Trump says first releases from Pentagon UFO study will come out ‘very, very soon’ after Phoenix rally tease
President Donald Trump said the first releases from a Pentagon study on UFOs will come out “very, very soon.” Speaking at a rally at Dream City Church in north Phoenix on Friday night hosted by Turning Point USA and Turning Action, Trump told the audience it seemed like the right crowd to hear about the study because Arizonans are “really into that.” The comments come as interest in unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, continues to grow in Washington, with lawmakers pushing for greater transparency and the Department of Defense expanding efforts to investigate unexplained incidents. “I figured this was a good crowd because I know you people. You’re really into that. I don’t know if I am,” the president told them. UFO TASK FORCE EYED AS LAWMAKER WARNS OF STRANGE OBJECTS IN SKIES AND WATERS DEFYING KNOWN TECHNOLOGY He said he recently spoke with War Secretary Pete Hegseth about releasing the study’s findings to the public before giving the crowd a brief tease of what he saw. “We found many very interesting documents, I must say,” Trump said. “And the first releases will begin very, very soon. So, you can go out and see if that phenomenon is correct. “You’ll figure it out. Let me know,” he added. “But we’ve had a lot of questions. It’s something that — it really captivates the mind, there’s no question about it.” EXPLOSIVE NEW DOCUMENTARY PROBES ’80-YEAR GLOBAL COVERUP’ OF UFO SECRETS Trump said in February he would direct the release of government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena. The president said at the time there was “tremendous interest” in the topic following remarks from former President Barack Obama, whom Trump said shared classified information suggesting aliens are real. “Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Interest in UAPs has grown significantly in recent years, attracting increased scrutiny from federal lawmakers and defense officials. In 2023, Congress enacted the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act, while the Department of Defense created the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office to investigate these incidents more thoroughly. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Grieving mothers scorch Dem lawmaker after he pivots during hearing to attack ‘MAGA Republicans’
A congressional hearing featuring the victims of crimes tied to illegal immigration erupted into a tense confrontation Thursday. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., drew fierce backlash from grieving mothers and Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, for appearing to dismiss their tragedies while pivoting to attacks on “MAGA Republicans.” The fiery exchange happened during a hearing focused on “The Human Toll of Sanctuary Policies,” during which Johnson claimed the victims’ families’ comments were a “Steve Miller-approved” stunt with the sole purpose of “stir[ring] up passion and prejudice against immigrants who are people of color.” SLAIN COLLEGE STUDENT’S MOTHER VOWS ‘FIGHT FOR JUSTICE’ AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN CHICAGO KILLING After offering brief condolences to the families of victims allegedly killed and critically injured by illegal immigrants, Johnson immediately pivoted to a partisan attack, arguing the committee should instead be holding hearings on the “human toll” of the “Trump MAGA tax cuts,” Trump’s foreign policy with Iran or the “cover up of the Epstein files.” He went on to list a string of violent crimes committed by White men and noted the death of Renee Good, who was killed by federal authorities in January while protesting immigration enforcement. “I’m not minimizing the tragedy that is before us today with you three women, but the other tragedies at the hands of non-immigrants are just as important,” Johnson said. He also accused the Republican majority of strategically “sandwich[ing]” a Democrat witness between the victims’ families for “dramatic effect.” Gill fired back, calling Johnson’s tirade “one of the most disgusting testimonies I have ever heard” and blaming Democrat lawmakers for the tragedies during four years of open borders under the Biden administration. DHS SLAMS CALIFORNIA ‘SANCTUARY’ COUNTY AFTER MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY 2 HONDURAN NATIONALS However, the most stinging reply to Johnson’s comments came from Jen Heiling, the mother of victim Brady Heiling, 18, who was killed along with his girlfriend, Hallie Helgeson, 18, in 2025, when an illegal immigrant from Honduras was allegedly driving the wrong way on I-90 while intoxicated, crashing into the teens’ car. “You can put me in whatever order, in whatever seat. My tragedy is never going to be OK,” Heiling told Johnson. “Today’s our day. Hear us. Leave your butts in your seat. I don’t want to hear your butts.” She described how her 11-year-old and 16-year-old children are still waiting for the teens to come home, noting that her garage stall remains empty because her son’s car is still being held as police evidence. “We can’t pick a headstone because that makes it too real. But you can sit here and tell us about what kind of hearing this should be,” Heiling said. “Renee Good is not the same as angel families. She made a choice. … Brady and Hallie didn’t get a choice. … They were living [by] American laws … and they were stolen by somebody who doesn’t care.” Patricia Fox, mother of Carissa Aspnes, who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant, followed Heiling’s remarks by shooting back at Johnson’s comments about race, noting, “I don’t know if anybody has noticed, but I am not White. I wake up Brown every day.” “I’m not sure what race has to do with any of this,” Fox said. “There’s four kids that we talked about today, and y’all can’t seem to stay on topic for what — an hour of your time. “Today, we’re talking about sanctuary policies and how they have wrecked our families. Y’all come and y’all feed Carissa. You get her up from her bed using a crane, and then you tell me and lecture me what this hearing should be about.”
