Mike Johnson reveals special guests for Trump’s State of the Union
FIRST ON FOX: The family of a slain Louisiana police officer will have the chance to see President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night after being invited by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. The top congressional leader is bringing the mother and fiancée of Marc Tyler Brock to Trump’s primetime address, Fox News Digital learned on Monday. “It is my profound honor to host Shirley Brock-Dennis and Kambreigh Smith — the respective mother and fiancée of Vivian Police Officer Marc Brock — as my guests for the State of the Union address. In November, Officer Brock was tragically killed in the line of duty,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. TRUMP INVITES US MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM TO STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH AFTER OLYMPIC TRIUMPH The speaker called Brock “an extraordinary young man who touched countless lives through his service and volunteer activities,” and said his death is a “somber reminder” of the risks that law enforcement officers take every day. “I am grateful that Shirley and Kambreigh will join us and help share Officer Brock’s story with the nation,” Johnson said. Brock, 25, was killed late last year while attempting to serve an arrest warrant against a man who at the time was charged with cyberstalking in Vivian, La., according to local outlet KLFY. Vivian is located in Louisiana’s 4th congressional district, which Johnson represents. JOHNSON PRAISES TRUMP’S ‘BOLD ACTION’ IN FORMAL STATE OF THE UNION INVITATION LETTER TO CONGRESS The House speaker will be front-and-center when millions of Americans tune in to Trump’s State of the Union speech, his second address to a joint session of Congress since returning to the White House last year. He and the vice president will both be sitting behind Trump as he speaks to Americans and assembled officials about what he has done so far and what he has left to do in his final term. Brock was part of a six-person team serving a warrant in November 2025 when he was shot through a closed door and was later declared dead at the hospital. He was described as a “hero” by Vivian Police Chief Ryan Nelson in comments to KSLA News. The man who killed him was charged with first-degree murder earlier this month. Johnson himself has ties to public safety officers, his late father having been a firefighter in Shreveport, La.
Newsom ripped over ‘racist’ viral clip telling Black mayor ‘I’m like you’ before touting poor SAT score
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, widely believed to have White House ambitions, is facing blowback over a viral clip that critics say portrays him talking down to Black voters while discussing his poor test scores and reading ability. “I’m not, you know, I’m not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to impress upon you, I’m like you. I’m no better than you,” Newsom told Mayor Andre Dickens at a book tour event on Sunday in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Rialto Center for the Arts. “You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy. And, you know, and I’m not trying to offend anyone, you know, ‘trying to act all there if you got 940,’” Newsom continued. “Literally a 960 SAT guy, you’ve never seen me read a speech. Because I cannot read a speech. Maybe the wrong business to be in.” The clip, first posted by the conservative influencer account End Wokeness, has been viewed over 20 million times after being posted on Sunday, with many conservatives suggesting that Newsom’s comment was “racist.” NEWSOM SAYS ‘FATE’ WILL DECIDE IF HE FACES OFF AGAINST HARRIS IN 2028 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY “His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read,” rapper Nickii Minaj posted on X. “Do you wanna know the craziest part of this footage that will haunt him forever? He’s literally slowing his speech down & talking in a sporadic cadence.” “I can’t believe this is real,” conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok posted on X. “Where’s BLM and Democrats denouncing this racism?” “He said this to appear down with black folks,” founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics Jennifer Sey posted on X. “Could he be more racist? Like actually really racist?” “The soft bigotry of low expectations,” GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. NEWSOM CONFRONTED ON CALIFORNIA BEING THE ‘HIGHEST COST OF LIVING’ STATE IN THE US AMID AFFORDABILITY CRISIS “This is disqualifying,” Fox News contributor Joe Concha posted on X. “Run this ad over and over in 2027-2028…” “California governor Gavin Newsom tells a black audience he’s just like them, got a 960 SAT and he can’t read,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted on X. “Will any Democrats planning to run in 2028 hit on him on this? They should, moronic statement.” “If any Republican said what this moron Newscum said their political careers would be over,” conservative radio host Mark Levin posted on X. “Let’s see how the Democrats and their media react.” “Liberal racism on display,” political commentator Carol Swain posted on X. Newsom’s office defended his comments in a statement to Fox News Digital. “First MAGA mocked his dyslexia and now they’re calling him racist for talking about his low SAT scores. This is MAGA-manufactured outrage,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said. “The Governor has said this publicly for years — including with Charlie Kirk and dozens of other audiences. The same people who excused or ignored Trump’s racist ape video can go f— themselves.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Atlanta mayor’s office for comment. Newsom, who is on the road promoting his new memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” is considered a top contender for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028 as most pundits believe he has his eyes on the White House.
