Former top cop warns of loophole exploited by illicit Chinese vape companies ‘targeting our youth’
A former top law enforcement official is sounding the alarm on an attempt by illicit Chinese vape companies to exploit legal loopholes by replacing nicotine with an unregulated substitute to continue selling flavored disposable vapes to children. “These Chinese organized crime groups, what they realized is if they go ahead and just change the ingredients in the packaging, then they create confusion and there is no enforcement or regulatory agency that then is responsible to address these illicit, illegal, disposable vapes,” former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Deputy Director Edgar Domenech told Fox News Digital in an interview. The synthetic compound, 6-methyl nicotine, also known as 6MN or “NIX,” is a nicotine analog marketed under brand names including Nixodine and Metatine, with some manufacturers arguing 6-methyl nicotine products fall outside the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authority. Domenech, the former sheriff of New York City, said that while nicotine is a well-known addictive substance regulated by the FDA, the nicotine substitute “manufactured illegally in China” is an “unknown variable” that hasn’t been studied enough. FORMER ACTING DHS SECRETARY WARNS CHINESE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE INFILTRATING AMERICA’S HEMP INDUSTRY “It’s a different type of substance,” he said. “Now, all of a sudden, the FDA doesn’t have oversight, but it’s the same product. It’s a disposable vape product with flavors targeting our kids and our youth with unknown chemicals.” Pointing to law enforcement’s role in combating the illicit trade, Domenech said the companies create “confusion” by changing the product’s ingredients, causing law enforcement and regulatory agencies to “take no action.” “The organized crime groups — they’re five steps in front of us,” he said. “By changing the substance, they are now creating additional new obstacles to figure out.” Domenech said the companies keep the same branding, packaging, and flavors while changing just one ingredient, allowing them to profit from children who may not realize what they’re consuming. CORPORATE AMERICA’S CHINA ADDICTION HAS BECOME A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT “They’re putting these products side by side in these big shops, because the packaging is all the same,” he said. “All they’ve done is changed one of the ingredients in the product.” Domenech said the companies are targeting “our youngest, most vulnerable generation” with flavored disposable vapes containing chemicals whose long-term health effects remain unknown. “They’re targeting our youth with flavors,” he said. “Whether it’s fruity flavors, candy-type flavors, dessert flavors. They’re targeting our kids to go ahead and ingest these products with unknown consequences because we don’t know what’s in them to begin with.” As youth vaping has become more widespread, Domenech said some schools have installed bathroom sensors that detect vaping, adding, “We’ve got 11-year-olds, 12-year-olds, 14-year-olds vaping these products.” EXPLOSIVE HOUSE REPORT REVEALS SECRET OPERATION INSIDE CHINA AT CENTER OF SOUTH KOREA’S FIGHT WITH US COMPANY He said that the products could lead to “unknown health and mental well-being issues down the line.” “There is nothing healthy about the illegal disposable vapes that are flavored targeting our kids,” he said. A recent Duke University study found 6-methyl nicotine may be stronger than nicotine, raising concerns it could be more addictive. Public patent records list Geoff Habicht, CEO of Arizona-based Mi-Pod, which Fox News Digital previously reported on as part of an investigation examining ties between the vaping industry and China, as an inventor on U.S. patents referencing 6-methyl nicotine and related compounds. Raising awareness among lawmakers, health professionals, parents, and schools is vital to closing regulatory gaps and preventing more children from using the products, according to Domenech. “Education is paramount for us to combat this issue,” he said. “We need to educate our policymakers, we need to educate our health professionals, we need to educate our parents, the educational system to make them understand that these products are illegal, they have unknown substances that can have unknown consequences, health consequences.” Domenech said lawmakers and law enforcement need clearer guidance to identify and seize the products. “We need to have a concerted effort to educate our policymakers at the federal level but also at the state and local levels because we need boots on the ground to understand what they can do legally in seizing these products,” he said. Domenech called the companies a “national security problem,” saying the products “should be seized the moment they enter this country, period.” “We’re losing a generation of our future, our future leaders to this product,” he said.
