Illegal immigrant arrested in Indiana for allegedly voting in federal election: DHS
EXCLUSIVE: An illegal immigrant from Guatemala is accused of voting in a national election in Indiana, a crime that federal officials said steals votes from American citizens, while announcing the woman’s arrest. Helda Araceli Mendez-Merida was arrested Sept. 3 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Indianapolis, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. “The patriots of ICE arrested this illegal alien from Guatemala after she illegally voted in a past election,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “This illegal alien will be deported so she can never again poison our elections. ICE ARRESTS PERUVIAN NATIONAL ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY VOTING IN 2024 ELECTION AS DHS CITES SIMILAR CASES “If even one noncitizen casts a vote, it steals a vote from an American citizen.” It wasn’t clear which election Mendez-Merida allegedly voted in, officials said. However, she illegally entered the U.S. through Arizona in September 2015 during the Obama administration, according to DHS. WHITE HOUSE UNLOADS ON VIOLENT ‘CRIMINAL ALIEN’ NABBED AFTER INVESTIGATORS UNCOVER ELECTION OFFENSE She was arrested by a U.S. Border Patrol officer and released. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal for her in September 2019. “The right to vote is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States,” ICE Enforcement Division Acting Assistant Director Patricia Hyde said. “Helda Araceli Mendez-Merida attempted to subvert a national election by unlawfully casting a vote. DHS APPROVES PLAN TO VERIFY VOTER CITIZENSHIP, MONITOR MAIL BALLOTS AS TRUMP PUSH INTENSIFIES “Voting in U.S. elections is a privilege that is reserved exclusively for U.S. citizens, and we cannot allow that sacred right to be perverted by foreign nationals who seek to undermine American democracy.”
Judge says issues in Trump administration anti-weaponization case ‘alive and kicking’ despite DOJ push
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Department of Justice lawyers have asked U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema to dismiss a case connected to the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” arguing that Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal recission order in August and has affirmed many times, including under oath before Congress, that the fund is dead. However, Brinkema seemed skeptical Friday. “The issues that underlie this case are still alive and kicking in my view,” Brinkema said. “The real concern that lurks … is the concept of taxpayer money being used to promote particular political views,” Brinkema said, pointing to pro-life activists convicted of violating the FACE Act and others who attempted an “insurrection” on Jan. 6 “to overthrow the legitimate election.” CLINTON JUDGE INDEFINITELY BLOCKS TRUMP’S $1.776B ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND “That entity is gone,” said Brinkema, referring to the Anti-Weaponization Fund and agreeing that Blanche has said under oath at his confirmation hearings that the fund is dead. “But is there a functional equivalent?” Brinkema said, referring to the DOJ’s ordinary Judgment Fund authority. The Judgment Fund is a permanent U.S. Treasury account managed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service that pays court judgments and DOJ legal settlements against the federal government. Brinkema called that fund “a less transparent structure” and suggested that some defendants convicted of FACE Act crimes have already received large payouts from the DOJ’s Judgment Fund. JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP DOJ’S NEARLY $2B ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND Here, Brinkema affirmed she was talking about the case of Paul Vaughn. Vaugh, of Centerville, Tennessee, was convicted in January 2024 for his role in blockading an abortion clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in March 2021. Vaughn ultimately received a pardon and a taxpayer-funded payout from the DOJ’s Judgment Fund that confirmed to Fox News is “seven figures.” BIDEN ADMIN USED ABORTION GROUP DOSSIERS, INCLUDING PHOTOS OF MINORS, TO TARGET CHRISTIANS, DOJ REPORT REVEALS DOJ lawyer Andrew Block asked what remedy the plaintiff wants, given “the fund is dead.” Brinkema countered that although the case is nowhere near the remedy stage, “I think there are remedies.” She brought up the possibility of requiring a “neutral” person to oversee a fund, “not someone from the DOJ, which I see unfortunately as coerced” in this matter. “A proper, unbiased look. … There’s been too much talk from members of the administration, which undercut [DOJ’s] position,” Brinkema said. “They contradict themselves all the time.” Brinkema closed the hearing by telling both sides she intends to craft a new discovery order in the coming days, suggesting this case is far from over.