Democrats name candidates to ‘Red to Blue’ initiative, aiming to flip GOP majority during midterms
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) named multiple candidates that it is backing as part of its “Red to Blue” initiative as the Democratic Party aims to flip control of the House of Representatives during the 2026 midterms elections. “Red to Blue is a highly competitive and battle-tested DCCC program that arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to develop strong campaigns. Candidates earn a spot in the program by surpassing aggressive goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization, and fundraising,” the DCCC noted in a press release. Republicans currently hold a slim 218-214 House majority. The DCCC’s press release lists candidates running in districts currently represented by the following 12 Republican incumbents: Reps. Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn of Iowa, Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan, Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, Reps. Rob Bresnahan Jr. and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Reps. Rob Wittman and Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia, and Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. A THIRD OF GOP VOTERS WARN THEY MAY SIT OUT MIDTERMS IF PARTY ‘ABANDONS’ PRO-LIFE FIGHT, POLL FINDS The DCCC is backing former U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, which is currently represented by Kiggans. Luria served in the House from early 2019 to early 2023 but lost to Kiggans in 2022. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S TARIFFS FACED BROAD DISAPPROVAL EVEN BEFORE SUPREME COURT RULING The DCCC is backing former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, where GOP incumbent Rep. Eli Crane is seeking re-election. The DCCC’s press release also named 10 other candidates it plans to back with its “Red to Blue” program. “House Democrats are on offense and poised to take back the majority, thanks in large part to the strength of our candidates,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene noted. ‘FICTION’: HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR DISMISSES DEMOCRATS’ EXPANDING GOP TARGET MAP CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The candidates named to this first round of our Red to Blue program are united by their desire to fight for hardworking families in their districts — not the billionaires bankrolling Republicans’ corrupt and divisive machine. They are laser-focused on lowering costs, saving health care, and putting people first, as opposed to their Republican opponents who have abandoned everyday Americans so they can give handouts to the privileged and the elite,” she added.
Family of Iowa grad killed by illegal immigrant to attend Trump’s State of the Union
FIRST ON FOX: The father and brother of a young woman killed by an illegal immigrant will be in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night watching President Donald Trump deliver his State of the Union address, after his administration helped track down the man who ended the woman’s life. Sarah Root, a 21-year-old Iowa native, was killed in Nebraska hours after she graduated from Bellevue University by a drunk driver whose blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit. The man, Eswin Mejia, was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the incident in January 2016. He was arrested and released on bond the following month and fled the country, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). TRUMP URGES DHS, ICE TO PUBLICIZE ARRESTS, SAYS CRACKDOWN IS ‘SAVING MANY INNOCENT LIVES’ Then-candidate Trump was critical of the Obama administration’s handling of the case. The Trump administration later tracked Mejia down in Honduras and extradited him to the U.S. in March 2025. He was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Sarah Root’s father and brother will attend in-person as Trump delivers his primetime address to Congress on Tuesday evening, thanks to an invitation from Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa. “I think that the message it sends is that, under President Trump, that we will find you. I mean, if you’re an illegal criminal in this state or in this country, we will find you, and you will get deported, or you will be prosecuted. I think that is the message loud and clear,” Feenstra told Fox News Digital. EXCLUSIVE: 17,500 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED UNDER LAKEN RILEY ACT IN TRUMP’S SECOND TERM He said Sarah Root’s father, Scott Root, was present at the White House when Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law last year. The anti-illegal immigrant bill also included an amendment named after Sarah Root that would require Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants charged with seriously injuring or killing someone. “Scott was at the White House with me during the signing of the bill. And he got to know President Trump, so now to be there at the State of the Union — that is really, really a big deal,” Feenstra said. Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration has been a primary focus of his administration, after his criticism of how the issue was handled by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Federal judge blocks release of Jack Smith report’s second volume