America’s cheapest city to grab a cheeseburger, fries and soda isn’t where you’d expect
A cheeseburger, fries and a soda remain one of America’s classic comfort meals, but what Americans pay for that combo depends heavily on where they live, according to the so-called Cheeseburger Index. A new DoorDash State of Local Commerce report, which compares the average price of a cheeseburger, fries and a soda across U.S. cities, found the average price of the meal is lowest in Austin, Texas, at $12.94. DoorDash said cities in the South and Southeast tend to be more affordable because of structurally lower operating costs, helping the region rank well across both grocery and restaurant price indexes. The highest cost topped out in Anchorage, Alaska at $28.28 for the same meal, according to the report. The 10 best-value cities in the study are concentrated in the Midwest and Texas, with four cities in the Lone Star State making the list — Laredo, Texas ($13.39), Lincoln, Nebraska ($13.86), Detroit ($14.99) and Philadelphia ($15.41) rounded out the top five. The rankings come as eating out continues to get more expensive, even as prices for many grocery and household staples have stabilized. DoorDash found the average price of a cheeseburger, fries and soda climbed 3.2% over the past year. THE COST OF THIS GROCERY STAPLE IS NEARING RECORD HIGHS — AND AMERICANS CAN’T GET ENOUGH While rising beef prices have drawn attention this year, DoorDash said higher restaurant prices appear to reflect broader operating costs — including labor, rent and energy — rather than food costs alone. Local labor markets and operating expenses also help explain why the same meal costs less than $13 in Austin than in Anchorage where it’s more than double that cost. “There isn’t one economy. There are a lot of local economies,” Jessica Lachs, chief analytics officer at DoorDash, told Fox News Digital. She said the Cheeseburger Index was designed to illustrate how those local differences translate into everyday prices for consumers. “Really, the story here is local variation,” Lachs said. “The same basket of goods — a cheeseburger, fries and a drink — costs $12.94 on average in Austin, Texas, but $28.28 in Anchorage, Alaska. Same basket, same quarter, but a very different local reality.” ONE LITTLE-KNOWN MEETING HELPS DECIDE WHAT AMERICANS CAN AFFORD — AND WHAT THEY CAN’T The Cheeseburger Index is one of three affordability measures included in the State of Local Commerce Report. DoorDash also publishes a Breakfast Basics Index, which tracks the cost of common breakfast items, and an Everyday Essentials Index, which measures the price of household staples. Sections of the report found prices for many household essentials remained relatively flat, while some grocery items have begun climbing again. Egg prices, which helped pull grocery costs lower earlier this year, have eased, but avocado and milk prices rose 12.4% and 8.3%, respectively, from the previous quarter. “The Cheeseburger Index is a really great way to distill the information into a simple, fun and relatable metric,” Lachs said. “If you were to place that same order for a cheeseburger, fries and a drink every month, how much would it cost you? It’s a great way to showcase price changes,” she added.
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool drained again as Trump administration resumes repairs
Crews began draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday as the Trump administration launched another round of repairs following the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. The latest repairs come after problems emerged shortly after the initial restoration project was completed last month, which President Donald Trump largely blamed on vandals. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the National Park Service (NPS), told conservative podcaster Katie Miller this week that the latest round of work had been planned and that crews also needed to remove debris left behind after the July Fourth fireworks celebration on the National Mall. BURGUM CLASHES WITH CNN HOST, BLASTS MEDIA FOR QUESTIONING VANDALISM OF LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL “Drain the water, clean up the fireworks stuff,” Burgum said. “Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again.” Trump ordered the restoration project earlier this year as part of his effort to refurbish the landmark ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project was later beset by an algae bloom, and sections of the new blue coating began peeling from the bottom of the pool. FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE Trump declared victory over the algae last Sunday, sharing photos on Truth Social showing the Reflecting Pool and its reflection appearing clear and blue. Court records previously indicated the National Park Service planned to drain the pool again after the July Fourth celebrations to repair damage authorities attributed to vandalism. According to court documents, U.S. Park Police responded to a report of damage at the Reflecting Pool on June 9. Investigators said caulk had been spread over foam sealant that had been cut with a “sharp knife or razor,” the newly applied surface coating had been damaged, and approximately 70 fence post caps had been thrown into the pool. JIM ACOSTA CLAIMS DONALD TRUMP VANITY PROJECTS LOOK LIKE ‘END DAYS OF SADDAM HUSSEIN’ Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty Thursday to damaging the recently renovated Reflecting Pool. Hearn was indicted last week on a felony destruction of property charge following his arrest on charges related to a June 19 incident at the pool. He has denied damaging the Reflecting Pool, saying he stopped during a bike ride and touched a loose piece of the peeling blue coating “to satisfy my curiosity as a citizen.” At least three other people have also been charged with misdemeanors on allegations they removed pieces of the Reflecting Pool’s coating, according to online court records. All three pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances Wednesday. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo, Ryan Canfield, Eric Mack and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump warns US would ‘decimate and destroy’ Iran over assassination attempt
President Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran that the United States would “decimate and destroy” the country if Tehran carried out an assassination attempt against him. “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The president said he had already directed the U.S. military to be prepared to retaliate if Iran carried out an assassination attempt against him. ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT “Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!” Trump said. Trump’s comments came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence recently shared information with U.S. officials indicating Iran was considering a new plot to assassinate the president. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that he remains Iran’s top target. TRUMP SAYS HE’S IRAN’S ‘NO. 1’ TARGET AS RENEWED CONFLICT RAISES ASSASSINATION FEARS “I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” the president said. Earlier Friday, Trump also told the New York Post he had left standing instructions to strike Iran if an assassination attempt against him succeeded. “I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Trump said. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.” TRUMP SAYS HE LEFT INSTRUCTIONS TO ‘BOMB’ IRAN ‘AT LEVELS’ NEVER SEEN IF HE IS ASSASSINATED Trump also dismissed reports that Israeli intelligence had uncovered a new Iranian assassination plot against him. “No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump told the newspaper. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.” The New York Times reported that following Trump’s trip to Turkey, the U.S. Secret Service recommended he travel aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newly retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as a security precaution amid renewed hostilities with Iran. The White House has not said whether the aircraft change was related to specific security concerns, but said the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security features. “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously told Fox News Digital. “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.” Iran has sought Trump’s assassination since he ordered the 2020 military strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. This week, mourners repeatedly called for Trump’s death during the funeral for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The comments also come as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire has unraveled in recent days. Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz this week, prompting renewed U.S. military action, including a new round of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure tied to maritime operations and other military sites. Trump has since declared the ceasefire “over” and warned of further action if Iran continues its attacks. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the U.S. Secret Service for comment. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Trump takes unusual step, lets bipartisan housing bill become law unsigned amid SAVE pressure campaign
A bipartisan housing bill became law Saturday at midnight after President Donald Trump declined to sign it, capping a weeks-long saga over whether the president would veto the measure amid frustrations with Congress over his stalled agenda. Trump refused to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — legislation aimed at expanding the nation’s housing stock and lowering costs — in an attempt to pressure Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, despite the housing bill clearing both chambers with overwhelming majorities. “I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, which is polling at 97% with the Republican Party, and very high with the non-politician Dumocrats,” he declared on Truth Social Friday morning. The Trump-backed election measure, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and impose voter ID requirements, has struggled to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. Meanwhile, the House has not passed a version of the bill that includes the president’s proposed crackdown on mail-in voting and banning men from women’s sports. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES DERAIL GOP AGENDA IN SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWDOWN Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump had 10 days, not including Sundays, to sign or veto the housing measure after the House formally transmitted the legislation to the White House in late June. The president ultimately chose neither option, allowing the measure to become law without his signature. Though Trump declined to veto the legislation, he sharply criticized elements of the bill and argued it should not have been a legislative priority in recent weeks. “It’s so unimportant … compared to the SAVE America Act,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in late June. “I think the SAVE America Act is exactly what it says. It’s saving America from crooked elections.” Trump went on to call the housing bill “a yawn,” adding, “compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.” It would have taken a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a veto — a margin the House and Senate exceeded when they passed the legislation. However, it remains unclear whether so many Republicans would have defied the president had he vetoed the bill. Trump also appeared to criticize the bill over a provision restricting Wall Street