Final charge dropped in yearslong Harris-era case against pro-life activist
A California judge on Wednesday cleared the final legal hurdle in the long-running prosecution of a pro-life activist who alleged in undercover videos that abortion providers were illegally profiting from fetal tissue. “As promised, the final charge has been DISMISSED and the case completely expunged— —after a couple months’ administrative delay, and a truly bizarre last-minute ‘April Fool’s’ attempt by @PPFA and @NatAbortionFed to overturn the State’s agreement,” Center for Medical Progress founder David Daleiden tweeted on Wednesday, including a previous statement made on the reached settlement. Daleiden, who alongside undercover journalist Sandra Merritt, faced 15 charges filed by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in 2017. The charges stemmed from an investigation prompted by former California Attorney General Harris’ office, who left her position as state attorney general in January 2017 after being elected to the U.S. Senate. APPEALS COURT HEARS MEDICAID FRAUD CASE THAT COULD COST PLANNED PARENTHOOD $1.8 BILLION In January 2025, Daleiden and Merritt each pleaded no contest to one felony count under a settlement with California, which dismissed the remaining charges. Under the agreement, they faced no jail time, fines, or admissions of wrongdoing. On Wednesday, San Francisco County Judge Brian Ferrall dropped the last charge against Daleiden and expunged the case. In a statement made last year, Daleiden said that the end of “the lawfare launched by Kamala Harris [is] a huge victory for my investigative reporting for the public’s right to know the truth about Planned Parenthood’s sale of aborted baby body parts.” NEWSOM BAILS OUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD WITH $140M TO KEEP 100 CLINICS OPEN AFTER TRUMP CUTS In January 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta cast the plea deal as a victory for reproductive healthcare access, saying in a press release that his office had secured felony convictions. Under the agreement, Daleiden and Merritt were required to have no contact with, stay away from, and not name the victims in the recordings, and to obey all laws, including by not making additional unlawful recordings. DEMOCRATS ESCALATE ANTI-TRUMP LAWFARE BY TARGETING CONGRESS IN PLANNED PARENTHOOD FUNDING FIGHT “While the Trump Administration is issuing pardons to individuals convicted of harming reproductive health clinics and providers, my office is securing criminal convictions to ensure that Californians can exercise their constitutional rights to reproductive healthcare,” Bonta said in a statement at the time. “We will not hesitate to continue taking action against those who threaten access to abortion care — whether by recording confidential conversations or other means.” Daleiden released the videos in 2015 of Merritt having conversations with Planned Parenthood leadership and abortionist doctors, who described procedures ensuring fetal organs remain intact and can be harvested. In response to the videos, Harris’ office opened an investigation into Daleiden and Merritt for violating the state’s recording law. In April 2016, California’s Department of Justice issued a search warrant and raided Daleiden’s Huntington Beach apartment, the Los Angeles Times reported. Daleiden accused the raid of being politically motivated at the time. The release of the videos pushed the Senate Judiciary Committee to call the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood Federation of America. No charges were ever brought against the nation’s largest abortion provider. Daleiden was sued by Planned Parenthood for damages and was ordered in 2019 to pay $2.4 million in damages and more than $13 million in attorney’s fees. Fox News Digital reached out to Planned Parenthood, Harris, Daleiden, and the National Abortion Federation for comment.
