Federal grand jury hears evidence in probe of former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s Jan 6 testimony: source
A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has heard evidence concerning possible false statements former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson made to the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Fox News Digital has learned. Additional evidence could be presented to the grand jury as soon as next week, according to a source familiar with the matter. The proceedings remain in the grand jury phase, and no final decisions have been made about whether the matter will result in criminal charges, the source said. FORMER CIA DIRECTOR BRENNAN SUBPOENAED TO TESTIFY IN FEDERAL TRUMP CONSPIRACY CASE Hutchinson, a former top aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, emerged as one of the most prominent witnesses before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election. During a nationally televised hearing in June 2022, Hutchinson provided testimony about Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, including an account she said she heard from another White House official about the president’s reaction after being told he could not travel to the Capitol. Her account of an alleged confrontation inside the presidential vehicle was subsequently disputed by other individuals familiar with the events. FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDE CASSIDY HUTCHINSON ‘STANDS BY ALL OF THE TESTIMONY SHE PROVIDED’ TO JAN 6 COMMITTEE It remains unclear which portions of Hutchinson’s congressional testimony are being examined by the grand jury. The New York Post reported Thursday that the Justice Department was investigating Hutchinson over possible false statements to Congress and that a federal grand jury had been convened to hear evidence. Grand jury proceedings do not necessarily result in criminal charges, and the presentation of evidence does not establish that a crime occurred. A representative for the Justice Department and Hutchinson’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Michigan Senate debate erupts into personal attacks as Rogers, El-Sayed clash over Israel, Iran and more
Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed traded personal attacks and accusations during a heated Michigan U.S. Senate debate Thursday night, clashing over everything from affordability, the war in Iran and U.S. support for Israel to their respective financial dealings and personal backgrounds. The contentious showdown in Grand Rapids marked the first time the two candidates faced off onstage ahead of November’s closely watched election after Rogers declined to participate in a debate last month hosted by FOX 2 Detroit, citing concerns about the moderator’s impartiality. At the top of Thursday’s debate, what began as a discussion about affordability quickly devolved into personal attacks, with Rogers repeatedly questioning El-Sayed’s medical credentials and accusing him of misleading voters. El-Sayed accused the former congressman of enriching himself through corporate connections. “He’s lying. So, he lied about being a physician. He lied now about being an Egyptian citizen or not being an Egyptian citizen,” Rogers charged during one particularly heated exchange. “That’s a con man.” EL-SAYED’S SCATHING OBAMA CRITIQUE RESURFACES AHEAD OF JOINT CAMPAIGN RALLY El-Sayed, who holds a medical degree from Columbia University, rejected the attacks and accused Rogers of attempting to distract voters from issues affecting their everyday lives. “He wanted to make this about him or me. But the question is about you,” El-Sayed responded. “Can you afford your gas? Can you afford your groceries under this guy who’s going to rubber stamp everything Donald Trump tells him to rubber stamp?” The candidates also sparred over their personal finances, with El-Sayed repeatedly accusing Rogers of profiting from corporate relationships after leaving Congress and referencing his Florida property and alleged yacht ownership. Rogers, who denied owning any yachts, countered by questioning El-Sayed’s investments and alleged overseas property holdings in the UAE, while also slamming him for accepting money from billionaires despite simultaneously stumping on not taking money from corporate PACs and getting money out of politics. EL-SAYED GRILLED ON PIKER, ISRAEL AND SOCIALIST TIES AFTER MIKE ROGERS SKIPS SENATE DEBATE The exchanges became so heated that moderator Rick Albin repeatedly intervened. “Look, here’s the situation. We’ve got dozens of questions we want to get to. You can’t litigate all of these with 14 different rebuttals,” Albin told the candidates. After a commercial break, Albin remarked that, in 30 years of moderating debates, he had never witnessed candidates continue arguing throughout a commercial break. The personal accusations remained constant throughout much of Thursday night’s debate, but one of the evening’s sharpest policy disagreements emerged over Israel and Iran. Asked whether he would support providing defensive weapons to Israel if the country were attacked by Iran or another state actor, El-Sayed indicated he would not and reiterated his opposition to using American taxpayer dollars to fund foreign militaries. “I don’t want our tax dollars buying weapons for other countries. I don’t know what’s so hard about that,” El-Sayed said. MICHIGAN STUDENT CONFRONTS EL-SAYED OVER IRAN STANCE IN TENSE EXCHANGE: ‘DO YOU STAND WITH US?’ “I think both of them have proven dangerous in their own way. One at risk of attacking us, one getting us into wars we have no business fighting,” he added, referring to Israel and Iran. El-Sayed also declined to say whether Israel or Iran posed the greater threat to the United States despite repeated questioning from the moderator. “I think both of them have proven dangerous in their own way,” El-Sayed said. “One at risk of attacking us, one getting us into wars. We have no business fighting.” Rogers, by contrast, indicated he would support providing defensive weapons to Israel and reiterated his support for the Jewish state. He repeatedly accused El-Sayed of having connections to individuals and organizations supportive of terrorist groups as well, allegations El-Sayed disputed. ABDUL EL-SAYED HITS BACK AT ISRAEL QUESTIONS, SUGGESTS HIS NAME AND FAITH ARE BEHIND PRESS SCRUTINY The pair also differed on whether the war could come to an end if Iran still maintains the ability to produce a nuclear weapon and continues to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz. El-Sayed blamed the conflict for rising gas prices and accused Rogers of supporting an unnecessary war, arguing that diplomacy could resolve the conflict even if Iran retained the ability to produce nuclear weapons. Rogers argued that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been significantly diminished and said the war should end, while maintaining that Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. On domestic policy, El-Sayed expressed openness to federal price controls on domestically produced oil, arguing that high gasoline prices constituted an emergency. “Look, I definitely think that’s something we should consider,” El-Sayed said. DEMOCRATS FACE ‘DO-OR-DIE’ SPLIT WITH KEY VOTING BLOC IN RAZOR-CLOSE SENATE RACE Rogers rejected price controls, instead advocating temporary gas tax relief, diesel rebates and a pause on diesel exports. Healthcare also became a major flash point. El-Sayed defended his Medicare-for-all proposal, insisting that Americans who wanted to retain private insurance could do so. Rogers argued that the proposal would eliminate existing private coverage and impose significant new taxes on families. The debate unfolded against the backdrop of an exceptionally competitive Senate contest. A late-September Fox News poll showed El-Sayed leading Rogers 50% to 49% among likely voters, a statistical dead heat. The candidates are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, with Republicans hoping to flip the seat and Democrats seeking to maintain their hold on it.
Pentagon confirms Fort Hood terrorist’s firing squad execution will be livestreamed: ‘Details will follow’
The Pentagon confirmed to Fox News Digital on Thursday that the firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed, allowing the public to witness the military’s first execution in more than six decades. “It will be livestreamed. Details will follow,” a War Department official told Fox News Digital. The execution is scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Texas. FORT HOOD SURVIVOR SHOT IN HEAD VOWS TO WATCH TERRORIST FACE HISTORIC FIRING SQUAD Hasan, a former Army major, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others when he opened fire on unarmed soldiers and civilians after shouting “Allahu Akbar” at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009. He was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to death for the massacre. President Donald Trump approved the use of an Army firing squad, following War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recommendation. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell previously announced the decision on X, declaring, “Judgment day for Hasan has finally come.” If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be the first by the U.S. military since 1961 and the first military execution by firing squad since 1945. Hasan remains on military death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Dem who ripped rival’s donor-fueled ‘good life’ dropped campaign cash on Disney, spouse travel
A House Democrat accused a Republican rival of “living the good life” on donor money after her campaign reported Disney World spending, and she was allegedly seen returning from the theme park around the same time. But Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s, D-Texas, own records show nearly $20,000 in campaign spending around the same time as international and domestic trips with his wife, including his own visit to Disney World, a five-star hotel stay on the beach in the UAE and a Michelin-starred restaurant bill in Zurich. Gonzalez made the jab at Republican Mayra Flores in October 2025, months after posting photos documenting his own two-day Disney World trip with his wife and several other associates on social media in April. The social media posts coincided with payments Gonzalez’s campaign made to the Florida theme park and resort around the same time, totaling more than $1,100. Meanwhile, the Disney payments and photos were just one piece of a broader travel and hospitality spending trail from Gonzalez’s campaign reviewed by Fox News Digital. His campaign reported thousands of dollars in expenses at upscale restaurants and hotels from Washington and Texas, to California and Europe, alongside campaign spending on multiple overseas trips during which Gonzalez’s wife accompanied, or appeared to accompany, the congressman, according to posts Gonzalez shared on social media. During one 2024 trip to the UAE that utilized