A federal judge on Monday agreed to permanently block the release of volume two of former special counsel Jack Smith’s report — centered on President Donald Trump’s handling of classified materials after his first term in office — in a significant victory for the president and his co-defendants. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, granted the president’s request to permanently block the release of the second volume of the report, ruling that its publication would represent a “manifest injustice” both to Trump and the co-defendants in the classified documents case. “Special Counsel Smith, acting without lawful authority, obtained an indictment in this action and initiated proceedings that resulted in a final order of dismissal of all charges,” Cannon said Monday. JACK SMITH SUBPOENAED FOR DEPOSITION WITH HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE The ruling blocks the Justice Department from “releasing, distributing, conveying, or sharing with anyone outside the Department of Justice any information or conclusions in Volume II or in drafts thereof.” It also comes just day before Volume II of Smith’s special counsel probe was slated to be released on Tuesday. Trump’s former defense attorney, Kendra Wharton, praised Cannon’s decision to block Volume II of Smith’s report from being released publicly, telling Fox News Digital in a statement that her “courage and judicial resolve on these important due process issues should be recognized and taught in law school classrooms across America.” Neither Smith’s law firm nor the Justice Department immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Monday’s ruling. Cannon previously ruled that Smith was unconstitutionally appointed as special counsel, though the matter was ultimately dismissed following Trump’s re-election in 2024. In her 15-page order Monday, Cannon said allowing the release of Volume II of the special counsel report would “contravene basic notions of fairness and justice” and likely prompt the sharing of protected information, including material covered by attorney-client privilege. “Moreover, while it is true that former special counsels have released final reports at the conclusion of their work, it appears they have done so either after electing not to bring charges at all or after adjudications of guilt by plea or trial,” Cannon said. TRUMP STRIPS SECURITY CLEARANCES FROM LAW FIRM TIED TO JACK SMITH CASES “The Court strains to find a situation in which a former special counsel has released a report after initiating criminal charges that did not result in a finding of guilt, at least not in a situation like this one, where the defendants contested the charges from the outset and still proclaim their innocence,” she added. Smith was tapped by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s retention of allegedly classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach after leaving office in 2021. Smith had brought charges against Trump in both cases. The charges were dropped after Trump’s election, in keeping with a long-standing Justice Department policy that discourages prosecuting sitting presidents on federal criminal charges. Smith resigned from his role shortly afterward. Trump’s former defense attorney, Kendra Wharton, praised Cannon’s decision to block Volume II of Smith’s report from being released publicly, telling Fox News Digital in a statement that her “courage and judicial resolve on these important due process issues should be recognized and taught in law school classrooms across America.” JACK SMITH SUBPOENAED FOR DEPOSITION WITH HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE Smith, for his part, has forcefully sought to dispute the notion that his team had acted politically, using public and private remarks to House Republicans in December and January to defend his team’s actions. His team had developed what he described as “powerful evidence” that Trump had willfully retained highly classified documents after leaving office in January 2021 at his private Mar-a-Lago residence, and had been obstructing the government’s efforts to recover the records. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,” Smith told members of the House Judiciary Committee in a Dec. 17 interview.