Newsom PAC bought thousands of memoir copies about his hardships, juicing sales
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political action committee spent more than $1.5 million buying thousands of copies of his new memoir — accounting for about two-thirds of all copies sold nationwide — according to campaign finance filings. The PAC spending helped propel Newsom’s memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” onto the New York Times bestseller list and is raising new scrutiny as his national profile builds ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run. In November, the Campaign for Democracy Committee launched a book campaign asking donors to contribute any amount to the PAC to receive the memoir when it was released on Feb. 24. Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told the New York Times that the PAC bought about 67,000 copies—representing a substantial portion of the 97,400 total sold. “We were thrilled with the response,” Click told the New York Times. “Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work.” TRUMP QUESTIONS NEWSOM’S FITNESS FOR WHITE HOUSE, CITING HIS DYSLEXIA The PAC made two payments totaling over $1.5 million to Porchlight Book Company, according to a FEC filing posted on Wednesday and reviewed by Fox News Digital. THE MOST UNUSUAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: NEWSOM IS DYSLEXIC, STRUGGLES WITH SPEECHES, REJECTS ‘LIBERAL’ LABEL When asked about the book’s ranking on the best seller list, a New York Times spokesperson explained the outlet places a dagger symbol on the list to indicate when a book’s ranking has been influenced by a bulk purchase. “When The Times has reason to believe that sales of a book include a mix of organic and bulk sales, the book’s best-seller ranking is accompanied by a dagger. That’s what we did with the Newsom book,” Nicole Taylor, spokesperson for The Times, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital later on Friday evening, “Governor Newsom did not do a ‘bulk buy’ of $1.5M worth of books to boost sales.” “The book sales through his email list were individual sales done through a new, innovative approach that allows his list to receive copies of the book early. The campaign viewed the book offer as a major list-building and engagement opportunity – one of the largest of any campaign in the country.” The spokesperson said the books were sold at cost through a vendor and that Newsom did not receive royalties on copies distributed through the program. “Supporters were invited to give whatever amount they could afford and still receive a copy of the book. The goal was participation and engagement, not fundraising,” the spokesperson continued. “The campaign’s list provided an opportunity for supporters to buy the book through a vendor consistently used by other authors. Each book was sold and sent out through the vendor, similar to buying from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. In total, more than 67,000 individual sales were made through the campaign’s offers.” Book promotion is common among politicians, but Newsom’s PAC spending outpaces similar political committee purchases. The Republican National Committee, for example, spent about $100,000 in 2019 purchasing Donald Trump Jr.’s book, the New York Times noted in its report. GOV GAVIN NEWSOM: FROM PRIVILEGE TO HEARTBREAK, MY LIFE BEHIND THE HEADLINES Newsom’s memoir is focused on the challenges he faced in his upbringing, addressing his battle with dyslexia and having divorced parents, as well as his political career. Newsom’s book tour, which included visiting cities across the nation, drew criticism from conservatives for the Democrat governor allegedly putting himself over leading California. Chairwoman of the California Republican Party Corrin Rankin told Fox Digital, in response to the book campaign, she believes Newsom is trying to “rebrand his national image” while abandoning issues at home, as recent data underscores ongoing challenges in the state. Social media commenters have not shied away from mocking Newsom over the book sales, including Republican California gubernatorial candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton. “Gavin Newsom’s ‘bestseller’ memoir just got the ultimate California treatment: his PAC dropped $1.56 million of donor cash to buy 67,000 free copies and mail them to anyone who donated any amount,” Hilton posted to X on Thursday. “That’s two-thirds of all print sales. Nothing says ‘Young Man in a Hurry’ like rigging your own book numbers with political slush funds while California burns.” Newsom is considered a top potential 2028 presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, though he has not confirmed whether he will officially throw his hat in the ring.