campaign funds, and coincided with social media posts in the same location posted on Gonzalez’s Facebook, more than $13,000 in airfare and hotel expenses were spent. Gonzalez described apparent photos of the trip on social media as an “after campaign break” and his posts showed the congressman with his wife doing various sightseeing activities and one photo from a bed inside a top-floor luxury hotel room next to the beach. PROMINENT DEM’S FATAL ERROR PROMPTS REPUBLICAN TO PREDICT ‘RED TIDAL WAVE’ IN BLUE STRONGHOLD The fifth-term Democrat representative is fighting to hold his South Texas seat against Republican Eric Flores in November, after the GOP candidate defeated Mayra Flores and a crowded Republican field earlier this year. The race has drawn national attention as both parties battle for the district and Gonzalez enters the final stretch with a significant campaign cash advantage. Gonzalez took aim at rival Mayra Flores in 2025, suggesting she was potentially using campaign funds to travel to Disney World with her kids. In an October 2025 social media post, Gonzalez shared a photo of her at Dallas Love Field Airport with two young family members, a Disney World bag and stuffed animals. Gonzalez captioned the photo “living the good life on donor’s resources again” and cited a report that found payments to Disney World from her campaign around the same alleged time as the photos. But federal campaign finance records show Gonzalez’s own campaign reported a combined $1,122.76 went to Walt Disney Resorts on March 24, 2025, and May 27, 2025— around the same time he posted photos on social media from a two-day trip to Walt Disney World with his own family on April 26, 2025. “DC to Disney! What a fantastic 2 days,” Gonzalez posted on Facebook alongside a photo of himself, his wife and several others. SWALWELL PAL ACCUSED OF USING CAMPAIGN CASH TO BANKROLL ‘LUXURY LIFESTYLE’ — INCLUDING SUPER BOWL TICKETS Federal campaign-finance rules do not prohibit campaigns from paying travel expenses simply because a candidate’s spouse or children accompany them. The FEC allows campaign funds to cover travel for candidates, their spouses and minor children when the trip is directly related to campaign activity or the candidate’s official responsibilities as a federal officeholder. Campaign funds cannot, however, be used to pay for personal vacations or other family expenses that would have existed regardless of the candidate’s campaign or official duties. When a trip mixes campaign or official business with personal activities, the campaign must be reimbursed for the costs attributable to the personal portion. “Every dollar this campaign spends is legal and publicly disclosed, and these reports come straight from our own FEC filings,” Gonzalez’s campaign manager Alex Philley told Fox News Digital in a statement when asked about the campaign spending. “The spending South Texans are worried about is their own, on higher costs driven by Trump’s agenda that Eric Flores would proudly rubber-stamp.” Gonzalez’s FEC filings identify two $561.38 Disney payments, one from March 2025 and another from May 2025, only as “travel expenses,” leaving unclear from the public disclosures what campaign or official activity the expenditures were connected to. When asked specifically about this trip, Philley said it was tied to “a very important Financial Services trip” with Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., the Republican Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, of which Gonzalez is a member. Meanwhile, Philley also argued the campaign’s spending on international trips where Gonzalez’s wife was present, had been tied to official business as well, including a visit with the Pope, although they did not address each trip separately when asked about them. SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN LIMIT ON PARTY CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN COORDINATION WITH CANDIDATES For example, Gonzalez traveled with his wife to Morocco in mid-2019 under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, or MECEA, which allows members of Congress to accept travel from foreign governments for approved cultural exchanges. Campaigns are allowed to pay for their spouses to join them, but only if the spouse is performing bona fide official responsibilities. Diplomatic and ceremonial protocol for certain events, or campaign office functions like managing travel logistics, are often cited as reasons for why spouses need to attend. Gonzalez’s campaign reported paying $4,767.53 for his “spouse travel expense” in connection with the 2019 MECEA trip to Morocco, according to FEC records. In December 2024, the campaign reported $12,810 to Emirates Airlines and $359.27 at a luxury five-star Abu Dhabi hotel called Emirates Towers in “officially connected” CODEL expenses. While the campaign funds for the trip did not explicitly name Gonzalez’s wife, photos from Gonzalez’s social media page showed several images of him and his wife in Abu Dhabi around the
Obama Foundation workers move to unionize over benefits, working conditions months after center opens