investors from purchasing single-family homes — a policy he first proposed during his January State of the Union address and later urged Congress to pass. Trump previously argued the investor ban would give individual homebuyers a leg up against private equity firms in the housing market. “I don’t want to hurt people that own houses, too,” Trump later told reporters, appearing to reference the provision. “These people, for the first time in their lives, they have valuable houses. They’ve become rich. I don’t want to hurt them either. What you want to do is what’s good for everyone, get the interest rates down.” The law also aims to boost housing supply by streamlining federal environmental reviews, loosening rules around the construction of factory-built homes, and incentivizing local governments to modify their zoning laws to allow more housing, among roughly 60 provisions. Trump’s souring on the legislation created headaches for Republicans, who touted the bill as an affordability win as voters grapple with high housing costs. “It’s irresponsible to postpone signing the Housing bill due to the SAVE Act,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a retiring lawmaker who lost re-election to a Trump-backed challenger, wrote on social media. “We need to start delivering relief to people for the high cost of housing ASAP!!” WARREN TELLS TRUMP TO ‘SIGN THE DAMN BILL’ AS BIPARTISAN HOUSING PACKAGE REMAINS STALLED IN WASHINGTON Trump abruptly canceled a signing ceremony for the legislation at the U.S. Capitol in June with GOP leaders. The stage had already been set, with at least one senior Republican arriving unaware the president had called off the event shortly before it was scheduled to begin. The president then declared he would not sign the legislation until Congress passed the SAVE America Act, despite Senate GOP leaders insisting the votes do not exist to advance the measure. Trump has also expressed frustration with the Republican-controlled Senate for declining to weaken the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation in the upper chamber. “GET SMART REPUBLICANS, IF YOU DON’T, YOU WON’T BE IN OFFICE FOR LONG!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. Before Trump came out against the bill, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history” and said it included an array of policies “long championed” by Trump. Meanwhile, Trump political operative James Blair touted the legislation for including the president’s Wall Street investor ban, which he referred to as a “signature commitment.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has argued that Republicans will still promote the landmark housing bill ahead of November. “We’ll still celebrate it, but he’s trying to make a point, and I think he’s making it very effectively,” the speaker recently told reporters, referring to Trump. “And the fact that you all ask me every three steps down the hallway illustrates that he has achieved the desired objective, and that is to make SAVE America the number one thing, because if we don’t get that right, everybody’s concerned about what happens next.”
Kelley Paul: America’s Founders were the ‘first civil rights heroes’
Kelley Paul is no stranger to the American political scene. As the wife of Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and the daughter-in-law of longtime former Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas), she has seen her fair share of the campaign trail, emerging as a powerful surrogate during her husband’s 2016 presidential run. She is also an accomplished writer, speaker, and public relations professional. As America ushers in its 250th anniversary, Paul saw the perfect opportunity to branch out into the world of children’s literature. Recently she sat down with Fox News Digital in Las Vegas at Freedom Fest to discuss her new book, “Good Night, Young American.” Paul credits her family for giving her the inspiration for the new project: “I have to give a lot of credit to my daughter-in-law, Kate. She and our son were over for dinner last summer with our grandson, who was only six months old at the time. And Kate was like, you know, we need more patriotic books for babies. She wasn’t really happy with a lot of the book options she was seeing. And that night at dinner, we kind of played around with some ideas. And I came up with ‘Good Night Young American.’ And a year later, here it is.” EXCLUSIVE: RAND AND KELLEY PAUL OPEN UP ABOUT 2016 RACE “Good Night, Young American,” recommended for children ages 4–8, takes kids on a visually and thematically engaging journey through early and colonial history. “Well, our revolutionary history is such a great adventure, right? So when I came up with the concept that my little boy would start out on the 4th of July with his parents, asking, what is it all about? I knew we’d be celebrating the 250th. Kids ask, what are we really celebrating? And his dad describes the Declaration of Independence to him in the signing. So I tried to think what is going to appeal to children in this great adventure of our revolution. So when he falls asleep that night, he’s in the crow’s nest of the Mayflower. He is a pilgrim, he’s a colonist, and then he makes friends with all the great revolutionary heroes that we know. So he makes friends with Sam Adams, he joins the Sons of Liberty, he meets at the Green Dragon. This is so exciting for children, right? It’s visual stuff. He makes friends with Ben Franklin, and he’s flying the kite. Dramatically rides on the midnight ride with Paul Revere. He and his dog, his little dog, are with him for all the adventures. And of course, he crosses the Delaware with George Washington. And I wanted to make the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the writing of it something that was dynamic and exciting visually. So I have him swinging on the Liberty Bell when the declaration is signed.” Paul worked