Alito not expected to retire this term, cooling Supreme Court vacancy speculation: sources
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is not expected to step down this term and has already hired all four law clerks for the upcoming annual term despite speculation the high court justice was weighing retirement, multiple sources said. Alito “is not stepping down this term and is in the process of hiring the rest of his clerks for the next term,” a source told Fox News Digital. Two other sources told Fox News that Alito is not retiring this term, which lasts until the Supreme Court’s new year kicks off in October. Justices tend to hire their clerks two to three years in advance, although that process is not necessarily indicative of a justice’s retirement plans. The revelation that Alito is reportedly not planning to step down comes after President Donald Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo he is “prepared” to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise. Trump added he has a shortlist of nominees in mind, though he did not mention any names. TRUMP REVEALS HE HAS MULTI-PICK SCOTUS PLAN READY AS RETIREMENT SPECULATION HEATS UP “In theory, it’s two or three, they tell me — if you just read statistics — it could be two, could be three, could be one,” Trump told Bartiromo. “I don’t know. I’m prepared to do it. But when you mention Alito, he is a great justice.” Trump said he thinks Alito, who has sided with him on most high-profile cases, is “in very good physical health” and called him “one of the great justices of our time.” “Justice Alito is an unbelievable justice,” Trump said. JONATHAN TURLEY: KAMALA HARRIS BACKS RADICAL PLAN TO BLOCK TRUMP SCOTUS PICKS Rumors about Alito, 76, potentially retiring have grown because of his age, his two-decade tenure on the bench and speculation that he may want to make sure a conservative successor is confirmed by the current Republican-led Senate before the upcoming midterm elections. Former President George W. Bush nominated him for the nation’s highest court in 2005. The rumors were further fueled when it was revealed Alito was treated last month for dehydration after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner. A Supreme Court spokesperson clarified at the time that the justice was “thoroughly checked” and quickly returned to the bench. TRUMP DISMISSES CALLS FOR ALITO, THOMAS TO STEP DOWN FROM SUPREME COURT, CALLING THEM ‘FANTASTIC’ Justice Clarence Thomas, an appointee of President George H. W. Bush, has drawn less retirement speculation despite being one year older than Alito at 77 and in his own lengthy tenure. Thomas has been a conservative fixture on the court for more than three decades and holds a record as the second-longest serving justice in history. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters earlier this week he would recommend Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Mike Lee, R-Utah, as top candidates if Alito were to retire. Grassley said he hoped Alito would not step down but said his committee is “fully prepared” to process a nominee before the midterm elections. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Tuesday the GOP majority would be able to fill a Supreme Court vacancy quickly. “That’s a contingency I think around here you always have to be prepared for. And if that were to happen, yes, we would be prepared to confirm,” Thune said. Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.