Employees at former President Barack Obama’s foundation are moving to unionize, accusing leadership of rolling back benefits, failing to address workplace concerns and driving away experienced staff, according to a letter reviewed by Fox News Digital. The workers are invoking Obama’s own public support for organized labor as they seek to form Obama Workers United, urging foundation leadership to respect their right to organize. In the letter, signed by dozens of employees, workers said increasing workloads, reduced benefits and a lack of support from leadership have contributed to high staff turnover at the foundation, which operates the recently opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. OBAMA CENTER ISN’T A TRADITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY. CRITICS SAY IT’S AN ACTIVISM CENTER “Amidst increasing workloads we have seen our benefits rolled back and support from leadership to be minimal. When we voice concerns we are met with vague responses, leading to uncertainty about our future with the foundation,” the workers wrote. The employees said departing colleagues have taken valuable institutional knowledge with them, leaving remaining staff struggling to keep up with their responsibilities. The workers’ complaints come months after Fox News Digital reported that Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama confidante, earned $740,000 in 2024, while the organization’s total salaries and benefits climbed from $18.5 million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024. The foundation defended its executive compensation at the time, saying salaries reflected competitive market rates for comparable nonprofit organizations. OBAMA CENTER OPENS AFTER YEARS-LONG SAGA AS LOCALS WARN ‘MONSTROSITY’ COULD PRICE THEM OUT The organizing committee, working with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, also urged foundation leadership not to interfere with the unionization effort. “We urge senior leadership to honor our legal right to form a union and not waste resources on anti-union messaging, anti-union lawyers, or anti-union meetings,” the letter states. The workers then pointed to Obama’s own words from a 2016 letter encouraging Americans to join unions. “If I were looking for a good job that lets me build some security for my family, I’d join a union. If I saw a problem in my workplace, I’d organize my coworkers to do something about it,” Obama wrote at the time, according to the employees’ letter. VALERIE JARRETT EARNED $740K AS OBAMA INSIDERS FILLED TOP ROLES DURING $850M PRESIDENTIAL CENTER BUILD The proposed union would represent more than 250 employees across the foundation’s Chicago campus, Washington, D.C., offices and remote positions nationwide, according to the Daily Mail. Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation for comment on the employees’ concerns and whether it plans to voluntarily recognize the union. The Obama Foundation said it supports employees’ right to organize in a statement previously provided to the Daily Mail. “We are deeply committed to the fundamental right of workers to organize and make their voices heard,” a foundation spokesperson said. “As members of our staff explore union representation, we approach this process with immense gratitude for their contributions, deep respect for unions, and a sincere commitment to working collaboratively with our partners in labor.”
Mamdani dined at NYC restaurant linked to anti-Israel menu after being booed at Oct 7 vigil: report
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dined Wednesday at a Palestinian restaurant whose sister location faced intense criticism in 2023 over menu language that critics called antisemitic. Mamdani ate at Ayat Hinds Hall on the Upper West Side. The restaurant chain, which also operates a location in Brooklyn, drew sharp pushback for featuring a section on its menu titled “From the River to the Sea.” The Anti-Defamation League defines the phrase as an implicit call for the eradication of Israel. MAMDANI SAYS IT WAS ‘STRANGE’ GETTING CALLED OUT BY NETANYAHU AFTER CALLING FOR HIS ARREST The menu’s front page says, “Down with the occupation,” in English, Arabic and Hebrew, The Times of Israel reported. “Resilience,” “Freedom,” and “Save our children” are pictured in bold letters. The menu also includes a map that refers to the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and Israel as Palestine. Following the 2023 controversy, critics accused the restaurant of being “openly genocidal” toward Jews. Owner Abdul Elenani pushed back against accusations of antisemitism, noting the phrase had been on the menu months prior to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. SCHUMER, JEFFRIES DODGE MAMDANI CONTROVERSY AS FELLOW NEW YORK DEM UNLOADS Elenani said he supports a two-state solution and condemns violence on both sides, according to the New York Post. In 2024, he organized a free Shabbat dinner for hundreds of guests, the Times report states. Mamdani’s dinner came shortly after he faced backlash from pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a vigil marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks. Demonstrators booed the mayor, a frequent critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, and accused him of being a “traitor” who enables genocide. “Zohran, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” protesters shouted, according to media reports. “Seven hundred thousand dead. Mamdani, your hands are red!” Speaking to reporters Thursday, Mamdani stood by his previous statements characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide while calling for universal empathy. “I believe that there must be room to mourn every single life,” Mamdani said. “There must be room to mourn the lives of the more than 1,100 that Hamas killed three years ago; there must be room to mourn the 74,000 Palestinians that the Israeli government has killed since.”
