Democratic socialist Francesca Hong has former child star, OnlyFans model in senior campaign role: report
Former child actress and OnlyFans model Renee Olstead is reportedly serving in a senior role on Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong’s gubernatorial campaign ahead of next week’s Democratic primary. Olstead, who also goes by Renee Faust, is serving as Hong’s deputy campaign manager, according to The Heartland Post. Hong, a Democratic socialist, is among the candidates competing in next week’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. The outlet reported that Olstead has worked as a paid campaign operative since at least January. Her X bio reads “HONG 4 GOV” and links to Hong’s get-out-the-vote page. Her social media account also features photos from campaign events, and The Heartland Post reported that she has coordinated logistics for high-profile surrogates, including streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker. FRANCESCA HONG REMARKS THANKSGIVING IS HER ‘FAVORITE HOLIDAY,’ ANSWERS SHE DOES NOT ‘WANT TO CANCEL IT’ Fox News Digital asked Hong’s campaign to confirm Olstead’s title and responsibilities, when she began working for the campaign, whether she is a paid employee and her qualifications for the role. The campaign responded with a statement but did not directly address each question. “Renee Faust is a licensed mental health clinician who has spent her career providing care to trafficking survivors,” the campaign said. “Since joining the campaign in December, she has helped build the largest grassroots campaign in Wisconsin history. The right-wing politicians attacking her are the same ones who want government dictating women’s health care decisions.” Olstead previously founded the Coalition for American Sex Workers (CASW – LOCAL 304), which advocates for decriminalization and other policy changes affecting sex workers. Last year, Hong and three other state representatives presented Olstead with an official Wisconsin State Assembly citation recognizing her advocacy for sex workers’ rights and her selection as “Penthouse Pet of the Year” in 2024. CONTROVERSIAL SOCIALIST CHEF FLIP-FLOPS ON ABOLISH THE POLICE, SAYS SHE’S ‘SERIOUS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY’ The campaign did not directly respond to a separate question from Fox News Digital asking Hong to explain her decision to participate in presenting Olstead with the citation and what she intended to recognize. Hong has also pursued legislation that would decriminalize prostitution involving adults and establish a sex workers’ bill of rights. Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative advocacy organization based in Madison, criticized Olstead’s involvement in Hong’s campaign. “Wisconsinites deserve to have serious people leading the state. It is unbelievable to see that the likely Democratic nominee for governor has an active sex worker leading her campaign,” Daniel Degner, president of Wisconsin Family Action, said in a statement. “Voters deserve to know whether if Hong is elected, she will elevate a porn star to leadership in her administration.” SANDERS’ ANSWER WHEN ASKED IF HE WILL ENDORSE SOCIALIST HONG IN WISCONSIN SPARKS INSTANT MOCKERY: ‘SAYS A LOT’ Hong has previously expressed support on social media for progressive proposals including abolishing the U.S. Senate and defunding the police, though she has recently distanced herself from some of those positions in interviews ahead of Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary. Hong faces Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan and Democratic state Sen. Kelda Roys in the primary. Hong also faced renewed scrutiny over a since-deleted 2020 X post calling to “cancel Thanksgiving” in order to “stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed Indegenous [sic] folx and women.” She recently distanced herself from the post, telling Politico that Thanksgiving is her “favorite holiday” and that she does not want to cancel it. “My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving,” Hong told Politico Playbook. “Yep, I don’t want to cancel it. I actually love it.” Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Schumer said ‘Democrats support voter ID’ — then every Senate Democrat voted against GOP bill
Senate Democrats blocked a key component of the SAVE America Act that, in the past, they have supported. During the wee hours of Saturday morning, Senate Republicans tried and failed to get Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his colleagues to back a stripped back voter ID bill amid a spree of last-minute legislative business. But Senate Democrats, including Schumer, have for years espoused support for identification to vote. Several states with Democratic senators have voter ID laws, too. SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS SAY THEY SUPPORT VOTER ID, THEN BLOCK GOP AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE IT “Democrats support voter ID,” Schumer said in March. “In fact, we included it, and it is included, in our Freedom to Vote legislation several years ago.” Schumer and his entire caucus voted against the bill from Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, nonetheless. Requiring identification is already the practice in 36 states. Of those, 23 require photo ID, while 13 accept another form of identification, such as a bank statement. Nine of those states have Democratic senators. It was the last stand of