Utah justice allegedly sent ‘inappropriate’ texts to lawyer in key redistricting case, officials launch probe
Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and top state lawmakers ordered an independent investigation Friday into a state Supreme Court justice over allegations she had an unethical relationship with an attorney who worked on a high-stakes redistricting case. Justice Diana Hagen, who was appointed by Cox, stands accused by her ex-husband of sending what he described as “inappropriate” text messages to an attorney who helped challenge a Republican-friendly map that maintained four red congressional seats in Utah. Hagen joined a unanimous decision to toss out Republicans’ redistricting plan in July 2024, a ruling that led to one of the seats flipping blue in time for the 2026 midterms. FEDERAL JUDGE SCORCHES DEMS FOR PANDERING TO LATINOS WITH CALIFORNIA MAP IN FIERY DISSENT The revelation of a possible relationship between Hagen and the attorney, David Reymann, who worked on behalf of progressive voting rights groups in the case, stemmed from a complaint that a lawyer for Hagen’s husband submitted to Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and the Judicial Conduct Commission, according to local outlet KSL. Hagen and Reymann have both denied the allegations. Fox News Digital reached out to a Utah Supreme Court representative and Reymann for comment. The Judicial Conduct Commission, described on its website as an independent body comprising several state lawmakers, judges and members of the public, conducted a preliminary investigation based on the complaint and chose not to pursue the matter further, KSL reported. Fox News Digital reached out to the Judicial Conduct Commission for comment. The Utah Supreme Court issued a public statement on behalf of Hagen Friday afternoon in which she said she never had a conflict of interest. SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH NEW YORK REPUBLICAN IN CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING FIGHT “My last involvement in the redistricting case was October 2024,” Hagen said. “I voluntarily recused myself from all cases involving Mr. Reymann in May 2025, and my recusal was reflected in the Court’s September 15, 2025 opinion in League of Women Voters. “I took prompt, prudent, and transparent steps in response to the allegations made by my ex-husband, including reporting them myself to the Judicial Conduct Commission and submitting a sworn statement. The Judicial Conduct Commission recently reviewed the matter, dismissed the complaint, and closed the case. I remain committed to upholding the highest standards of judicial ethics, integrity, and impartiality.” The complaint and interviews conducted by the Judicial Conduct Commission found that Hagen and her husband began discussing divorce in September 2024, had interacted together with Reymann toward the end of that year and that Hagen did not meet one-on-one with Reymann until 2025, according to KSL. Cox, along with Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz, who joined the governor in launching the new investigation, said in a joint statement that more “transparency” was needed on the matter, signaling that the public’s trust in the state’s highest court was at stake, especially after a polarizing decision in a redistricting case set to affect the midterms. “An initial review by the Judicial Conduct Commission and the court left important questions unresolved,” they said. “Allegations of this nature, especially involving public officials, must be examined with transparency and accountability to establish the facts and to maintain public confidence.”
Texas AG sues Houston mayor and city council over new sanctuary city ordinance limiting ICE cooperation
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Houston city officials over the adoption of a “sanctuary” ordinance designed to limit cooperation between local authorities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The ordinance, passed by a 12-5 vote last week, ended a Houston police policy that required officers to wait at least 30 minutes for ICE to arrive if a suspect had an immigration warrant. The lawsuit names Houston Mayor John Whitmire, the city’s 16 council members and Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz as defendants. Paxton argued the ordinance violates Senate Bill 4, a state law passed in 2017 that prevents local governments from adopting, enforcing or endorsing policies that prohibit or materially limit the enforcement of federal immigration laws. EXCLUSIVE: NYC OFFICIALS REFUSE ICE HOLD FOR ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED IN ARSON THAT KILLED 4 AND INJURED 7: DHS “I will not allow any local official to push sanctuary policies that make our communities less safe,” Paxton said in a statement. “Under my watch, no Texas city will be a safe harbor for illegals. “The Texas Legislature passed strong legislation that specifically stops the type of lawless ordinance that Houston adopted,” he added. “Houston has no authority to ignore the Constitution and the laws duly enacted by the Legislature. I’m calling on Houston to immediately repeal this ordinance.” LOUISIANA AG URGES NOPD TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES In a statement, Whitmire said it was “unfortunate that so much time and resources are being spent on an issue that should not be partisan. It interferes with our responsibility to keep Houston safe and protect all residents.” Houston City Council member Alejandra Salinas urged the city to defend the ordinance in court. BOSTON POLICE IGNORED 100% OF ICE DETAINER REQUESTS IN 2025, CITING SANCTUARY LAW “It’s no longer a question about whether the City should go to court,” she wrote on X. “We’re already there. The Mayor and City Council must vigorously defend the law we voted for and that the City Attorney deemed legal. I stand ready to work with my colleagues to defend our laws and protect Houstonians’ constitutional rights.” Fox News Digital has reached out to several city council members for comment. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also threatened to freeze public safety funding if Houston moves forward with the ordinance. “Houston received more than $100 million from the state based on a written agreement that they will comply with immigration enforcement,” Abbott wrote on X in a post Tuesday. “If they refuse to comply, they better get out their checkbook. It will be costly if they refuse to keep their streets safe.” A special City Council meeting scheduled for Friday was rescheduled after Abbott extended the deadline for the city to respond to his funding freeze threat.
