Minnesota lawmakers unload on Walz’s ‘legacy’ after he touts fraud record in final address: ‘Ridiculous’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gave his final State of the State address earlier this week, and his comments on the massive fraud scandal in the state, which came toward the end of his speech, quickly sparked blowback from Republican lawmakers in the state who spoke to Fox News Digital. “It was ridiculous,” state Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Minn., chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, said about Walz’s comments on the fraud scandal. “He somewhat said, ‘Oh, the buck stops with me,’ but then he immediately pivoted to blame everyone else.” Walz touted his efforts to crack down on fraud during his speech while claiming that red states have more fraud than blue states and suggesting the legislature needs to do more to adopt his proposal to fight fraud. “We’ve created additional checks and balances,” Walz said. “We’ve brought on more investigators, more auditors, more law enforcement agencies, as well as an outside firm to take a look at high-risk programs. People who have ripped us off are getting caught, and they are going to jail, just like today.” ‘INCOMPETENCE OR DERELICTION’: MINNESOTA LAWMAKER RIPS TIM WALZ AS STATE FRAUD LOSSES MOUNT Walz’s reference to “today” was in relation to federal raids carried out across Minneapolis earlier that day, which the governor faced criticism over, including from FBI Director Kash Patel, after he seemingly took credit for actions the federal government says it directed and orchestrated. “Minnesota is consistently ranked as one of the best states to live in because we invest in programs that support children, parents, seniors and people with disabilities,” Walz said in the speech. “But, as we’ve seen in recent months, and just today, the more generous your support system, the more oversight you need to make sure people aren’t taking unfair advantage.” Walz pointed to the legislature and called on it to adopt his plan to combat fraud, which Robbins said will do “nothing but create more bureaucracy” and said the Republican proposals are more “serious” to actually address the issue. JD VANCE COMPARES GOV TIM WALZ TO AN ‘ARSONIST’ FOR ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR FBI FRAUD RAIDS “He can keep gaslighting people, but nobody buys it anymore,” Robbins said. State Sen. Mark Koran, R-Minn., reacted to the speech by telling Fox News Digital, “Governor Walz tried to wallpaper over his legacy by praising his failed policies and massive government expansion. “The truth is, he leaves behind a legacy of widespread fraud, higher taxes on Minnesota families and a reckless 40% increase in state spending.” State Sen. Michael Holmstrom, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital the governor treated the speech like a “farewell victory lap,” but “his record of failed leadership and malfeasance will be his legacy.” Walz’s speech was blasted by conservatives on social media as well, including the Republican National Committee’s social media account on X, which posted, “INSANE Tim Walz blames Minnesota’s ‘generosity’ for the billions of dollars in fraud he allowed.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment.
DNC chair ripped for downplaying unreleased 2024 autopsy after Dem losses: ‘Self-inflicted crisis’
Ken Martin, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, gave mixed signals Wednesday when asked if he would release some version of the 2024 autopsy, the unreleased report on what went wrong for Democrats in the last presidential election. That document, a 200-page analysis conducted from over 300 interviews after the 2024 election, never saw the light of day after Martin ordered its creation, much to the frustration of onlookers like Jon Favreau, host of the “Pod Save America” podcast. In a recent interview, Favreau pressed Martin on whether he would still consider releasing a summary of the findings. “We’ve been releasing that, Jon. The reality is we’re not hiding the ball on this. We have been sharing those things out. There’s no smoking gun here,” Martin said. OUTGOING DNC CHAIR SAYS DEMOCRATS SHOULD HAVE ‘STUCK BY’ BIDEN IN THE 2024 ELECTION The moment between Favreau and Martin underscores concerns Democrats have grappled with for the better part of two years that the party is struggling to be transparent about what it needs to change to find success in the future. Democrats received a blow in November 2024 as Republicans stormed to power in a governing trifecta with control over the House of Representatives, Senate and White House. The loss has left Democrats struggling to find a national platform to rally around, and they are at odds over what mistakes the party should avoid repeating. Shortly after becoming DNC chair in February 2025, Martin ordered an autopsy on the loss but pulled the plug