Socialist Claire Valdez faces calls for federal probe after Mexico ‘fight’ pledge
A New York City socialist seeking to replace a retiring Democrat drew criticism Thursday after pledging to carry the “fight” inspired by Mexico’s struggle for independence into Congress. And critics pointed to her disclosure that she met with members of Mexico’s ruling left-wing party. Claire Valdez, who is seeking Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s seat in a district that includes Bushwick and Ridgewood, is facing calls for the State Department to investigate her under the Logan Act. It’s a rarely enforced 1799 law that criminalizes certain unauthorized efforts by private citizens to influence foreign governments in disputes involving the U.S. Democrats have also invoked the law in connection with President Donald Trump. In response to her post, immigration attorney and columnist Alicia Nieves tweeted at Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, a former ambassador to Mexico, calling for an investigation of Valdez after the candidate disclosed that she had met with members of Morena, Mexico’s ruling left-wing party. “Given that she is currently a congressional nominee, not a member of Congress, and appears to have discussed facilitating support contrary to current U.S. policy as well as describing our country an ‘empire’ that has ‘stolen from us’ … I hope the administration will review whether these communications warrant investigation under the Logan Act.” COLORADO’S SOCIALIST CANDIDATE CALLS FOR ‘MORE IMMIGRANTS INTO OFFICE’ TO STOP AMERICA’S ‘EXPLOITATIVE’ NATURE The act, enacted in 1799, came after the John Adams administration and congressional Federalists objected to Pennsylvania politician George Logan’s unauthorized trip to France, where he sought to ease tensions during what was called the “Quasi-War.” Federalists feared private diplomacy could undermine the U.S. government’s foreign policy. Adams and his Federalist allies also viewed Logan’s actions through the partisan tensions surrounding the 1800 presidential race against Thomas Jefferson. In her tweet, Valdez wrote, “215 years ago, Mexicans fought an empire that demanded our land and our labor. And we won. “I’ll carry that fight with me to Congress as New York’s first Mexican-American representative,” Valdez pledged. “And I’m strengthened not just by Mexico’s history but its present.” She said she met “comrades” in the Morena party who are “standing up to the empires and corporations that have always taken from us — and building a government for the working class. Viva la Independencia, Viva México!” MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST PREVAILS IN CROWDED PRIMARY TO REPLACE RETIRING REP Fox News Digital reached out to Valdez and the Mexican government for comment. Morena could not immediately be reached. Critics also pointed out that Valdez’s father, Larry, is linked to a company that helped construct a Texas immigration center during the Obama administration. They contended that the connection conflicts with her opposition to immigration enforcement. “This would be a great campaign for Congress in Mexico,” added Christina Pushaw, a top communications official for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Fox News Digital also reached out to community organizer Melvin Rivera, the Republican opponent facing Valdez, for comment. Democrats cited the Logan Act in connection with Trump after he publicly remarked, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing” in reference to his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton. Then-Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada suggested that Trump had violated the Logan Act. The law has also been invoked against other public figures, including former Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, but no prosecution under the statute has resulted in a conviction. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Two men faced proceedings under the Logan Act but were never convicted. A grand jury indicted Kentucky farmer Francis Flournoy in 1803 after he advocated a separate Western United States allied with France. Jonas P. Levy was arrested and held to bail under the law in 1853 after writing to Mexico’s president. Valdez, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 7th Congressional District, will face Rivera and other candidates in the November general election.
Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA is ‘more destructive’ than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot
A Democrat running for the state legislature in battleground North Carolina remains on the ballot despite her party publicly abandoning her after inflammatory social media posts she made resurfaced. The North Carolina House Democratic Caucus and a county party group both condemned posts by Shelly Headen in which the legislative candidate called for an attack on U.S. soil targeting red states and compared President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler. But Headen remains a candidate because the filing deadline to drop out of the race was Aug. 20, and the general election ballots are finalized and were sent out to voters starting on Sept. 4. Headen, who is challenging Republican state Rep. John Blust for the House District 62 seat in Greensboro-anchored Guilford County, posted a year ago, “I think our only hope is an attack on US Soil … preferably Alabama, Louisiana … where the stupid people live.” WATCH: HUGH HEWITT’S TAKE ON THE HEADEN CONTROVERSY In separate posts, she argued that the damage done by Trump was “getting close to surpassing Hitler” and claimed the “MAGA cult may be more destructive and evil than the Nazis.” Breitbart reported that a Facebook post by Headen that pictured her at a memorial at the Nazis’ Dachau concentration camp in Germany, where tens of thousands of people were murdered during World War II, with the words, “This is where Trump supporters belong.” Headen denied last week to the Greensboro News and Record that she posted the concentration camp image and said she believed the image was edited to include the words over a real photo. Her old comments grabbed new national attention earlier this week when the White House Rapid Response account that supports Trump shared them on X and charged that Democrats “ARE SICK PEOPLE!” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB North Carolina Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Whatley posted on social media a photo of Headen and former Gov. Roy Cooper, the Democratic Senate nominee, and argued, “Roy Cooper still stands with NC Dem who called for the genocide of Republicans. This is against everything America stands for.” “These remarks are reprehensible – Roy strongly condemns them and all forms of political violence and he believes it’s up to all of us to speak responsibly,” Cooper’s campaign emphasized in a statement. Headen, a certified public accountant and small business owner, told WFDD, a public radio station in North Carolina, that she didn’t remember making the posts but apologized to those hurt by them. And she added that she understood the party’s decision to drop support for her. But in an interview with The Assembly, a digital-first news operation in North Carolina, Headen defended her posts, describing them as “a few angry moments.” “I’ve sacrificed myself just like Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, and Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln and all the people that put themselves out there to sacrifice for our country,” Headen also told The Assembly. “If a few angry moments on social media are the end, then so be it. MAGA will keep winning if we continue with not standing up for what’s right.” The Assembly’s reporting preceded the move by Democrats to drop support. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Shelly Headen’s posts are unacceptable and do not reflect the values we expect of our candidates,” the North Carolina House Democratic Caucus said in a statement. The caucus added that it “condemns these comments without qualification and will not support Shelly Headen’s candidacy.” The Guilford County Democratic Party said in a statement, “We unequivocally reject and condemn the social media posts by Shelly Headen. These statements violate everything our party represents. Effective immediately, the county Democratic Party is formally withdrawing all financial, operational and organizational support for Shelley Headen’s campaign.” Headen earlier this week told Fox News Digital she’s received death threats in recent days but declined to give any further responses regarding her posts. In an article published Thursday in The Rhino Times, Headen reiterated, “I’ve been getting death threats, and now all I want to do is protect myself and my family. My whole world has been collapsing.” And she acknowledged that she took down her social media pages, saying, “I don’t have access to any of my accounts anymore.” Republicans have spotlighted the controversy. North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall called Headen’s comments “Absolutely disgusting.” And the North Carolina House Republicans wrote on X, “Democrat Shelly Headen who is “Running to Restore Human Decency” just posted that she wants an attack on US soil. It is unclear whether Shelly would prefer ISIS or China to attack the United States, but it’s clear she wants an attack.” Meanwhile, the popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok argued that Headen “should drop out immediately. She doesn’t belong anywhere public office.” The attention over the resurfaced comments comes a week after Headen faced a separate controversy following a move by State House Republicans to release two 2024 Guilford County Sheriff’s Office incident reports involving her and her husband, Gregory Thomas Headen. The reports, which identify the alleged domestic offense as physical assault, list Headen as the suspect and her husband as the potential victim. In a statement she released earlier this month, Headen said that during a stressful time in their marriage, she and her husband had “a couple of arguments that escalated.” She said that, during one argument, her husband grabbed her, causing her to fall backward and hit her head. She then called 911. Headen, in her statement, described herself as having experienced abuse. And she argued that Republicans were using a private family matter for political gain.
How CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin’s family foundation became a major funder of left-wing activist groups
CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin’s family foundation became a major financial backer of a network of left-wing activist organizations over more than two decades, providing nearly $3.2 million to CodePink while also bankrolling protest groups, legal advocacy organizations and progressive nonprofits, a Fox News Digital investigation found. The foundation, Arc of Justice, is a $54.6 million private foundation formerly known as The Benjamin Fund. A review of its complete IRS filing history found it made nearly 1,500 grants totaling about $24.6 million to organizations involved in anti-war activism, progressive policy, legal advocacy and campaigns involving immigration enforcement, China, Cuba and the Israel-Hamas war. Among its largest recipients were CodePink, Global Exchange, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Grassroots International and Social Good Fund, alongside grants to dozens of other organizations involved in anti-war activism, progressive policy, legal advocacy and progressive media. Arc of Justice provided CodePink more than twice the approximately $1.33 million the group received from the funding network linked to Shanghai-based Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham. A previous five-part Fox News Digital investigation found Singham’s network directed at least $278 million into organizations that promoted pro-China messaging. LAWMAKERS THROW OUT ‘TROJAN HORSE’ ACTIVISTS THEY SAY ARE ENGAGED IN AMERICAN SUBVERSION Arc of Justice has come under scrutiny after California revoked its charitable registration following years of financial compliance failures, though the foundation has been working to regain its standing with California regulators. Benjamin, who