Trump calls Democrat he pardoned a ‘loser’ for not switching parties
President Donald Trump lambasted incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, calling the congressman “a loser” on Wednesday, while criticizing the lawmaker for remaining a Democrat after receiving a presidential pardon. Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife last year as the couple faced charges pertaining to bribery and money laundering. “In any event, I did the pardons, and made no deal, where a crooked politician would have, but I thought there would be a good chance that Cuellar, who was persecuted by Democrats because they didn’t like him, would have routinely gone over to the Republican Party — the people that saved him from years in prison,” Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post. HOUSE DEM BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS BROTHER FACES UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED Cuellar, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005, is currently seeking re-election. “In any event, the man running against him, Tano Tijerina, is a STAR and, hopefully, will WIN! We call that payback for a disloyal and ungrateful person, a person whose life has been saved only to go back into the clutches of the people that tried so hard to destroy him. Henry Cuellar is a LOSER who, right now, should be serving a longterm jail sentence with his wife in a top level penitentiary,” Trump declared in another part of the post. “Tano, a legendary Baseball Star, Great Athlete, respected County Judge, and fine person, will hopefully beat Cuellar so that people can show how bad it is when you are recognized and humiliated as being one of the most disloyal political people on Earth!” Trump wrote. “I am very proud of the fact that I didn’t make a deal with Cuellar, which I easily could have, but relied on his character, which turned out to be a faulty one.” DEM REP HENRY CUELLAR REJECTS DSA AGENDA, SAYS SOCIALISTS ARE TRYING TO ‘USE’ DEMOCRATIC PARTY Trump issued the Truth Social post on Wednesday prior to delivering similar remarks during a rally in San Antonio, Texas. Tijerina declared in a Wednesday post on X, “Everyone in South Texas knows anything after Hello coming from Henry Cuellar is a lie. President Trump just confirmed that.” Fox News Digital reached out to Cuellar’s campaign for comment on Thursday. TRUMP ANNOUNCES PARDON FOR DEMOCRATIC REP HENRY CUELLAR In part of a Truth Social post last year, Trump claimed that President Joe Biden had “used the FBI and DOJ to ‘take out’ a member of his own Party after Highly Respected Congressman Henry Cuellar bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe.’ Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH.”