Vance tapped as ‘fraud czar’ as Trump targets blue states over taxpayer theft
Amid several monumental Cabinet shakeups, President Donald Trump is signaling his continued confidence in Vice President JD Vance by having him address an “unprecedented” problem in Democratic-run states and declaring him the nation’s “fraud czar.” Vance announced Thursday his fraud task force busted an alleged $50 million hospice and healthcare fraud scheme in Los Angeles. Following this news, Trump took to Truth Social Friday morning to officially proclaim he was naming Vance fraud czar. Trump said Vance’s focus would be “EVERYWHERE” but with a special emphasis on Democratic-controlled states. “Vice President JD Vance is now in charge of ‘FRAUD’ in the United States,” Trump wrote. “We will call him the ‘FRAUD CZAR,’ and his focus will be ‘EVERYWHERE,’ but primarily in those Blue States where CROOKED DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS, like those in California, Illinois, Minnesota (Somalia beware!), Maine, New York, and many others, have had a ‘free for all’ in the unprecedented theft of Taxpayer Money.” VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPICE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR The president called the fraud problems in the U.S. “massive and pervasive” and suggested the implications for the country are enormous. As fraud czar, “the job (Vance) will be doing, in conjunction with many great people within the Trump Administration, will be a major factor in how great the future of our Country will be,” Trump wrote. “The numbers are so large that, if successful, we would literally be able to balance our American Budget.” He emphasized the work Vance already has done in California, writing, “Raids have already started in L.A.” and concluding, “Good Luck JD!” The president already had placed Vance in charge of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is a government-wide crackdown on fraud in federal benefit programs. However, Trump’s designation of Vance as fraud czar, an informal title, emphasizes the significance he is placing on the task force and his confidence in Vance to get the job done. PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES Trump first announced he would be putting Vance in charge of the “war on fraud,” and the position was solidified by Trump’s executive order establishing the fraud task force and placing Vance at the helm. The announcement followed reporting revealing allegations of widespread fraud and abuse in Minnesota largely involving the state’s Somali immigrant community. Trump’s announcement comes the day after news broke that the president was removing Attorney General Pam Bondi from her role at the Department of Justice, a move that political analyst Jonathan Turley said hit Washington, D.C., like a “thunderclap.” JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM Just weeks before that, the president also removed former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. There are widespread rumors of Trump being displeased with several other high-ranking members of his Cabinet, though he has not publicly said so himself. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Vance’s office for comment.
Pritzker calls on Trump officials to testify over ICE crackdown, White House blasts move as ‘political stunt’
FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on Trump administration officials and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership to testify before a commission he created targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations conducted in the state. Pritzker sent a letter to White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, border czar Tom Homan, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, acting ICE director Todd Lyons, former DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, and Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott among others. “I established the Illinois Accountability Commission to preserve the truth and document how Donald Trump and his accomplices violated the rights of Illinoisans and terrorized our communities during Operation Midway Blitz,” Pritzker told Fox News Digital in a statement. “These officials should answer directly to the people of Illinois for the chaos and violence they unleashed,” Pritzker added. “Regardless of whether these officials are still in their roles or not, the people of Illinois demand accountability from them all.” IGNORED ICE DETAINERS ‘PUT LIVES AT RISK,’ DHS SAYS, TARGETING NEWSOM, PRITZKER, HEALEY The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital and signed by former Clinton-appointed Judge Rubén Castillo for U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and chairman of the Illinois Accountability Commission, calls on recipients to testify at public hearings on April 27 or April 28. The White House blasted Pritzker, telling Fox News Digital that the commission is nothing more than a “political stunt” for the Illinois governor to try to boost his name for a potential presidential run. “JB Pritzker is a total slob who would rather dream up political stunts for his doomed-to-fail Presidential campaign than actually help Illinois residents,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. ICE CHIEF FIRES BACK AT ‘100% FALSE’ SANCTUARY CITY ‘HARASSMENT’ CLAIMS “If this slob spent half as much time addressing crime and public safety concerns in Chicago as he did pandering to radical leftists, Chicagoans would be much safer,” Jackson added. “The Trump Administration, and our heroic ICE officers, will unapologetically remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American streets whether Pritzker likes it or not.” The letter specifies events which the commission deems an inappropriate show of force from federal agents