co-founded CodePink with Singham’s wife Jodie Evans, has remained one of the group’s most visible public faces, frequently leading protests and interrupting congressional hearings. On Tuesday, she was escorted from a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on alleged foreign malign influence after protesting during the proceedings. The Fox News Digital investigation also found the foundation itself has undergone sweeping changes in recent months, with Benjamin stepping down from the board, new leadership taking over and the organization saying it intends to chart a different course for its charitable giving. Arc of Justice began funding CodePink in 2009 and provided grants to the organization in 15 tax years through 2024, totaling $3,195,280. According to the documents, CodePink was Arc of Justice’s largest activist beneficiary. Since 2009, the foundation and its predecessor, The Benjamin Fund, also directed about $2.05 million to Global Exchange, the anti-war and social justice advocacy group Benjamin co-founded with her former husband, Kevin Danaher, which has long campaigned against U.S. military intervention and economic sanctions. Arc of Justice also provided about $2.24 million to Grassroots International, which funds grassroots social movements around the world; $1.61 million to Social Good Fund, which provides nonprofit infrastructure and fundraising support for charitable projects; about $1.29 million to the Center for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy organization; and about $114,000 to Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), an activist nonprofit. AFGJ has drawn scrutiny over its past fiscal sponsorship of Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian activist group later sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury. Benjamin said Arc’s final grant to Alliance for Global Justice was $10,000 in 2022 and that the foundation “was not aware of any specific groups fiscally sponsored by AFGJ” when it made its grants. Through attorney David Levitt, the foundation said both CodePink and Alliance for Global Justice were recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt public charities and that Arc was entitled to rely on that status when making its grants. The grantmaking reached across a much broader activist network. Since 2009, IRS filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show Arc of Justice and its predecessor gave about $492,000 to World Beyond War, roughly $255,000 to the Institute for Policy Studies and about $124,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace. It also gave $110,000 to Grassroots Global Justice and about $90,000 to the Center for Popular Democracy. IRS filings also show Arc of Justice and its predecessor provided about $65,500 to Democracy Now! since 2009, where Benjamin has frequently appeared as a guest over the years. Founded in 2002 with the aim of preventing the Iraq War, CodePink has grown into one of the country’s most visible anti-war protest groups, repeatedly disrupting congressional hearings and protests involving senior U.S. officials, including then-Secretaries of State John Kerry and Mike Pompeo. The group has also participated in nationwide No Kings protests, opposed ICE enforcement actions, organized anti-Israel rallies and campaigned against U.S. policy toward China, Cuba and Iran. Earlier this year, CodePink led a delegation to Cuba that included Twitch political streamer Hasan Piker. Asked about Arc’s long-term funding of CodePink and other activist organizations, Matthew Johnson, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, said sustained financial support can have an impact well beyond the dollar amounts involved. “Small amounts of money can actually go a long way toward impacting the broader media ecosystem… from the perspective of political organization, they may be having an outsized impact on the kind of information that is available to Americans,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. Johnson, who testified before Congress Tuesday about how foreign adversaries may use nonprofits and other organizations to shape U.S. public opinion and policy, told lawmakers that CodePink launched its “China Is Not Our Enemy” campaign in 2020 following meetings in Beijing and has since pursued China-focused advocacy and organized travel. The campaign argued the United States should pursue cooperation with Beijing rather than confrontation. CodePink and Benjamin have denied taking direction from the Chinese government. WATCH: Heritage Foundation senior fellow confronts CodePink’s Medea Benjamin before House hearing Benjamin told Fox News Digital the grants were intended to support CodePink’s anti-war work. “The foundation’s donations to CodePink were made to support its anti-war work,” she said in an email response. At the House hearing on Tuesday, Benjamin also rejected suggestions that she or CodePink took direction from foreign governments. “I’ve been an anti-war activist from the days of Vietnam,” Benjamin said. “I never had a foreign government tell me what to do.” Singham and the organizations he has funded, identified in the Fox News Digital report, have denied taking direction from the Chinese government, and neither Singham, Benjamin
GOP lawmakers smell something else behind Big Tech’s AI doomsday warnings: ‘Something else going on’
