Dem Senate candidate’s job listing invites applicants of any ‘citizenship status’ to apply for top role
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who is running in a crowded Democratic primary for Senate, posted a job listing for her campaign, encouraging applicants of “any … immigration” or “citizenship status” to apply. The position listed is for a political chief of staff position. Like many application portals, the listing notes that the campaign is an “equal opportunity employer,” encouraging applications from individuals of all educational backgrounds and from diverse racial, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation groups. INTERNET ERUPTS OVER ‘DISQUALIFYING’ LEAKED AUDIO FROM DEMOCRAT IN KEY SENATE RACE DISCUSSING KHAMENEI’S DEATH When asked if the office would consider hiring an illegal alien, a spokesperson for the campaign said they would follow U.S. law. “Haley’s campaign is happy to consider any applicants who are eligible to work in the United States,” the spokesperson said. Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, it is illegal for any “person or other entity” to hire an unauthorized alien. Violators can face civil and criminal penalties of up to $3,000 per unauthorized worker and up to six months of imprisonment. TOP DEMS BRUSH OFF TIES TO IMAM WHO HELD MEMORIAL FOR IRANIAN LEADER WHO VOWED ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ Those laws are enforced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It’s unclear if the Stevens campaign has used similar language in past job listings. Stevens, a four-term U.S. representative for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, is pursuing a bid to the U.S. Senate to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. She faces a crowded field as the race has drawn out notable challengers, including progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
Fugitive illegal alien convict on the run after attempting to strike ICE officer with vehicle: DHS
An illegal alien with a long criminal history remains on the run after he attempted to hit a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with his vehicle in California as authorities were trying to arrest him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday. ICE was attempting to take Xa Lee, a fugitive and Laotian citizen, into custody on March 25 in Sacramento. Lee was driving when he was pulled over, according to DHS. LEAVITT CALLS ON CONGRESS TO END EASTER RECESS TO WORK ON DHS SHUTDOWN During the vehicle stop, Lee attempted to flee and tried to strike an ICE officer with his car. “The officer, thankfully, did not sustain injuries. During the incident, ICE officers deployed their tasers. He fled the scene and remains at large,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “This is just the latest in a disturbing trend of vehicle attacks.” COLLEGE STUDENT’S ALLEGED MURDER BY ILLEGAL WENT EXACTLY AS DEMS ‘INTENDED,’ HOUSE SPEAKER SAYS A federal immigration judge issued a deportation order for Lee in 2010. His criminal record includes convictions for vehicle theft, stolen property, conspiracy, petty theft, two DUIs, resisting an officer, battery, and felony possession of a firearm. DHS noted that Lee’s evasion of arrest came amid a history of webinars by Democratic elected officials who advised undocumented immigrants on how to evade ICE and report encounters with federal immigration authorities. The agency cited California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Dan Goldman, both Democrats. All four politicians have repeatedly called for the Trump administration to halt its deportation campaign targeting criminal illegal immigrants. “DHS is once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement,” the agency said. DHS requests that if the public has any information about Lee’s whereabouts, contact the ICE tip line at 866-347-2423 or online.