on releasing it, arguing that it would distract from the party’s overarching goals. “We completed a comprehensive review of what happened in 2024 and are already putting our learnings into motion. And we’re winning again — even in places that haven’t gone blue in decades. In our conversations with stakeholders from across the Democratic ecosystem, we are aligned on what’s important, and that’s learning from the past and winning the future. BIDEN TEAM, DEMOCRATS NEED TO ADMIT THEY WERE GASLIGHTING ABOUT PRESIDENT’S FITNESS: BOOK AUTHORS “Here’s our North Star: does this help us win? If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission.” But, months after that decision, Democrats like Favreau continue to express an appetite to review Martin’s findings. Favreau pressed Martin on rumors that Martin had made pledges to release some version of the autopsy. “NBC News said that before Easter about a month ago, you told DNC officers on a call to expect an executive summary in short order,” Favreau said. “I feel like an autopsy on what went wrong when we lost the popular vote in all those states in 2024 and figuring out what went wrong based on a big report is pretty important for everyone to know.” “Jon, we’ve already been sharing that with a number of folks, including the DNC and other people,” Martin said. Martin’s answer sparked skepticism online. “This interview will make your blood boil, and it’s a case study in how *not* to handle a self-inflicted crisis,” Michael LaRosa, a former spokesperson for Jill Biden, said in a post to X. “The DNC Chair was right to show up. But the answers were tone-deaf, overly clever and ultimately unpersuasive. To donors and voters alike, it risks sounding disingenuous.” DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY: KEN MARTIN’S TENURE SO FAR AT DNC RIPPED “Democrats are allergic to accountability,” Briahna Joy Gray, a former national press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ failed 2020 presidential campaign, posted on X. “See, the mistake the DNC made is they could’ve released the report earlier in the spring, whatever’s in it, you get two weeks of bad publicity, then Trump does something stupid and everyone forgets,” Rotimi Adeoye, a former Democratic operative who is serving as a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, wrote on X. “Now it feels like something’s being hidden, which makes it way more salacious.”
Trump jokes he’d look ’20 pounds heavier’ in a bulletproof vest, says he doesn’t think about threats
President Donald Trump joked he would look “20 pounds heavier” in a bulletproof vest after being shot at, while acknowledging the protection works and insisting he does not think about future threats. While speaking with reporters inside the Oval Office Thursday, Trump was asked about potential security changes, including whether he would consider wearing a bulletproof vest after recent threats against him. “I don’t know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier,” he joked. “Some of these guys are physical specimens. … No, well, if you want to gain 20 to 25 pounds.” Trump then turned his attention to the Secret Service agent who was shot Saturday after an armed man charged through security at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. TRUMP SAYS HE WON NEW FANS AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘SOMETHING HAPPENED WHEN I GOT SHOT’ “Frankly, the vest did an amazing job because it took a bullet close up,” Trump said. “He didn’t even want to go to the hospital. I mean, we sent him to the hospital just in case. … It’s still a hit, but he didn’t want to go to the hospital. “The vest totally protected him,” the president continued. “Still a lot of power behind that shot, though. That’s like getting hit by Mike Tyson.” Trump said he has been asked about wearing a bulletproof vest, adding that it is something to consider. But he also said he does not like to consider wearing one because he would be giving in to a “bad element.” FBI INVESTIGATES HUNTING STAND WITH SIGHT LINE TO TRUMP’S AIR FORCE ONE EXIT AREA AT PALM BEACH AIRPORT The president was then asked whether he was nervous about another assassination attempt. “I don’t think about it,” Trump said. “And if I did, I wouldn’t be doing a very good job here. I’d be thinking about nothing but that. I don’t think about it. I really don’t think about it. If I did, I wouldn’t be effective.” SECURITY UNDER SCRUTINY AS WHCD ATTENDEES CITE INCONSISTENT SCREENING BEFORE SHOOTING Trump has faced multiple assassination attempts in recent years, including incidents at public events that prompted heightened security concerns and increased scrutiny of Secret Service protocols. In one recent case, a suspect was accused of charging toward Trump at a Washington, D.C., event before being stopped by agents, underscoring the ongoing risks surrounding the president’s public appearances.
