Appeals court declares DC ban on certain gun magazines unconstitutional
An appeals court struck down a local law in the District of Columbia that banned gun magazines containing more than 10 bullets, describing the measure as unconstitutional. The ruling Thursday from the District of Columbia Court of Appeals also reversed the conviction of Tyree Benson, who was taken into custody in 2022 for being in possession of a handgun with a magazine that could contain 30 bullets, according to The New York Times. “Magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition are ubiquitous in our country, numbering in the hundreds of millions, accounting for about half of the magazines in the hands of our citizenry, and they come standard with the most popular firearms sold in America today,” Judge Joshua Deahl wrote on behalf of the two-judge majority in the three-judge panel. “Because these magazines are arms in common and ubiquitous use by law-abiding citizens across this country, we agree with Benson and the United States that the District’s outright ban on them violates the Second Amendment,” he added. MIKE LEE UNVEILS NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY BILL TO OVERRIDE ‘HOSTILE’ STATE GUN LAWS “This appeal presents a Second Amendment challenge to the District’s ban on firearm magazines capable of holding ‘more than 10 rounds of ammunition.’ Appellant Tyree Benson argues that ban contravenes the Second Amendment so that his conviction for violating it should be vacated,” Deahl also wrote. “The United States, which prosecuted Benson in the underlying case and defended the ban’s constitutionality in the initial round of appellate briefing, now concedes that this ban violates the Second Amendment. The District of Columbia, which is also a party to this appeal, continues to defend the constitutionality of its ban.” “We therefore reverse Benson’s conviction for violating the District’s magazine capacity ban. And because Benson could not have registered, procured a license to carry, or lawfully possessed ammunition for his firearm given that it was equipped with a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds, we likewise reverse his convictions for possession of an unregistered firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and unlawful possession of ammunition,” Deahl said. Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, the judge who dissented, wrote that, “The majority bases its common usage analysis on ownership statistics that show only that magazines holding 11, 15, or 17 rounds of ammunition are in common use.” GUN RIGHTS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY DEBATED AT SUPREME COURT “The majority, however, fails to contend with the reality that these statistics do not support the conclusion that the particularly lethal 30-round magazine, such as the one Mr. Benson possessed here, is in common use for self-defense. It simply is not,” she added. The District of Columbia can now appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, or ask the local appeals court to take another look at the ruling with a larger panel of judges, according to the Times. The newspaper also reported that in a previous case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the constitutionality of the local law surrounding gun magazine sizes. It’s unclear how the two rulings will interact.
WATCH: Walz, Ellison, Omar refuse to answer when pressed on fraud after contentious fraud hearing
Following the highly anticipated House Oversight Committee hearing on fraud Wednesday, Fox News Digital pressed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison about their roles in the scandal but received no response from the embattled officials. “Why wasn’t the fraud caught sooner, governor?” Walz was asked after the hearing. “Almost $10 billion — why wasn’t it caught sooner?” Walz declined to answer as he was escorted down a hallway by staff but stopped briefly to speak with another individual. During a second encounter, Walz again declined to answer the question but acknowledged a security guard as he walked down the hallway. “Mr. Attorney General, can you tell us why the fraud wasn’t caught sooner?” Ellison was asked after his testimony. TAFOYA RIPS WALZ ‘DODGING’ ACCOUNTABILITY IN HEARING, UNVEILS PLAN TO FIGHT FRAUD: ‘FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW’ Ellison did not respond and continued walking up a staircase. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who did not testify Wednesday but has faced criticism for her ties to the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal in the state, did not respond after the hearing when Fox News Digital began asking her questions. Walz and Ellison faced a barrage of tough questions from Republicans during the hearing on the massive fraud scandal in the state, with most focused on one key theme: What did they know, and when did they know it? Walz and Ellison were asked multiple times for specifics about when they were first made aware of the fraud and faced sharp rebukes from Republican members, including Rep. Virginia Foxx. WALZ MOCKED ONLINE AFTER GOP LAWMAKER FLOATS THEORY IN HEATED HEARING ABOUT WHY KAMALA HARRIS CHOSE HIM AS VP “You did not do your job, you did not do your job,” Foxx told Walz. “You did not protect taxpayer dollars. You allowed massive fraud. You and Mr. Ellison allowed massive fraud to go on in the state of Minnesota. It is unfortunate, as somebody said, that you can’t be held personally responsible at this stage in the game.” An exchange between GOP Rep. Jim Jordan and Walz sparked immediate pushback from conservatives on social media. One of the most contentious exchanges came during questioning from GOP Rep. Nancy Mace when she pressed Walz for specific numbers on how many children are in his state, the massive increase in autism care spending and why that occurred, without getting specific figures from Walz. “OK, so your excuse before — that you didn’t know what the 2017 autism numbers were — because you were not governor, and today you can’t answer the numbers about 2024 as governor, and you still said you prepared for this hearing today. It’s unbelievable.” GOP Rep. Clay Higgins confronted Ellison in another heated moment, asking him to say he was “leading” the fight to root out corruption. Without receiving the specific answer he was looking for, Higgins called for Ellison’s resignation. “I’m not talking about Medicaid fraud, don’t hide behind that,” Higgins said, interrupting Ellison. “You have the authority to prosecute anything criminally that the governor asks you to, and this thing is big. I’m giving you an opportunity, sir, are you leading the criminal investigative effort into this massive fraud across the board…or not?” Higgins pressed. “You are not leading. I’m going to say, Mr. Chairman, that the attorney general of the state of Minnesota should resign,” Higgins said. At the close of the hearing, things became tense again when GOP Rep. Nick Langworthy suggested that Walz, who is still serving as governor despite dropping out of his reelection bid due to the fraud scandal, should be impeached for “malfeasance,” citing Minnesota’s Constitution.
Teamsters boss praises Mullin DHS nomination despite past heated hearings
Nearly two and a half years after they nearly came to blows in a viral Senate hearing, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien offered praise for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Thursday after President Donald Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Homeland Security. “If anyone is willing to stand their butt up to protect America, it’s Markwayne Mullin,” O’Brien said in a statement. The endorsement marked a striking turn for the two men, who clashed publicly in November 2023 during a heated Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing that appeared to be on the brink of a physical altercation. During the exchange, Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, referenced a social media post in which O’Brien had said he could take the senator “any time” or “any place.” BEHIND THE SCENES: TRUMP AND WHITE HOUSE RALLY BEHIND NOEM AS ‘RADICALS’ DEMAND OUSTER “Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, and we can finish it here,” Mullin said at the hearing. Mullin then stood up and appeared ready to approach O’Brien before then-Committee Chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., intervened. “Stop it, hold it, no, no, sit down,” Sanders said. “You’re a United States senator. Sit down.” GOP SENATORS TANGLE WITH NOEM DURING HEATED HEARING ON HER HANDLING OF DEPORTATION SURGE The confrontation continued verbally for several minutes, with Mullin calling O’Brien a “thug” and O’Brien labeling the senator “disrespectful,” before Sanders banged his gavel and moved the hearing forward. The two men had also sparred months earlier over O’Brien’s salary compared to that of union members, forcing Sanders to step in during that hearing as well. O’Brien’s statement Thursday signaled a sharp contrast from the combative exchanges that once defined their relationship. WATCH: The Teamsters president started it: Sen. Markwayne Mullin GOP SENATOR BLOCKS TRUMP DHS NOMINEES UNTIL NOEM TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE The statement came as Mullin was nominated to lead DHS following what Trump described as a turbulent tenure under current Secretary Kristi Noem, who will be reassigned as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere. The clash between the two men in November 2023 followed months of escalating tensions, including a public challenge earlier that year when Mullin accepted O’Brien’s social media dare of “any place, any time” and proposed a charitable mixed martial arts fight in Tulsa. But tensions appeared to cool in 2024 after Trump helped broker a truce between the two men. Mullin later recounted on “Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla” that Trump reached out early to O’Brien as Teamsters members increasingly leaned Republican. Mullin said O’Brien told him many of his members were backing Trump and that the union boss felt compelled to reflect on where “my brothers” stood politically. Fox News’s Andrew Mark Miller and Houston Keene contributed to this report.