DHS slams California ‘sanctuary’ county after mom allegedly murdered by 2 Honduran nationals
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) slammed a California county for not honoring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests for two illegal aliens accused of murdering a 24-year-old mother earlier this month. Franquin Inestroza-Martinez, a Honduran national, and Gerzon Jose Chirinos-Munguia, also of Honduras, were arrested in Santa Clara County for allegedly killing Kembery Chirinos-Flores with a shotgun in early January. Chirinos-Munguia is the father of Chirinos-Flores’ 5-year-old son, and was previously arrested in 2018 for battery and false imprisonment, and subsequently in 2019 for domestic battery and threatening crime with the intent of terrorizing, DHS said. He was released back into California without ICE being notified in both 2018 and 2019, according to DHS. ANGEL MOM, GOP BLAME SPANBERGER AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH 30 ARRESTS CHARGED IN KILLING “A man lost his life, and a child is now without a mother. These illegal aliens should have never been able to commit these horrific killings and must NEVER be released from jail into American communities,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in a statement. Inestroza-Martinez, the alleged accomplice of the boy’s father, also had an outstanding arrest warrant from New Jersey for the homicide of a 55-year-old in March 2025, according to DHS. DHS said he was deported from the U.S. in 2013, then again in 2018. He illegally re-entered the country at an unknown date and time before allegedly murdering both the man in New Jersey and Chirinos-Flores. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF FATAL HIT AND RUN THAT KILLED NORTH CAROLINA MOTORCYCLIST DHS pointed to the California Value Act (CVA), a “sanctuary” law which prohibits local police from asking suspects about immigration status and limits cooperation between federal immigration agents and local authorities. “Instead of cooperating with ICE, Santa Clara sanctuary politicians REFUSED to honor ICE’s arrest detainer and will not notify ICE when these murderers are released from jail,” Bis added. “This insanity of refusing to turn cold-blooded killers over to ICE must end.” The CVA was signed into law in 2017 in response to the immigration efforts of President Donald Trump during his first term. DHS CALLS RAPE OF AUTISTIC TEEN ‘MOST HEINOUS WE’VE SEEN’ AS ICE DETAINER TESTS CALIFORNIA SANCTUARY LAWS The Trump administration sued California over the law throughout 2017-18, though the suit was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The suit failed again during appeal and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case in 2020. CBS News reported that the child was not harmed in the incident and has since been placed in the custody of child protective services. “Kembery was in the prime of her life. She was working two jobs, and she was the loving mother of a 5-year-old son,” Santa Clara Department of Public Safety Chief Dan Pistor said at a press briefing following the arrests. Fox News Digital reached out to the Board President of Santa Clara County but did not receive a response. The Santa Clara County Board president did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jayapal floats reparations for illegal immigrants impacted by Trump crackdown, demands prosecutions
Amid President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown, one congressional Democrat is calling for reparations for foreign nationals who are affected. “We are going to have some form of reparation for the kids and the families that have been traumatized through all of this,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said Friday during a congressional hearing, referring to illegal immigrants. “You talked about how there’s no support for people even once they’re released. We need to make sure that we are funding that kind of work to continue to provide relief.” Jayapal, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), made the comments during the seventh installment of a hearing series titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Attack on Children.” The left-wing lawmaker said reparations for illegal immigrants affected by Trump’s crackdown efforts would be just one item in a series of reforms she would push Democrats to pursue if they retake House control in November. HOUSE DEM COMPARES TRUMP’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN TO ‘TERRORISM,’ VOWS TO ABOLISH ICE Jayapal, who was born in India and became a U.S. citizen in 2000, also said she wants “offensive action” regarding those who are carrying out Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown. “We need real accountability, because at the end of the day, the people that have been inflicting this harm need to be prosecuted,” Jayapal said. “They need to be brought before us, and they need to be held to account for the trauma that they have created.” A spokesperson for Jayapal did not respond to a Fox Digital inquiry about who specifically she wants to see prosecuted or who would be eligible for reparations. Reparations refer to financial compensation for a specific group intended to address reputed economic harms. Many progressive Democrats have long advocated for reparations for the descendants of American slaves. JAYAPAL DOUBLES DOWN ON ANTI-ICE TERROR CLAIMS AS DHS SHUTDOWN TRIGGERS HISTORIC TRAVEL CHAOS Throughout the hearing, congressional Democrats repeatedly called attention to the children of deported illegal immigrants, while saying little about the victims of illegal immigrant crime. The group of Democratic lawmakers did not discuss 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, who was allegedly shot and killed by a Venezuelan national illegally living in the United States in Chicago earlier this month. Jayapal’s comments came during the record-breaking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has continued to drag on with no end in sight. She and nearly all House Democrats have refused to fund the department until the Trump administration agrees to various proposals that could rein in immigration enforcement. “I have been clear since the start of the appropriations process: I will not vote to give Trump’s ICE or CBP another cent without major reforms,” Jayapal said Friday following her vote against a two-month DHS funding extension. Though Democrats have been willing to fund the non-immigration parts of DHS, most Republicans have rejected that idea because it would effectively defund law enforcement. Zeroing out appropriations for ICE and the Border Patrol would continue to force support staff employed by those agencies — have not received a full paycheck during the seven-week funding lapse — to keep working without pay.