Republicans on Capitol Hill are grappling over whether and how to regulate artificial intelligence companies even as top AI business leaders warn the technology could pose an existential threat to humanity. The simmering debate over AI guardrails has exploded this week as House lawmakers worked through their final week in Washington until after the midterm elections. The flurry of activity was partially spurred by tech CEOs like Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman warning that the pace of innovation should be slowed after both companies saw AI models hack into other organizations of their own accord. And while some in Congress are demanding swift action, others who spoke with Fox News Digital are questioning the motivation of AI companies in calling for the government to step in. “I think there’s a false sense of urgency,” Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., told Fox News Digital. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS MEETS AI AS FEARS OF HUMAN EXTINCTION JOLT CAPITOL HILL Downing spent his young adulthood in tech, having previously been a research scientist at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University and founding online calendar company WebCal, which was later acquired by Yahoo!. “Yes, we should be taking it seriously, but I think the hyperbole is misplaced right now,” Downing said. “Any one of those people crying gloom and doom has the possibility of stopping it in their own shops, so there’s something else going on there.” Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., a former assistant U.S. attorney, also doubted AI companies’ motives. AI ‘DOOMERS’ RISK KNEECAPPING US VS CHINA, BUT EX-PENTAGON VET SAYS BOTH EXTREMES MISS THE MARK “I’m very skeptical of people in big business who want to leverage big government to suppress competition,” Knott said. “I’m afraid that’s what we’re seeing. That’d be like … Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Apple saying, ‘We need to regulate all tech.’ Whether it’s software or hardware. It’s like, guys, you’re here already, right? And if there’s one thing that I’m confident in, to protect AI for good, there has to be more than one option.” Still others believe lawmakers do not broadly have enough knowledge to take on AI guardrails. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that Congress should instead repeal Section 230, a federal law shielding internet and tech companies from liability for what third parties post. “I think the warning is real, and I think that AI is unbelievable — look, AI is going to cure cancer. AI is going to find solutions to get rid of diseases that we never thought we could get rid of, but it does need to have some oversight. It needs a kill switch,” Patronis conceded. “But again, I don’t think Congress has the expertise to tell an emerging technology what’s the best way to go.” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said when asked if Congress should act before the end of this year, “It’s too complex a subject. You’ve got to understand it.” Meanwhile, President Donald Trump also joined the debate by dismissing AI companies’ calls for more government regulation. TRUMP UNLOADS ON TECH TITANS PUSHING FOR SLOWDOWN ON EMERGING INDUSTRY: ‘WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS!’ “AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX,” he wrote on Truth Social. “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” But others are pushing for the government to step in to at least some degree, with some Republicans arguing for human guardrails to ensure AI does not go too far by itself. RAND PAUL CLASHES WITH FELLOW REPUBLICAN OVER AI ‘KILL SWITCH’ AS SENATE GRAPPLES WITH ‘TERMINATOR’ FEARS “The sooner we can act, the better,” Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., chair of the House’s AI task force, told reporters Wednesday. “Certainly, we’ve had some warning shots lately that have been very concerning … So, God forbid we have a Chernobyl moment at some point here that really causes harm to people and focuses the public’s attention on AI in a way that we hope it will never be.” When asked by Fox News Digital about Trump’s warning, however, he said, “I think the president was talking about the dangers of over-regulation, and that’s something I very much agree with him on.” RESEARCHER WHO DEPARTED AI ROLE OVER FEARS OF RACING INTO EXTINCTION SAYS PEOPLE ARE ‘BEGGING’ FOR REGULATION Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., held a press conference alongside Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., on Thursday pushing legislation to stop “rogue” AI agents such as those that broke out of containment during trials by OpenAI and Anthropic. “We want to make sure that people remain in control. This isn’t about stopping AI or stifling innovation,” Lawler said. “Some states have put a moratorium on the infrastructure that powers this technology. That does not invent a kill switch.” Gottheimer said the bill “tells the National Institute of Standards and Technology [to] get in a room and set standards, so organizations can find every agent on their network, verify who built it, who’s running it, watch it in real time for anything suspicious, and cut off its access the second something looks wrong.”
Young swing-state voters cozy up to Democratic Socialists, say party establishment must ‘learn’ from DSA wins
Gen Z and young Millennial voters in Michigan who are leaning blue for the midterm election say they welcome the ideas of the Democratic Socialists of America, with a couple of voters agreeing that Americans should abolish the Senate. Fox News Digital was on the ground at Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s “Students v. Billionaires” rally at Michigan State University on Sept. 11 and at the Detroit Health Department’s annual block party, where young Democratic voters said rising costs and the complacency of the Democratic establishment have made the DSA more appealing to them. “I feel as if they actually focus on the people,” said Detroit resident Shelby Campbell, who is also a 2023 Wayne State University graduate. “It’s not as, I guess, capitalistic or just bought into the system. They want to do good, but they are just another big organization, and I think we just need to get rid of all the political parties and be independent.” SHOCKING PERCENTAGE OF DEMOCRATS IDENTIFY AS ‘DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS’ ACCORDING TO NEW POLL: ‘TOXIC POLICIES’ So far this election cycle, dozens of Democratic Socialists of America candidates have won their primary races, including Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who defeated incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich. But some of the biggest upsets came out of New York, where New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialists of America member, saw three candidates he endorsed — Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Brad Lander — win their Democratic congressional primaries. The flurry of DSA-backed primary victories has put Republicans on the offensive while fueling concern among some Democrats about the socialist movement’s growing influence within the party. Noel Otteson is a sophomore at Michigan State University. He described himself as a “leftist” and “anti-capitalist,” but he said he supports El-Sayed for his Medicare for All stance and his promise to get money out of politics. SCHUMER DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER DSA BELONGS IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY “I believe in the power of people and democracy over corporations and oligarchs running everything, putting millions upon millions if not billions of dollars into Congress too,” Otteson told Fox News Digital. “The system is rigged against the average person and is in favor of corporations and special interests and lobbyists,” Otteson continued. Otteson said he supports the DSA’s proposal to abolish the U.S. Senate, which he called “undemocratic.” “The way that the Senate is set up is inherently undemocratic,” Otteson said. “I’m someone who always, always, prioritizes democracy, and the Senate isn’t that.” “Some states hold more power than others based on population, and I would probably advocate for a more parliamentary system, you know, things like the U.K. and a lot of other European countries have, or most other countries have actually,” Otteson said. NEWSOM ADMITS DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST IDEAS ‘MAINSTREAM’ IN DEMOCRAT PARTY: ‘PRETTY ALIGNED’ He proposed that the House of Representatives should be expanded. And in the heart of Detroit, Jahdante Smith, who is a Green Party candidate for District 9 of the Michigan House of Representatives, agreed that the Senate has got to go. “Their stance on abolishing the Senate, I think that is something that can work, only because the Senate is one of the most exclusionary clubs in politics and is also very, very hard to get into, and I think if you have a Republican and Democrat in the U.S. Senate in one state, they kind of cancel each other out, and they really don’t get anything positive done,” Smith told Fox News Digital. Smith said he supports the DSA’s anti-ICE agenda and Medicare for All proposals, but wants to see the organization bring about actual change. “I support their ideas, but I love to see them have more traction in getting things actually done. Policy is something that you have to enact. It’s not bills die in Congress, bills die on Capitol Hill every day,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “You have to be able to get those bills passed through. I do support their stance on anti-ice.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Blake, a Michigan State University freshman, said he likes a lot of what the Democratic Socialists of America is pushing but said he’s not on board with everything on its agenda, including abolishing the Senate. “The standard democrat has shown themselves to more or less be incapable of standing up for themselves and standing up for what’s right,” Blake told Fox News Digital. “So I’ve leaned on, I’ve decided to take my allegiances with further parties on more extreme sides of leftism because they can do what needs to be done.” “And I feel like that’s a lesson that normal Democrats need to learn,” Blake continued.
Ex-Dem insider reveals why Biden’s daughter threatened to sue her: ‘Bordered on parody’
Ashley Biden, the daughter of former President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, threatened to sue a former Democratic fundraiser for spilling secret internal discussions about her father’s cognitive and political decline in the 2024 presidential election. Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser who switched her party affiliation over unheeded warning signs about Biden’s decline in the 2024 election, said Ashley Biden posted the threat to Instagram in February of last year. “They wanted to scare me. That was the goal,” Li told Fox News Digital. Li’s account of the threat, in her view, was one of the many attempts to intimidate her that she received after deciding to speak out about the fear, disorganization and secrecy that had paved the path for Biden to run for re-election in 2024 despite looming concerns about his age. Also, the fact that those threats never materialized is evidence to Li that even her critics recognize the validity of her testimony. EX-DEM FUNDRAISER TORCHES BIDEN AS BOOK LAUNCH IMPLODES: ‘NO ONE WANTS TO READ’ Li described the threat from Ashley Biden in her book, “Unburdened.” “Ashley later threatened to sue me for saying there was a cover-up of her father’s decline, lashing out on Instagram with a bravado so crude it bordered on parody: ‘This woman is a bonavide [sic] liar. Karma is a real bad b—-, Lindy,’” she wrote. “’I don’t know you but can’t wait to meet your a– in court. Ready for a lawsuit? Let’s go! I won’t put up with this BS anymore.’” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Li showed screenshots of the post, which she said was taken down just a day later. She recalled thinking it was odd; beyond the lawsuit threat, Ashley Biden claimed she didn’t know who Li was. But Li had met Ashley Biden on a number of occasions and shared pictures of the two of them with Fox News Digital as proof. “Doesn’t even pass the smell test,” Li said. EX-DEM INSIDER DROPS BOMBSHELL ON WHERE HARRIS RANKED IN SECRET POLL FOR BIDEN REPLACEMENTS As a top fundraiser for both Biden and Harris, Li worked closely with top donors, high-profile members of the party and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). When she decided to go public with revelations about Biden’s age, she said the retaliation began immediately. “When I went on Shannon’s show to say Biden needs to step aside — and three hours later he did — my access immediately vanished and all my fears about speaking up were justified,” Li told Fox News Digital. “I knew that if I spoke up my life would be ruined and frankly, in that respect, it was. I was never invited to the White House again, never