One six-pack of beer could significantly alter how the Constitution regulates law enforcement
The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear an Alaska man’s challenge to the state’s effort to confiscate his plane over a six-pack of beer, setting the stage for a case that could upend the ability of law enforcement to impose asset forfeiture. Kenneth Jouppi, now 82, was operating a one-man air taxi service using his personally-owned 1969 Cessna plane in 2012 when Alaska state troopers executed a search warrant on his plane and found alcohol on board, including one six-pack that they said was plainly visible. At the time, Jouppi was on a runway in Fairbanks preparing to take a customer and her groceries to the remote village of Beaver near the center of the state. Having beer on board wasn’t illegal on its own. However, since Beaver had banned the possession or sale of alcohol within its limits, Jouppi was convicted of alcohol importation, a misdemeanor. The Alaska Supreme Court held that, under the alcohol importation ban, the state was required to confiscate Jouppi’s Cessna. GOP LAWMAKERS URGE SUPREME COURT TO STRENGTHEN FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS FOR STREET PREACHERS Jouppi has since argued in court that the state’s seizure of his plane, valued at $95,000, runs afoul of the 8th Amendment’s ban on excessive fines. Now, the Supreme Court will weigh in on whether he’s right. When ruling on Jouppi’s case, the court will have the opportunity to seriously rein in the ability of state and local governments to impose asset forfeiture — a longtime goal of civil libertarians. “For centuries, English common law took into account the characteristics of the defendant and his or her specific violation in determining excessiveness,” a trio of scholars working for the libertarian Cato Institute wrote of the case. “When courts lose touch with the original understanding of a fundamental right, they risk watering down the constitutional protections that must be afforded to everyday people. Such dilution of rights is especially dangerous today as governments generate billions of dollars in revenue through civil and criminal asset forfeiture.” SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY LIMITS USE OF GUN LAW USED TO PROSECUTE HUNTER BIDEN “This case gives the Supreme Court the opportunity to ensure that the people are afforded the protection that the Eighth Amendment promises them,” they added. Alaska, however, argues that confiscating the planes of those who facilitate illegal imports is the only way the state can meaningfully prevent the problems caused by alcoholism in its remote regions. DOJ SUES DENVER OVER BAN ON ‘ASSAULT WEAPONS’ AS CITY’S DEM MAYOR SAYS IT ‘WILL NOT BE BULLIED’ “Alcohol abuse is a serious problem in rural Alaska, and airplanes are sometimes the only realistic means to commit the crime of alcohol importation,” a legal brief from the state reads. “Jouppi was convicted for his own knowing and intentional misconduct, and forfeiture removes the business asset that was the means used to commit the offense.” Some villages in Alaska are not connected to major road networks, making them primarily accessible by small planes, such as the one owned by Jouppi. A trial court in 2018 ruled that the state taking Jouppi’s plane would be an excessive fine under the Constitution, though the Alaska Supreme Court ultimately decided otherwise in 2025, leaving the United States Supreme Court as the one-time pilot’s only remaining outlet for recourse. Oral arguments in Jouppi’s case are likely to take place either later this year or early next year, with a decision expected to come down by next summer.
Reporter’s Notebook: The Republican-led vote that revealed Democrats’ new divide on Israel
Things sometimes evolve slowly in politics. There’s a perception, axiom or maxim which is agreed upon in politics. But over time, it changes. Sometimes the change is subterranean. The tectonic political plates move. But no one is quite aware of what’s happening until one event crystallizes the shift. Such is the case with support in the Democratic Party for Israel. HOUSE DEMOCRATS FRACTURE BADLY OVER MASSIE AMENDMENT TO CUT $3.3B IN U.S. AID TO ISRAEL The politics of supporting Israel have moved for several years now. Especially after Israel’s response to the deadly attacks by Hamas and pro-Palestinian groups on October 7, 2023. But then there’s that one moment which seems to change everything. That was certainly on display in the House of Representatives during a single roll call vote last week. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., engineered an amendment to a State Department funding bill to cut off $3 billion in aid to Israel. Some Democrats viewed this as a political effort to cleave the party. Whether it was political or not remains to be seen. But Massie’s amendment split Democrats nearly down the middle. The House defeated Massie’s effort, 314 to 104. Massie was the only Republican who voted in favor of slashing aid to Israel. But 103 Democrats joined Massie to also suspend the assistance. Ten Democrats voted “present,” only 98 Democrats voted to reject Massie’s effort. The Democratic divide over Israel has widened for a while now. It used to be rare to have more than a few Democrats who wouldn’t stand beside Israel. But that House roll call vote truly underscored where the party is now. It exposed deepening internal fissures. “This is an important moment because nothing will be the same on this issue ever again,” observed Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chair of the House Progressive Caucus. “It used to be that just a small number of House Democrats would vote against sending taxpayer dollars and weapons for the Israeli military. Then, two years ago, 37 House Democrats voted to not send billions of dollars to the Israeli military.” Casar added that this was “not the end. This is a new beginning” for Democrats. “Democrats here in the House have finally decided to do what the people, our voters, the constituents we represent, have been asking us to do,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. “I am proud that they have finally decided to lead with their morals.” The left says the party is simply reflecting where its core voters stand. NEW YORK TIMES RAISES EYEBROWS BY REFERRING TO AIPAC AS ‘HARD-RIGHT’ PRO-ISRAEL GROUP “You’re seeing a shift. The American people are growing weary of this war and what’s happening,” said Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., argued the vote wasn’t “a litmus test” for the party. But said the vote addressed another phenomena. “Americans of all backgrounds are deeply frustrated that our needs are not being met at home. But our resources are being sent abroad in a way that is not representative of our values and not representative of who we are,” said Ocasio-Cortez. Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is retiring from his seat early next year. Few lawmakers from either party have been as vocal as Hoyer in supporting Israel over the past four decades. “This amendment would embolden the enemies of peace, those pursuing the complete elimination of Israel and those who seek the death of Jews,” said Hoyer. “It’s a vote against American security.” Hoyer stepped back from the House Democratic leadership in early 2023. But today’s Democratic leaders concede the party currently views Israel through a different lens. “It’s not lost on me that the actions the (Israeli) Prime Minister has taken has not made it easier for us to be supporters of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-CA. Even Democrats who voted in favor of the aid say there are shifts in Israel which prompted Democrats to recalibrate their views. “I think a lot of people are concerned about Netanyahu and are concerned about some of the activities over the past couple of years,” said Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., voted against cutting off money for Israel. Bell is a freshman who defeated progressive former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., in the primary two years ago. He then won the general election that fall. Bush is a skeptic of Israel. She is challenging Bell in next month’s primary. “It’s important that we do stand with our allies because our sworn enemies are not going away,” said Bell. It’s unclear if Bell’s vote – pitted against Bush’s more progressive stance – could dictate who wins the primary. But it’s worth watching. Pro-Israel Republicans worry about the anti-Israel tide shift on the Democratic side of the aisle. “I think they’ve been captured by crazies. You can see it in their elections by people who hate Jews.” Said Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla. But the new positioning by the Democratic party concerns Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., He’s a staunch ally of Isreal. Fetterman is threatening to desert Democrats if the party deserts Israel. “That’s my red line in the Democratic party,” said Fetterman. “Look at the people that are winning these primaries right now. They’re not just ‘I’m just pro-Palestinian. I am deeply anti-anti-Israel.’” SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE ‘LAST MAN STANDING’ IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL Notably Fetterman did not say that he would necessarily become a Republican. But Democrats need Fetterman in their fold. Republicans hold a 53-45 advantage over the Democrats. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Maine, caucus with the Democrats. That gets you to 47 senators who align with the Democrats. So Democrats need a net win of four seats to seize control of the Senate next year. Democrats hope to hold Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire. But they are also looking to flip seats in Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Alaska. Any combination of four seats scores
EXCLUSIVE: Ousted DHS counterterrorism chief sues millionaire ex over alleged sugar daddy smear campaign
FIRST ON FOX: A former high-ranking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official who was publicly sidelined in a “sugar daddy” media firestorm is fighting back with a major defamation lawsuit, accusing her wealthy ex-boyfriend of weaponizing her gender to destroy her counterterrorism career after she rejected a marriage ultimatum. Julia Varvaro, the 29-year-old former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism, filed a federal complaint Monday in the Eastern District of Virginia, alleging defamation per se and defamation by implication against Robert “Bob” Bianchi, multimillionaire CEO of federal contractor SDVO Solutions. The lawsuit accuses Bianchi, 57, of fabricating a DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) complaint that falsely claimed Varvaro’s college education was funded by “sugar daddies” and her jewelry consisted of “trophies.” He then leaked the confidential complaint, private photos and text messages to The Daily Mail to ignite a tabloid scandal, according to the suit. NAVY VETERAN WHO BEAT CNN IN COURT SAYS CIA WANTS HIM TO DELETE, BURN BOOK MANUSCRIPT: ‘THAT’S CENSORSHIP’ The lawsuit specifically targets “defamation by implication,” accusing Bianchi of strategically manipulating intimate text messages to frame their age-gap relationship as a transactional “sugar baby” arrangement. Attorneys argue a leaked text message exchange where Bianchi teased, “Don’t f— with Daddy on fashion,” and Varvaro replied, “Daddy knows all,” was lighthearted banter about their age difference — not evidence of sex work. The lawsuit also addresses Apple Cash transfers that Bianchi framed as “consideration for sex,” noting the payments were standard financial flows of a committed relationship. In one private text exchange, when Bianchi suffered from kidney stones in Europe and Varvaro allegedly covered his emergency medical bills, screenshots included in the suit show he texted her, “I’m sorry lover … Thanks for your help today. I was struggling,” to which Varvaro replied, “It’s okay lover as long as you are good is the only thing that matters … Whatever you need I