Rep Rashida Tlaib moves to block US operations in Lebanon but ignores Hezbollah
Amid Democrats’ failed attempts to block President Donald Trump’s military action in Iran, some progressive lawmakers are turning their focus to another target. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., recently unveiled a resolution that would prevent Trump from participating in or assisting Israeli military operations in Lebanon absent congressional approval. The progressive lawmaker could force the House of Representatives to take up the measure when the chamber resumes session in mid-April. Progressive Reps. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., are co-sponsoring the measure. Tlaib’s resolution notably does not mention the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah, who joined the war against Israel after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei. DEMOCRATS PRESSURE MIKE JOHNSON TO KEEP HOUSE IN WASHINGTON OVER ‘RAPIDLY DEVELOPING’ IRAN OPERATION The Lebanon-based terror group has launched rocket attacks on Israel since the start of the Iran conflict, including a coordinated strike with Iran involving cluster munitions earlier in March. Hezbollah’s attacks were met with Israeli counterstrikes and a major ground offensive by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon, aimed at pushing the militant group out of range of Israeli communities. The United States military has not joined the conflict. “This ethnic cleansing campaign is only possible because of U.S. support, funded by our tax dollars,” Tlaib, the sole Palestinian-American serving in Congress,” said. “We must act now to stop these crimes against humanity and illegal invasion of Lebanon.” A spokesperson for Tlaib did not respond to a Fox inquiry about whether she condemned Hezbollah and the Iran-backed group’s strikes on Israel. Tlaib’s war powers push comes after a bipartisan resolution targeting Trump’s military authority in Iran failed to pass the House earlier in March. HOUSE VOTES TO LET TRUMP’S OPERATION EPIC FURY CONTINUE IN IRAN Tlaib also rolled out a separate resolution that would order the Trump administration to call on Israel to end its military campaign in Lebanon and cut off all weapons transfers to Israel. The measure similarly does not mention Hezbollah but accuses Israel of plotting “crimes against humanity and genocide” in Lebanon. “[T]he United States is coauthoring this destruction through the weapons, intelligence, logistics, and diplomatic cover it provides the Israeli Government,” the resolution says in part. Tlaib is a vocal critic of Israel and has previously faced scrutiny for possible ties to foreign terrorist entities. Israel severely weakened Hezbollah after the terror group repeatedly attacked the country in support of Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks. However, the Iran-backed militia has still proven to be a threat in the current conflict. Hezbollah rocket fire killed two Israelis in northern Israel earlier in March.
Pentagon cites ‘meritocracy’ as reported officer promotion removals draw Democratic criticism
War Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly removed multiple officers from a military promotion list — a decision that diverges from standard practice and is now under review at the White House, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital. The list included candidates for dozens of senior roles, but four were removed after they had been approved by a promotions board. The U.S. official said the officers were not under investigation and were not facing misconduct allegations, and that no formal explanation for the decision was provided to military leadership. PETE HEGSETH TOUTS HIGHER PHYSICAL STANDARDS FOR MILITARY, SAYS ‘SO BE IT’ IF IT EXCLUDES WOMEN Fox News Digital has learned that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll initially declined to remove the officers from the promotion list before Hegseth ultimately intervened to strike their names. The disagreement caught the attention of the White House, an official said, which reviews the revised promotion list before it is sent to the Senate. Initial New York Times reporting and congressional criticism have focused in part on claims that some of the officers removed were women and minorities, prompting military officials to question whether they were singled out on account of race or gender — an assertion Pentagon officials have strongly disputed. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in response: “This story, like many others at the failing New York Times is full of fake news from anonymous sources who have no idea what they’re talking about and are far removed from actual decision-makers within the Pentagon.” “Under Secretary Hegseth, military promotions are given to those who have earned them,” he went on. “Meritocracy, which reigns in this department, is apolitical and unbiased.” Pentagon chief of staff Ricky Buria added: “This is completely false. Whoever placed this made up story is clearly trying to sow division among our ranks and within the department and the administration. It’s not going to work, and it never will work when this department is led by clear-eyed, mission driven leaders unfazed by Washington gossip.” The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the specific rationale behind the reported removals. The reported move has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill, where senior military promotions require Senate confirmation. Individual lawmakers can delay or block nominations through procedural holds. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that if the reports are accurate, removing officers after a promotion board already has selected them based on merit and performance would be “outrageous” and potentially unlawful. Military promotions to senior ranks typically are vetted through formal boards and approved as a group, with limited intervention at the individual level. According to multiple reports, one of the officers removed from the list served in a logistics role during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, while another had previously authored academic work examining why Black service members are more likely to serve in support roles. The U.S. official said those explanations had not been formally communicated as justification for the decision. PETE HEGSETH SLASHES MILITARY ‘FAITH CODES’ FROM OVER 200 TO 31 IN PENTAGON CHAPLAIN CORPS OVERHAUL Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said: “Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have launched an unprecedented politicization of the military promotion process, most recently, reportedly blocking promotions for Black and female officers,” Wyden said. Wyden on Wednesday placed holds on the promotions of Marine Lt. Col. Vincent Noble, Col. Thomas Siverts and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas MacNeil, citing past wartime controversies and concerns about judgment. The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.
Homeland Security vows deportation operations ‘will continue’ as ICE agents help TSA, agency defunded
FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are continuing deportation operations despite a lapse in federal funding and being deployed to assist with massive airport security lines across the country, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital. According to the department, ICE officers continuing immigration enforcement operations nationwide arrested child predators, rapists, drug traffickers and a member of the violent Salvadoran MS-13 gang over the weekend. This comes as ICE officers were seen assisting the understaffed Transportation Security Administration and airport staff at terminals across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta and New Orleans. On Sunday, Trump border czar Tom Homan told CBS News that ICE agents will “continue a nice presence” at airports until they “feel like they’re 100% … in a posture where they can do no normal operations.” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis addressed concerns that ICE would not be able to sustain its normal operations while assisting TSA by telling Fox News Digital that ICE “will continue arresting public safety threats from our communities and will not allow the Democrats to slow us down from making America safe again.” LEAVITT CALLS ON CONGRESS TO END EASTER RECESS TO WORK ON DHS SHUTDOWN Bis said that “over the weekend, ICE arrested more dangerous criminals, including an MS-13 gang member, child predators, rapists and drug traffickers.” In the New York City area, where ICE was seen at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports, the agency arrested Pierre Bell, a criminal illegal from Jamaica, who was convicted of rape in the Bronx. In Illinois, where dozens of ICE agents were seen assisting TSA at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, ICE agents arrested Miguel Benitez-Campos, from Mexico, who was convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in Cook County. Two criminal illegal aliens were also arrested in Harris County, which is home to Houston, the largest city in Texas, where two airports experienced massive delays and saw a heavy ICE presence. ICE officers arrested Jose Santos Vigil-Mendez, from El Salvador, and Jorge Luis Carrera-Hernandez, from Mexico. Vigil-Mendez was convicted of deadly conduct, and Carrera-Hernandez was convicted of deadly conduct and possession of a controlled substance. WATCH: DEMOCRATS TOLD AMERICANS TO FEAR ICE, HERE’S HOW AIRPORT TRAVELERS ACTUALLY FEEL Meanwhile, in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., ICE arrested Pedro Antonio Luna, from El Salvador, who was convicted of three counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13 years old and aggravated sexual battery by a family member of a child under 15 years old. This comes as nearby Fairfax County, Virginia, is embroiled in a scandal involving 19-year-old Salvadoran illegal alien Israel Flores Ortiz, who is accused of groping several minor girls at a high school he was attending. DHS also shared that over the weekend it arrested six illegal aliens with serious criminal convictions in California. ICE officers arrested