Trump rallies defense titans to surge weapons output as Iran War rages
President Donald Trump is meeting Friday with top U.S. defense industry executives as his administration looks to accelerate weapons production while military operations against Iran continue. The White House emphasized the session was scheduled weeks ago and was not convened in response to immediate battlefield shortages. Officials described the meeting as part of a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and speed production of American-made weapons. “The US military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to continue demolishing the Iranian regime and finish Operation Epic Fury, no matter how long it lasts,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News. “Nevertheless, President Trump has always been intensely focused on strengthening our military, which is why this meeting with defense contractors was scheduled weeks ago. The President will continue to call on these US companies to more speedily build American-made weapons, which are the absolute best in the world.” Companies attending are Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Honeywell and L3Harris Technologies. OPERATION EPIC FURY DESTROYS IRAN’S NAVY AND CUTS MISSILE ATTACKS BY 90% IN ONGOING CAMPAIGN The meeting comes as U.S. forces remain engaged in Operation Epic Fury, a campaign targeting Iranian military assets following coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes. Administration officials have maintained that U.S. readiness remains strong, even as the pace of missile defense operations has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill. During the 2025 12-day Iran conflict, U.S. forces fired more than 150 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors — roughly a quarter of the global inventory — to shield Israel and U.S. assets from Iranian missile attacks, according to defense assessments. Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles are currently produced at a rate of roughly 600 to 650 annually, with replenishment timelines measured in months or years rather than weeks. PHYSICIST LAWMAKER WARNS IRAN COULD BUILD ‘HIROSHIMA-STYLE’ WEAPON, SAYS US LACKS URANIUM PLAN U.S. and Israeli officials previously estimated that Iran had a large ballistic missile arsenal — roughly 2,000 to 3,000 missiles of various types at the outset of the conflict. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday Iran’s missile attacks have decreased 90% since the start of the conflict. Defense planners have described missile defense inventories as part of a broader strategic balancing act. The same high-end systems used to protect U.S. bases and partners in the Middle East are also supplied to Ukraine and positioned in the Indo-Pacific, creating what some analysts characterize as a “zero-sum” competition for inventory across theaters. Lawmakers emerging from recent classified briefings have raised questions about sustainability if operations expand. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., warned the campaign could become a “math problem,” balancing incoming missile volumes against finite interceptor supplies and production capacity. Other members, including Republicans briefed on the operation, have said officials assured Congress U.S. forces remain in strong shape. Current and former defense officials have drawn a distinction between offensive strike weapons — which can often be surged from prepositioned stocks — and defensive interceptors such as Patriot and THAAD systems, which require longer production timelines and cannot be rapidly manufactured at scale.