closely with the illustrator, Marika Monesi, to bring the events of America’s founding to life in an engaging and visually appealing way for children. “She really captured the excitement on the little boy’s face, his personality, but I worked very close with her,” Paul said. “I wanted there to be a lot of movement, a lot of dynamic images. So, for example, with the Liberty Bell, for kids, a bunch of men standing around writing a document…I wanted to bring it to life. So I said, let’s have him running up to the top of the bell tower in Philadelphia at Freedom Hall and swinging on the Liberty Bell. And she was just such a great artist. With the George Washington scenes, he’s crossing the Delaware because that, again, is so visual. I wanted drive home to children the incredible bravery and courage of our founders, how cold and miserable and hard that war was. “Also, I love the illustration that she did of the King of England reading the Declaration of Independence. I have to give my husband Rand a little credit there. On the first couple of drafts that she did, Rand was like, ‘He needs to be fatter. King George was famously fat!’ So it was a lot of fun. It was very collaborative.” KELLEY PAUL ‘EXHAUSTED AND ANGRY’ THAT THOSE WHO HARASSED HER AND HER HUSBAND FACE NO CHARGES Part of Paul’s motivation for the book was related to the teaching of American history today, and the controversies therein: “I do think that we’ve gotten away from really celebrating our founders and our heroes. What they were doing in 1776 was incredibly radical, if you think about it. At that time, everyone accepted the divine right of kings. Everyone accepted hereditary rule. And our founders took Enlightenment ideas from John Locke and philosophers, and they turned it into the framework for a government. The idea of self-government and that our rights come from our Creator, that we have inalienable rights that are given to us by God and not from a king. Those were radical ideas of the time. I like to say our founders were the first civil rights heroes, the first civil libertarians. And I think our education system has gotten away from that. They don’t view them in the time that they existed, and suddenly now everything is oppressor versus oppressed narrative. And they are labeled more like colonizers or enslavers, and that’s the only view that they’re looked at, and not as human beings who sacrificed their very lives to write the Declaration of Independence, to form this country…it was an incredible, bold, and courageous act, but it was also an act of moral courage and philosophical courage.” Ultimately, Paul hopes that her books will stimulate the natural curiosity of America’s youth to learn more about their rich history: “Well, I hope that my books, especially with America’s 250, will spark a lot of questions and that they will give a framework for parents to talk to their kids about the founding of this country. And I hope children from a very, very young age will come
Michigan Senate hopeful calls AIPAC donations ‘legalized bribery,’ remains silent on other donations
Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, called donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a form of “bribery.” “Next week, AIPAC is set to spend at least $3,847,990 against me. Why? Because [Haley Stevens] is more committed to the future of a foreign country than keeping your tax dollars here to provide schools and healthcare for you and your kids,” El-Sayed said in a post to X. “Legalized bribery at its worst.” The post, which comes a little under a month before a primary against Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a pro-Israel and establishment candidate, raises questions about foreign interests represented in American elections and whether El-Sayed’s criticisms could be applied to other groups. JOSH SHAPIRO WARNS THAT ATTACKS ON AIPAC ARE BEING USED TO ‘SILENCE CERTAIN VOTERS’ “Does that apply to PAL PAC and Arab American PAC?” Chuck Ross, an investigative reporter, wrote in a post to X, referring to two pro-palestine groups. El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital along those lines. Israel and its influence in American politics have been key themes for the Michigan Senate primary. Stevens, a member of the House of Representatives, endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has heavily criticized El-Sayed for questioning the U.S.-Israel alliance amid the conflict with Hamas. “I can say that Israel has a right to peacefully exist alongside the people of Palestine and Gaza,” Stevens said at a debate on Tuesday evening. DEMOCRATS’ CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN El-Sayed, for his part, has maintained that the Israel lobby has amassed too much power in U.S. elections, preventing candidates from questioning the partnership or under what circumstances the U.S. should withhold its assistance. “For too long our foreign policy has been handed to us by the likes of the state of Israel and AIPAC, who has made sure that both Democrats and Republicans are doing their bidding,” El-Sayed said on Tuesday. Notably, El-Sayed has a modest foreign asset. In response to criticisms that he had yet to release his tax returns, El-Sayed acknowledged that his family had been holding the evaluations abroad, delaying the process. “Taxes get complicated,” El-Sayed replied when asked about the topic on a recent programming appearance. “My wife and her family own property abroad and getting all those tax forms is a thing.” DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’ As a part of his candidate report disclosures filed on June 2025, El-Sayed has reported a number of holdings. Among them: a salary from Wayne County worth $278,900 and an assortment of other assets totaling a net worth somewhere between $580,000 and $1.7 million. As a part of that report, his wife reported holding up to $15,000 in real estate in India.