Louisiana suspends congressional primaries in wake of Supreme Court gerrymandering ruling
Louisiana’s May congressional primaries have been suspended after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that struck down a majority Black congressional district. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill released a statement Thursday saying the “historic Supreme Court victory for Louisiana has an immediate consequence for the State.” “The Supreme Court previously stayed an injunction against the State’s enforcement of the current Congressional map,” the officials wrote. “By the Court’s order, however, that stay automatically terminated with [Wednesday’s] decision. Accordingly, the State is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map.” SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR Landry and Murrill said they are working with the state legislature and the secretary of state’s office to “develop a path forward.” Early voting was scheduled to begin Saturday ahead of the May 16 primary. MEDIA OUTRAGE OVER SUPREME COURT’S VOTING RIGHTS ACT DECISION COLLIDES WITH REALITY “This is going to cause mass confusion among voters — Democrats, Republicans, White, Black, everybody,” Louisiana state Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat who represents the New Orleans area, told The Associated Press. “What they’re effectively doing is changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game. It’s rigging the system.” There are four Republicans and two Democrats representing Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives. A change to the map could result in at least one additional Republican seat ahead of the November midterm elections. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bessent hosts financial literacy fair, touts education as key to American dream
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent closed out Financial Literacy Month at the U.S. Department of the Treasury by hosting a literacy fair, welcoming over 50 students from the greater D.C. area on Thursday. Bessent framed the event as a reminder of the bedrock of U.S. success. “We live in the greatest country in the history of the world and on the eve of our 250th anniversary, understanding what has driven our success is the key to our future and what will lead the nation successfully for the next 250 years,” Bessent said in a statement about the event. MOCK FUNERAL HELD FOR THE PENNY AT LINCOLN MEMORIAL AS 230-YEAR COIN PRODUCTION ENDS Thursday’s programming included items like a game of “financial soccer,” a kind of fast-paced quiz on financial literacy, interactive booths, free resources and a tour of the Treasury Vault. The Treasury partnered with 18 organizations to conduct the event, including financial groups like Visa, Robinhood and Lincoln Financial. The financial literacy fair is part of a larger initiative from the Treasury that began at the outset of April — one that Bessent said is closely tied to his understanding of how Americans can participate in the American dream. BESSENT SAYS U.S. SEIZED NEARLY $500M IN IRANIAN CRYPTO AS OPERATION ECONOMIC FURY SENDS REGIME INTO ‘CRISIS’ “In my own life experiences, as an economic historian, and now as the 79th Treasury Secretary, it is my firm belief that financial literacy is what fuels the American Dream. Understanding how to make informed financial decisions unlocks opportunity for every American and their families,” Bessent said in a press release earlier this month. This year, as part of the initiative, the department held events such as a roundtable with community bankers and a forum with the Association of Mature American Citizens. BESSENT ‘OPTIMISTIC’ GAS CAN RETURN TO $3 PER GALLON THIS SUMMER. U.S. financial literacy reporting by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that less than 30% of young people are financially literate and that as many as 74% of students say they need financial education. April was first recognized as Financial Literacy Month by the U.S. Senate in 2004.
