trump said the turning point came after he publicly revealed Graham’s cellphone number during a campaign rally in Bluffton, S.C., in 2015 — a decision he acknowledged Tuesday was a mistake. “As you remember, Lindsey and I did not exactly get off to the best of starts,” Trump said during his eulogy address at the Washington National Cathedral, adding that Graham had said something “nasty” when they were both running for the 2016 presidential nomination. “So naturally, I did something that I shouldn’t have done,” the president continued. “I shared his personal cellphone number with the millions of people that happened to be watching that particular day as I made a speech, a very important speech.” FROM ‘DISGRACE’ TO ‘FAMILY’: TRUMP’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY WITH LINDSEY GRAHAM “And I remember the number (202) 228-0292 if anybody wants to give it a shot,” Trump went on, sparking laughter in the room. “His phone exploded. He said, ‘I had that number for 20 years.’ His phone totally — I don’t know what he did with it. But it exploded,” Trump said. “That was the beginning of a friendship, in a way.” “But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh, because while I blew up his phone all for one day, we became great friends and Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years,” Trump continued. The unlikely friendship grew to include frequent rounds of golf and late-night phone calls as Graham became a leading advocate for Trump’s legislative agenda. Since Graham’s death earlier this month, Trump has repeatedly spoken about the senator’s constant presence in his life. LINDSEY GRAHAM’S FINAL MISSION NEARS FINISH LINE AS WORLD LEADERS GATHER TO HONOR HIM And before the service began, before the cameras began rolling, before the speeches, and before Graham’s casket arrived, the Washington National Cathedral became a gathering place for those who the late lawmaker knew, worked alongside, advocated for, and, at times, fought. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, two of Graham’s closest allies on the world stage, both attended — holding court separately among the sea of lawmakers and Cabinet members filing into the cathedral. Much of the Senate attended, too, including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who wore a suit. A rare sight not seen even at Trump’s second inauguration. Meanwhile, Trump’s affection for Graham was visible throughout his remarks. He called him a “beloved friend, a devoted brother, a respected statesman, a giant of the United States Senate, and a true American original who left us much too soon.” “For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this Capitol without Lindsey Graham knowing about it,” Trump reflected. “Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it. And no bill became law… without Lindsey Graham having a say in it. He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart.”
Trump says heroic teen lifeguard who saved boy from towering waves deserves White House honor
President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised the teenage lifeguard who went viral after rescuing a young boy from towering waves in Santa Cruz, California, saying he wants to invite the teen to the White House and potentially award him a high civilian honor. The lifeguard, identified as 16-year-old Ryder on social media, was captured in a heart-stopping video Saturday battling massive surf as he repeatedly disappeared beneath crashing waves while maintaining a relentless grip on the child he was rescuing. After seeing the dramatic rescue, Trump said the teen deserved national recognition. “We’re going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor. Very brave, he deserves it!” Trump said in a post on X. HEROIC 16-YEAR-OLD LIFEGUARD RESCUES CHILD FROM MONSTER SURF IN HEART-STOPPING VIDEO Hours earlier, Eric Trump also praised the rescue on social media, calling for the teen to receive the nation’s highest civilian recognition. “Give this 16-year-old lifeguard the highest civilian honor. This is truly the best of America! Well done!” he said. The rescue drew thousands of reactions online, with many praising Ryder for battling powerful waves that appeared too dangerous even for bystanders who attempted to help. One person claiming to have witnessed the rescue said it lasted far longer than the viral video showed. Beachgoers reportedly formed a human chain in an effort to help before it was eventually broken apart by the pounding surf, according to social media users. MAN, WOMAN KILLED IN RIP CURRENT AS LIFEGUARD SHORTAGE LEAVES DANGER ZONES IN BEACH DESTINATION After pulling the child safely onto the beach, Ryder reportedly sprinted past his lifeguard tower to get aid as paramedics arrived to evaluate the boy, the witness said. Despite the dramatic rescue, Ryder later returned to duty and continued watching over beachgoers for the rest of the evening. The rescue may have come during Ryder’s first season as a lifeguard. California State Parks requires state lifeguards to be at least 16 years old. Another social media user who said she knew Ryder emphasized how extraordinary the rescue was. “I’m not sure how many people know how hard it is to hold onto someone like that in the ocean, during these heavy conditions and pounding shore break. This lifeguard handled it like a pro, pulled him in most of the way solo and never gave up. Taht is a feat in itself, especially in those conditions. A true Hero & waterman. I seriously hope he gets recognized for this,” the user said. Other people claiming to have witnessed the incident said the surf had initially appeared relatively calm, with many beachgoers standing at the water’s edge when a massive wave suddenly crashed ashore. “It was so big it nearly reached us by our things all the way up the beach!” the witness said. Seabright Beach is known for its powerful shore break, with waves shaped by swells arriving from multiple directions, creating hazardous conditions even for experienced swimmers.