and says one of the goals of the commission is to “ensure meaningful accountability.” “Reports from residents, legal advocates, journalists, and elected officials describe communities across Illinois as being subject to aggressive federal enforcement tactics during Operation Midway Blitz,” the letter reads. “These reports include the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas-González in Franklin Park, the shooting of Marimar Martinez, the repeated deployment of tear gas in residential neighborhoods, the detention of U.S. citizens, and large-scale military-style raids in peaceful civilian communities.” ANGEL PARENTS SLAM ILLINOIS SANCTUARY LAWS AFTER ‘PREVENTABLE’ TRAGEDY IN STUDENT’S DEATH DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis responded to Fox News Digital’s inquiry slamming Pritzker for “[refusing] to do his job” and noted the recent killing of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old college student who was murdered by an illegal migrant in Chicago last month. “Governor Pritzker continues to refuse to do his job to protect his citizens from illegal alien crime and instead chooses to smear our law enforcement,” Bis said. “Where is his investigation into his own policies that allowed Sheridan Gorman’s killer to be released from jail to go on and commit her heinous murder?” McLaughlin was also quick to punch back at what she described as the “wannabe Ministry of Truth.” “I’ll appear before JB Pritzker’s wannabe Ministry of Truth the day he ends Illinois’ sanctuary policies — the very policies that protected Sheridan Gorman’s killer and those criminal illegal aliens responsible for the deaths of Katie Abraham, Chloe Polzin and too many other American victims,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. In response to the lack of interest by current and former Trump administration officials to attend the hearings, a Pritzker spokesperson said former officials specifically “are too scared” to attend. “It’s unfortunate that former Trump officials with more free time on their hands are too scared to face the American people and answer questions,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “If they spent so much time touting the operation’s ‘achievements,’ then they should have no problem defending it.” Noem was removed as DHS secretary in March and tasked to lead Trump’s new special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas.” Her departure was reportedly the result of a controversial $220 million ad campaign and the deaths of two American citizens who were killed by DHS agents during ICE operations. Former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin was confirmed by the Senate following Noem’s departure and was sworn in as DHS secretary on March 24.
No more casual: State Department imposes first-ever dress code on diplomats
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department has added business formal dress code guidance to its internal policy manual for the first time, establishing department-wide standards for employee attire. The changes, implemented in recent days in the Foreign Affairs Manual — the department’s central repository for policies — mark the first time the agency has formally codified expectations for how diplomats and staff should dress in official settings. “Representing the United States of America is an honor — and this new policy ensures our diplomats project credibility, respect, and the dignity of the nation we serve,” Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson told Fox News Digital. The updated policy applies broadly across the department for both civil service and foreign service employees. DEPARTMENT TO ASK FOR BONDS OF UP TO $15,000 FOR VISA APPLICATIONS FROM A DOZEN MORE COUNTRIES The move underscores a broader recalibration at the State Department, where Trump administration officials have sought to impose clearer standards around discipline, appearance and adherence to policy. A State Department official said the change was driven in part by concerns that some diplomats had been dressing “pretty informally” in recent years. “This should have happened a long time ago,” the official said. The formal dress code represents a shift away from Biden-era personnel policies that prioritized flexibility and cultural inclusivity, toward a more uniform and prescriptive standard for how U.S. diplomats present themselves. “Appropriate attire and appearance will depend on the duties performed, the work environment, and the level of interaction with foreign interlocutors and other external stakeholders,” reads the manual, viewed by Fox News Digital. “For staff participating in meetings or other official engagements with foreign interlocutors, dress is Business Formal and personal appearance is polished and professional unless otherwise specified.” The dress code update follows other recent changes to how the State Department evaluates and manages its workforce, including revisions to hiring and promotion criteria for Foreign Service officers. Earlier in 2026, the department replaced diversity, equity and inclusion-related benchmarks with a new core precept focused on “fidelity,” emphasizing adherence to U.S. government policy and chain-of-command authority. Under the updated guidance, mid- and senior-level diplomats are expected to demonstrate loyalty by “zealously executing U.S. government policy” and resolving ambiguity in favor of leadership direction, according to internal documents previously reported by Fox News Digital. Those changes came alongside broader efforts to restructure the department’s workforce, including plans to reduce staffing and consolidate offices, signaling a shift toward more standardized expectations for diplomatic personnel. The addition of a formal dress code marks the latest step in that direction.