will figure out as long as you’re good.” BLAKE LIVELY ALLEGES ‘MEAN GIRL’ SMEAR CAMPAIGN DAMAGED HER CAREER, SEEKS UP TO $296M Later, after she drove him through snowy roads, screenshots show Bianchi messaged her: “I love you Julia. Thanks for being You,” and gave her his home keycode, texting, “I’m yours lover… you are always welcome, any time or day.” Bianchi also frequently messaged her support, writing, “I’m proud of the work you do. You’re making a difference,” and expressed his gratitude after introducing her to his children: “Thanks for a nice evening. I appreciate you meeting all my kids… I love you.” However, attorneys claim the tone shifted during a historic 76-day government shutdown in February, when Varvaro was furloughed. The lawsuit alleges that when she planned to take a temporary bartending job to pay rent, Bianchi insisted she come to him for the funds instead. But when she accepted, Bianchi used her financial vulnerability as leverage for control. In another exchange, he purportedly texted her: “I told you I am not paying your bills until we are engaged.” Varvaro said she refused the ultimatum, ended the relationship, and told him she did not need “an ATM.” In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Varvaro’s attorney, Vel Freedman, described the fallout of the subsequent media controversy as “devastating.” NY TIMES COLUMNIST KRISTOF SAYS NO PLANS TO SEEK OFFICE AGAIN AMID DISCLOSURE ISSUES, QUERIES ON UNUSED FUNDS Freedman revealed Varvaro has been “terribly” impacted, suffering public humiliation, losing her position and seeking therapy under the care of physicians. He also highlighted the unique weaponization of gender in the alleged smear campaign, noting that Bianchi’s allegations were tailored to be “extraordinarily devastating to her career and her reputation… in a way that is sort of unique to being a woman.” The legal battle flips the narrative from April 22, when the media initially reported she was ousted. An anonymous complainant, now identified as Bianchi, told The Daily Mail he spent $40,000 on Varvaro, that she used drugs, and had a dating profile on Seeking — a website that markets itself as “a space where love and luxury meet.” Varvaro maintains she met Bianchi on Hinge, a separate dating app that uses a Nobel-Prize-winning algorithm to learn users’ “type,” according to the company. Once his identity was unmasked by the press, however, attorneys said Bianchi recanted, telling People Magazine their relationship was actually “brief and personal” and “not a ‘sugar’ relationship.” Despite his retraction, Varvaro was terminated from DHS and had her employment offer as a CIA targeting officer rescinded. It is unclear what specific concerns or infractions prompted Varvaro’s dismissal. The CIA, DHS, Hinge and Seeking did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Bianchi could not immediately be reached for comment.
Johnson has three-word answer on whether House will leave early
With the House facing a jam-packed final week before August recess, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is making clear lawmakers won’t leave Washington until they finish their work. Asked by Fox News on Monday whether he would send the House home early if GOP leaders failed to win a critical vote slated for Tuesday afternoon that would tee up consideration of several major bills, Johnson had a quick three-word response. “I will not,” he said. The speaker’s comments come as he attempts this week to put a GOP-authored stock trading ban on the floor along with a stopgap spending measure funding the government through the midterm elections, while bringing a must-pass annual defense policy bill up for a second time. GOP’S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT GOP leaders are also racing to pass a $95 billion budget framework providing for $73 billion in defense and intelligence funding as the Iran war drags on while also funding agriculture and election integrity priorities. The Trump-endorsed blueprint has spurred criticism from fiscal conservatives, who argue it lacks spending offsets. The first test comes Monday evening when the House Rules Committee is expected to report out a rule setting up a chamber-wide procedural vote on the legislative items Tuesday. Given House Republicans’ slim margins, Johnson can afford to lose just three GOP defections if all members are present and voting. House conservatives have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to vote down party-line procedural votes this year over various concerns, including frustration over the SAVE America Act stalling in the Senate. “The fact that there is no payfor and no language defunding Planned Parenthood is enough for me to vote no,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a fiscal hawk, told Fox News Digital on Monday, regarding the budget framework. Trump urged Republicans in a Truth Social post Monday to support the budget plan, arguing it would include as much of the election measure “as possible.” GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL Burlison has voiced concern about getting elements of the SAVE America Act through the Senate’s stringent budget reconciliation requirements — a process in which the Senate parliamentarian plays an outsize role. “I am open to a dialogue with the administration on how we can ensure that the SAVE language is solid and what we might be able to do with stopping abortions by mail,” he told Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said Monday that Congress should stay in Washington until a short-term funding package and the SAVE America Act reach Trump’s desk. “After this week, the House and Senate won’t be in session at the same time again until SEPTEMBER 14 if we keep the current schedule,” he wrote on social media. “That’s insane. We STILL need to pass the SAVE America Act and prevent Democrats from shutting down the government in October.” “This would NOT fly in the business world. We need to stay here until we get ALL our work done. That’s what the American people expect of us,” he continued.