Katie Porter holds ‘F— TRUMP’ sign at California Democratic convention
Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, one of the Democratic candidates eyeing the Golden State governorship, held up a message that read “F— TRUMP” during the California Democratic Party’s 2026 state convention on Saturday. “Yeah, that’s right, f— Trump,” she declared. “Together, we’re gonna kick Trump’s a– in November. I’ll stand up to Trump and his cronies just like I did in Congress, with or without my whiteboard,” she said. ILLINOIS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SEEKING US SENATE SEAT RELEASES VIDEO OF PEOPLE SAYING ‘F— TRUMP’ “But this election for governor is about more than defeating Trump. We know what Trump is willing to do. He’s willing to kill people in the streets, to rip away healthcare, and to ruthlessly attack our democracy. But this governor’s race asks us, what are we willing to do, what is California willing to do for our democracy?” she said. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Republican National Committee for comment on Monday. UNEARTHED FEC RECORDS EXPOSE KATIE PORTER’S HYPOCRISY AFTER SHE FUMES AT ‘NEW BILLIONAIRE’ JOINING RACE Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has endorsed Porter for governor. “Senator Elizabeth Warren knows what it means to fight for working families. Together, we’ve held the powerful accountable, put people before billionaires, and worked hard to lower costs for Americans. Grateful to my friend @ewarren for her endorsement in this race,” Porter wrote in a post on X. LIBERAL MEDIA DARLING IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER EXPLOSIVE INTERVIEW GOES VIRAL CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “From the moment @katieporterca set foot in my consumer law class, I knew that she would be a warrior for working families. Katie will champion the kind of bold, progressive vision that California workers and families deserve, and I’m proud to endorse her for California Governor,” Warren said in a post on X.
DHS shutdown drags into week two as Iran threat, SOTU clash complicate Hill talks
A government shutdown, big or small, is usually a front-and-center issue for lawmakers — but the most recent partial closure could be put on the back burner as Congress returns to several issues in Washington. Senate Democrats and the White House are still at odds over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as the shutdown dragged into its tenth day. Neither side is budging, with the most recent concrete action coming early last week. Trump, who proved pivotal in striking a funding truce with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in January, was not directly involved in recent negotiations. ‘TARIFFS SUCK’: SOME REPUBLICANS PRIVATELY CELEBRATE AS SUPREME COURT BLOCKS TRUMP POLICY Trump has not had any “direct conversations or correspondence” with congressional Democrats recently, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, noting that the White House and its representatives have been handling the dialogue. “But, of course, Democrats are the reason that the Department of Homeland Security is currently shut down,” she said. “They have chosen to act against the American people for political reasons.” Senate Democrats offered a counter to the White House’s own counterproposal, which quickly was rejected as “unserious” by Leavitt. It’s a peculiar instance, given that this is the third shutdown during Trump’s second term, and neither side appears to be in a particular rush to end it. DEMOCRATS RISK FEMA DISASTER FUNDING COLLAPSE AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS DAY 5 Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that there’s “some room for give and take” in the negotiations, but remained firm in the GOP’s positioning against requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from getting judicial warrants, unmasking or other reforms sought by Democrats that could increase risks for agents in the field. “I felt like, you know, the last offer the White House put out there was a really — it was a good faith one, and it was clear to me that they’re attempting, in every way, to try and land this thing so we can get DHS funded,” Thune said. Funding the agency will be a top priority for the upper chamber, but they’ll be delayed because of winter storms descending on the East Coast. The weather has caused the Senate to delay a vote on the original DHS spending bill until Tuesday night, ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address. There are other issues that could get in the way of hashing out a deal, including a possible conflict with Iran and Trump’s desire to move ahead with tariffs without congressional approval. GOP WARNS DEMOCRATS USING DHS SHUTDOWN TO STALL SENATE VOTER ID PUSH Trump told reporters Friday that he was “considering” a limited military strike against Iran, which already has riled up some in Congress, who are demanding that lawmakers get a say on whether the U.S. strikes. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement that he has a war powers resolution to block an attack on Iran filed and ready, and challenged his colleagues to vote against it. “If some of my colleagues support war, then they should have the guts to vote for the war and to be held accountable by their constituents, rather than hiding under their desks,” Kaine said. On the heels of the Supreme Court’s ruling to torpedo his sweeping duties, Trump is considering bypassing Congress to move ahead with another set of global 10% tariffs. That comes as some Republicans are quietly celebrating the end of the duties, and others are open to working with the administration on a path forward for trade policy. On tariffs, a Republican aide told Fox News that the GOP was “waiting to see what POTUS does next.” “The State of the Union should be interesting,” they said.