Pam Bondi is out as AG — here are the contenders who could replace her
President Donald Trump announced a Department of Justice shakeup on Thursday, ousting Attorney General Pam Bondi and looking to name her permanent successor. Trump tapped Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to fill the role in an acting capacity, but other names, like Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin’s, have swirled since the announcement of Bondi’s departure, which was first reported by Fox News Digital on Thursday. Blanche, Trump’s former personal defense lawyer, could serve as acting attorney general for up to 210 days. Trump is staring down the possibility of Senate Republicans shrinking or losing their majority in the midterms, which could complicate the president’s ability to secure a nominee’s confirmation if he waits too long to replace an acting official. KARL ROVE: TRUMP DROPPED BONDI, BUT THE REAL POLITICAL FIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING Contenders for attorney general, one of the most prestigious and influential, yet least secure jobs in Washington, would also need to win over tough but critical votes from current senators. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a member of the committee tasked with vetting attorneys general, ruled out anyone who defended the 2021 U.S. Capitol breach in a CNN interview Thursday. “The threshold for somebody following Pam Bondi ends the moment I hear they said one thing that excused the events of January the 6th,” Tillis said. Bondi faced a series of public missteps during her time as attorney general. They involved her failure to tamp down bipartisan criticism about the DOJ’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking cases and her inability to find enough evidence to bring reliable criminal charges against politicians viewed as Trump’s political foes aside from former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who was indicted for mishandling classified documents. Asked for comment about possible contenders to succeed Bondi, a White House spokesperson pointed to Trump’s Truth Social post from Thursday announcing Bondi’s exit and Blanche as her interim replacement. Trump did not rush to tease a permanent replacement when he announced that Blanche would be filling in, leaving the incoming acting attorney general to effectively try out for the permanent role. Blanche could persuade Trump to nominate him and the Senate to confirm him in the coming months, having both proven his loyalty to Trump while retaining traditional bona fides as a longtime lawyer in the Southern District of New York and in private practice. He left a prestigious New York law firm in 2023 to defend Trump against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and special counsel Jack Smith. “Our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. PAM BONDI FACES BIPARTISAN SUBPOENA OVER FRUSTRATION WITH DOJ’S RELEASE OF EPSTEIN FILES Blanche’s direct involvement in those cases could present tricky conflicts of interest as the DOJ pursues investigations into the people involved with prosecuting Trump, and Democrats have made clear that Blanche is, in their view, a top culprit in the department’s handling of the Epstein files. Trump has spoken with Zeldin about potentially serving as attorney general, including this week, Fox News Digital reported Thursday. One downside for the president, however, would be that Zeldin’s transition to attorney general would require two major confirmation hearings, one for Zeldin and one for a new EPA administrator. One source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Zeldin was interested in the job. A vocal contingent online has urged Trump to promote Dhillon from the head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division to attorney general. “That’s up to the president,” Dhillon told Fox News Digital when asked about the prospect. “I’m flattered to be mentioned by many online, but it’s his choice and I serve at his pleasure only.” Several conservative influencers sang Dhillon’s praises on X upon Bondi’s firing. Scott Presler said she would be an “exceptional” attorney general. Mike Cernovich said Dhillon was “filing civil rights lawsuits on behalf of Trump supporters who were attacked by ANTIFA. In 2016. Who was around in 2016?” Trump tapped Pirro, a close ally, to lead the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., the most high-profile of the 93 in the country. A former Fox News host, judge and district attorney, Pirro has risen to the occasion, filling the jobs of ousted prosecutors and promoting her role in reducing violent crime in the nation’s capital. Still, Pirro’s seen some hurdles, including failing to convince grand juries to indict six Democratic lawmakers and a man who stood accused of throwing a sandwich at an immigration officer. Pirro reduced the man’s charge, but a jury acquitted him. Trump told New York Magazine Pirro was “fantastic” when asked if she would replace Bondi. Fox News Digital reached out to Pirro’s office for comment. TRUMP CABINET SHAKEUP EXPANDS AFTER NOEM EXIT, BONDI FIRING — WHO’S UNDER PRESSURE NEXT? Schmitt, the former attorney general of Missouri, was on Trump’s first shortlist for attorney general and is now making the rounds as an option again. As a state attorney general, Schmitt led high-profile litigation against the Biden administration, including a closely watched jawboning lawsuit challenging the federal government’s involvement in social media censorship. The Supreme Court sidestepped weighing in on the case, but last month Missouri and Louisiana notched a victory by reaching a settlement with several government agencies. Fox News Digital reached out to Schmitt’s office for comment. Several conservative influencers also floated Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, as an option, but Lee poured cold water on the idea on Friday, saying on X, “I’m not going anywhere.” Other long-shot options include Alina Habba, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Habba promoted her tight relationship with Trump online on Friday, but one source said Habba was happy in her current role as a DOJ senior advisor, while another said she was not having active conversations about the job but had not been ruled out as a possibility. DeSantis’ name made the rounds online, and the