El-Sayed’s scathing Obama critique resurfaces ahead of joint campaign rally
Abdul El-Sayed once accused President Barack Obama of failing to deliver on the progressive campaign promises that he outlined in the 2008 presidential campaign, calling his election to a second term a kind of compromise for progressives. “I realize that I have little hope because there has been less change,” El-Sayed wrote in a 2012 op-ed for HuffPost. “But I have to say now what I’ve been holding in throughout his campaign and what I think all of us have to admit: Obama was not the right choice — he just wasn’t the wrong one.” The resurfaced comments, published just days after the 2012 presidential election, complicate the political picture for El-Sayed as he prepares to campaign with Obama later this month. The comments also raise questions about what El-Sayed’s ideals for the Democratic Party would have looked like in 2012, highlighting his past satisfaction with one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent figures. DEMS’ LEFTWARD LURCH GETS LEGS AS EL-SAYED’S MICHIGAN SENATE VICTORY SPARKS PARTY DEBATE In particular, El-Sayed’s 2012 op-ed criticized Obama’s international record and strikes on Pakistan and Yemen, an underperforming economy and, in his view, little to no change in being accepted as a Muslim American. “I feel no more dignified, no more accepted as cops throughout the country have usurped my right to walk the streets freely without fearing unjustified interference. Inequality has accelerated and the divide between the haves and have-nots in our country has never been starker,” El-Sayed wrote. “At home our economy continues to stagnate; its victims are so many of my peers who had also invested in ‘hope and change’ four years ago, who cannot find meaningful work.” Notably, he did confirm that he had voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED SAYS LEADERS MUST ADDRESS ‘UNPAID DEBTS’ TO BLACK COMMUNITIES He also asserted that Obama’s record, as disappointing as it had seemed to him, was still better than the outlook of the failed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Even so, El-Sayed said Obama fell short of the ideal he, as a progressive, would have chosen for the country. “We really like the idea of Obama… let’s be clear, for progressives who care about peace, prosperity, civil liberties and the future of our country, Obama’ reelection last night was no victory. It was the rock we chose over the hard place,” El-Sayed wrote. In recent months, as El-Sayed waged his Senate campaign in Michigan, Obama did not endorse the progressive, staying out of a primary between him and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich. Like Obama and other Democrats, El-Sayed has championed the growth of government as a way to address the country’s top issues. In addition to calling for lowering housing costs, he’s advocated for Medicare for all, opposes corporate tax carve-outs, and supports tuition-free access to higher education. Obama has still not issued an official endorsement even though he is slated to take the stage alongside El-Sayed on Oct. 24 for a rally with other Michigan Democrats. The former president highlighted the event in a post to social media on Monday. VAN JONES CALLS OUT EL-SAYED FOR ‘INSANE’ BELIEF THAT HE’S ‘SMARTER THAN BARACK OBAMA’ ON ISRAEL POLICY “Looking forward to being in Detroit on 10/24 to campaign for Jocelyn Benson, Abdul El-Sayed and Democrats up and down the ballot in Michigan,” Obama wrote, referring to the Democratic candidate for governor in the Wolverine State. Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry on the 2012 op-ed and his current-day views on Obama’s legacy.
Schumer, Jeffries dodge Mamdani controversy as fellow New York Dem unloads
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under fire for his comments on the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, but two leading voices in New York politics have so far remained quiet. Mamdani’s post on Wednesday briefly acknowledged Hamas’ blitz on Israel that left more than 1,100 Israelis dead and more than 250 others captured and held hostage by the terrorist organization. But the bulk of his statement spent time on criticizing Israel for its actions in Gaza in the three years since. “The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — including more than 21,000 children,” Mamdani said on X. “Even since the so-called ceasefire, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed.” MAMDANI DOUBLES DOWN ON ANTI-ISRAEL OCT 7 STATEMENT AFTER BACKLASH “That suffering has intensified with every Israeli bomb dropped on ambulances waiting outside hospitals, every drone strike targeting a residential building or journalist, and every shipment of food aid turned away at a border crossing,” he continued. “Many New Yorkers are reckoning with this unbearable grief, and we mourn alongside them — all while knowing that our tax dollars fund these war crimes.” Mamdani notably did not mention the Jewish community in New York City, which is home to nearly 1 million Jews, according to a 2023 study from the UJA-Federation of New York. And while at least one New York Democrat, Rep. Dan Goldman, laid into Mamdani for his comments, neither Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer nor House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the two most powerful Democrats in Congress, has reacted. MAMDANI’S $30M PLAN TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM INCLUDES INCREASED FUNDING FOR ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP “This is a reprehensible statement on the anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack by a Palestinian terrorist organization against innocent Israelis,” Goldman said on X. “In the guise of ‘grieving’ with those mourning that day, Mayor Mamdani asserts as fact hotly disputed allegations that he knows full well will offend and further upset those same people he pretends to grieve with.” Neither Schumer nor Jeffries responded to requests for comment on Mamdani’s remarks. They put out their own statements on the Oct. 7 attack on Wednesday. Schumer, who is Jewish, noted that the attack was the “single deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust.” His support of Israel has become a wedge issue for some Senate Democrats, who have slowly pushed back against funding arms for Israel following three years of conflict in Gaza. DEM SENATOR WHO DEMANDED SAUDI ACCOUNTABILITY OVER KHASHOGGI MEETS WITH CROWN PRINCE, PUSHES PALESTINIAN STATE “Today, we reaffirm our commitment to the security of the Israeli people, to the aid and wellbeing of the Palestinian people and the recovery of the devastation in Gaza that the ensuing conflict brought, and to doubling down on efforts for a lasting peace resulting in two states where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in equal measures of peace, security, dignity, and mutual recognition,” Schumer said. Jeffries was more aligned with Schumer’s left flank in his statement, while recognizing that “we are reminded of the painful reality that the Jewish people are in a constant struggle for survival, as has been the case for thousands of years.” “Throughout the past three years, considerable suffering has plagued the Middle East. The horrific death of Palestinian civilians, destruction of civil society and devastation in Gaza is reprehensible and can never be allowed to happen again,” Jeffries said. “In order to end the vicious cycle of bloodshed, for the good of the Israeli and Palestinian people, American policy in the region must change dramatically,” he continued. “We must commit to the creation of an independent Palestinian state to provide dignity, respect and self-determination for the Palestinian people.”
