Holocaust survivor, 86, priced out of NYC says Mamdani skipped scheduled housing meeting
As a toddler, Sami Steigmann survived Nazi medical experimentation. Now, at 86, he is struggling to find safe housing in New York City. His situation comes as New York City residents face rising housing costs, despite campaign promises from city leaders to improve affordability. Steigmann, who has called New York City home since the 1980s, can no longer safely navigate his second-story apartment in Harlem. Earlier this year, he asked to have a one-on-one meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who ran on a platform centered on lowering housing costs. Although the meeting was scheduled, Steigmann says the 34-year-old mayor never kept the appointment. “Promises made, not kept,” Steigmann told Fox News Digital. “His claim to fame was affordable housing. I’m not disappointed because I didn’t expect him to keep his word. It is what it is.” DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB “It would have been nice, but you know politicians,” he said with a smile. He added that he was no longer interested in meeting with Mamdani. Mamdani’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. For now, Steigmann said his focus is on finding a safe place to live as New York City’s costs continue to climb. “New York is the most expensive city in the country, especially for independent living. Rent is about $6,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment,” he said. Steigmann, who lives on a fixed income of $1,649 per month, said he cannot afford an apartment that is both safe and accessible to public transportation. The physical toll of his current living situation has only added to the challenge. Born in 1939 in Romania, Steigmann was deported with his parents to a Nazi labor camp at about age 2. Too young to work, he was subjected to medical experimentation for at least three years before the camp was liberated. “I was subjected to medical experiments, so I’m in pain every single second, but I learned to live with it. Now, because of my age, 86, I have difficulty walking and climbing stairs,” he said. While relocating to a more affordable city may seem like an option, he said leaving New York is not a simple decision. “I did not give it serious thought because here I have agencies that are helping me,” he said. “I don’t know what it would be like in other cities because I don’t have those connections there.” FROM FREE BUSES TO CITY-OWNED GROCERY STORES, HERE ARE MAMDANI’S KEY ECONOMIC PROMISES “I’m very safe here,” Steigmann said of his neighborhood, adding that his neighbors know him and watch his back. He said a nursing home is a last resort he hopes to avoid. “If I’m going to a nursing home, which I may have to go to if I cannot find something, basically, it’s the way to die because there is no life there.” “It’s not for me. I’m still active. I don’t need assisted living in the sense that I can take a bath by myself. I can still do a lot of things,” he said. Now, advocates are stepping in to help. The Chicago Jewish Alliance recently launched “Project Ahava,” a fundraising initiative aimed at securing safe, stable housing for Steigmann as he struggles to remain independent in New York City. Facing a roughly $2,200 monthly shortfall, the initiative aims to raise $132,000 to cover five years of housing. The group has so far raised about $18,000 for Steigmann. “Sami has never asked for a dime, and he has given back to so many people. That’s just another reason why we wanted to give back to him and make sure that he has safe housing,” Susan Haggard, president of the Chicago Jewish Alliance, told Fox News Digital. “And it’s important for him to stay in Manhattan where he is close to public transportation and still have that independence that is so important to him,” she added. Maintaining that independence is key to his daily work and outreach. He spends his days volunteering aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid, docked in New York City’s harbor, and speaking to school groups across the country about the Holocaust — a mission that has come to define his life. “This is my life. Without it, there’s nothing for me, no reason to live,” he said.