Luis Calderon-Martinez, who, according to DHS, is a Salvadoran illegal alien and a member of the MS-13 gang. Calderon-Martinez has several felony convictions in New Jersey, Arizona and California, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, carjacking, hit-and-run, property damage and driving under the influence. In Fullerton and Santa Barbara, California, near Los Angeles, ICE also arrested Angel Navarro-Camarillo and Higinio Gonzalez Machorro, both from Mexico. Navarro-Camarillo is a registered sex offender and active gang member. He was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. Gonzalez Machorro was convicted of rape by use of drugs. Just north of San Francisco, ICE also arrested Alfredo Luna-Ruiz, also from Mexico, who is convicted of false imprisonment, domestic violence, providing a false ID to a peace officer and driving under the influence in Sonoma County, California. This comes as Homeland Security continues to undergo a lapse in funding due to disagreements in Congress about immigration enforcement operations. Democrats have made resumed funding for the department contingent on changes to ICE and Border Patrol’s enforcement tactics. AIRPORTS BEG FLIGHT PASSENGERS TO CHANGE THEIR TRAVEL HABITS AFTER DHS SHUTDOWN JAMS LINES Bis told Fox News Digital that “Democrats must stop playing political games and reopen DHS now.” She added that TSA “is extremely grateful to the patriotic men and women of ICE who have deployed to airports that are facing a high number of callouts because of the Democrats’ shutdown.” “At the direction of President Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as today,” said Bis, adding, “Working without pay forced more than 500 officers to leave TSA and thousands were forced to call out. ICE will continue working with TSA for as long as the President determines necessary to ensure Americans are able to travel safely nationwide.”
Emanuel pushes back on ‘straight White man’ question, says ideas matter most in 2028
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rahm Emanuel is shrugging off the Democratic Party‘s identity debate and emphasizing that the showdown for the Democrats’ 2028 presidential nomination should be about ideas and not gender. The former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama is mulling a White House run of his own in 2028 in the race to succeed term-limited Republican President Donald Trump. But in a party that has made diversity one of its core tenets, Emanuel will have to face the question: will the Democratic Party elect a straight White male to represent it? Emanuel told Fox News Digital on Monday that Democrats should be asking potential presidential contenders different questions entirely, such as: “Do you have the ideas of how to make sure the American Dream is alive and well, accessible and affordable to another generation?” POTENTIAL 2028 DEMOCRATIC CONTENDER PROPOSES 75-YEAR-OLD MANDATORY RETIREMENT FOR POLITICIANS In the wake of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat to Trump in the 2024 election, former First Lady Michelle Obama made headlines late last year when she emphasized in a conversation posted on YouTube that the U.S. has “a lot of growing up to do” and that the nation is “not ready for a woman” as president. And former President Joe Biden, in an interview last year on “The View,” argued that Harris lost to Trump because of sexism and racism. Harris was the second female Democratic presidential nominee to come up short to Trump, following Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 election. That’s got some in the Democratic Party suggesting that in order to recapture the White House in 2028, it might be better for the party to nominate a White male as their standard-bearer. WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028 While Democrats take pride in their party’s diversity, an Axios article this past weekend, headlined “Some Dems’ 2028 strategy: a straight, White, Christian man,” included quotes from party operatives and strategists suggesting that parts of the American electorate are too biased to back a female or other diverse presidential candidate. Emanuel disagrees. “More important is the voters’ take. They’ll make a decision. And so to me, that’s the wrong thing. The question is, do you have the ideas that address the challenges that are facing America, regardless of who’s speaking it,” he said. Emanuel spoke with Fox News and other news organizations after headlining “Politics and Eggs,” a speaking series at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics that’s a must stop for White House hopefuls visiting the which for a century has held the first presidential primary in the White House race. And hours earlier, on Sunday evening, he was the main attraction at the latest “Stand Up New Hampshire” town hall hosted by top Democratic activists. Emanuel has been crisscrossing the country in recent months, as he considers a presidential bid, including stops in two other crucial early primary states, Nevada and South Carolina, where he heads later this week. On whether he’d become a presidential