spoke to Biden again. Prior to that, I was invited to the White House every two to three weeks. There was always some event.” When Li brought Ashley Biden’s threat to her legal representation, her lawyers dismissed the possibility but said that the Bidens would likely try to avoid a painful disclosure battle that could drag more details into the public eye over his cognitive decline. EX-DEM INSIDER EXPOSES WHAT HARRIS TOLD TOP DONORS DAYS BEFORE BIDEN DROPPED OUT: ‘INSULTING’ “My lawyer’s eyes lit up: ‘You want her to use you. The discovery would be incredible,’” she recalled. “Truth, after all, remains the strongest shield against defamation.” “Everything I said was true so… I’m still waiting to hear exactly what I said that is legally actionable,” Li said. Representation for Ashley Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Flock CEO, tech rivals called to testify before senators over AI camera privacy concerns
FIRST ON FOX: The CEOs of four companies, including Flock Safety, are being called to testify before a Senate panel next week as lawmakers look to crack down on AI-powered surveillance camera tracking Americans’ movements, Fox News Digital has learned. A number of lawmakers and several governors have called for investigations into alleged privacy violations regarding the handling of images and data generated by AI-backed surveillance cameras. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism will hold a hearing titled “Always Watching: Flock’s Nationwide AI Surveillance Network” on Sept. 23. THREE NEW COMPANIES FACE JOSH HAWLEY’S INVESTIGATION INTO AI SURVEILLANCE AND VEHICLE TRACKING “Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church,” subcommittee Chairman Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital in a statement. “I’m investigating these companies to determine WHO has access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ data – and what they’re doing with it.” Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety, Rick Smith, CEO of Axon Enterprise Inc., Greg Brown, CEO of Motorola Solutions, and Filip Kaliszan, CEO of Verkada, have all been invited to testify before the committee. A spokesperson from Verkada told Fox News Digital that Kaliszan is unable to attend the hearing, but that the company is providing Hawley and the subcommittee with information ahead of next Wednesday. “As we’ve explained to the Subcommittee, none of our customers can search a national Verkada network – because none exists. Our customers can only access the data in their own systems,” the Verkada spokesperson said. Fox News Digital reached out to the other three companies invited to testify. AI-powered surveillance cameras have been heavily scrutinized by lawmakers over concerns that the cameras track individuals’ movements without reason, regardless of whether a crime is being committed. FORMER PENTAGON AI CHIEF WARNS FLOCK CAMERAS COULD CREATE ‘CHINA-LIKE SURVEILLANCE STATE’ IN THE US A number of politicians have taken action against the devices, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordering the removal of all license plate reader cameras from Florida state roads and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordering all state agencies to stop spending state money on Flock Safety cameras. Flock Safety cameras, along with other similar brands and technology, use artificial intelligence to automatically track and identify vehicles and license plates for local law enforcement use. Nationwide concern has grown about whether the AI-backed system should be allowed to track the movement of vehicles without a warrant or the consent of drivers. FLOCK SURVEILLANCE SPREADS ACROSS THE SOUTH AS RED-STATE LAWMAKERS SEEK TO AX ‘1984’-STYLE TRACKING TOOLS A total of about 120,000 Flock Safety cameras are operating in the U.S. in every state except Alaska. Opposition to Flock Safety cameras has created an unlikely political overlap, with Republicans and far-left activists criticizing the technology for very different reasons. Republican lawmakers have largely centered their objections on privacy rights, government overreach and warrantless surveillance, while socialist and communist organizers have incorporated the cameras into broader campaigns opposing artificial intelligence, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, data center development and what they describe as an emerging “police state” or “AI surveillance state.” LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS ARE TRACKING DRIVERS EVERYWHERE President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he supports the idea of Flock Safety cameras “because of law enforcement” and the aid AI-powered cameras provide to police and local law enforcement. Over the last year, several far-left organizations tied to a network funded by Shanghai-based tech businessman Neville Roy Singham have organized local opposition to Flock Safety cameras while simultaneously campaigning against new data center projects. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders have continued to champion data center construction as part of the administration’s broader technology and infrastructure agenda. FIRST ON FOX: ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST NETWORK BEHIND FIGHT AGAINST AI DATA CENTERS AND FLOCK CAMERAS The Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Denver chapter teamed up with Indivisible and the far-left Sunrise Movement in May to promote a public forum focused on the alleged link between data centers and mass surveillance, contending that both exist to serve billionaires instead of everyday communities. TEA PARTY FOUNDER LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ‘DATA CENTER REVOLT’ AGAINST AI DATA CENTER EXPANSION The Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Tucson chapter joined “deFLOCK Tucson” and the “No Desert Data Center Coalition” on July 25 for a gathering dubbed “It’s ALL Connected,” held at the Global Justice Center on E. 26th Street. Event advertisements posed a question about what mass surveillance, data centers and electricity have in common, responding with a single message: “IT’S ALL CONNECTED.”