53 Dems vote against declaring Iran a state sponsor of terror
Dozens of Democrats have voted against a nonbinding resolution in the House that reaffirms Iran as the “largest state sponsor of terrorism.” The resolution, put forward by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., passed by a 372-53 vote on Thursday, with all those voting no being Democrats. Two Democrats also voted present. Among those who voted against the measure were all the members of the “Squad,” such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. The resolution said the Islamic Republic of Iran “remains the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and provides substantial financial and military support to groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.” HOUSE VOTES TO LET TRUMP’S OPERATION EPIC FURY CONTINUE IN IRAN It added that Iran “poses a direct and persistent threat to the United States and is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American citizens,” citing the Pentagon as saying that “Iranian-backed proxy militias are responsible for the deaths of at least 603 U.S. service members in Iraq — roughly one in every six American combat fatalities.” It also said, “according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafeal Grossi, Iran has amassed a large stockpile of enriched uranium and continues to block access to undeclared sites in Iran affiliated with their ‘big, ambitious nuclear weapons program.’” READ THE RESOLUTION – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: The resolution concludes by saying, “That the House of Representatives declares it is the policy of the United States… that Iran continues to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism.” HOUSE DEMOCRATS VOTE TO CONTINUE DHS SHUTDOWN DESPITE IRAN THREAT, NOEM’S OUSTER California Democratic Rep. Lateefah Simon, who voted no, claimed the resolution “contains inaccuracies and is designed to justify the President’s actions in Iran.” “Republicans in Congress are not only surrendering their constitutional duties – they are also playing politics with a resolution reaffirming Iran as a leading state sponsor of terrorism,” Simon wrote on Facebook. “That is already U.S. policy.” “I have been clear about my opposition to the brutal and devastating actions of the Iranian regime against those protesting for freedom,” Simon continued. “This resolution does nothing to advance their freedom and instead, puts Congress on record as giving the Administration further pretext for a war that should not have been started in the first place.” Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., who voted in favor of the resolution, said in a statement that, “This week’s bipartisan classified briefing with Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe, and General Dan Caine underscored the significance of the threat we face from an Iran intent on developing nuclear weapons behind a curtain of impenetrable ballistic weapons.” “Standing with our allies and confronting state-sponsored terrorism is essential to protecting Americans and advancing stability around the world,” she added. “This resolution sends a strong message that we will not ignore or excuse the regime’s extremist actions.” Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington state who also voted in favor of the resolution, said, “I agree with the principal assertion of this resolution that Iran is a bad actor. “Iran’s malign and destabilizing actions in the region and treatment of its own citizens should be denounced. I have never contested this. What I do contest is that going to war is the reasonable response to this assertion,” he continued. “I support this resolution. I do not support the president’s war of choice with Iran.” Here are the full names of the Democratic House lawmakers listed alphabetically by last name:
Capitol Hill Dems hail Trump’s DHS ouster of Noem after heated Senate hearing
Capitol Hill exploded with reactions on Thursday as news spread that President Donald Trump had ousted Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. “That she’s gone, you know — hallelujah,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “That he’s the replacement, oh my God. I don’t know what else to say,” McGovern said, referring to Trump’s next pick for the role, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. Trump’s decision, which drew cautious praise from Republicans and widespread jubilation from Democrats, came on the heels of news that Noem had spent over $220 million developing an ad campaign — news that broke during a bruising Senate committee hearing. TRUMP’S NEW DHS PICK IS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HAWK WHO’S ‘ALL ABOUT THE MISSION’: EXPERT During questioning from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., Noem said President Donald Trump had personally signed off on the expenditure. “The president approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?” Kennedy asked. “Yes, he did,” Noem said. The exchange reportedly enraged Trump, who contested Noem’s claim. More broadly, Noem’s removal comes as DHS has captured national focus as a key tool in Trump’s immigration crackdown. In particular, criticism of the agency burst into view after immigration enforcement shot and killed two civilians in January, after Minnesota agitators got into confrontations with federal agents. In response to the shootings, Noem said her agents had acted in self-defense and protected themselves from credible threats. KRISTI NOEM FIRED FROM HOMELAND SECURITY POST AMID RECENT TURMOIL Noem won’t be leaving the administration entirely. Instead of heading up DHS, she will now become Trump’s special envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a new coalition of countries in Latin America. To Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the buildup of criticisms made Noem’s removal just a matter of time. “Well, I think basically the president had no choice,” Raskin said, citing revelations over the agency’s handling. Others, like Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, believed she should never have had the job to begin with. “The thing about Kristi Noem is that she was never qualified for that role. Nothing in her service in Congress or her background as a governor that was far away from the Southern Border ever suggested she was qualified for the role, and during her service, I think she proved that she wasn’t,” Castro said. Noem served as governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025. At least one Democrat believes that’s more than she deserves. “Moving her to another location does not bring about the justice that we seek. She should be removed — not moved. This is a reckless president, and he has to be stopped. Not only should Ms. Noem be impeached, but the President of the United States should be impeached as well,” Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, said. When asked about Mullin as Noem’s replacement, Democrats said they hoped he would consider operational reforms to ICE that Democrats have demanded as a condition for funding the department in 2026. NOEM PREPS TO BATTLE HOUSE DEMS AFTER BIPARTISAN BASHING IN SENATE OVER DOGS, ICE “My hope is that Sen. Mullin understands that the vast majority of Americans support reforms to the lawlessness we’ve seen from ICE,” Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., said. Republicans, for their part, applauded his selection. “Certainly, it was the president’s prerogative who serves in his cabinet. Markwayne Mullin has been a great senator for the state of Oklahoma. He’ll make a great homeland security secretary,” Rep. Russel Fry, R-S.C., said. Fox News Digital reached out to DHS.