DeSantis fraud crackdown drives nearly $1B spending plunge after providers billed impossible hours
Florida’s sweeping Medicaid fraud crackdown has helped drive a nearly $1 billion reduction in projected annual spending on behavioral therapy services alone, according to state officials, after investigators uncovered suspicious billing practices. Tallahassee’s internal crackdown — which included discoveries of providers billing Medicaid for more hours than there are in a day — comes amid heightened federal scrutiny of Medicaid fraud, including investigations and payment reviews involving Minnesota. The DeSantis administration said its approach aims to stop suspicious Medicaid claims before taxpayer dollars are paid out rather than trying to recover improper payments afterward. The strategy mirrors a call from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to move away from traditional “pay-and-chase” models. “This year, we announced the most significant Medicaid integrity initiative in the history of our state, and today, I was proud to announce some of the results from these efforts,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news release. VANCE TURNS UP HEAT ON STATES WITH FEDERAL CASH THREAT OVER MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN More than 220 Medicaid providers have been terminated for fraud, waste or abuse, while more than 260 have faced payment restrictions or suspensions. The state has also referred more than 150 suspected fraud cases to the attorney general’s office over the past year. Annual Medicaid spending on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a therapy commonly used for children with autism, had been projected to reach $3.86 billion but is now expected to total $2.88 billion in fiscal year 2026-27, according to the governor’s office. Officials attributed the nearly $980 million reduction to a combination of fraud enforcement, managed care and utilization management efforts. Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) told Fox News Digital that its expanded monitoring uncovered providers billing Medicaid for services through every weekend and holiday for months, including instances in which providers billed for more than 24 hours of services in a single day. “Protecting Medicaid means protecting the people it was created to serve,” AHCA Secretary Shevaun Harris said in a statement. FRAUD EXPERT EXPOSES HOW HIDDEN NETWORKS DROVE MINNESOTA FRAUD, OTHER MAJOR SCAMS: ‘CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE’ “For children, pregnant women, the disabled, and our seniors, it means making sure they have access to high-quality care while ensuring taxpayer dollars are not lost to fraud or abuse. AHCA will continue taking decisive action to strengthen program integrity, hold bad actors accountable and safeguard these critical services for Floridians,” she said. Harris’ agency provided additional details on its crackdown to Fox News Digital, including how its new fraud-protection mechanisms work. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Through a pilot program with identity-verification firm SentiLink, Florida is screening for stolen or fake identities and hidden ownership structures among Medicaid providers. Separately, the state has imposed enrollment moratoriums on certain high-risk provider categories. AHCA also told Fox News Digital that it has issued more than 1,000 adverse decisions involving Medicaid provider enrollment or re-enrollment since January 2026, part of its effort to prevent suspicious providers from entering or remaining in the program. The agency has conducted 400 site visits to providers since January, including providers in high-risk categories such as applied behavior analysis, medical equipment and adult day care. “Medicaid fraud is a national problem, and it is growing more sophisticated everywhere,” AHCA told Fox News Digital. “Florida is not waiting to be told what to do. We are building the model: prevent fraud at the front door, verify every provider, and follow the data. We welcome partnership with CMS and other states, because a fraudulent provider stopped in Florida is a scheme that does not move on to the next state.”