President Donald Trump briefed on downed F-15 fighter jet in Iran
President Donald Trump has been briefed Friday on an F-15 fighter jet that went down over Iran, Fox News has learned. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and state media claimed to have shot down a U.S. fighter jet over central Iran, specifically in the mountainous Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. Initial Iranian reports claimed the aircraft was an F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. However, subsequent photos of wreckage released by Iranian media suggest the aircraft may be an F-15E Strike Eagle, likely from the 494th Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath. U.S. officials for weeks have insisted the U.S. and Israel have “complete control over Iranian skies,” and recently sent the slower, non-stealthy B-52 bombers into Iran, underscoring how confident they were that Iranian airpower had been nearly eliminated. “We are in this military operation … for 32 days,” Trump said in an address Wednesday. “And the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat.” “They have no anti-aircraft equipment,” Trump said. “Their radar is 100% annihilated. We are unstoppable.” Aviation experts say the aircraft seen in the circulating footage appears consistent with an F-15 based on several distinctive features, including its twin vertical tails, wide fuselage, and dual-engine configuration. The F-15s widely spaced engine intakes and rectangular air inlets are also key identifiers that distinguish it from other U.S. fighter jets. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Trump cabinet shakeup expands after Noem exit, Bondi firing — who’s under pressure next?
Kristi Noem is gone from the Department of Homeland Security and Pam Bondi is on her way out the door at the Justice Department. It’s not unusual for a president to shake up the cabinet ahead of crucial elections. And that appears to be the case right now for President Donald Trump, who’s saddled with underwater approval ratings and an unpopular war ahead of this year’s crucial midterm elections, when Republicans are working to hold onto their slim House and Senate majorities. The big question going forward: Who may be next on Trump’s chopping block. PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES The White House is pushing back against reporting that other cabinet secretaries may soon be given pink slips. But it’s worth noting that Trump announced in a social media post that he was letting Bondi go hours after media reports first crossed that the attorney general’s job was in jeopardy. Here’s a look at three cabinet members that media reports suggest could possibly be in the president’s crosshairs. The director of national intelligence may have earned Trump’s ire by failing to condemn former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent after his abrupt exit from the administration last month after criticizing the president’s move to strike Iran. Gabbard, a former Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for her party’s 2020 presidential nomination before crossing over and supporting Trump in the 2024 election and a military veteran who deployed to the Iraq War two decades ago, has not been as vocally supportive of the current conflict with Iran as others in the cabinet. In backing Gabbard, Trump last weekend pointed to her stance on Iran and said, “I think she’s probably a little bit softer on that issue, but that’s okay.” Pushing back forcefully against speculation that Gabbard may be next to go, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung on Thursday said, “President Trump has total confidence in Director Gabbard, and any insinuation otherwise is totally fake news.” “The President has assembled the most talented and impactful Cabinet ever, and they have collectively delivered historic victories on behalf of the American people.,” Cheung touted. Trump’s labor secretary is under investigation by the Labor Department’s inspector general over numerous allegations, including drinking alcohol while working and having an affair with a security officer. The resignation of some of her top aides has not helped matters. The president’s commerce secretary is a longtime Trump ally. But there’s speculation Lutnick may be on thin ice after admitting in February he traveled with his family to Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012, four years after Epstein was convicted of child sex trafficking. Lutnick previously denied having any relationship with Epstein and stated that he “barely had anything to do with that person.” The White House is denying that either Lutnick or Chavez-DeRemer are in hot water. “Secretaries Chavez-DeRemer and Lutnick are both doing a great job standing up for American workers, and they continue to have President Trump’s full support,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News. But a source in the president’s political orbit didn’t rule out further changes in Trump’s cabinet. “The president is reshaping his team and his message is clear: loyalty is expected but performance is mandatory,” the source told Fox News.