Kristi Noem’s ouster sparks rare bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill
President Donald Trump took Washington by surprise Thursday with his decision to remove Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but few lawmakers on Capitol Hill questioned his decision. Though Republicans rarely criticized Noem during her tenure, many GOP lawmakers argued Thursday that the secretary’s ouster was the right move. Trump quickly nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., a close ally, to head the sprawling agency Thursday afternoon. “I think the president is doing what’s necessary to make sure the department is going to be operating effectively,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who welcomed the news of Mullin’s appointment, said Thursday. “It was time.” Mullin, a 48-year-old lawmaker, is a member of Senate Republicans’ leadership team and previously served several terms in the House of Representatives. SCHUMER WEAPONIZES MULLIN NOMINATION TO DEMAND DHS OVERHAUL, SAYS ‘ROT’ GOES BEYOND NOEM Noem’s time helming DHS was rocked by a series of controversies involving an expensive ad campaign she claimed had Trump’s approval and her widely-panned response to the fatal shootings of two Americans in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers earlier this year. “Obviously, it did not go well,” Donalds added when asked about Noem’s appearance during two hearings on Capitol Hill this week. Several GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Kennedy, R-La., tore into Noem during her appearance before the Senate’s judiciary panel on Tuesday. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a moderate lawmaker retiring at the end of his term, echoed Kennedy’s criticism questioning Noem’s prominent role in the costly ad campaign and her ties to recipients awarded contracts. “There’s legit concerns. When there was a $200 million advertising [campaign], we should be better stewards of our money,” Bacon said. “I think the president probably saw a need for change.” DHS has fired back that the massive ad campaign resulted in millions of self-deportations. DHS DEFENDS MCLAUGHLIN AFTER ALLEGATIONS HUSBAND’S COMPANY PROFITED MILLIONS FROM AD CONTRACTS: ‘BASELESS’ Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital Thursday that Noem’s departure would eliminate “distractions” and “conflicts” that erupted at DHS under her leadership. “The department needs to be entirely focused on its mission, given the situation in the Middle East right now,” Lawler said, referring to Operation Epic Fury in Iran. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., who is not running for reelection, wrote on social media Thursday that a “change in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security was long overdue.” House Democrats, many of whom fiercely criticized Noem’s role in the Trump administration, appeared to agree. “She’s done enough damage that the president finally came to his senses,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the lead Democrat on the House homeland security panel, said Thursday. “I think it’s the right decision by the president. It’s been a long time coming,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., told Fox News Digital. Moskowitz, who tussled with Noem during her testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, argued that she would go down as the worst DHS secretary in the agency’s two-decade history. He declined, however, to sign on to articles of impeachment circulated by House Democrats. When asked about Mullin’s appointment, Moskowitz said he wished him good luck. “She’s left him a disaster, but obviously I want him to succeed,” the Florida Democrat said of Noem’s tenure. “We should all want that, so let’s give him that opportunity.”