Haley Stevens shreds Abdul El-Sayed: ‘We don’t need a celebrity candidate’
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., repeatedly called Abdul El-Sayed the “celebrity” candidate in the Michigan Senate race during Monday’s Senate Democratic debate, arguing that El-Sayed’s podcast, books and political activism pale in comparison to her time in Congress. The race between Stevens and El-Sayed has become a microcosm of the battle over the Democratic Party’s future. On Aug. 4, Democratic voters will decide whether to back Stevens, who has the support of the Democratic establishment, or El-Sayed, a socialist-supported challenger who has called for abolishing ICE and is strongly critical of the United States’ support for Israel. In her opening remarks, Stevens rattled off her qualifications as the Democratic Party’s best chance of winning the Senate race, pointing to flipping her seat in 2018, being named Michigan’s most effective Democratic lawmaker by the Center for Effective Lawmaking in 2025 and being endorsed by Democratic Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “My only focus is you,” Stevens said. “Abdul is running for celebrity. Republicans are propping up his campaign, and Mike Rogers, just the other day said in a secret phone call that he made it easier for him to win, that he’s the one he wants to run against.” DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’ Stevens was referring to a phone conversation Republican candidate Mike Rogers had with supporters last month in which he said his campaign would be in “good shape” if El-Sayed were the nominee. “Look, this isn’t about the D.C. or New York influencer crowd,” Stevens said. “This is about putting Michigan first.” Later in the debate, Stevens said she is standing up to Trump’s “abuses of powers,” while taking a dig at Abdul by saying she’s doing so without “shouting into a bullhorn, not getting in front of the first camera I see, but doing the hard work.” SWING-STATE POLL SPELLS TROUBLE FOR FAR LEFT AS SCHUMER-BACKED CANDIDATE DOMINATES WITH CRITICAL VOTING BLOCS “Look, my opponent here, Abdul, he is such a talented guy,” Stevens said, referring to his three books and his podcast America Dissected. “He’s had all this attention, but the deal is, we don’t need a celebrity candidate. We don’t need a celebrity.” Stevens then pointed to her six years in the House of Representatives, saying she has been committed to “hard, unglamorous work.” “That’s going to stand up to this junk that is wreaking havoc and causing chaos right before our very eyes,” Stevens said. Stevens suggested that Abdul’s Senate campaign is just another “rung on the ladder” for him, pointing to his failed 2018 gubernatorial bid. “It didn’t work out, so he started the podcast, he wrote the books, and now he’s running for Senate, and he’s already bought the website for president,” Stevens said. In response, El-Sayed accused Stevens of “cowardice” over her past votes to increase ICE funding, saying the agency should be completely abolished. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE “So yeah, I’m going to take the bullhorn and I’m going to say that I think we need to abolish ICE because I am not afraid of what they’re going to say about me,” he said. He also suggested that Stevens’ focus on his public health podcast was a distraction from the issues that matter most to voters, such as affordability. “Congresswoman, if you enjoy podcasts about public health, I welcome you to take a listen. You seem very concerned about that,” El-Sayed said. “I’m more concerned about the fact that people can’t pay for their gas, they can’t pay for their groceries.” The open Senate race in Michigan has garnered national attention, with outside groups spending more than $52 million on the race through mid-July, most of it in support of Stevens, according to an OpenSecrets analysis of FEC reports. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER El-Sayed, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., has painted Stevens as the candidate of large super PACs such as AIPAC, while saying he has not received a single dollar from corporate interests or super PACs. Before running for Congress, El-Sayed served as Wayne County director of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, the Republican Party has deemed Michigan to be one of best pickup opportunities in its effort to maintain control of the Senate. Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed and Stevens’ campaigns for comment.