State top cop moves to crush alleged DHS records restriction as county denies ICE-out
FIRST ON FOX: Montana’s attorney general is demanding a county reverse a policy whereby the state’s top cop denies Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to criminal justice data, warning the position is unlawful and undermines coordination with federal law enforcement, as a top local official pushed back. Montana banned sanctuary cities under Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s pen in 2021, and that policy also allows Attorney General Austin Knudsen to enforce compliance and investigate alleged aberrations under threat of civil action against any such state agency or local or county government. Knudsen notified Gallatin County — anchored by the city of Bozeman — that its policy stance is “legally incorrect” and that Big Sky Country is not Big Sur. “Let me be clear: Montana is not California. This state does not embrace policies that isolate law enforcement partners or undermine the enforcement of duly enacted federal law,” Knudsen will write to Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell. SHERIFFS PLOT ICE COOPERATION ‘WORKAROUNDS’ AFTER NEW MARYLAND LAW BANS COOPERATION WITH IMMIGRATION OFFICERS When asked about claims her county does not recognize ICE as a criminal justice agency qualified to receive confidential criminal justice information (CCJI), Cromwell said such a claim is not accurate. When presented with the text of an email sent from her aide to county law enforcement stating the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office does “not legally recognize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a law enforcement agency entitled to receive Confidential Criminal Justice Information (CCJI),” Cromwell’s office responded several hours later with a lengthy release stating in part that “there is no blanket policy in Gallatin County prohibiting cooperation with ICE or any federal agency, nor is there a policy restricting the sharing of information.” “The County Commission, not the County Attorney’s Office, is the only governing body with the authority to establish county policy,” Cromwell’s office said. “In the specific instance raised by the Records Department in September, ICE requested nonpublic CCJI regarding an individual for a civil matter. After legal review, the civil division of the County Attorney’s Office determined that ICE, in this context, was not acting as a ‘criminal justice agency’ under Montana’s CCJI statutes because the request was civil in nature and did not fall within the statutory definition tied to the administration of criminal justice,” the statement also read, adding that the email in question should not be considered “policy.” FORMER MAINE COUNCILOR GIVES IMPASSIONED SPEECH OPPOSING CITY BLOCKING COOPERATION WITH ICE In his own warning to Cromwell, Knudsen wrote that “Montana supports cooperation among all levels of law enforcement, including ICE, to ensure community safety and uphold the rule of law.” “I write in response to your office’s determination that [ICE] is not a ‘criminal justice agency’ entitled to receive CCJI absent a court order. Your policy is legally incorrect and inconsistent with both Montana law and governing federal statutes. Montana law defines the term ‘criminal justice agency’ as a matter of statute—not local discretion,” he wrote, adding that it is not up to an individual prosecutor to make that call. An October email from a Cromwell aide to two county law enforcement officials, obtained by Fox News Digital, described the policy that drew Knudsen’s ire. “Good afternoon [officials], I am writing to inform you that the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office does not legally recognize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a law enforcement agency entitled to receive Confidential Criminal Justice Information (CCJI). FORMER MAINE COUNCILOR GIVES IMPASSIONED SPEECH OPPOSING CITY BLOCKING COOPERATION WITH ICE “Accordingly, ICE is not authorized under Montana law to access CCJI without a court order.” “Therefore, ICE is only entitled to public documents. All other documents being requested should be processed like a standard CCJI request,” the email read. When asked about the reported policy, Cromwell told Fox News Digital, “That report is inaccurate.” DEM GOVERNOR’S ‘DANGEROUS’ ANTI-ICE LAW IGNITES BACKLASH AFTER ALLEGED BOX CUTTER ATTACK BY ILLEGAL ALIEN Knudsen said in his letter to Cromwell on Thursday that Montana’s legal definition of a criminal justice agency is intentionally broad to incorporate federal agencies when applicable and that ICE “plainly meets that definition.” He went on to tell Cromwell that state law allows for an expansion of the definition of “law enforcement agency” rather than a restriction and that Gallatin’s position endangers public safety because ICE must be able to share information