candidate, Emanuel said “if I think I have what it takes to answer what I think is ailing this great country, then I will jump into the deep end without my water wings.” Emanuel, who hails from the more moderate center-left wing of the party, emphasized that in order to win in 2028, Democrats need to “centralize and ground ourselves in middle class values, tough enforcement at the border, put more police on the beat, and get kids, guns and gangs off the street, and invest in education opportunities.” “Get to the core of what they expect from us and don’t get caught up in some cultural cul-de-sac that leads nowhere,” he added. As Democrats look for a fighter in 2028 to win back the White House, Emanuel is showing off his scrappy side. “These are tough times that require a tough leader that knows how to do tough things and get them done on behalf of the American people. That’s the measure,” he told Fox News Digital. And Emanuel also repeatedly took aim at Trump and his administration for their handling of the president’s efforts to acquire Greenland and the month-long strikes against Iran. “It’s a war of choice, and it’s a bad choice,” Emanuel said of Trump. “He could have gotten everything he wanted without going to war.” And taking another shot, he said, “If they ever run a sequel to ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ I have recommendations for the lead roles, and there’s lots of competition in this administration.”
Watchdog targets taxpayer-funded National Academies over DEI, climate and transgender spending
FIRST ON FOX: A consumer watchdog group is accusing the federally funded National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine of using taxpayer dollars to support DEI, transgender-related and other left-leaning initiatives, according to a new report. Consumers’ Research compiled the “Woke Alert” report outlining what it describes as left-leaning research, workshops and grants from the congressionally chartered institution, including projects related to transgender youth, diversity and inclusion initiatives, policing and climate advocacy. Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, accused the organization, which receives 70% of its budget from federal funds, of being “a radical woke organization masquerading as a nonpartisan educational institution.” “From pushing transgender ideology onto kids to spreading ‘defund the police’ insanity, this taxpayer-supported organization regularly abuses its status and reputation to fund the left’s favorite causes,” Hild said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “It has shamefully used hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to push a highly polarized woke agenda behind lofty BS rhetoric about independence and objectivity.” TRUMP-SIGNED SHUTDOWN BILL SENDS $4M TO CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS UNDER FEDERAL PROBE FOR TRANSGENDER CARE Consumers’ Research argued that NASEM has established its allegiance with left-leaning transgender ideology through its various publications, such as a workshop titled “Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth,” and a book titled “Reducing Inequalities Between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Adolescents and Cisgender, Heterosexual Adolescents: Proceedings of a Workshop 2022.” The report highlighted that for years, NASEM has run a variety of DEI workshops with titles including “Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations: Current Context and Challenges;” and another titled “Protecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education and the Workforce,” which was focused on putting affirmative action in place without race-based criteria. HHS GOLD STANDARD STUDY FLIPS ‘GENDER AFFIRMING CARE’ ON ITS HEAD AS DEMS KEEP PUSHING TRANS ISSUES AT SCOTUS In 2022, the National Academies partnered with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to hand out grants worth $1.15 million per recipient in an effort to promote DEI among biomedical researchers. In response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, NASEM established its Committee on Reducing Racial Inequalities in the Criminal Justice System. The committee evaluated a proposal to cut $50 million from Austin, Texas’s police budget. WATCHDOG FINDS DEI, CRT BAKED INTO ACCREDITATION RULES FOR HUNDREDS OF UNIVERSITY SOCIAL-WORK PROGRAMS The report noted that committee co-chair Bruce Western accused police officers of having “caused a great deal of harm in low-income communities and communities of color.” In one of NASEM’s studies, researchers accused police officers of being a “leading cause of death for young men in the United States.” The National Academies have also published multiple studies raising concerns over climate change. In one of the studies, the Academies focused on elevating techniques that would make Americans more likely to participate in climate activism. NASEM previously came under fire in August 2025 for publishing a climate review seeking to influence the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision on whether to rescind an Obama-era greenhouse gas finding. Critics