Birth tourism fight shifts to US ‘tropical maternity ward’ with history of Chinese exploitation
The congressional fight over birthright citizenship shifted to the U.S. territories this week after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s effort to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., said a Senate proposal as well as the overall birthright citizenship debate leaves untouched the five inhabited U.S. territories, where citizenship at birth was established by federal law rather than directly under the Fourteenth Amendment. “The ‘Barbara’ decision leaves open the door for Congressional action on citizenship in the American territories,” Griffith said in introducing the End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act, referring to the Supreme Court’s recent birthright citizenship ruling. BIRTH TOURISM CRACKDOWN EXPANDS AS HOUSE CHAIRMAN RAISES CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY CASE “Because of the current birthright laws in place in the territories, any child born in a U.S. territory minus American Samoa, regardless of a parent’s nationality, accesses U.S. citizenship automatically.” Four of the five U.S. territories – the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) would be covered by Griffith’s bill. American Samoans are not automatically conferred U.S. citizenship upon birth. “This bill should stop the so-called ‘birth tourism’ that is taking place in the American territories,” Griffith said. SEN ERIC SCHMITT SEEKS TO END BIRTH TOURISM, REVOKE CITIZENSHIP FOR BABIES OF FOREIGN DIPLOMATS Congress established birthright citizenship in most territories by statute, and Griffith argues it therefore has the authority to revise those laws. “Accordingly, I am leading the charge in Congress to rectify this problem, clarify U.S. citizenship laws in the territories and combat foreign nationals who are exploiting loopholes in our citizenship laws to take advantage of U.S. generosity.” After the federal government assumed control of CNMI immigration in 2009, DHS used parole authority to permit eligible Chinese and Russian visitors to enter the islands without visas — a policy critics say facilitated birth tourism. ‘IT’S INSANE’: GOP SENATOR SAYS SUPREME COURT BIRTHRIGHT RULING HANDS CHINA A CITIZENSHIP LOOPHOLE That change led CNMI to be “flooded with so-called birth tourists” in what a New York Post report described as a “tropical maternity ward” of citizens ripe to reach voting age around 2030. Residents of the five inhabited territories cannot vote in the presidential general election while living there, though they participate in party presidential nominating contests. Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and CNMI elect House delegates, while Puerto Rico elects a resident commissioner. None may vote on final passage of legislation on the House floor. Federal prosecutors shut down one of the CNMI’s largest commercial birth-tourism operations during the first Trump administration. Prosecutors said one individual, Sen Sun, operated a lucrative birth-tourism business on Saipan that “illegally employed dozens of caretakers… all Chinese nationals… without work authorization,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Guam and CNMI. Sun pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens. Griffith’s bill relies partly on the Insular Cases, a group of early-20th-century Supreme Court decisions addressing how constitutional protections apply in U.S. territories. Lower courts later applied that territorial framework in citizenship cases, including the D.C. Circuit’s 2015 decision in Tuaua v. United States, which held that the Citizenship Clause does not confer birthright citizenship on people born in American Samoa. Asked about Griffith’s bill and the recent reports on birth tourism in her territory, Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds, R-CNMI, said she supports securing U.S. borders and stopping anyone who “tries to abuse America’s immigration laws.” “If someone is exploiting our immigration system, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I have zero tolerance for fraud or abuse,” King-Hinds said. However, she claimed Griffith’s bill is targeting the wrong people – noting the 2009 shift in territorial immigration authority to the federal government. King-Hinds said that with people admitted to CNMI under federal oversight, Congress should strengthen enforcement rather than “single-out” Americans living there. King-Hinds said CNMI has a unique relationship with the mainland through what is called its “Covenant” – a negotiated agreement she said deserves “careful consideration” before Congress adjusts rights granted to people born there. “I am also deeply concerned about creating one standard of citizenship for Americans born in the fifty states and another for Americans born in the territories. The people of the CNMI have disproportionately and proudly served in our Armed Forces, contributed to this nation, and lived as loyal Americans for generations. They should not become the testing ground for policies that Congress cannot or will not apply elsewhere.” “I stand ready to work with my colleagues to accomplish those goals, but I will always fight to protect the rights of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands,” she said. Fox News Digital also reached out to Dels. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., Pablo Jose Fernandez, D-P.R., and James Moylan, R-Guam, for comment. In the 2022 case United States v. Vaello Madero, the Supreme Court upheld Congress’ exclusion of Puerto Rico residents from the Supplemental Security Income program. Justice Neil Gorsuch agreed with the judgment but wrote separately to argue that the Insular Cases should be overruled. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “A century ago in the Insular Cases, this court held that the federal government could rule Puerto Rico and other territories largely without regard to the Constitution. It is past time to acknowledge the gravity of this error and admit what we know to be true,” Gorsuch wrote – potentially setting up another court battle, should Griffith’s bill gain further steam. Other critics have countered that if territorial residents want full rights, they should actively pursue statehood as Alaska and Hawaii did in the modern era. Griffith’s proposal could force Congress and the courts to confront how much authority lawmakers retain over citizenship rules in the territories. Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.