Trump ends DHS’ months-long nightmare that left immigration enforcement without funding
President Donald Trump has signed a bill to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security, ending a record-setting 75-day lapse in funding for the critical agency tasked with protecting U.S. soil. Trump signed the bill Thursday after the House of Representatives reached a bipartisan agreement to fund DHS. The House approved the Senate-passed spending measure by voice vote, covering most of the department’s appropriations through September. Notably, however, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will remain unfunded under the current legislation. HOUSE PASSES SENATE DHS FUNDING BILL AFTER JOHNSON REVERSES COURSE ON 75-DAY SHUTDOWN STANDOFF The vote came after the Senate’s DHS funding bill had stalled in the lower chamber for more than a month as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to put the bill on the floor over objections to language he said defunded law enforcement. The speaker’s opposition reflected the views of many in the Republican conference, who viewed the bill as a dead letter when the Senate passed it unanimously in March. Johnson changed course this week after the White House appeared to side with the Senate and urged swift passage of the upper chamber’s bill. With more than 200,000 personnel, DHS is one of the largest government agencies under the executive branch. In addition to ICE and CBP, several of the nation’s most critical government agencies fall under DHS, including Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and others. HOUSE REPUBLICANS SPLINTER OVER PESTICIDE PROVISION IN FARM BILL AS MAHA MOVEMENT FLEXES ITS MUSCLE At roughly 75 days, the DHS funding lapse was the longest recorded partial government shutdown in U.S. history. In an internal memo sent to Hill offices and obtained by Fox News Digital, the White House warned it would not be able to pay employees starting in May if the House did not pass the Senate’s partial DHS bill. The administration since early April had been using existing funds to cover six weeks of back pay and a new pay period for DHS employees — but warned that money was quickly being depleted. “If this funding is exhausted, the Administration will be unable to pay DHS personnel beginning in May, which will once again unleash havoc on air travel, leave critical law enforcement officers — including our brave Secret Service agents — and the Coast Guard without paychecks, and jeopardize national security,” the memo states. HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE Republicans are in the beginning stages of writing a separate party-line package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). But that legislation will not advance before lawmakers leave Washington for the upcoming recess period. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack and Krista Garvin and Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
34,000 dead people found on voter rolls prompts expert to slam Dems for resisting ‘commonsense’ cleanup
North Carolina’s discovery of 34,000 dead people on its voter rolls has sparked renewed calls for voter roll cleanup measures, including increased pressure on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. After a state election official said the number of dead people found on North Carolina’s voter rolls was “higher than we anticipated,” Republican Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina called for immediate action to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, commonly known as the SAVE America Act. “North Carolina confirms 34,000 deceased individuals on our voter rolls,” he wrote in an X post. “This isn’t a mistake—it’s a failure. Election integrity is non-negotiable. Fix it now. Pass the SAVE America Act!” This discovery has also prompted questions about how many other states have deceased voters still on their rolls. Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project Action, said he is especially concerned about blue states he believes have been refusing “commonsense” measures to clean up voter rolls. REPUBLICANS FAIL TO ATTACH SAVE AMERICA ACT TO PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE Earlier this month, the North Carolina State Board of Elections submitted over 7.3 million voter records to the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database as part of an initiative to strengthen the accuracy and integrity of the state’s voter registration list. Following a comprehensive data comparison with the federal database, the elections board identified approximately 34,000 dead people on the state’s voter rolls. Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in a press release after the discovery, “While we expected to find some cases, this is higher than we anticipated.” “The benefit of entering into cross-state and federal database checks is that it allows us to uncover issues like this. Our goal is to use every available and legal tool at our disposal to achieve the most accurate voter rolls possible,” he continued. “Now, we must roll up our sleeves and begin the hard work to act of verifying that every person registered to vote in North Carolina is eligible. Our team, along with our state and federal [partners] will do what’s necessary to meet this responsibility.” The state board said it will work with county boards of elections to remove the deceased individuals from the voter rolls in accordance with state and federal law. WATCH: CHAOS ERUPTS AS FLORIDA DEM IN PINK JUMPSUIT GRABS BULLHORN MID-VOTE: ‘IT’S ILLEGAL!’ While North Carolina is collaborating with the federal government and taking steps to clean up its rolls, Snead expressed concern that Democratic-run states are not doing the same. “Voter list maintenance takes effort from state officials,” he told Fox News Digital. He called North Carolina “another example of a state doing the work to root out bad registrations using federal records like the SAVE system.” “But too many Democrat-controlled states are refusing to do the commonsense work of cleaning up bloated voter rolls or stopping ineligible people from registering in the first place,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important for Congressional Democrats to end their obstruction of the SAVE America Act, a commonsense, popular piece of legislation that keeps it easy to vote and makes it harder to cheat,” he added. The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It mandates states to verify voter rolls using citizenship data, remove ineligible registrants and impose civil and criminal penalties on officials who register voters without required proof. The legislation is currently stuck in limbo in the Senate. Last week, a cohort of Senate Republicans joined Democrats to sink a late-night attempt to attach a version of the voter ID and citizenship verification legislation to the GOP’s bill funding federal immigration enforcement. Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., all voted against a modified version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. BLUE STATE RESIDENTS ‘FLEEING IN DROVES’ AFTER ‘INSANE’ PROGRESSIVE TAKEOVER, SAYS TOP STATE ATTORNEY President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for passage of the SAVE America Act. Last month, he vowed not to sign any other bills until it gets through, and said he wouldn’t approve of a “watered down version.” Last month, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; and Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., released a statement explaining their opposition to the legislation. The statement posited that the legislation would “disenfranchise up to 21 million citizens who can’t readily access their passports and birth certificates.” If enacted, the three asserted the SAVE America Act would be “sowing chaos in state election administration and fueling attacks against hardworking election officials by exposing them to new criminal liability.” Schumer charged “MAGA Republicans” with “trying to make it harder for Americans to vote.” He asserted that “they know their agenda is failing, so they’re changing the rules.” Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel and Alex Miller contributed to this report.
House Republicans splinter over pesticide provision in farm bill as MAHA movement flexes its muscle
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers moved Thursday to strip out a controversial pesticide provision from legislation setting U.S. farm and nutrition policy after Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., threatened to “slaughter” the legislation if her measure did not receive a floor vote. Lawmakers voted 280 to 142 to approve Luna’s amendment, which removed language from the farm bill shielding pesticide manufacturers from legal liability. The successful vote could be a sign of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement’s growing influence over congressional Republicans, who splintered over the issue. Leading MAHA advocates applied public pressure on Republicans to back the amendment, arguing that failing to do so would be a betrayal of the MAHA movement. Seventy-three Republicans backed Luna’s measure, while 142 GOP lawmakers rejected it. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES THREATEN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY MEASURE The provision that lawmakers struck would block lawsuits against pesticide companies for failing to disclose potential health risks as long as they are in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on labeling. States and localities would be barred from issuing pesticide labeling guidance that diverges from the EPA. “I have a little boy, and the amount of articles I have seen on pesticides and herbicides popping up in children’s products (to include organic) is very bad,” Luna, a MAHA-aligned Republican, wrote on social media earlier this week. “On behalf of all the moms and dads that aren’t in office, I am not going to be bullied into supporting a bill that is providing protections and immunity to corporations that are responsible for giving children and adults cancer.” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, also endorsed Luna’s amendment, arguing it would “protect Americans from dangerous pesticides.” ‘LONG OVERDUE’: SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP’S CLAWBACK PACKAGE WITH CUTS TO FOREIGN AID, NPR Republican critics, however, contended that Luna’s amendment would raise costs for consumers if the pesticide provision was stripped from the farm bill. “If the EPA says the label is good, I don’t see why every state municipality should have to have another label that would simply raise the price for the American consumer,” Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., said in opposition to Luna’s measure. “We’re not talking about the pesticide in the jug as has been misrepresented to the American citizens and especially the MAHA movement,” Scott continued. “We’re talking about just the label on the jug. There is no liability shield for the pesticide in the jug. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., also sharply criticized Luna’s measure. “The arguments on the other side are pretty shallow, and they’re emotional,” Thompson said on the House floor. “They’re not science-based.” Democrats also widely backed the effort to remove the pesticide provision from the bill. “Put simply, this language puts chemical company profits over the health of Americans,” Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said during debate on the House floor. The floor battle over the pesticide provision also comes as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week about whether pesticide manufacturers like Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, should be given legal preemption from failing to warn consumers that its weedkiller product Roundup could cause cancer. The Trump administration sparked controversy among MAHA advocates earlier this year when it declared domestic production of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, a national security priority. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an influential MAHA voice, publicly defended the move despite railing against glyphosate for years. Bayer has repeatedly maintained that its product is safe to use and has not been found to cause cancer.