Trump admin squashes controversial Biden rule forcing foster homes to affirm children’s LGBTQ+ status
A rule implemented during the Biden administration, requiring prospective foster homes to prove they will support a child’s gender transition, or lesbian, gay or bisexual status, in order to retain federal funding, has been formally rescinded by the Trump administration Friday. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) was published in the federal register Friday morning to formally rescind the 2022 rule titled, “Designated Placement Requirements Under Titles IV-E and IV-B for LGBTQI+ Children,” which a court in Texas already vacated in June. The move follows a warning letter sent to all 50 states, telling them that as long as they receive federal child welfare funding, they are obligated to ensure the removal of any kid from their home must be grounded in “objective evidence of harm or imminent risk,” citing reports of states removing children from their parent’s homes because the parents disagreed with their children’s gender transition. Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families Alex Adams told Fox News Digital that there has been a record year-over-year decrease in the number of foster families nationally. He said that the Biden-era rule is a main issue for religious-oriented families, boxing them out of the foster care system. NEW YORK AG ORDERS MANHATTAN HOSPITAL TO RESUME GENDER-TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH “There’s 57 homes for every 100 kids that come into the system. We can do better, and we must do better, and we must do more to send a welcoming message that the red carpet will be rolled out to every family willing to step forward and welcome a child into their home and open their heart and open their home to these kids,” Adams said. “Your most likely families to raise their hand and volunteer as a foster family are those who have sincerely held religious convictions. So the message that you send is so important. The message we’re trying to send is we’re going to roll out the red carpet for everybody. We need more foster homes.” By rescinding the move in the federal register, that “officially” takes it off the books, “so that nobody tries to breathe life into it,” according to Adams. The final move to squash the 2022 rule, follows pressure the Trump administration had already been placing on states. At the end of last year, ACF sent a letter to 13 states, expressing concern about families being turned away from fostering because they refuse to give up their sincerely held religious beliefs. At least one of those states, Massachusetts, amended their policy amid the scrutiny. It also follows a November 2025 executive order telling the Health and Human Services Department to “modernize” the foster care system within 180 days, maximize partnerships with Americans of faith, and a litany of other measures. Trump also issued early executive orders during his presidency challenging left-wing gender ideology and pushing a return to “biological truth.” SUPREME COURT RULING ON SECRETIVE CALIFORNIA GENDER POLICY COULD RESHAPE PARENT RIGHTS FIGHTS NATIONWIDE Public reports, including one as recently as this year, illustrate examples of kids being taken from their homes in states like California and Ohio, because their parents have been accused of abuse, or of denying appropriate medical care to their kids. These claims have also been brought up in divorce and family custody hearings as well, sometimes resulting in the parents losing custody. Meanwhile, Trump highlighted the issue during his State of the Union address last month, when he told the story of the parents to Sage Blair, who a judge ripped from their custody over alleged abuse after the family did not immediately recognize their daughter as a boy. Earlier in the week, Adams and ACF told states that while they have a duty to protect children from abuse and neglect, they are cracking down on any states conflating that with a parent’s choice about how they parent their child who expresses a desire to transition genders, or a desire to be romantically involved with the same sex. While related to Fridays NPR, it is a separate action. “We’re basically putting states on notice that if they violate our interpretation of abuse or neglect, we would take appropriate action, which could include pulling back CAPTA funds,” Adams told Fox News Digital.