FIRST ON FOX: Trump admin freezes out Minnesota of the Caribbean over alleged hurricane-aid abuses
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration suspended a U.S. territory’s housing-finance authority from receiving further federal funding after the Department of Housing and Urban Development cited years of alleged financial mismanagement, dire audit findings and the conviction of a former executive in a disaster-recovery contracting scheme. The suspension over alleged waste and abuse at the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) comes as HUD Secretary Scott Turner, a member of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, ramps up the administration’s scrutiny of federal grant recipients following a series of high-profile investigations nationwide. “The Trump administration is changing the game when it comes to who we entrust with taxpayer dollars. Organizations riddled with corruption, mismanagement and crime will no longer be allowed to squander billions,” Turner, a former NFL cornerback, told Fox News Digital. TIM WALZ BECOMES GOP PUNCHLINE IN SWEEPING NEW WAR ON WELFARE FRAUD “[VIHFA] officials cannot be allowed to prioritize kickbacks over helping families recover from disasters. I promised that HUD would be a faithful steward of the American people’s hard-earned money, and we are keeping that promise.” Turner said the suspension is “effective immediately,” as the HUD chief’s deputy Andrew Hughes fired off a 13-page letter to VIHFA official Dayna Clendinen laying out HUD’s findings and alerting that they are barred from future federal procurement while an investigation takes place. When approached for comment, a representative who picked up the phone at VIHFA on Monday directed Fox News Digital to a full voicemail box. Fox News Digital then reached out via VIHFA’s contact page for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., and Democratic Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan’s office for additional comment. VANCE REFERS TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER STATE’S ALLEGED FRAUD In the letter, HUD claimed the nearly-$2 billion appropriation to VIHFA was intended for recovery after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the American archipelago in 2017 – calculated to about $20,000 per USVI resident. “Nine years later, because of VIHFA’s blatant mismanagement of these critical disaster funds, USVI citizens still do not have the housing and electrical power they were promised nearly a decade ago,” the agency said, citing the prevalence of blue-tarped roofs and shoddy infrastructure, including a teetering power grid in the time since. HUD said audits found disaster recovery spending lagged badly while administrative spending consumed a disproportionate share of available funds. The agency also cited the former COO’s criminal kickback scheme as evidence of weak internal controls. JACOB FREY PRAISES SOMALI COMMUNITY AS MINNESOTA FACES RENEWED SCRUTINY OVER FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS VIHFA’s former chief operating officer, Darin Richardson, was sentenced in March to 36 months in prison after being convicted of bank fraud, money laundering, making false statements and criminal conflict of interest. Prosecutors said Richardson received $107,000 from a contractor in connection with the scheme. HUD said the misconduct occurred “during execution of his duties” at VIHFA. That contract was later inflated by 50% from $3 million to $4.5 million, HUD said in its letter, adding that much of the lumber then was allowed to rot in the tropical sun. HUD said Richardson’s conduct, standing alone, was sufficient to call into question VIHFA’s responsibility to receive additional federal funds. HUD informed VIHFA it has “substantial evidence” of failure-to-comply with aid obligations, a lack of internal controls over financial matters, fraud risks and conflict-of-interest situations. “[VIHFA] has failed to implement effective fraud controls despite the indictment and conviction of its former COO in a federal contracting fraud scheme. It has repeatedly made false certifications to HUD that it has proficient financial controls, has safeguards to prohibit conflicts of interest, has not obtained duplicate federal benefits, and complies with applicable laws and regulations,” HUD alleged in their suspension notice. HUD cited multiple audits spanning a decade that raised “significant concerns” about funding-related activities – which collectively questioned millions in costs and uncovered weak financial controls, inadequate project oversight, poor fraud-risk management and inaccurate reporting. A 2026 audit concluded VIHFA had failed to implement a structured fraud prevention framework despite overseeing $1.9 billion in disaster recovery funding. Further condemning the “glacial” pace of storm recovery, HUD found that only 2% of planned single-family rentals, 16% of single-family homeowners and 19% of multifamily rental projects had been completed since the storms struck nearly a decade ago. None of 329 housing-work mitigation projects had been finished, while HUD found a “yawning gap” between high expenditures by VIHFA on administrative concerns and low expenditures on residents and their homes. “Whether poor management or something worse, the consequences are unacceptable– the residents of the USVI who were devastated by disaster are not getting what they need from VIHFA,” HUD wrote to the authority. VIHFA spent $52.6 million on administrative costs alone, according to its report. HUD also found VIHFA’s divisions unwisely “operate in silos,” hindering communication and fraud-risk management. The agency told VIHFA that the HUD inspector general’s office also found that employees had personal knowledge of fraud or suspected fraudulent activity – but then VIHFA failed to conduct further investigations or alert its senior management. The auditing apparatus of VIHFA only notified then-directors of the divisions involved, who allegedly “sat on the findings” according to HUD’s recounting of a 2023 IG probe. That along with the material facts behind Richardson’s convictions bolster Turner’s decision to cut off VIHFA, the agency wrote. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “An officer corruptly awarding disaster clean up contracts violates, at minimum, HUD rules on oversight of contractors,” HUD said, citing Richardson’s kickbacks of at least $107,000 in one case. VIHFA will have 30 days to request a hearing on the matter or HUD’s funding suspension will be final, Hughes said. The suspension marks the latest front in the feds’ anti-fraud campaign, which has now stretched from the massive Feeding Our Future prosecution in the cold northern reaches of Minnesota now to the southern, sunny confines of Charlotte Amalie.