Trump’s war on fraud expands as Treasury launches new site with whistleblower incentives
FIRST ON FOX: Americans could soon cash in on exposing fraud as President Donald Trump’s Treasury Department prepares to launch a program paying whistleblowers, Fox News Digital has learned. The Treasury Department has created an online tip line that incentivize Americans to bring allegations of fraud directly to the administration in an effort to increase transparency and crack down on abuse of taxpayer dollars. The website encourages people to “blow the whistle on fraud, money laundering and sanctions/tax violations.” And those who report explicit details of legitimate fraudulent transactions could see a pay day for their information. “Whistleblowers play a critical role in protecting the integrity of our financial system,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News Digital. THE WAR ON FRAUD IS HERE, AND VICE PRESIDENT VANCE IS LEADING IT FROM THE FRONT “Today, on National Whistleblower Day, Treasury launched a new webpage that brings our whistleblower programs together in one place, making it easier to find information and navigate the reporting process,” he continued. Awards for whistleblowers could range between 10% and 30% of the total amount in penalties recovered from successful enforcement operations carried out by the Departments of Treasury and Justice. The rollout marks the latest step in the Trump administration’s broader campaign to root out fraud across federal programs after officials argued billions in taxpayer dollars have been lost to waste, abuse and organized criminal schemes. The program works alongside the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — a federal initiative led by Vice President JD Vance that President Donald Trump established by executive order earlier this year. It also mirrors a similar program that was used to root out illicit money movements in Minnesota in the midst of the Feeding Our Futures fraud scandal. The new website consolidates Treasury’s existing whistleblower programs into a single public portal, allowing for fraud report submissions to go through one website that routes tips to the department’s various enforcement bureaus. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S LANDLORD JOINS VANCE FRAUD CRACKDOWN AS WHITE HOUSE WIDENS HUNT: ‘CRITICAL FORCE’ It also serves as a hub for Treasury’s broader anti-fraud campaign, with initiatives ranging from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fraud investigations and sanctions enforcement to financial institution alerts, whistleblower protections and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vance. “Fighting fraud is a core national security and taxpayer protection mission for Treasury,” a Treasury spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Bessent has directed the Department to modernize its tools, strengthen partnerships with financial institutions and law enforcement, and aggressively pursue those who steal from the American people. Treasury is committed to preventing fraud before it occurs, disrupting criminal networks that exploit government programs, and holding bad actors accountable.” Both the new whistleblower program and anti-fraud task force were created in response to the massive fraud scandal in Minnesota that triggered investigations that later exposed taxpayer dollar abuse statewide. The exposed fraud included allegations that the state’s Somali community was exploiting social services to send millions of dollars to those unqualified to receive financial assistance, including al Qaeda-linked terror groups. “President Trump has been clear that Americans have a right to know that their tax dollars are not being diverted to fund acts of global terror or to fund luxury cars for fraudsters,” a statement from Bessent featured on the new website reads. “At Treasury, we follow the money.” JACOB FREY PRAISES SOMALI COMMUNITY AS MINNESOTA FACES RENEWED SCRUTINY OVER FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS “We did it with the mafia, we have done it with all the cartels, and we’re doing it with the Somali fraudsters,” he went on in the public statement. “We are going to offer whistleblower payments to anyone who wants to tell us the who, what, when, where and how this fraud and money laundering occurred.” The portal provides direct reporting links to Treasury bureaus including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the IRS and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, allowing tips to be routed to the agency best equipped to investigate them. Treasury has not yet specified how whistleblower payments will be calculated or which cases would qualify for financial rewards.