11th scientist death emerges in string of missing, dead officials with access to US secrets
Amy Eskridge, a Huntsville, Alabama–based researcher who died in 2022, is now being cited as the 11th case in a growing list of scientists who have died or disappeared under unusual circumstances. Her death has drawn renewed attention as at least 10 other recent cases involving individuals tied to U.S. military, nuclear and aerospace research have prompted questions about whether any pattern exists. President Donald Trump said Thursday he had “just left a meeting” on the issue and vowed answers within days, calling the situation “pretty serious.” “I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half,” Trump told reporters. WHO WAS NUNO LOUREIRO? MIT PROFESSOR GUNNED DOWN IN APARTMENT NEAR UNIVERSITY While officials have not confirmed any connection between the cases, the overlap in timing and the individuals’ ties to advanced research fields has fueled growing public attention and speculation. Eskridge died June 11, 2022, in Huntsville, Alabama, at the age of 34, according to obituary records. Her death has been reported as a self-inflicted gunshot wound, though limited official details have been publicly released. Eskridge co-founded the Institute for Exotic Science and described her work as focused on experimental propulsion concepts, including what she referred to as “antigravity” research. “We discovered anti-gravity and our lives went to (expletive) and people started sabotaging us,” she said in a 2020 interview with Youtuber Jeremy Rys. “It’s harassment, threats. It’s awful.” “If you stick your neck out in public, at least someone notices if your head gets chopped off,” Eskridge said. “If you stick your neck out in private, they will bury you. They will burn down your house while you’re sleeping in your bed and it won’t even make the news.” In the same interview, she described what she characterized as escalating pressure surrounding her work. “I have to publish because it’s only going to get worse until I publish,” she said, adding that the situation was “getting more and more aggressive.” In presentations and interviews, Eskridge also suggested that researchers working on unconventional technologies could face pressure to move their work out of the public domain, describing what she saw as a pattern in which scientists who reported breakthroughs would “disappear” from public work or stop publishing. Eskridge’s death is being cited alongside cases involving retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William “Neil” McCasland, NASA scientist Monica Jacinto Reza, contractor Steven Garcia, astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist Nuno Loureiro, NASA engineer Frank Maiwald, Los Alamos–linked employees Melissa Casias and Anthony Chavez, NASA researcher Michael David Hicks and pharmaceutical scientist Jason Thomas. The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) told Fox News Digital it is investigating the deaths and disappearances. “NNSA is aware of reports related to employees of our labs, plants, and sites and is looking into the matter,” a statement from the department said. At the same time, there is no publicly available evidence linking Eskridge’s death to those cases, and authorities have not indicated any connection between her work and the circumstances of her death. Her case has also become the subject of speculation in online and alternative technology communities, where some commentators have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death. Those claims, however, remain unverified and are not supported by official findings.