the night for the Senate, which is gearing up to leave Washington, D.C., for several weeks of valuable campaign time in vulnerable incumbents’ home states. SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH ELECTION DAY DEADLINE FOR CALIFORNIA’S MARATHON BALLOT COUNTS And it comes as Republicans have so far tried and failed to find a path forward for the SAVE America Act, which Democrats, along with a handful from the GOP, have blocked numerous times in a variety of configurations. Husted’s bill would have prohibited state and local election officials from providing a ballot to vote in federal elections unless a person provided a valid form of identification. Husted’s bill teed up a plethora of options, including an unexpired driver’s license with a photo, an unexpired state-issued ID card with a photo, a valid passport, a valid military or veteran ID with a photo or an unexpired tribal ID with a photo. It’s also not the first time Democrats have blocked it. In March, Republicans tested their support of voter ID for the first time in a vote to attach Husted’s bill to the SAVE America Act. It failed on party lines then, too. TRUMP KEEPS CALLING THUNE DESPITE PUBLIC FIGHT OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT After it became clear that President Donald Trump’s top legislative priority was not going to be passed nor even considered before lawmakers exit Washington, D.C., Republicans opted to take one last crack at Democrats’ resolve. “We’ve got many Democrats, who have said, ‘I’m just fine with voter ID,’” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said. “Voter ID is a major component of SAVE America, and they’ve said that over and over again when we had it on the floor in late February and early March.” “It was the argument that I heard from many of these people, as it was on the floor for hours and hours at a time, saying, ‘I’m okay with voter ID, don’t like this,’” he continued. “So we’re gonna find out where they are.” Lee has been the loudest supporter of the SAVE America Act in the Senate, pushing and prodding his colleagues on X to get on board with passing the package. Republicans had a chance earlier in the night to begin the work of crafting a version of the SAVE America Act with a budget blueprint that, if successful, would have teed up the partyline budget reconciliation process, but were called to stand down by Trump. Now, they don’t return until early September, just weeks out from a midterm election that could reshape the balance of power in the Senate.
Blanche survives Republican defectors as Trump gets his new attorney general
Once thought doomed, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department has survived the Senate and now will take the helm as the nation’s top law enforcement official. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was confirmed early Saturday morning as part of a mad blitz by lawmakers to wrap up their work and jet from Washington, D.C. Now, he’ll officially replace Pam Bondi as attorney general. Blanche, who is Trump’s former personal lawyer, nearly saw his confirmation hopes go up in smoke as Republicans struggled to swallow his role in rolling out the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization and sweeping IRS audit immunity for the president and his family. TRUMP’S AG PICK SURVIVES — FOR NOW — AS REPUBLICANS QUESTION IF WHITE HOUSE DEAL WILL HOLD However, a last-minute ally emerged: Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who announced on Friday that he would back Blanche’s confirmation after spending days keeping tight-lipped on his decision. Though he was concerned about weaponization at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and just how binding an agreement to nix the anti-weaponization fund and limit Trump’s audit immunity would be, he argued that having a Senate-confirmed attorney general was a better option than a placeholder. “Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy said on the Senate floor. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general, who may not run the department effectively under President Trump.” TRUMP’S PICK FOR TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL GETS CRUCIAL LAST-MINUTE LIFELINE FOR CONFIRMATION Still, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined all Senate Democrats to oppose Blanche’s confirmation. Murkowski announced her opposition hours before Cassidy’s lifeline. She contended that despite Blanche’s trek to Alaska and numerous meetings with him, she could not support him to be the next attorney general. She was worried about his connection to the anti-weaponization fund, a weaponized Justice Department, Blanche’s role in the Epstein Files release, and the uncertain future of the fund, which several Republicans have raised concerns about over whether taxpayer dollars would flow to rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. TRUMP ADMIN PUSHES BACK ON ‘SLUSH FUND’ ATTACKS AGAINST ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND AND LAYS OUT WHO QUALIFIES “The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” Murkowski said. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.” Collins raised similar concerns earlier in the week, and was the first Republican out of the gate to cast doubt on Blanche’s chances of confirmation. “While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political,” Collins said. “Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation.”