Republicans defy Trump, jump into South Carolina Senate race despite his handpicked successor
President Donald Trump has made his pick to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., but several Republicans eyeing his seat don’t care. A handful of hopefuls vying to win the Republican nomination in August to take the reins from Graham have already announced their intent to jump into the race, despite Trump throwing his endorsement power behind Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., Graham’s sister who many believed to be a placeholder for the remainder of his term. Trump on Friday, after meeting with Graham in the Oval Office, announced his “complete and total endorsement” for her to get into the race. TIM SCOTT SAYS HE’D ‘LOVE TO SEE’ FOX NEWS HOST REPLACE LINDSEY GRAHAM “I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026,” Trump said. “I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey.” She has not yet committed, and the coveted Trump endorsement has not stopped Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., businessman Mark Lynch or the latest to jump in, Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., from entering the fray. Fry, in particular, was just last week lauded by Trump as someone to watch. He also had spent time speaking with White House operatives about launching a bid, and a Trump endorsement seemed all but guaranteed. GRAHAM’S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE A source in Fry’s political orbit told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker has “accomplished more than all the potential candidates combined,” having passed three bills in his first four years in Congress. “This is really about giving voters a choice and not a coronation,” they said. Still, Fry is not running away from Trump. In his campaign announcement, Fry noted, “Of the many things Lindsey Graham believed in, standing with President Trump and advancing the Republican agenda were among his defining principles.” “There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind,” Fry said. “There is no replacing him, but I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to fight alongside the president just as steadfastly as he did.” During this cycle, at least, the Trump endorsement has not proven a sure bet. South Carolina-based Republican consultant Dave Wilson told Fox News Digital, “South Carolina voters want to have a choice and not be told who they need to be voting for.” GRAHAM ALLY RIPS ‘THIRSTY’ REPUBLICANS JOCKEYING TO REPLACE LATE SENATOR “The president’s quick endorsement of Darline Graham was very symbolic,” Wilson said, but added, “We’re seeing in South Carolina that his endorsement didn’t carry as much weight as people thought it was going to.” Wilson was referring to Trump’s endorsement of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette ahead of last month’s GOP gubernatorial primary. Evette was the top vote getter in the primary but lost the ensuing runoff election against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. And Trump, ever hungry for a victory, endorsed both Wilson and Evette days before the runoff. Veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital that a Trump endorsement is “a major boost for any candidacy, but it doesn’t necessarily give you a lock on the seat.” Just because Trump has thrown his weight behind Graham doesn’t mean others shouldn’t run, Williams contended. He noted that Senate seats rarely open up in South Carolina, and that when the opportunity presents itself, hopefuls need to seize it. “If you’re an aspiring House member in South Carolina, this is your time to run regardless of whom the president is supporting,” Williams said. “There’s no downside for running,” he continued. “They’re all going to run as Trump Republicans, and they’re all going to flatter the president on the campaign trail.”
US bases, ICE facilities targeted in Cuba-linked 24-hour activist mobilization plan
A new State Department report argues that Cuba has cultivated a network of American activist organizations that can be mobilized against U.S. policy, citing a publicly posted plan for protests at U.S. military bases, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and federal buildings as a recent example. The June “National Rapid Response Plan” was distributed by the National Network on Cuba, a U.S. coalition of more than 60 organizations. The State Department links the coalition to the Cuban government through its relationship with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP, a government entity sanctioned in June for allegedly supporting Cuban intelligence activities. The plan calls for “coordinated nationwide actions” within 24 hours of a U.S. military attack — or the “imminent threat” of one — and says its goal is to make it “politically and materially costly for the U.S. government to wage war on Cuba.” TRUMP EXPANDS CUBA SANCTIONS BEYOND US COMPANIES IN MAJOR CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN ENABLERS The plan already has been made publicly available. The State Department report presents it as evidence of what it describes as a broader Cuban effort to cultivate and mobilize sympathetic organizations inside the U.S. The National Network on Cuba’s “materials reveal the continuing reach, coordination and sophistication of Cuba’s subversive capabilities on American territory,” the State Department report claims. The rapid-response plan calls for demonstrations and establishes a timeline for activating supporters nationwide. If U.S. military action against Cuba begins before 3 p.m. Eastern time, demonstrations would start at 6 p.m. local time that day. If it begins later, activists would mobilize at 6 p.m. the following day. Organizers are instructed to gather at federal buildings, courthouses and post offices; military bases and recruiting offices; or ICE detention centers and field offices. The plan also lists sports arenas during high-profile events as optional locations. The State Department’s focus on the plan comes amid escalating U.S. pressure on Havana and discussion of possible military intervention or regime change. Trump has floated a “friendly takeover” of Cuba and, when asked in May about intervening, said “it looks like I’ll be the one that does it.