Dem Senate hopeful holds event at bookstore selling ‘ABOLISH ICE’ merch despite pledge to ‘secure the border’
A Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful in Iowa is pitching himself as a candidate who believes in the party’s “old Democratic values.” However, on Saturday, state Senator Zach Wahls hosted a campaign event at a radical activist bookstore, Dog-Eared Books, that has been vocal about abolishing ICE, financially supports anti-ICE nonprofits, holds drag story time for kids, and promotes books banned in schools for their sexually explicit content, among other far-left activism the store engages in. Fox News Digital asked Wahls ahead of the event if he was aware of the bookstore’s radical track record and whether he regretted holding a campaign event there, but Wahls never responded. Meanwhile, Wahls’ campaign website promises Iowans he will work to “secure the border and fix our broken immigration system,” and in posts on social media he has insisted that the nation must have an immigration system based on “law and order.” DEMOCRATIC-SOCIALIST NOMINEE EYEING NJ GOVERNOR’S VACANT HOUSE SEAT COMPARES ICE TO 1960S SEGREGATIONISTS “I believe in the old Democratic values of hard work and family, not handouts for billionaires and insiders,” Wahls also touts in a campaign video pinned to the top of his X account. Video obtained by Fox News Digital from outside the Ames, Iowa, bookstore where Wahls held his campaign meet-and-greet event alongside his novelist wife, titled “Reading and Running: A conversation with Zach Wahls and Chloe Angyal,” showed at least one sign right next to the front entrance reading “ICE IS NOT WELCOME HERE” in bold capital letters. The store has hosted events for Wahls’ wife in the past prior to Saturday and sells her romance novels. In the wake of the federal agent-involved shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the bookstore created a logo of a dog in sunglasses holding a protest sign that reads “ABOLISH ICE” and even put it on a stickler the store is selling on its website. Following the shootings of Good and Pretti, the store also pledged to donate 25% of its sales to a network of mostly anonymous philanthropic groups called the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund. Some of the groups that have been publicly reported to be affiliated with the fund, include anti-ICE groups like the George Soros-funded Headwaters Foundation for Justice, which says it “believe[s] in a future without ICE,” and the Black Collective Foundation Minnesota. DEMOCRAT IN KEY SENATE PRIMARY SAYS SHE ‘REGRETS’ VOTE ON LAKEN RILEY ACT, DRAWS GOP BACKLASH “Do not retreat. Do not back down. Double Down,” Lulete Mola, president and co-founder of the group, said following the ICE shootings in Minneapolis, according to Inside Philanthropy. Besides being staunchly anti-ICE, the bookstore where Wahls held his meet-and-greet event on Saturday also has a history of supporting child gender transitions and has worked against Republican lawmakers’ efforts aimed at protecting women by removing “gender identity” from the state’s list of protected classes under Iowa’s civil rights laws. Dog-Eared Books also has a history of holding drag story time events for kids, including one that featured a 14-year-old teenage drag queen, and touts selling “banned” books that are frequently removed from school districts due to what critics deem is non-age appropriate sexually explicit content. Among them being sold is “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George Johnson, which Dog-Eared books notes on social media is “one of the most frequently banned books in Iowa,” and “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe, a book widely banned in schools for its graphic sexual imagery. Meanwhile, the store has also exhibited alignment with radical anti-Israel folks, claiming in a Facebook event post for a “Tattoos For Palestine” event that Israel is “committing a Genocide” with its actions that followed the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. And, a web page on the bookstore’s website, encourages people to join their letter-writing campaign to lawmakers, aimed at promoting its values that include “No human is illegal. All people deserve access to reproductive healthcare. Healthcare is a human right,” and other policy positions that skew to the far-left. Fox News Digital also reached out to Wahls after the event and did not receive a response. The bookstore did not provide a response either. Wahls is vying to take over the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by junior Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and if he were to win, would sit alongside longtime senior Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley. Wahls, a former Iowa Senate Minority Leader, is taking on a field of opponents for his upcoming primary race in June. Among his main contenders is Democrat State Rep. Josh Turek. Before entering politics, Wahls went viral as a young adult after giving a speech in the Iowa legislature about growing up with two moms, amid efforts in the state to amend the portion of the state’s constitution tied to same-sex marriage. He and his novelist wife credit the event for their meeting.