Schumer caves, hands Republicans shutdown win after months of uncertainty
The Senate advanced its solution to avert a government shutdown on Saturday, capping off several months of hand-wringing that, if given the chance, Senate Democrats would use a shutdown to score political points in November. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus relented, and stayed true to the bargain they struck with Republicans to keep the government funded well past Election Night and into early December. The about-face, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital, appeared to be a political calculation on Schumer and Democrats’ part. SCHUMER CLAIMS VICTORY AS SENATE MOVES TO AVERT SHUTDOWN; GOP SAYS HE GOT PLAYED “I think they didn’t want to spend the next, well … three months defending attacks from Republicans about wanting to shut the government down,” Thune said. “I mean, I think there was a narrative starting to build out there based on what’s happened the last 12 months, which I think, they probably — you know, these guys are political animals,” Thune continued. “I’m assuming those guys are polling all the time.” DEMOCRATS BLINK AS SCHUMER HELPS GOP CLEAR KEY SHUTDOWN HURDLE And Schumer claimed victory over the process, arguing that Democrats “for months” wanted to keep the government open, and had scored key concessions from the Trump administration on an ensuing rule change to federal grants in the bipartisan continuing resolution (CR). “We want to reach across the aisle and hammer out a budget that delivers for the American people,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Today, [this] CR gives us the breathing room necessary to work out a budget that helps make life more affordable to working families and reigns in Trump’s rampant chaos, his rampant corruption.” However, Republicans have been messaging for months that congressional Democrats wouldn’t bat an eye at shutting the government down again. In the Senate, efforts have been made to inflict pain on lawmakers should another shutdown happen, like agreeing to forego their paychecks in the event of a closure. SENATE TAKES MAJOR FIRST STEP TO PREVENT FUTURE SHUTDOWNS WITH PAINFUL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAY That follows two government shutdowns that etched their way into the record books at 43 and 76 days, respectively, but the political winds didn’t appear to be in Democrats’ favor this go-round, the top Senate Republican said. “And I think they see an issue set that works for them going into the fall election, and I think they view a government shutdown or the prospect of not funding the government as creating uncertainty that perhaps didn’t help their chances,” Thune said. While the shutdown fight is over in the Senate, for now, it will continue on in the House. And if passed, it will give lawmakers breathing room to continue stalled negotiations to fund the government through the appropriations process. However, by then, Congress will be in the post-midterm election lame duck period. And dependent on the swing of the political pendulum, there may not be much appetite to reach a broader funding deal. “Us having a budget done on December 11? It takes on whiffs of frozen hell, donkeys flying,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. “I mean, it’s probably not gonna happen.”
SEE IT: Dem senators rally behind El-Sayed but duck questions on progressive agenda
Senate Democrats are rallying around Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in the race to beat Republican Mike Rogers as the party scrambles to defend its seat in an effort to win back the Senate majority. El-Sayed narrowly defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens after a bruising primary that exposed the party’s progressive-moderate divide, leaving Democrats with the task of unifying behind him ahead of one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a progressive who endorsed El-Sayed, told Fox News Digital Friday that he believes El-Sayed will beat Rogers in November. ROGERS OPENS DOOR TO DEMOCRATIC VOTERS AFTER EL-SAYED’S PRIMARY VICTORY: ‘THERE IS STILL HOPE’ Several Democratic senators approached by Fox News Digital expressed confidence in El-Sayed, even after prominent Democrats chose to back Stevens during the primary over questions of whether El-Sayed could win in November. “I am very confident we’re going to win in Michigan,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said. But the same senators weren’t as quick to defend or back some of his more radical policies — like calling for defunding the police, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Medicare for all and his strong opposition to Israel. “You can ask him,” Murray said after Fox News Digital followed up by asking for her views on his more extreme policies. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., also said she thinks El-Sayed will beat Rogers, but when Fox News Digital asked about her views on his policies, she walked away saying she was “looking for the ladies room.” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said “time will tell” when asked if he could beat Rogers in the general election. He was the only lawmaker to tell Fox News Digital he actually disagreed with some of El-Sayed’s progressive policies. “He’s got 90 days,” Warner said. “He brought a lot of energy. There are obviously places I don’t fully agree with him either.” ‘SPECIAL SAUCE OF CRAZY’ — MIDWEST DEM CANDIDATE’S POLICIES TOO EXTREME FOR VOTERS: OPPONENT Many lawmakers and candidates with socialist views have argued that the success of like-minded candidates in primaries reflects voters’ growing disconnect with the Democratic establishment. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., defended El-Sayed by pointing to his medical background as an epidemiologist and former Wayne County health director, arguing that experience is needed in the upper chamber amid concerns over healthcare. “I am going to be working very hard to get a Democratic majority in the United States Senate,” Baldwin told Fox News Digital. She continued, “To have a doctor at a time when healthcare and the cost of healthcare is top of mind — that would be a voice that’s very much appreciated.” BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS Sen. Deb Fisher, R-Neb., warned “regular Democrats” that the radicalization of the party and leaving behind more mainstream Democratic principles will lead them to a party they no longer connect with. “I think it just shows how crazy Democrats are becoming,” Fischer said. “Regular Democrats who are working people, who are worried about their families… worried about making ends meet, they want to own their own businesses… create that… that’s an American dream.” “They’re going to realize that what they’re watching that party morph into isn’t them anymore.”
Trump urges Jeanine Pirro to revisit dropped Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case
President Donald Trump on Friday urged U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to take a second look at the recently dropped charges over vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. “Now that people are able to see it up close, they are reporting pure VANDALISM at The Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, sharing photos from a freelance photographer that allegedly showed vandalism. The president claimed that “People were on their knees with their hands in the water at the exact location of the ‘slashes.’ Additionally, there were witnesses to the VANDALISM, and the flexible areas of the material were cut with a knife. TRUMP SAYS HE ‘DISAGREES 100%’ WITH U.S. ATTORNEY JEANINE PIRRO OVER REFLECTING POOL CASE “U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should re-visit her hastily made decision, especially since it turned out that the ‘gentleman’ involved is a big player in ActBlue, a disgraceful fundraising SCAM, and is represented by a TRUMP DERANGED SLEAZEBAG, Political Hack Lawyer, Norm Eisen, and CREW, a group that uses ‘charity’ for political purposes which is, to the best of my knowledge, ILLEGAL!” Trump has been highly critical of Pirro’s decision to drop the felony vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn last Friday. Earlier this week, Trump claimed Pirro “choked” under pressure from a judge regarding the case and “folded like an umbrella.” A day after the case was dropped, Trump wrote on Truth Social “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking?” FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN INDICTED IN ALLEGED REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM Hearn was indicted on July 2 on one count of felony destruction of property. U.S. Park Police alleged Hearn grabbed and tugged at a loose section of the pool’s coating on June 19, continuing after a National Park Service employee told him to stop. Officials initially claimed he caused more than $1,000 in damage. However, Pirro’s office said the Department of the Interior initially provided prosecutors with “barebones” reports and failed to disclose records documenting extensive problems with the coating’s installation. “Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment,” prosecutors wrote. “It was not until after the return of the indictment, that the DOI provided additional documents to the USAO-DC indicating that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings (‘AIC’), and the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026.” OLYMPIAN CHARGED IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM DONATED THROUGH DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT The DOJ said the new evidence made it difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hearn caused the damage. Prosecutors asked the court to dismiss the indictment without prejudice, which would leave open the possibility of bringing the charge again. “The Trump administration’s case against Davey Hearn should never have been brought,” Hearn’s attorneys Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann and Steve Levin in a statement last Friday, according to the New York Post. “Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government’s approach was ready, fire, aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology.” Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and Reuters contributed to this report.
Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has security clearance revoked over Air Force One disclosure
The U.S. Department of War has revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s eligibility to access classified information over what the department says was an unauthorized disclosure involving Air Force One’s capabilities. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the move Friday on X, saying it took effect immediately and also bars Kendall from holding any sensitive position. “Effective immediately, the Department of War has REVOKED former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s eligibility for access to classified information and his ability to hold any sensitive position. “This action follows his unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities to a media outlet. Safeguarding classified information is a non-negotiable duty. Those who violate that trust forfeit the privilege of access and any role requiring it.” US AIR FORCE SECRETARY KENDALL FLIES IN COCKPIT OF PLANE CONTROLLED BY AI Parnell did not identify the media outlet or specify which information Kendall allegedly disclosed. The move comes days after The Wall Street Journal published a report comparing the capabilities of the Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8, now used as a presidential aircraft, with the older Air Force One jets. Kendall was among the former officials quoted in the report. The Journal reported that the newer aircraft lacks some capabilities available on the older VC-25A jets, including midair refueling and hardening against a nuclear blast. The report also detailed differences involving defensive systems, air stairs, baggage handling and food storage. AIR FORCE SECRETARY SAYS HE’S SEEN NOTHING ‘MORE DISTURBING’ IN 50-YEAR CAREER THAN THIS MOVE BY CHINA Kendall also discussed the aircraft publicly in other recent reports. Earlier in July, he told The Wall Street Journal that fully retrofitting a 747 with the defensive capabilities needed to protect the president should take three to four years. Kendall served as secretary of the Air Force under former President Joe Biden from 2021 until January 2025. He previously served as the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics during the Obama administration. Kendall also has a longstanding connection to the Air Force One modernization program. In 2015, while serving as the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, Kendall coordinated with then-Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on the decision to use the Boeing 747-8 platform for the next generation of presidential aircraft. A representative for Kendall did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. This is a developing story; check back later for updates.
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Duke Law’s alleged race-based admissions accused of defying Supreme Court
CAMPUS CRACKDOWN: Duke Law’s alleged race-based admissions accused of defying Supreme Court ruling: DOJ DIGGING DEEP: Justice Department threatens investigation into university professors’ BIPOC-only geology camp SIGN UP TO GET THE CAMPUS RADICALS NEWSLETTER CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Mississippi professor reveals hidden way he used to expose AI cheating in viral video DEGREE OF DOUBT: Cambridge University professor resigns after major plagiarism accusations prompt investigation
Unearthed clip of El-Sayed revealing his ‘hate’ for iconic Michigan town sparks online firestorm: ‘Dark heart’
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing pushback online over a resurfaced clip in which he says he “hates” arguably the most treasured location in the state. In the documentary clip from 2020, which resurfaced in a story by The Midwesterner Friday, El-Sayed walks through Michigan’s Mackinac Island during his failed run for governor. “I hate Mackinac so much,” El-Sayed said of one of the state’s most recognizable vacation spots, which sits on an island in Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsula’s. “It’s funny cause, like, if we win, this is gonna be, like, the summer home,” El-Sayed added, referencing the governor’s summer residence on the island. DEM SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED RECOUNTS SMASHING VODKA BOTTLE AFTER BEARD CRITICISM “I’m just gonna be like every time I’ve ever come here. I’ve hated it. Why am I here?” The clip went viral on social media Thursday with conservatives blasting El-Sayed for looking down on the quaint village town. MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS “The rising stars of the Democrat Party loathe America and seek to destroy it,” Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway posted on X. “And unlike their spiritual forebears, they see less of a reason to hide it for political gain. “ “I got engaged on this island,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted on X. “It’s an awesome place. Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone could hate northern Michigan in summer, absolutely beautiful, most underrated spot in the country.” “Wow hating Mackinac!” former Trump advisor Steve Cortes posted on X. “A place that is so iconic to Michigan, to America. Abdul has a dark heart.” “Abdul el-Sayed is a repellent terror-loving anti-Semite–and that’s not even the worst thing about him,” Commentary Magazine editor John Podhoretz posted on X. “He hates Mackinac Island, one of the most wonderful places on earth. A person who hates Mackinac Island has had his soul ripped from his body.” “He would rather summer at his property in Dubai,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesperson Sarah Gallagher posted on X. “Bro has no soul,” On Brand Strategies communications associate Carly Moran posted on X. “It’s literally Heaven on Earth.” “Abdul speaks fondly of his Egyptian summers yet he shows utter disdain for one of Michigan’s most beautiful summer