Union racked up massive tab on swank DC hotel stay to battle Trump — and still lost
FIRST ON FOX: The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) racked up a $1.2 million tab at D.C.’s five-star Salamander Hotel during a lobbying trip to oppose President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a new report from the Center for Union Facts (CUF) found. Social media posts show SEIU members from around the country converged in Washington, D.C., between June 23 and June 29, 2025, to confront lawmakers and stage protests against the tax and spending cuts under consideration in Congress. Department of Labor disclosures logged on June 30, 2025, reveal that the union spent $1.2 million of members’ dues at the Salamander Hotel to cover a series of expenses labeled as “support for political activities.” The One Big Beautiful Bill Act served as the cornerstone of Trump’s second-term economic agenda. While supporters touted tax breaks for service workers and small business owners, critics argued cuts to health and food subsidies would harm less affluent Americans. This disagreement sparked fierce opposition, including the SEIU’s seven-figure protest campaign, though Trump ultimately signed the bill into law on 4th of July weekend 2025. DC RESTAURANT GROUPS BLAST DEMS’ ‘BASELESS’ BOYCOTT THREAT REPORTEDLY BACKED BY AOC, SANDERS The SEIU did not respond to a request for comment after being contacted by Fox News Digital on Wednesday. SEIU chapters posted images of its members in the hotel’s event spaces and outside its rooms to social media in late June 2025, according to images collected by CUF and reviewed by Fox News Digital. “The SEIU lectures the country about economic justice by day and apparently checks into five-star luxury hotels by night on their members’ dimes,” CUF communications director Charlyce Bozzello told Fox News Digital. “So much for solidarity.” CUF is a nonprofit interest group critical of organized labor. The SEIU, meanwhile, is a union representing roughly two million workers in healthcare, public service and other sectors. The hotel appears in the Michelin Guidebook, a catalog of luxury hotels published by the same organization responsible for awarding coveted Michelin stars to restaurants. “While it’s slightly less central than some of the older hotels, there’s an immediate payoff in the form of spectacular views — rooms overlook the Mall and the Washington Monument on one side, with the Basin and Jefferson Memorial on the other,” the guide reads. “Facilities, of course, are first-class; the Salamander Spa is one of the main attractions, itself as large as some hotels we’ve seen, offering every therapy yet devised in a surprisingly chic environment.” Alongside spacious rooms and dramatic architecture, the Salamander Hotel has several luxury dining options, including a restaurant belonging to celebrity chef Kwame Onwuachi. REPUBLICANS RIP 4 BLUE STATES FOR KEEPING TAXES ON TIPS, OVERTIME AFTER TRUMP REPRIEVE CUF notes in its report that the SEIU has its own conference space in D.C., raising questions about why it spent so much at the five-star hotel. The SEIU’s website states that “dues are a touchy topic in any union,” and that “when times are tough, almost any expense can seem burdensome to workers.” The webpage goes on to explain how the SEIU believes that dues payments help union members secure better pay and benefits through lobbying efforts, legal aid, educational programs and organizational training. ASRA NOMANI: THE $2.1 BILLION MACHINE BEHIND ‘SPONTANEOUS’ ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS While staying in D.C. to protest the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, some SEIU members were among the more than two dozen people arrested by the United States Capitol Police for illegally occupying a Senate office building on June 25, 2025. Disclosures show that the SEIU spent additional funds at other high-end resorts in 2025. Among these was the Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Virginia, where the union’s leadership spent $32,806 on “staff meetings and training.” The resort consistently ranks among the best in the nation.