Acting DNI touts ‘approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago’ as Senate poised to confirm Trump nominee
Acting Director of National Intelligence William Pulte has announced a fifth wave of office downsizing. “Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago,” he wrote in a Tuesday post on X. “The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class,” he added. ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ANNOUNCES 4TH WAVE OF LAYOFFS Pulte on Sunday had announced the completion of a fourth batch of layoffs from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). “Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute. As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank you!” he declared in a Sunday night post on X. In a July 10 post, he had stated, “U.S. National Intelligence is operating more efficiently and effectively than ever before, and today, we started a third round of reducing redundant, or non-critical, personnel. DNI’s future is exceptionally bright, and will be focused on following the law and the statute.” Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, took on the role of acting DNI last month as Tulsi Gabbard, who had been serving as DNI, departed the role due to her husband’s cancer battle. TRUMP’S DNI PICK JAY CLAYTON LOCKS HORNS WITH DEMOCRATIC SENATOR IN FIERY CONFIRMATION HEARING CLASH Prior to when Pulte took the helm at ODNI last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that during an interview, President Donald Trump said he had informed Pulte that he thought the ODNI was “unnecessary and/or too big.” “I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” the president said, pointing to Obama and Biden administration carryovers, according to the Journal. Asked if he was calling on Pulte to terminate workers, the president stated that he wanted Pulte to “start the process,” noting that the eventual DNI nominee should carry on that effort, the outlet reported. In part of a June Truth Social post, Trump declared, “I have named William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, who will take over on June 19th, and have asked him to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies.” Fox News Digital reached out to ODNI on Tuesday asking for clarification on the reported 30% staffing reduction. SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR TRUMP’S TOP SPY AS KEY ANTI-TERROR PROGRAM REMAINS IN LIMBO Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said during a Senate floor speech last month that he had spoken with the acting DNI, who he says agreed “that we need to return the ODNI to its original size, scope, and mission by spinning off some of these functional… centers and sending intelligence officers who have been detailed there back to their home agencies so they can do actual intelligence work.” “He informed me that yes, a small handful of front office personnel are leaving federal employment, which is not at all uncommon when a senior leader leaves an agency or one comes into an agency,” Cotton said. “He also said that a few dozen, around 45 or 50, career officers are, in fact, returning to their home agencies.” Trump last month announced that he was tapping U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton as his DNI nominee. The Senate is slated to vote on confirming Clayton on Tuesday night.
House committee passes Foreign Funding Transparency Act to expose foreign donations to nonprofits
Lawmakers are seeking to expose foreign nationals who may be funneling money and donations through tax-exempt organizations to political committees as the House Ways and Means Committee passed a bill that would revise reporting requirements for tax-exempt groups. The Foreign Funding Transparency Act, which passed 23-18 in the committee last Wednesday, would require tax-exempt organizations to collect and report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) donations received from foreign nationals. “For far too long, foreign influence and interference have plagued our tax-exempt sector,” committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement. “Foreign donations have no place in American politics, particularly when the sole goal is to manipulate our public discourse, promote propaganda and support violence.” Smith noted that many of the protests and demonstrations that take place across the U.S. appear to be grassroots but are actually well-organized and well-funded, often by groups within what he described as “shadowy networks.” “As the Ways and Means Committee conducted its investigation into the nation’s tax-exempt sector, it became clear that shadowy networks of well-funded organizations have been enjoying lucrative tax benefits for decades, while simultaneously accepting donations and direction from foreign nationals,” Smith added. “From the outside, it looks like a movement, but once you see how the money flows, it becomes clear that this is a machine,” he added. The bill’s passage came just a week after Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for global cooperation at a summit in Washington to combat far-left political terrorism. SHANGHAI SABOTAGE: INSIDE SINGHAM’S SECRET STRATEGY TO DEMONIZE AMERICA “For far too long, however, our counterterrorism doctrine has had a blind spot – a blind spot when it comes to extremist violence from the political left,” Rubio said. “Even today, the very idea that far-left terrorism could be a serious threat is treated as a right-wing fever dream, or worse, as a dangerous fascist conspiracy.” While Rubio didn’t mention any organizations or individuals by name, the House Ways and Means Committee noted Marxist Neville Roy Singham in a statement about the bill’s passage. Singham, a 72-year-old American now based in Shanghai and who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups operating in the U.S. He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. The funneling of funds through nonprofit networks has been a key point of concern for lawmakers and the Trump administration. Major contributors, including Singham, often have dispersed funds through shell 501(c)(3) nonprofits, which subsequently contributed to various tax-exempt organizations. RUBIO’S CALL TO COMBAT GLOBAL FUNDERS OF FAR-LEFT TERRORISM COULD PUT SINGHAM IN CROSSHAIRS During his address to more than 60 countries earlier this month, Rubio noted that networks have been coordinating across multiple countries, providing training instructions and using encrypted communication to facilitate unrest. He said international cooperation was critical to disrupting the financing of dangerous organizations, some of which were working with hostile foreign states. Singham did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