Jasmine Crockett torched for honoring singer with notorious history of violence: ‘Completely vile’
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who recently lost her Senate bid, is facing online backlash after she honored music artist Chris Brown by entering him into the congressional record this past weekend. “Now, y’all know, I tend to get in trouble every once in a while. I’m a make this real quick. I need to know who run it! So is Dallas in the building?” Crockett said as she took the stage alongside Brown on Saturday evening. “Let’s give it up for Chris Brown,” she added to applause from the audience. The moment drew scrutiny from viewers online, raising questions about Crockett’s status as a lawmaker and whether it should be used to celebrate Brown, someone with a history of domestic violence. AMERICA OWES BLACK WOMEN ‘EVERYTHING,’ REP JASMINE CROCKETT RANTS OVER JULY 4 WEEKEND Among other instances of misconduct, Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to felony assault after he attacked his then-girlfriend and famous singer, Rihanna. Many images of her injuries were made public, sparking intense condemnation from the music industry. His violence, however, wouldn’t stop there. He was involved in a 2013 altercation with Frank Ocean, another singer, and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge that same year. In 2017, another ex-girlfriend was granted a domestic violence restraining order against him after she alleged physical abuse. Most recently, Brown pleaded guilty to charges of striking producer Abe Diaw twice in the head with a glass tequila bottle in July 2023. He is expected to receive a sentence in October for a separate charge for affray, a criminal charge in English law for unlawfully threatening violence against another person. Andrew Kerr, an investigative reporter with the Washington Free Beacon, quickly noted Brown’s past in a post to X after news of Crockett’s tribute began to spread online. “Kamala Harris-endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett uses her congressional authority to honor Chris Brown, the rapper best known for beating ever-living s— out of Rihanna in 2009,” Kerr wrote. Shannon Watts, a Democratic activist and political commentator, also pointed out Brown’s storied past. WATCH: HEARING TURMOIL AS JASMINE CROCKETT UNLOADS ON MLK’S NIECE IN WILD RACIALLY-CHARGED RANT “Chris Brown pled guilty to felony assault after brutally attacking Rihanna. Another ex, Karrueche Tran, later obtained a five-year restraining order after testifying that he abused and threatened her. He has also faced multiple allegations of violence and sexual assault against other women,” Watts wrote. Crockett’s member statement, a form of recognition that lawmakers can have entered into the congressional record without any vote, recognizes “the artistry of Chris Brown and Usher Raymond.” On stage on Saturday, Crockett framed her member statement as a way to recognize two key artists who had helped shape contemporary R&B and pop music, especially for the Black community. “I know it’s almost Sunday, so I wanna be clear. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And right now, we are experiencing Black joy to the highest level, and I wanted to make sure we document that in the Congressional Record,” Crockett said. But Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross believes that the moment was a political miscalculation, coming across as ignorant of the challenges in the Black community. “Chris Brown has a problem, and several folks beyond Rihanna have met his violent rage. It’s well-documented. This was a ridiculous move by Crockett,” she wrote on X. “Also, when Black women suffer [domestic violence] at the highest rates and often fatally, this was tone deaf as hell,” she added. Eric Michael Garcia, the D.C. bureau chief of the Independent, echoed Cross’ thinking. “Absolutely disgusting to see Jasmine Crockett platform and honor an abuser of women. Just completely vile,” Garcia wrote in a post of his own. Dan Winslow, a New York Times bestselling author, hinted that the moment had changed his view of her. WATCH: TALARICO EMBRACES ‘FREAKY’ IDENTITY AS CROWDS CHANT NAME MEANT AS INSULT: ‘SO WEIRD’ “CHRIS BROWN plead guilty to beating Rihanna. It was a horrific and savage beating. Crockett thought he deserved to be honored. Absolutely disgusting behavior. I am glad she lost. I will never support her again,” Winslow wrote. In response to the public backlash, Brown posted a response to his Instagram account, pleading to be left alone and expressing displeasure at Crockett having put him in the spotlight. “Funny thing is… YALL CAME TO ME WITH THIS! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I was minding my own d-mn business. My shows in Dallas were already sold out. I ain’t asked to be honored because I knew some sh-t like this would happen… I have an idea how about y’all leave me the f— alone and let me focus on the fans that spent their money to actually see and support me,” Brown wrote. Having decided to give up her seat to pursue a Senate bid, Crockett will not be returning to the U.S. House of Representatives at the start of the next congress after she lost to James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in the Lone Star State.