Who is Abigail Spanberger, and why did Democrats choose her for to their State of the Union response?
All eyes will be on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, as the rising star Democrat raises her national profile with the traditional rebuttal speech. Spanberger was elected to lead the commonwealth just last year, ending Republican control in Richmond and defeating former Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears by roughly 15 points. Since then, she’s been hailed as one of the faces representing the future of the Democratic Party. The Virginia Democrat was likely chosen to lead this year’s response due to her battleground district credentials, in a year when the left is working to appeal to swing voters who are turned off by Trump. VIRGINIA GOV. SPANBERGER CUTS TIES WITH ICE IN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION Spanberger was first elected to Congress during the “blue wave” of 2018 by defeating incumbent former GOP Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., by only about 2%. She became the first woman to represent the district and the first Democrat elected there since the 1970s. And while much media attention was focused on the far-left “Squad” Democrats elected that year — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and ex-Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. — Spanberger sought to set herself apart with a clique of her own. Indeed, she and four other Democrat women with national security backgrounds formed a group they dubbed “The Badasses” after being elected together that same year. SPANBERGER SAYS VIRGINIA ‘CHOSE PRAGMATISM OVER PARTISANSHIP’ IN VICTORY SPEECH Just one of those women, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., remains in the House today, however. Spanberger and ex-Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., were both elected governor of their respective states last year. Another, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., moved to the upper chamber of Congress. Ex-Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., lost her seat to current Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va. Spanberger, for her part, is an eight-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). She worked with the agency’s clandestine services for a time and was an operations officer by the time she left for the private sector in 2014. During her 2018 congressional campaign, Republicans seized on Spanberger’s earlier time spent teaching at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Virginia from 2002 to 2003, according to a Washington Post article from the time. “Critics have dubbed it ‘Terror High’ because some students joined al-Qaeda years after graduating. Spanberger received two federal security clearances after disclosing her teaching work to the Postal Service and the CIA, which eventually sent her overseas as a covert agent fighting terrorism,” the report said.
Thomas rips Supreme Court tariffs ruling, says majority ‘errs’ on Constitution
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas ripped the court’s decision blocking President Donald Trump’s use of an emergency law to impose sweeping tariffs on trading partners, calling it a fundamental misread of both the governing statute and the Constitution’s separation of powers. “As (Kavanaugh) explains, the Court’s decision … cannot be justified as a matter of statutory interpretation. Congress authorized the President to ‘regulate … importation,’” Thomas wrote in his dissent. “Throughout American history, the authority to ‘regulate importation’ has been understood to include the authority to impose duties on imports.” The court invalidated Trump’s use of an emergency law to impose tariffs in a 6–3 decision Friday morning after weeks of Trump championing that the court should rule in his favor as part of his larger effort to boost the economy, jobs and bring down costs for Americans. Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito joined Justice Brett Kavanaugh in dissenting from the ruling, with Thomas also offering his own separate dissent. The majority of the court ruled Friday that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president, even after declaring a national emergency, to impose tariffs — and that Congress did not speak clearly enough to transfer its tariff-and-tax power to the executive branch. TRUMP RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT RULING REJECTING SWEEPING TARIFFS POWERS: ‘A DISGRACE’ The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is a 1977 law that allows the president, after declaring a national emergency in response to foreign threats, to regulate or block certain economic transactions and property interests, such as by imposing sanctions. “The president asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope,” Supreme Court Justice John Roberts wrote for the court. “In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it.” TRUMP’S