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the administration prefers diplomacy while leaving military action on the table. FBI ARRESTS PROTESTER WHO THREATENED TO KILL ICE OFFICER’S FAMILY AT NJ DETENTION CENTER PROTEST, BLANCHE SAYS The plan says demonstrations at immigration facilities would “connect Cuba solidarity to anti-ICE/immigrant defense work happening nationwide.” It also directs activists to a Black Alliance for Peace database that the State Department report says maps 1,335 U.S. military and law-enforcement locations across the Western Hemisphere. The group describes the map as a basis for local organizing that can help activists “strategize how and where to organize and agitate.” The National Network on Cuba openly promotes the plan on its website as part of its “No War on Cuba” campaign, alongside calls for rallies, banner drops, caravans, teach-ins and other demonstrations. INSIDE CUBA’S FOREIGN INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN: FROM THE ’60S VENCEREMOS BRIGADE TO A CALIFORNIA UNION HALL The State Department report portrays the plan as a modern example of Cuba’s broader effort to cultivate and mobilize sympathetic organizations inside the United States. The National Network on Cuba represents more than 60 organizations and works closely with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples. ICAP is led by Fernando González Llort, a former member of Cuba’s Wasp spy network, a Cuban intelligence ring that infiltrated exile organizations and gathered information about U.S. military facilities in South Florida during the 1990s, who served 15 years in a U.S. prison before returning to the island. The report describes ICAP as the central hub of Cuba’s international influence operation, claiming it coordinates more than 2,000 solidarity organizations across more than 150 countries. The Cuban embassy in Washington could not immediately be reached for comment. The report focuses particular attention on six organizations spanning Cuban government outreach and American left-wing activism. ICAP is a Cuban government entity, while the National Network on Cuba is a U.S.-based coalition of more than 60 organizations advocating closer relations with Havana. The other groups are U.S.-based: Code Pink is a left-wing anti-war organization; the People’s Forum is a New York-based activist and political education center; the Democratic Socialists of America is a socialist political organization; and the National Lawyers Guild is a progressive legal association. Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America and the National Lawyers Guild’s Cuba Committee are listed as members of the National Network on Cuba, alongside the Communist Party USA and dozens of smaller organizations. The extent of each organization’s involvement in the rapid-response plan is unclear. The report argues that their overlapping relationships, delegations and campaigns give Cuba access to a broad American activist infrastructure. The report says the Democratic Socialists of America has sent multiple delegations to Cuba, including a 2023 trip during which members met privately with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and sought to establish formal communication with Cuban ministries. It notes, however, that the Democratic Socialists of America was not created or controlled by Cuban intelligence, describing its support for Havana as primarily ideological. The People’s Forum, meanwhile, is described as a major organizing hub connecting Cuba advocacy with anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian activism. The report says the organization has served as fiscal sponsor for the Venceremos Brigade, which has transported American activists to Cuba for decades, and has helped organize delegations that met with senior Cuban officials. Code Pink and the National Lawyers Guild also have participated in Cuba delegations and campaigns opposing the U.S. embargo, according to the report. The National Lawyers Guild adopted a resolution in 2026 pledging to work with the National Network on Cuba and the broader Cuba solidarity movement. The report does not announce sanctions or legal action against the U.S.-based organizations, and much of its underlying evidence comes from public records, organizational materials and previous reporting. Its central conclusion is that Cuba treats traditional espionage, political advocacy and ideological influence as parts of a single
Firestorm erupts online after Minnesota paper praises Tim Walz’s clemency for child sex offender
Minnesota’s flagship paper came under fire over the weekend after a columnist defended Democrat Gov. Tim Walz reasoning for pardoning an illegal immigrant just before the convicted child rapist was set to be deported. “The Minnesota Star Tribune is cheering on Tim Walz protecting an illegal alien monster who raped a 10 year old girl. No one should read this depraved rag. They are sick,” said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., on X. Minnesota’s Board of Pardons is composed of Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. They voted on June 10 to grant clemency to Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national who between 2002 and 2004 repeatedly raped a child. Lue was set to be deported from the United States before the clemency was issued. WALZ, MINNESOTA BOARD OF PARDONS CLEARS CONVICTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILD SEX OFFENDER FACING DEPORTATION In a section of the column called “Cheers to Gov. Tim Walz,” writer Rochelle Olson praised the governor and failed vice presidential candidate for his decision to defend the pardon. “The governor refused to back down from his vote to pardon a Hmong man convicted of felony sexual assault in 2006. It’s significant that Tou Lue Vang needed only two of three votes from the state Board of Pardons, but he received unanimous support,” the column states. Olson did not mention that Vang’s rape victim was a minor, or that Vang raped the child several times over the period of two years. She did reference a letter from the victim addressed to the pardon board supporting Vang’s clemency. A spokesperson for the paper told Fox News Digital, “The Minnesota Star Tribune regularly publishes a wide range of opinions across the political spectrum.” “In this case, our opinion columnist agreed