destinations,” former Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon told Fox News Digital. “He wants his history to be respected but belittles Michigander’s favorite memories. He doesn’t respect us, and, therefore, he cannot represent us.” “Abdul El-Sayed hot mic: ‘I hate Mackinac so much,’” conservative influencer account End Wokeness posted on X. “This is the most American place in MI.” Some, including journalist Brad LaPlante, defended El-Sayed’s comments as being taken “out of context.” “El-Sayed was talking about the Mackinac Policy Conference, an annual gathering of policy pros and insiders that he argues brings together well-connected and powerful people and shuts most voters out of politics,” LaPlante wrote. Others weren’t so sure, including Michigan Young Republicans board member James Asher, who responded in a post on X, “Brad, are you dizzy from the way you’re spinning this?” Mackinac Island is beloved in large part because it has retained a character increasingly rare in American tourist destinations. Motor vehicles have been largely prohibited since the 1890s, leaving visitors to travel by foot, bicycle or the island’s famous horse-drawn carriages. The island has Victorian homes, historic hotels, waterfront streets, natural scenery and celebrated fudge shops which draw more than a million visitors from around the world each summer, while landmarks such as the Grand Hotel and Fort Mackinac have helped make the island an enduring symbol of Michigan history and culture. Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response. El-Sayed responded to the post from End Wokeness on Friday afternoon saying, “Not sure about ‘End Wokeness,’ but I don’t think the most ‘American place in MI’ can be a place that…bans cars.”
Duke Law’s alleged race-based admissions accused of defying Supreme Court ruling: DOJ
The Justice Department is accusing Duke University School of Law of favoring Black and Hispanic applicants over White and Asian applicants with the same academic records in its admissions process, which the Trump administration argues the law school used to meet its “diversity goals.” “Duke Law School doesn’t get a free pass to discriminate against white and Asian students simply because it thinks it has good intentions,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA) that it was unconstitutional for colleges and higher education institutions to consider a student’s race in their admissions processes. The decision prompted the Trump administration to open investigations into alleged race-based discrimination at dozens of colleges and universities. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ZEROES IN ON UCLA FOR ALLEGED ILLEGAL DEI ADMISSIONS AS ELITE SCHOOL CRACKDOWN EXPANDS The Civil Rights Division, which began investigating Duke Law in April 2025, found that Black applicants who applied in 2025 had roughly 3.5 times the chance of admission as Asian applicants with the same academic credentials, according to a Justice Department letter sent to Duke Law. Investigators found that the median LSAT score for accepted Black applicants was lower than the median score for rejected Asian and White applicants. “This consistent difference in the test scores between students of different racial groups is substantial and cannot be explained by a coincidence,” the letter stated. “The magnitude and durability of these preferences across multiple cycles (including post-SFFA) confirm intentional discrimination.” The Trump administration’s review of internal communications found that the law school began preparing for the Supreme Court’s SFFA ruling so its admissions process could continue “to meet the Law School’s goals for a broadly diverse student body.” For instance, Duke Law’s post-SFFA guidance for admissions allowed officials to “consider applicants’ discussion of how race affected their life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.” Applicants provided these discussions in short-answer essays, where admissions officials could then “tag” the responses to provide context for weaker academic records when evaluating applicants. COAST GUARD ENDING RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS FOR OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM UNDER TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWN Duke Law states that it values “students with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and interests that may not be directly related to their legal ambitions,” encouraging applicants to “highlight different elements” of who they are. “Using ‘diversity’ essay questions to identify preferred races for admission is still illegal discrimination based on race, and this Department is committed to eliminating it everywhere we find it, including in our nation’s law schools,” Dhillon said in a statement. After SFFA, Duke Law admissions continued to release reports highlighting the school’s diversity and its efforts to achieve “race-neutral” admissions standards. In a May 2024 annual review, the associate dean of admissions highlighted the diversity of the incoming fall 2023 class, including the number of Latino, Black and Asian or Asian American students. In the school’s 2025 Annual Review Memorandum, the admissions dean suggested that the law school can gauge the diversity of its student body by observing students on campus rather than compiling formal statistics. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER A Duke University spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the university is aware of the Justice Department’s allegations. “The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division issued a letter of findings related to Duke Law’s admissions practices. We are reviewing the letter and its conclusions carefully. Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission,” a Duke University spokesperson said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for additional comment.