to keep the community safe. Knudsen also accused the county in the letter of crafting the policy as a “deliberate effort to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities while avoiding explicit acknowledgment.” DHS TORCHES NEW JERSEY’S PROFANE ‘F—ICE ACT’ AS ASSAULTS ON AGENTS SKYROCKET 1,300% “Such an approach resembles a ‘sanctuary’ policy in practice, if not in name,” he said, noting Gov. Greg Gianforte’s ban on sanctuary cities. Knudsen then gave Gallatin until Monday to take corrective action and communicate that to him via Solicitor General Christian Corrigan — the state’s principal litigator — and to retain all documents and correspondence about the policy. Knudsen has been involved in several nationally relevant issues, including collaborating with West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey to object to the inclusion of a controversially constructed climate change chapter in a scientific evidence manual for federal judges. Montana’s capital, Helena, also reportedly backed down from its stance of noncooperation with ICE following legal threats from Knudsen’s office. That move came after the city’s commissioners heard analysis from outside legal counsel that Helena could face thousands of dollars in penalties every five days if it were found to be violating the state’s ban on sanctuary policies, according to Montana Public Radio. ICE has continued to face political and, at times, physical attacks amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, with a four-figure increase in assaults and threats against ICE and CBP agents, according to information shared with Fox News Digital by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Trump eyes next attorney general as key GOP senator signals potential roadblock
President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Attorney General Pam Bondi tees up another whirlwind confirmation in the Senate, and some in the upper chamber are already drawing lines in the sand. The Senate confirmed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin last month after a sprint to elevate him from lawmaker to Cabinet official following Kristi Noem’s firing. Lawmakers will again be tasked with confirming Bondi’s replacement in the coming weeks. While Trump has selected Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) on an interim basis, speculation is swirling over who he will tap as the next attorney general. PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES Whoever he picks will have to go through the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said in an interview with CNN that the next nominee must align with his views on the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. “The threshold for somebody following Pam Bondi ends the moment I hear they say one thing that excused the events of January 6,” Tillis said. “I’ve been very clear on that. So I hope whoever they have in mind to follow General Bondi is very clear-eyed about my position on January 6.” “That’s why I didn’t support two other nominees who were coming through the Judiciary Committee, and I won’t support any nominee who thinks any element of January 6 was excusable,” he continued. MULLIN CONFIRMED AS DHS CHIEF AS LAWMAKERS NEAR SOLUTION ON SHUTDOWN STANDOFF Tillis will have a key vote on the Republican-led panel that could make or break any nominee’s chances of reaching a full Senate vote. Last year, he notably tanked Trump’s pick for top prosecutor in Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, over his comments on Jan. 6. Trump is reportedly eyeing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for the job, but whether he taps another sitting senator remains an open question. Some lawmakers in the upper chamber are reportedly pushing for Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to get the job. But Lee — who is pushing for the Senate to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — doesn’t appear keen on the idea. BONDI OUSTER IGNITES BIPARTISAN UPROAR: ‘PARTISAN, PETULANT, POLITICAL HACK’ “I’m not going anywhere,” Lee said on X. Then there is Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who was previously under consideration for the job when Trump won in 2024. Schmitt has a strong relationship with the president that dates back to his first campaign and has developed into regular invitations to join Trump for rounds of golf. But he turned down the job, opting to stay in the Senate after just winning his seat in 2022. He confirmed his decision on X at the time, saying he was “just getting started” in the Senate. “We need America First fighters who don’t just say they support the agenda but are willing to stand in the breach and actually fight for it — and for the hopes and dreams of the American people,” Schmitt said. “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and be a champion for President Trump in the Senate.”