with a unanimous pardon by the Minnesota state board of pardons, including Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson,” they added. FORMER INDIANA REP STEPHEN BUYER RECEIVES FULL PARDON FROM TRUMP FOR 2023 INSIDER TRADING CONVICTION Olson launched into a tirade about Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters in her column, likening their actions to that of the foreign child rapist. “Vang’s actions 20 years ago were awful, but so were the violent protests at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and those folks received presidential pardons,” the author wrote. Author Dennis Neale slammed that comparison in a post on X, writing: “The Star Tribune likens repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl to protesting in the Capitol on Jan 6. You fluppin’ idiots.” TIM WALZ OFFERS STRANGE DEFENSE FOR PARDONING CONVICTED CHILD RAPIST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTED “Minnesota’s largest paper actually figured out a way to shove January 6th into this as a way to excuse an illegal immigrant who sexually assaulted a child,” said another X personality. “One of the most insane things I’ve ever seen.” “The Minnesota Star Tribune just gave a ‘Cheers’ to Tim Walz for standing by his pardon of a convicted child rapist. Absolutely disgusting,” said online commentator Dustin Grage. “The degeneracy of the modern left would be impossible to exaggerate because it is impossible to exaggerate infinity,” said Claremont Institute senior fellow Jeremy Carl. Nick Freitas, another online personality, wrote, “Every time I think I despise the main stream media enough, they triple their efforts.” Walz’s attempts to protect Vang — and his defense of the pardon — proved moot when on July 10, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the illegal alien had been deported to his native Laos. “Just weeks ago, a foreign child rapist was freed to once again endanger America’s children after receiving a pardon from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz,” Rubio told Fox News Digital at the time. “Tue Lue Vang admitted to committing heinous crimes against a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota. He attempted to pay his victim for her silence and dismissed his acts of child abuse as a ‘minor thing.’” “Just days before he was scheduled to be deported, the Minnesota Governor pardoned him, setting him free to endanger American families once again,” he continued. “That’s why I terminated his legal status in the United States. Vang has now been removed from our country and will never pose a threat to any American ever again.” Days after Vang’s deportation, Walz doubled down on his decision to grant clemency. “Did that make us any safer?” Walz questioned. “Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable? Did it improve the idea that we can’t all be judged by our worst day?”
MTG pounces on Hegseth, claiming US troop casualties ‘fuel’ his ‘bloodlust for a senseless war’
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accused War Secretary Pete Hegseth of “bloodlust” after the Pentagon chief posted about fallen U.S. service members amid the ongoing Iran war. “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve,” Hegseth wrote on X when sharing a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) post about the deaths of American troops in Jordan. Greene shared Hegseth’s post and wrote, “Sacrifice?? What the f— are you talking about?? They did not willingly sacrifice themselves. They were killed because of the war you, Trump, and the admin, are waging on behalf of a FOREIGN COUNTRY, Israel. You mean their deaths fuel your bloodlust for a senseless war.” EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT CONTINUES CALLING FOR US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM MIDDLE EAST In a Monday statement to Fox News Digital, Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez asserted, “These comments are disgusting, especially from a former member of Congress. Ideological disagreements are normal, but using the death of our service members as fuel for her hatred of the Trump administration is out of line. We all serve at the pleasure of the President of the UNITED STATES, not a foreign nation or foreign leaders. No amount of diminishing, disrespectful remarks from washed up politicians will change that.” A White House spokesperson on Monday pointed Fox News Digital to comments President Donald Trump had made on Sunday. “Well, we feel very badly. But you know those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “Iran has been very, very badly damaged,” he said, asserting that the foreign nation has “lost everything, almost, militarily. They’ve got very little left. They’ve got some missiles. They’ve got some drones. They’ve got some manufacturing ability — not much,” he said. “We control the Strait. They don’t control anything. So we’ll see what happens. But we hit ’em very hard again tonight,” he said, adding that “we did that in honor of the probably three — it’s probably three, as opposed to two — great patriots.” US SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN IRAQ AS TROOPS RECOVER UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS IN JORDAN: CENTCOM CENTCOM declared in part of a Saturday statement, “On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.” The post also noted that a service member was missing. “I’m praying for the families and friends of those two fallen soldiers and for the third missing soldier,” Greene wrote in a Saturday post on X when sharing CENTCOM’s announcement. “This should not be happening. President Trump needs to bring our troops home and stop this senseless America LAST war!!!” In an update on Sunday, CENTCOM noted, “Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the passing of two U.S. service members and the missing status of one in Jordan following an Iranian attack on July 17. After a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing.” The post stated: “Separately, a U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury.” LOW TESTOSTERONE? HEGSETH SPARKS CONVERSATION AS DOCTORS REVEAL WARNING SIGNS EVERY MAN SHOULD KNOW Greene and President Donald Trump had a falling out last year. In early January she departed Congress, resigning in the middle of a two-year term.