suggested that NASEM was seeking to undermine the authority of the Trump administration. Roger Pielke Jr., a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute specializing in science and technology policy, told Fox News Digital that in recent years, the National Academies has gone from acting under the direction of Congress to acting as an “independent actor” for the interests of billionaires and foundations. Pielke said the National Academies received funding from the Bezos Earth Fund, a Jeff Bezos project created to address climate change. Through that support, the National Academies published a manual titled “Constructing Valid Geospatial Tools for Environmental Justice.” Pielke noted that the Bezos Earth Fund funds litigation centered on climate change and argued that “there is pretty strong evidence of a bias” in the Bezos Earth Fund. “So I think issues about conflicts of interest and bias go well beyond just funding sources,” Pielke said. “They also extend to the groups researchers choose to partner with when conducting work that is supposed to be neutral and scientific.” Fox News Digital reached out to NASEM for comment.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE: Emergency TSA lanes undergo drastic transformation at major airport after Trump action
Emergency security lanes at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, one of the airports that were most affected by the ongoing partial government shutdown, were seen being cleared by staff on Monday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order over the weekend to pay Transportation Security Administration officers. Though complications from hundreds of TSA agents quitting, and even more calling out of work, are likely to continue, the effects of the resumed paychecks could be seen almost immediately. At Bush, where wait times were more than four hours and lines stretched out of terminal doors and into underground subway tunnels, the emergency appears to finally be over. Fox News filmed airport staff clearing the emergency lanes set up outside the terminal doors. Several travelers could be seen strolling past where the lanes had previously been. Current security wait times listed on the airport’s website are five and nine minutes. Last week, travelers told Fox News Digital that they had to walk “miles” to get to the back of the security line, and at times, wait times were over four hours. Neither party escaped travelers’ ire over the fiasco, as several told Fox News Digital that they blamed “all congressmen” and “politicians.” WATCH: TRAVELERS REVEAL WHOM THEY BLAME FOR MILES-LONG HOUSTON AIRPORT LINES AS TRUMP RESCUES TSA PAY Disagreements in Congress over immigration enforcement have resulted in the Department of Homeland Security experiencing a lapse in funding. Democrats have made renewed funding for the department contingent on a set of reforms, including changes in enforcement tactics by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Calling the situation an “emergency,” Trump warned that mounting disruptions at airports have pushed the system to a breaking point. On Friday, Trump signed an executive order directing federal officials to ensure that TSA employees receive pay during the DHS shutdown. TSA agents finally began receiving paychecks on Monday after 42 days without pay, though the department remains unfunded as debates continue to roil in Congress. TSA agents speaking with Fox News on Monday shared that they had received a paycheck Monday morning but that it was only half of what they were owed. Officers expressed that the TSA workforce remains very frustrated and worried about making ends meet with delayed pay and continued uncertainty. ‘AMERICANS FIRST’: ICE SWEEPS UP CHILD PREDATORS, RAPISTS ACROSS US AS MULLIN TAKES HELM OF DHS According to DHS, 3,101 TSA officers, at a rate of 10.59 percent of the force, called out of work on Sunday. Houston, whose two major airports are currently undergoing significant renovations, continued to experience some of the highest TSA officer call-outs in the country over the weekend. The airport with the highest call-out rate in the country was Baltimore’s Thurgood Marshall Airport, at 38.5 percent. Houston’s Bush and William P. Hobby Airport were ranked number two and three for the highest call-out rates at 36.4 percent and 34.1 percent, respectively. Airports in New Orleans, Atlanta, New York City, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia also experienced significant call-out rates well above the national average. WATCH: DEMOCRATS TOLD AMERICANS TO FEAR ICE, HERE’S HOW AIRPORT TRAVELERS ACTUALLY FEEL DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News that “at the direction of President Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, TSA has immediately begun the process of paying its workforce.” She decried the continuing funding lapse, saying, “This is the longest government shutdown in history.” “Enough is enough. We have to reopen DHS,” she said, adding, “Democrats must stop using federal workers as political pawns and start focusing on what matters—taking care of the American people.”