Trump DOJ report lays bare Biden administration’s alleged anti-Christian bias
The Department of Justice’s investigations and prosecutions of Christians during the Biden administration signal that the government discriminated against people based on their faith, according to a sweeping 200-page report released Thursday by the Trump DOJ. “The Biden Administration generally tolerated religious beliefs that were privately held but zealously pursued actions to limit Christians’ ability to act in accordance with their faith,” the report found. The document, released by a DOJ task force, serves as an internal deep dive into concerns critics have already publicly raised surrounding prosecutions of pro-life protesters, investigations into Catholics, the administration’s posture toward religious concerns with COVID-19 vaccines and more. The report contended that the Biden administration showed a pattern of making enforcement choices that de-prioritized religious liberty protections at the expense of Christians. PLANNED PARENTHOOD APOLOGIZES FOR ‘INADVERTENTLY’ GIVING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT COLORING BOOK TO CHILDREN “No American should live in fear that the federal government will punish them for their faith,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who chaired the task force, said in a statement. “As our report lays out, the Biden Administration’s actions devastated the lives of many Christian Americans. That devastation ended with President Trump. The Department of Justice will continue to expose bad actors who targeted Christians and work tirelessly to restore religious liberty for all Americans of faith.” One little known detail revealed in the report found that federal government employees were systemically denied religious accommodation requests or subject to tedious processes when seeking exceptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. “The Task Force found that during the COVID-19 period, federal agencies frequently subjected employees seeking religious accommodations to invasive scrutiny of their beliefs,” the report stated, saying the practice was at odds with court precedent requiring employers to “presume sincerity” of beliefs. EXCLUSIVE: CONSERVATIVE GROUPS URGING TRUMP ADMIN TO EXPOSE ANTI-CHRISTIAN ‘PATTERN’ IN BIDEN FBI Former Attorney General Merrick Garland’s emphasis on reproductive healthcare was another top focus of the report. In the wake of the landmark Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the Garland DOJ sought to prioritize access to abortion and to protect abortion clinics, while making weak attempts to engage with and protect faith-based pregnancy counseling centers that discourage abortion, the report found. The task force summarized how the Biden DOJ aggressively pursued Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances violations at abortion clinics, especially amid heightened polarization of the abortion debate as the Supreme Court weighed the Dobbs decision. The department frequently brought federal FACE Act charges against nonviolent pro-life protesters, including several elderly protesters, many of whom were found guilty of blocking doors to abortion clinics and later pardoned by Trump. Those prosecutions far outpaced charges brought against abortion advocates who targeted pregnancy counseling centers or churches, the report noted, despite the law being written to protect both types of facilities. Internally, Biden DOJ Civil Rights Division attorneys “questioned whether to provide pregnancy resource centers with the same resources as abortion clinics, questioning whether these facilities fall under the FACE Act’s scope,” the report stated. Republican lawmakers frequently confronted Garland over concerns about whether the DOJ’s actions disadvantaged Christians. During a House hearing in 2023, Garland, who is Jewish and frequently references his family fleeing religious persecution in Europe in the 20th century, became emotional about the accusation. “The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous, so absurd,” Garland told lawmakers. The report, drafted in response to Trump’s executive order called Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias, laid out corrective measures the DOJ has taken, including engaging with faith-based groups, holding hearings featuring alleged victims of anti-Christian bias, shifting law enforcement priorities and revising legal interpretations of court precedents. Fox News Digital reached out to a Biden representative for comment.