Meet Analilia Mejia, the Sanders-AOC backed progressive who just won election to Congress
Analilia Mejia, a one-time labor organizer backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, is headed to Congress. Mejia, running on a platform that emphasized Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage with the first $40,000 tax-free, a wealth tax, abolishing ICE and holding President Donald Trump and his administration accountable, convincingly defeated Republican candidate Joe Hathaway in Thursday’s special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. With her nearly 20-point victory, Mejia will fill the final eight months of the term of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the more moderate Democratic representative who stepped down from Congress in November after winning New Jersey’s gubernatorial election. Mejia, who is likely to align herself with the so-called “Squad” of younger, diverse and progressive House Democrats, called herself the “sassy new member of Congress” in her victory speech. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The special election came as the GOP clings to a fragile House majority. Republicans would have relished the opportunity to pick up the seat, but they faced a steep uphill climb to flip the suburban district Sherrill won by 15 points in her 2024 re-election and carried by roughly the same margin in last year’s gubernatorial election. Hathaway, a former Randolph Township mayor and current council member who was unopposed for the GOP congressional nomination, aimed to paint Mejia as too far to the left for the district. He told Fox News Digital the choice for voters was “between a common sense, practical independent leader who’s gotten things done at the local level in New Jersey and knows the issues, contrasted with someone who’s running on pure ideology, far left-wing ideology, Squad-backed ideology.” “I think we have the right math, the right bipartisan coalition to come together to win this thing on April 16,” an optimistic Hathaway predicted. But Hathaway came up far short, given the rough political climate facing Republicans and the traditional headwinds for the party in power. THIS PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZER WINS SPECIAL ELECTION, EARNING TICKET TO CONGRESS Mejia, on Thursday night, pushed back against the claims she’s a radical. “My opponent has spent his whole campaign calling me names and saying my ideas are too radical. But we know, that is a mind trick, on brand for a spin doctor, but easily countered if you just open your eyes,” Mejia said. “It is not radical to say that one of the wealthiest nations in the world should do more to protect the health of its people.” Here’s a closer look at Mejia and where she stands on the issues. Mejia was born in New Jersey and is the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants. After working as a union organizer, Mejia served as national political director on the 2020 Sanders presidential campaign. She later worked in the Department of Labor in former President Joe Biden’s administration. Mejia pulled off an upset in the February Democratic primary, narrowly edging out a more moderate rival, former Rep. Tom Malinowski, in a field of 11 candidates. While Mejia was the clear choice of the party’s left flank, the rest of the field divided the moderate and center-left vote. Besides the backing of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, Mejia was also endorsed by other top progressive leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. PROGRESSIVES NOTCH ANOTHER WIN OVER DEMOCRATIC MODERATES AS SANDERS-AOC ALLY NEARS CONGRESS Mejia’s nomination victory was another big boost for the left against the establishment since now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, sent shock waves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025. Mejia repeatedly took aim at Trump’s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration and called for scrapping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency most visible in the aggressive tactics used in the administration’s massive deportation effort. REPUBLICAN SEEKS BLUE-STATE BREAKTHROUGH, DISTANCES FROM TRUMP WHILE TAKING AIM AT ‘SOCIALIST’ “I say abolish ICE now,” Mejia said on the campaign trail. “You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.” After her primary victory, Mejia gave credit to her stance on immigration in the wake of backlash against the Trump administration following the January fatal shootings in Minnesota by federal agents of two U.S. citizens protesting immigration operations. “I think the fact that I was bold and unafraid to speak the truth was incredibly important,” she told reporters. “I think voters feel that they want to have a representative that actually represents them, and they cannot watch what’s happening in Minnesota, what happened in Chicago, what happened in California, what happened in Morristown across this district.” Mejia, like many on the left, has railed against rulings by the conservative-dominated Supreme Court. “The Supreme Court has been captured by right-wing radicals who care more about doing Trump’s bidding than the rule of law,” Mejia charged on her campaign website. She supported “articles of impeachment against Justices Thomas and Alito” for