How Maine’s Democratic meltdown could shape the Senate midterms
Political watchers expected this fall’s Maine Senate contest to emerge as the main event in the midterms as Democrats try to unseat five-term Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Again. It is said that as Maine goes, so goes the nation. And this year, Maine could dictate how the Senate goes. But Democrats are facing trouble in the Pine Tree State. Progressives thought they discovered a pearl of a candidate in waterman Graham Platner and his oyster enterprise. But the party has now shucked Platner and is diving to find a replacement by July 27th. For Democrats, defeating Collins is like the pursuit of the Great White Whale in Moby Dick. Potentially in their grasp. Yet elusive. Republicans aren’t concerned about the veteran GOPer. “There’s a reason that she’s been a United States Senator for Maine since God was a baby,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Fox. “People like her.” The Democratic Party was fractured before as its “mainstream middle” scraps with progressives. However, the Platner debacle may have underscored what made the schism worse. MILLIONS IN DEM AD MONEY VANISHED FROM PLATNER RACE DAYS BEFORE RAPE ALLEGATION DOOMED SENATE BID The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) will soon release their long-term platform. The DSA wants to eliminate the Senate. Expand the House. Pack the Supreme Court? How about having the House pick the Court instead? The DSA pushes a 32-hour workweek without changes to pay or benefits. And then there are older suggestions like Medicare for all and guaranteed minimum wages. Some Democrats are asking how Platner got this far – unvetted. That’s to say nothing of some Democrats looking past his awful text messages and Nazi-themed tattoo. All in the name of trying to defeat Collins. “I told you so” is essentially the mantra of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) He’s been outspoken against Platner since the start and railed against colleagues who blindly flocked to Platner. “I’d say that the trash took itself out,” said Fetterman on Fox. “Finally, people in Maine have a chance to really vote on someone that’s not a total piece of trash.” But Fetterman held particular contempt for a Senate colleague: the godfather of modern socialism. “(Sen.) Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) needs to apologize to the voters of Maine and to everyone that donated to that train wreck of a campaign. More than anyone, he pushed Platner into the election. And now he keeps pushing these communists and these kind of awful anti-American people,” said Fetterman. That’s what worries some Democrats after primary victories in New York by Democratic House nominees Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Brad Lander. Then throw in Melat Kiros. She felled 30-year veteran Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in the primary last week. Kiros then triggered a Colorado avalanche of controversy after an appearance with Walter Rhein on YouTube. “One of the things that brought me into starting my PhD program was finally coming to the realization that we were never really going to be able to tackle white supremacy in the way that we need to without reparations,” said Kiros. This is why Democrats are concerned about the party steering left. Democrats might not need to worry about allegations of sexual assault, texts and tattoos like they did with Platner. But they could grapple with policies pushed by other Democratic Socialists. SOCIALISTS LAUNCH RADICAL PLATFORM TO ABOLISH THE US SENATE IN BID TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM AMERICA Abdul El-Sayed is seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.). Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) is retiring. Who knows what awaits Democrats in Maine, post-Platner. But Democrats must retain Michigan if they have a fighting chance to seize control of the Senate. “You can’t retrain ICE. You have to abolish ICE,” said El-Sayed at a recent debate with Stevens. He equated radicalism in Iran to MAGA. And, he declared that people in Dearborn, MI were “sad” about the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Stevens, trying to run in the “middle” lane of the party, is focused on kitchen table issues. “I will run through anyone and anything to lower costs,” said Stevens during the debate. Democrats are torn. “I don’t agree with everything either Haley or Abdul have said. They’re both colleagues. They’re both friends, and I’m neutral in this race. But we do have a big tent,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) on Fox. But when pressed about progressives, Dingell replied, “I don’t think that the DSA is painting us into the corners.” Political observers note that candidates like El-Sayed energize the party. But what does that mean in the general election? “I think it is a great test case because I think El-Sayed is going to win that nomination. And I think with it, he brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, again from Democrats. The question is will he be able to appeal to independents? And that remains to be seen,” said University of Akron political scientist David Cohen. So here’s the Senate map for Democrats. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is retiring. Democrats hope to flip the Tar Heel State with former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. In the Buckeye State, former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is mounting a comeback after losing to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) less than two years ago. He’s up against appointed Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who succeeded Vice President JD Vance. “There’s a lot of money flowing into this state. Both Republicans and Democrats realize that Ohio is one of the keys to either Republicans holding the Senate or Democrats flipping it,” said Cohen. Iowa used to be a swing state. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is retiring after two terms. But the Hawkeye State is shaping up as a battleground as Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) faces Democrat Josh Turek. The Democrats’ last hope is to capture the Last Frontier: Alaska. Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska.) is up against Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska.) Democrats must also cling to Georgia as Sen. Jon
ICE arrests illegal immigrants convicted of attempted murder, rape and child sex crimes in targeted crackdown
In a series of sweeping nationwide operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Thursday arrested some of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens convicted of heinous crimes. Among those captured was Jose Solorzano-Felix, of Mexico, who was apprehended in Salt Lake City, Utah. Solorzano-Felix was previously convicted for the attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, use of a firearm during and in the commission of a felony, and being an illegal immigrant in possession of a handgun. ICE NABS ILLEGAL ALIENS CONVICTED OF CHILD SEX CRIMES AND METH TRAFFICKING IN NATIONWIDE ENFORCEMENT SWEEP In Santa Clara, California, ICE agents took Paulino Lugos-Perez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, into custody following his conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child. Meanwhile, in Forsyth County, North Carolina, authorities arrested Adrian Valdez-Lopez, a Mexican national convicted of second-degree forcible rape. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SOCCER COACH WHO USED ALCOHOL AND DRUGS TO SEXUALLY ABUSE KIDS LEARNS FATE The crackdown also targeted violent gang affiliates, resulting in the Pasadena, California, arrest of Edgar Josue Centeno, a Honduran national and member of the Latin Kings gang convicted of assault with a deadly weapon. In Mineola, New York, agents arrested Rodolfo Umana, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who had been convicted of burglary. “Yesterday, the brave men and women of ICE risked their lives to arrest illegal criminal aliens convicted for attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, lewd or lascivious acts with a child, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, and burglary,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acting assistant Secretary Lauren Bis wrote in a statement. SEE IT: ICE AGENTS PAUSE ARREST OPERATION TO SAVE WOMAN IN ROLLOVER CRASH The arrests represent a targeted effort to remove dangerous illegal immigrants from the country, with Bis emphasizing that under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, “ICE will continue to arrest and remove these public safety threats from our communities.” DHS said nearly 70% of ICE arrests are those of illegal immigrants who have already been charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. “Thanks to our ICE law enforcement, our communities are safer,” Bis wrote.
Trump says he left instructions to ‘bomb’ Iran ‘at levels’ never seen if he is assassinated
President Donald Trump said he has left behind instructions to strike Iran should Tehran succeed in its attempts to assassinate him. “I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” he told the New York Post on Friday. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.” Trump said that Tehran has wanted him dead for some time, noting that there were no new plans to kill him amid recent reports that Israel flagged an Iranian plot to take him out, the newspaper reported. ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT “No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump said. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. Iran has sought Trump’s assassination after he ordered a 2020 strike that took out Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Most recently, mourners called for his death during the funeral for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. TRUMP CALLS TERRORIST IRANIAN A ‘CANCER.’ IS HE FINALLY THE ONE TO REMOVE IT? “I swear by the blood of the Supreme Leader, Trump, we will kill you!” they shouted, with women holding up placards reading “Kill Trump.” Domestically, Trump has been the target of assassination plots in the United States. In July 2024, a bullet grazed his ear when a shooter opened fire on him during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate after Trump called off a ceasefire after Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz this week. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks,’” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” Trump noted Iran’s ambitions to target him during a press conference this week at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. “They had leaders, they’re gone. Then they had another set of leaders, they’re gone,” he said. “Now they have another set of leaders — they may be gone, who knows? And you know what? I may be gone too. Because I’m their No. 1 target — it’s out all over the place. Because they’re scum.”