Holocaust survivor, 86, priced out of NYC says Mamdani skipped scheduled housing meeting
As a toddler, Sami Steigmann survived Nazi medical experimentation. Now, at 86, he is struggling to find safe housing in New York City. His situation comes as New York City residents face rising housing costs, despite campaign promises from city leaders to improve affordability. Steigmann, who has called New York City home since the 1980s, can no longer safely navigate his second-story apartment in Harlem. Earlier this year, he asked to have a one-on-one meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who ran on a platform centered on lowering housing costs. Although the meeting was scheduled, Steigmann says the 34-year-old mayor never kept the appointment. “Promises made, not kept,” Steigmann told Fox News Digital. “His claim to fame was affordable housing. I’m not disappointed because I didn’t expect him to keep his word. It is what it is.” DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB “It would have been nice, but you know politicians,” he said with a smile. He added that he was no longer interested in meeting with Mamdani. Mamdani’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. For now, Steigmann said his focus is on finding a safe place to live as New York City’s costs continue to climb. “New York is the most expensive city in the country, especially for independent living. Rent is about $6,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment,” he said. Steigmann, who lives on a fixed income of $1,649 per month, said he cannot afford an apartment that is both safe and accessible to public transportation. The physical toll of his current living situation has only added to the challenge. Born in 1939 in Romania, Steigmann was deported with his parents to a Nazi labor camp at about age 2. Too young to work, he was subjected to medical experimentation for at least three years before the camp was liberated. “I was subjected to medical experiments, so I’m in pain every single second, but I learned to live with it. Now, because of my age, 86, I have difficulty walking and climbing stairs,” he said. While relocating to a more affordable city may seem like an option, he said leaving New York is not a simple decision. “I did not give it serious thought because here I have agencies that are helping me,” he said. “I don’t know what it would be like in other cities because I don’t have those connections there.” FROM FREE BUSES TO CITY-OWNED GROCERY STORES, HERE ARE MAMDANI’S KEY ECONOMIC PROMISES “I’m very safe here,” Steigmann said of his neighborhood, adding that his neighbors know him and watch his back. He said a nursing home is a last resort he hopes to avoid. “If I’m going to a nursing home, which I may have to go to if I cannot find something, basically, it’s the way to die because there is no life there.” “It’s not for me. I’m still active. I don’t need assisted living in the sense that I can take a bath by myself. I can still do a lot of things,” he said. Now, advocates are stepping in to help. The Chicago Jewish Alliance recently launched “Project Ahava,” a fundraising initiative aimed at securing safe, stable housing for Steigmann as he struggles to remain independent in New York City. Facing a roughly $2,200 monthly shortfall, the initiative aims to raise $132,000 to cover five years of housing. The group has so far raised about $18,000 for Steigmann. “Sami has never asked for a dime, and he has given back to so many people. That’s just another reason why we wanted to give back to him and make sure that he has safe housing,” Susan Haggard, president of the Chicago Jewish Alliance, told Fox News Digital. “And it’s important for him to stay in Manhattan where he is close to public transportation and still have that independence that is so important to him,” she added. Maintaining that independence is key to his daily work and outreach. He spends his days volunteering aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid, docked in New York City’s harbor, and speaking to school groups across the country about the Holocaust — a mission that has come to define his life. “This is my life. Without it, there’s nothing for me, no reason to live,” he said.