what she says is “their corruption and conflicts of interest.” Mejia also backed “term limits for newly appointed Supreme Court justices, a binding code of ethics with real enforcement for all federal judges.” And Mejia said she would support “expanding the courts if necessary to restore balance.” On her campaign website, Mejia stated, “We’re going to cancel all student loan debt.” And she pledges that she’ll “fight to make college tuition free at community colleges and trade schools for everyone.” As part of her “economy for everyone agenda,” Mejia argued, “If you work 40 hours a week, you should make at least $40,000 a year, and you shouldn’t pay a dime in federal taxes on that first $40,000.” And she highlighted that she helped lead the fight in New Jersey to “win the $15 minimum wage.” “With the cost of living rising every day, it’s time to raise the minimum wage at the national
Senate temporarily extends nation’s controversial spying powers after House fumbles
The Senate quietly extended the nation’s spying powers Friday morning after the House failed to reauthorize the program before the fast-approaching deadline. The upper chamber’s unanimous vote to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) gives Congress a little more breathing room beyond the April 20 deadline but still leaves lawmakers in the same divided place they started. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had positioned the Senate to swiftly receive and possibly pass a FISA reauthorization, but after progress on the legislation blew up in the House, he’s eying putting the upper chamber in the driver’s seat. HOUSE PUNTS TRUMP SPY POWERS EXTENSION AFTER CONSERVATIVES BLOCK DEAL, FORCING END-OF-MONTH SHOWDOWN “We can’t go dark,” Thune said. “We just can’t afford to go dark, so we’ve got to figure it out. Hopefully, we can move a 10-day extension, and we’ll try and set things up to try and do something over here.” The original plan was derailed because of the controversial Section 702 of FISA. On the surface, it allows the government to spy on foreign nationals abroad, but nothing stops that law from collecting data on Americans if they happen to be involved in those communications. While FISA as a whole is a vital tool for the government, particularly as uncertainty swirls about the true end of the war in Iran, Congress still isn’t on the same page as the White House. DOZENS OF DEMS FLIP ON ISRAEL, VOTE TO BAN ARMS SALES IN PROTEST OF IRAN WAR President Donald Trump and the White House pushed lawmakers to pass a clean reauthorization of the program, which both Republicans and Democrats in both chambers have pushed back against. It’s a rare horseshoe issue in Washington, D.C., that draws opposite ends of the political spectrum — conservatives and progressives — together on privacy rights. Opponents of Section 702 want warrant requirements for the government to parse communications involving Americans. Congressional Democrats similarly demanded warrant requirements for immigration agents to enter people’s homes as part of their list of demands to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS SHUTDOWN ENTERS DAY 60 WITH ALL EYES ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO END IT Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has strongly pushed back against a clean reauthorization, arguing in a letter to his Democratic colleagues that leaps and bounds in AI are “supercharging how the government can surveil Americans.” And Wyden nearly derailed chances for the extension to pass in the upper chamber, but later argued it was the “right decision for today,” and that tacking on another few days would give more leverage to lawmakers wanting reforms. Wyden told Fox News Digital that “the focus here needs to be what Ben Franklin talked about.” “Anybody who gives up their liberty to have security really doesn’t deserve either,” Wyden said. “And I don’t buy the idea that liberty and security are mutually exclusive, and that’s what the proponents, who just want a straight across the board approach are calling for.” “They say, basically, ‘The sky’s gonna fall, unless you pass our bill right away,‘” he continued. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., tried and failed with two options for FISA. One route was a clean, 18-month extension. Another was a five-year extension with modest reforms. Conservatives joined the bulk of House Democrats to tank the latter. Lawmakers will return next week with a bevy of issues on their plates, including reopening DHS and sprinting to craft the framework for a party-line budget reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years. The FISA issue will linger until the next deadline at the end of the month.
Supreme Court reverses lower court ruling, hands Chevron victory in environmental lawsuit
The Supreme Court ruled Friday in favor of Chevron in a case over whether a Louisiana environmental lawsuit can proceed in federal court. In Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish, the justices held that the case falls within the federal officer removal statute, allowing Chevron to move the lawsuit from state to federal court. The justices vacated a lower court decision that had kept the case in state court and remanded for further proceedings. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.