READ THE DIARIES: Documents unveil Fauci’s thoughts on the lab-leak debate, mask doubts and testing failures
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Tuesday released the private diaries of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the controversial former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and chief government spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic. The released documents show Fauci privately confronted possibilities about the virus’s origins that he publicly downplayed. On Jan. 31, 2020, he recorded that scientists considered deliberate insertion of the virus possible and agreed it required further expert review, despite later public recommendations suggesting the contrary. He later privately questioned CDC and FDA competence, admitted officials had overstated mask ineffectiveness and repeatedly described testing and supply failures. FAUCI’S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED Throughout his time as NIAID director, he made note of conversations, decisions and his thoughts about actions taken by politicians and other officials. What Paul released is Fauci’s historical record containing almost-daily entries. “Later in the pandemic, he gloried in the positive attention he was receiving from legacy media and demonized those who questioned his official narrative — like me,” Paul said — alluding to heated exchanges during congressional hearings when Paul grilled Fauci over his pandemic response. “Many entries in Fauci’s daily historical account completely undermine the official narrative that Fauci and other public health officials espoused,” Paul wrote in his introduction to the documents. SLACK MESSAGES RELEASED BY RAND PAUL APPEAR TO SHOW AUTHORS OF KEY COVID-19 ORIGIN PAPER HELD PRIVATE DOUBTS SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Paul said the “first alarm” went straight to the octogenarian immunologist, as he and two other medical experts examined the furin cleavage site in the virus and deliberated about the aforementioned genomic insertion and whether it truly escaped from a Chinese lab. “Before most Americans knew there was an origins debate, the government’s top infectious-disease official was already confronting the lab scenario,” Paul said. READ THE FAUCI DIARIES FROM 2001-2015. APP USERS: CLICK HERE READ THE COVID-ERA FAUCI DIARIES BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE
DEI hiring boost for one blue state’s Muslim commission initiative flies in face of Trump’s anti-woke push
Massachusetts lawmakers are taking steps toward prioritizing the hiring of American Muslims for state government positions under a permanent so-called Muslim commission. The group would help recommend Americans who practice Islam to appointed government positions in the New England state at the same time the Trump administration is moving to dismantle such diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs nationwide — teeing-up a standoff between local leaders and the president. A proposed bill would create a panel of 11 Muslims appointed by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey and other state officials to represent the Islamic faith on issues such as business, economy, healthcare and other concerns. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST ACTRESS CYNTHIA NIXON HANDED POWERFUL ROLE IN HELPING CHOOSE NEW YORK TOP JUDGES The Muslim commission would influence government recruiting and, “Identify and recommend qualified American Muslims for appointive positions at all levels of government, including boards and commissions, as the commission considers necessary and appropriate,” according to language in the bill. “Massachusetts has always prided itself on being a leader in equality and civil rights, a legacy this bill builds upon,” said Democratic state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, the bill’s primary sponsor. “American Muslims in my district and across the Commonwealth enrich our communities as students, healthcare workers, educators, small business owners, and civic leaders,” Eldridge added in the press release on the proposal. “This commission will help the state better understand and address the challenges they face, while strengthening inclusion and civic participation. “ Senate Bill S.2134 currently sits in the state’s Senate Ways and Means Committee after clearing initial committee markups and votes. Muslims account for an estimated 2% to 3% of Massachusetts’ population, according to approximate figures from Pew Research Center and the U.S. Census. COAST GUARD ENDING RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS FOR OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM UNDER TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWN Massachusetts’ push comes as President Donald Trump has made it a mission of his administration to cut back on DEI programs in the private sector, as well as in the federal government. “President Trump was resoundingly elected with a mandate to end divisive, racist policies and restore merit and efficiency,” White House spokesperson Allison Shuster told Fox News Digital. “DEI ran rampant during the Biden Administration, and Americans ultimately paid the price for these destructive policies with a restricted labor pool, higher operational costs, and workforce inefficiencies,” Shuster added. “The Trump Administration will always promote equal treatment under the law for every American, regardless of race or ethnicity.” The president’s team has terminated federal DEI-related contracts and eliminated DEI federal government programs. Part of Trump’s initiative during his first 100 days with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was to put an end to programs that prioritized hiring and representation in the workplace based on applicants’ protected classes. Many Republicans, including the president and Musk, claimed that DEI was “reverse discrimination” that provided unfair preferences against majority groups in the U.S. Gov. Healey’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the legislation.