Father of girl injured by illegal migrant truck driver slams ‘insensitive’ rhetoric during Noem hearing
The father of a California girl who sustained a traumatic brain injury when an illegal immigrant commercial truck driver slammed into a vehicle she was riding in urged congressional lawmakers to prioritize the safety of American citizens amid the back-and-forth rhetoric over the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. Marcus Coleman was in attendance during this week’s House Judiciary Committee hearing in which then-Homeland Security Kristi Noem answered questions about the agency’s immigration enforcement actions. “At this point right now, what they’re doing is extremely disrespectful. It’s insensitive,” Coleman told Fox News Digital, referring to elected officials who oppose illegal immigrant enforcement. “Until it happens to them, that’s the point of view they’re going to have.” On Wednesday, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., a vocal critic of the Trump administration, apologized to the families in attendance who have lost loved ones to the actions of illegal immigrants, before remarking on migrant crime statistics during his interaction with Noem. BLUE STATE INVESTIGATES HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER GOT LICENSE BEFORE DEADLY FLORIDA CRASH “For the folks that are here and your families, I’m sorry,” Cohen said, holding his hand over his heart. “It’s terrible what happened to you, to your children or your family members, but they are more likely… citizens are more likely to be attacked by United States citizens who are not undocumented.” Noem, who has since been reassigned as the Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, shot back, calling Cohen’s remark offensive to the Angel Families, which refers to relatives of Americans killed by individuals in the United States unlawfully. “The vast majority of the people sitting behind me have lost their children due to drugs, overdoses from drugs that came over the southern border,” she said. “They died from their kids being hit in accidents on the roads where illegal drivers were driving a truck. Marcus Coleman, Delilah’s father, has told the story over and over again.” In 2024, Dalilah Coleman was critically injured in Southern California when the driver of an 18-wheel tractor-trailer moving at 60 mph slammed into a vehicle she was traveling in. She sustained a fractured skull, broken femur and a traumatic brain injury. Partap Singh, an illegal immigrant from India, was identified as the driver who obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, authorities said. Singh was driving at an unsafe speed and failed to stop for traffic in a construction zone just before the crash. TRUMP UNLOADS ON ‘RADICAL LEFT’ AS HE STANDS BY KRISTI NOEM AMID IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT UNREST “They go back home, like my daughter’s driver,” Coleman added. “He went back to India and he’s living life free. And my daughter said, you’re dealing with this. Had that been a U.S. citizen, he’d have been in jail right now.” President Donald Trump honored Dalilah during his State of the Union address, drawing applause in the chamber as she attended with her father. “Dalilah Coleman was only five years old in June 2024 when an eighteen-wheeler tractor-trailer plowed into her stopped car at sixty miles an hour or more,” Trump said. “The driver was an illegal alien let in by Joe Biden and given a commercial driver’s license by open borders politicians in California.” CALIFORNIA FATHER SAYS NEWSOM IGNORED HIM AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER LEFT DAUGHTER UNABLE TO WALK Trump and Noem have come under criticism from Democrats who view actions taken to arrest illegal migrants as harmful. Meanwhile, Republicans have cited multiple instances in which American citizens have been killed, injured and harmed by people living in the U.S. illegally. “They shouldn’t be here to begin with,” Coleman said. “So for every one of those families that’s out there, just the fact that it was an illegal person who did it, it shouldn’t have happened.” During Wednesday’s hearing, Cohen alluded to a 2024 Justice Department study using data from Texas that shows that illegal immigrants are less than half as likely as native-born Americans to be arrested for homicide. The same pattern holds for assault, sexual assault, robbery, burglary, theft and arson,” Cohen added. “And they’re half as likely to be arrested for drug offenses,” he said. “The facts show that most of the people that you have stopped and tried to deport have not committed any of those crimes,” he said. “In fact, they’ve committed no crimes at all.” Coleman said he disagreed with nearly everything Cohen said during the hearing. “It’s very concerning, it’s very disruptive for me,” he said. “I disagree wholeheartedly with pretty much everything he said. “People that sit there and believe in open borders are the very people that make sure that their doors are double locked and make sure that their gun rights are on par.” Like many who support the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, he said the migrant crime statistics mean very little to victims’ families. “To that family, it’s huge, but to the person it doesn’t happen to, it’s a small number,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Cohen’s office.