TARIFF REVENUES HIT RECORD HIGHS AS SUPREME COURT DEALS MAJOR BLOW In his dissent, Thomas argued that nondelegation doctrine is a narrow constraint, saying a line is crossed only when Congress delegates “core” power to make rules triggering deprivations of “life, liberty, or property” — not “from delegating other kinds of power,” such as tariffs. The nondelegation doctrine forbids Congress from delegating core legislative power to the president. “As I suggested over a decade ago, the nondelegation doctrine does not apply to ‘a delegation of power to make rules governing private conduct in the area of foreign trade,’ including rules imposing duties on imports,” Thomas wrote. “Therefore, to the extent that the Court relies on ‘separation of powers principles’ to rule against the President is mistaken.” SUPREME COURT RULES ON TRUMP TARIFFS IN MAJOR TEST OF EXECUTIVE BRANCH POWERS Thomas pointed to President Nixon’s 1971 import surcharge as a real-world test case that was later upheld in United States v. Yoshida Int’l under IEEPA’s predecessor statute, the Trading with the Enemy Act. Nixon announced a 10% across-the-board import surcharge on foreign nations in 1971, with the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals upholding the policy under the same “regulate … importation” language in 1975. “The meaning of that phrase was beyond doubt by the time that Congress enacted this statute, shortly after President Nixon’s highly publicized duties on imports were upheld based on identical language,” Thomas wrote. “The statute that the President relied on therefore authorized him to impose the duties on imports at issue in these cases,” Thomas wrote, adding that Kavanaugh “makes clear that the Court errs in concluding otherwise.” Trump unveiled his tariff policies in April 2025, which have come with repeatedly updated deals with foreign nations, as a tool to bring parity to U.S. trade policy and encourage businesses to open up shop on U.S. soil as part of an American manufacturing renaissance to boost the job market and the economy. Trump, in recent months, has repeatedly promoted that the Supreme Court rule in his favor, warning just Thursday during a trip to a steel factory in Georgia that “without tariffs, this country would be in such trouble right now.” The president held a press conference shortly after the decision on Friday, announcing a 10% global tariff, while underscoring that the “Supreme Court did not overrule tariffs,” but “merely overruled a particular use of IEEPA tariffs.”
Florida bill would let churches use armed volunteers instead of licensed security
A Florida bill could allow churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship to use armed volunteers for security without requiring them to hold a professional security license. Senate Bill 52, which unanimously passed the chamber earlier this month, would authorize houses of worship to use armed volunteers instead of hiring licensed security guards, which supporters say would help cut costs while still keeping people safe. “It’s now common for synagogues, churches, and mosques to have armed security,” state Sen. Don Gaetz, who sponsored this measure, said to FOX 13. “Often using paid professional licensed security personnel.” SHOOTING OUTSIDE SALT LAKE CITY LDS CHURCH LEAVES AT LEAST 2 DEAD, 6 INJURED: POLICE The legislation now heads to the state House. This measure comes amid concerns about violence targeting places of worship across the country. In August, a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minnesota left two children dead and around 20 others injured. And in Mississippi last month, a suspect set fire to a synagogue, causing extensive damage and destroying sacred Torah scrolls. Elvis Piggott, the pastor at Triumph Church of Tampa, was arrested in October 2025 after allegedly pulling out a gun during a dispute following a Tampa City Council election forum. He later said he acted in self-defense. Piggott, reacting to reports of violence at houses of worship, said the threats are an unfortunate reality. “Some of these things you would have never thought in a million years would happen inside of the place of worship,” he told FOX 13. “It can get very costly,” Piggot said of hiring licensed security. “Just for myself at an event could be roughly $900 to $1,000 for two hours.” If House lawmakers approve the legislation, it would then go to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The changes would take effect in July if the governor signs the bill into law. TRUCK CAUGHT ON CAMERA PLOWING INTO FAMED AUSTRALIAN SYNAGOGUE IN ALLEGED HATE CRIME “Unfortunately, when a lot of people are congregated closely together, that’s a high value target for bad guys,” Aaron Chappell, who co-founded Vulture Training Group, a company that provides security guard certification and training, told FOX 13. “Do you want somebody who is five or six minutes away?” he added. “Or somebody who’s on scene when something happens.”