EXCLUSIVE: Biden pardon won’t shield Fauci if he lies to Congress, Comer says
EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is warning Dr. Anthony Fauci that his presidential pardon has limits ahead of the former public health official’s high-profile day on Capitol Hill. Fauci is set to testify before a GOP-led Senate panel on Wednesday, days after hundreds of pages of his COVID-19 pandemic-era diary entries were made public. “We now know why President Biden gave a blanket pardon to Dr. Fauci. While obsessing about his own fame, Dr. Fauci wasn’t truthful with the American people about the origins of COVID and advised schools to be closed,” Comer told Fox News Digital. LEGACY MEDIA IGNORES MASSIVE ANTHONY FAUCI DOCUMENT RELEASE ALLEGING HE MISLED CONGRESS ON COVID ORIGINS “Americans are still reaping the consequences of Dr. Fauci’s actions. Biden’s pardon doesn’t cover Dr. Fauci’s testimony this week and if he continues to lie, he must be held accountable.” Fauci was among several recipients of controversial “preemptive pardons” by former President Joe Biden made during the final hours of the Democratic administration. The pardon covers any offenses from January 1, 2014, through its issue date, or anything related “to his service as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force or the White House COVID-19 Response Team, or as Chief Medical Advisor to the President.” FAUCI PRIVATELY TOOK CREDIT FOR COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS DESPITE PUBLIC DENIAL, NEWLY EXPOSED DIARY ENTRIES REVEAL Because the pardon covers conduct during his government service, there will likely be some debate over whether it would protect him from liability stemming from his testimony. But other House Republicans are also accusing Fauci of behaving in a way that hurts public trust in U.S. health, including the co-chairs of the House GOP Doctors’ Caucus — both of whom are physicians themselves. “Dr. Fauci, enamored with his own fame and vanity, put politics above science during the pandemic. He is primarily responsible for the resulting multi-generational erosion of trust in American medicine,” Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “A perfect example of ego destroying whatever achievements he had prior to the pandemic.” FAUCI’S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital that Fauci “must be held accountable” by the House as well as the Senate. “The release of Dr. Fauci’s diary entries validates what many Americans suspected all along: he was not honest about the origins of COVID-19,” Joyce said. “His fixation on preserving his own image and maintaining a position of power eroded public trust, undermined the integrity of our public health institutions, and failed the American people.” Diary entries made public by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a longtime Fauci critic and chair of the committee before which Fauci is appearing on Wednesday, show the high-profile doctor reflecting on his pandemic-era fame and raising questions about the disease’s origins. Some entries appear to show Fauci taking credit for influencing policies that closed schools during the pandemic, something that has become one of the most hotly debated aspects of how the government handled COVID. He told the House Oversight Committee in January 2024, however, “I did not close the schools.” Fauci has long denied any wrongdoing and instead has argued that he’s been made a political target by people on the right who are critical of how governments handled COVID-19.