WATCH: House Democrat gets unexpected response when he asks constituents about voter ID requirements
A Democratic lawmaker created an online firestorm after appearing to inadvertently make the case for stricter voter ID requirements while criticizing a Trump-backed election bill. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., repeatedly said Monday that Democrats were not against voter identification at the ballot box as he discussed his opposition to the SAVE America Act at a town hall with constituents. The Alabama Democrat, however, appeared to imply that the town hall attendees might have a problem with it. “I’m of a different era, I’m of a different generation. I probably feel a little bit differently about it,” Figures, 40, told a seemingly older crowd. “But watch this: how many people in here do not have an ID?” No one’s hand went up. REPUBLICANS SHRED ‘NONSENSE’ DEM CLAIMS AGAINST TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL After a noticeable pause, Figures appeared to nod in agreement. “Everybody has an ID, right?” Figures said, adding that he believed “20, 30, 40 years ago, it was a lot different.” A shortened clip of the exchange posted to social media sparked backlash among conservatives, who said the video proved that a majority of Americans would have no issue complying with photo ID requirements. “Democrat Rep. Figures’ rhetoric on Voter ID absolutely backfires when every single person he’s talking to has an ID,” David McIntosh, president of the conservative Club for Growth, wrote on social media. “OOPS. Rep. Shomari Figures (D) just accidentally OBLITERATED his Party’s own narrative that people don’t have IDs to vote,” the viral Libs of TikTok account added. Figures disputed that he expected someone in the audience not to have an ID, in a statement to Fox News Digital. “If you listen to the entire exchange, which they intentionally cut short, you will clearly see that I was making the point that these days everyone has an ID,” Figures said, referring to viral clips of a shortened exchange that circulated on social media. “I asked the audience a rhetorical question: ‘How many people here do not have an ID?’” he continued. “I fully expected no one to raise their hand.” The exchange comes as top Democrats in Washington have long opposed photo ID rules for voting, often likening such restrictions to Jim Crow laws meant to keep minority Americans disenfranchised. A GOP push to add a photo ID requirement as an amendment to the SAVE America Act was defeated by Democrats in March, despite Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying Democrats support showing identification at the polling booth. But Democratic lawmakers’ opposition to voter ID rules appears to be increasingly out of step with voters. More than seven in 10 Democratic voters and 76% of Black voters support showing government-issued photo ID to vote, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center poll. Photo ID requirements are already widespread, with 36 states, including Alabama, mandating identification when voting. Supporters note there has been no observed effect on turnout. SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS SAY THEY SUPPORT VOTER ID, THEN BLOCK GOP AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE IT Figures said his opposition to the SAVE America Act revolves around its proof of citizenship requirement to vote in federal elections. Eligible documents include a U.S. passport or birth certificate, which Figures argues is too stringent. Later in the town hall, the Alabama Democrat asked the crowd if everyone had easy access to their birth certificate or a passport. When not everyone raised their hand, he said, “There’s the problem.” “My point is that if a driver’s license is the most common form of ID that the overwhelming majority of people have, then it should be enough to allow people to vote,” Figures told Fox News Digital. “The bottom line is that the SAVE Act is a bill that makes it harder for people to vote by requiring them to obtain additional forms of identification.” SCHUMER, JEFFRIES SUE TRUMP, ACCUSE HIM OF TRYING TO ‘RIG’ MAIL-IN VOTING Proponents of the SAVE America Act note that a majority of Americans have recently had to show a birth certificate or passport to the government to receive a REAL ID. They also point out that some states issue driver’s licenses to noncitizens, though those individuals are explicitly barred from voting in federal elections. Figures was among nearly all Democrats who voted against the SAVE America Act when it passed the House, and the measure has since stalled in the Senate. The upper chamber, however, is expected to continue debating the legislation in April amid a pressure campaign from Trump to advance the measure to his desk.
DHS preps deportation of alleged MS-13 gang member wanted for pastor’s murder in El Salvador
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has started the deportation process for an alleged MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who had been released into the United States a decade ago and was considered a “non-criminal” alien despite being wanted for a pastor’s murder in his home country. Danny Granados-Garcia was arrested by the FBI last month, and Fox News Digital has learned that he is now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody facing imminent removal. “Thanks to ICE, this MS-13 gang member wanted for murdering a pastor in his home country is off Connecticut streets,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. “This is an example of an arrest the media counts as a ‘non-criminal’ because he lacks a rap sheet in the United States.” FEDERAL OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT ARRESTS OF MIGRANTS CONVICTED OF ARSON, OTHER CRIMES AS ENFORCEMENT CONTINUES “This is an insane categorization and just one example of the countless ‘non-criminals’ who are public safety threats that ICE is removing from our communities every single day,” Bis added. “70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens convicted or charged with a crime in the U.S.” DHS says Granados-Garcia was released by the Obama administration in 2016 near the Rio Grande Valley, Texas Border Patrol Sector. The Salvadorian national attempted to enter the U.S. claiming he was an unaccompanied minor, despite being over the age of qualification for such status. ICE officers apprehended Granados-Garcia as part of a focused enforcement operation with multiple agencies conducted in Waterbury, Connecticut, on March 10. “Danny Antonio Granados-Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was in the U.S. with an active El Salvadorian arrest warrant for aggravated homicide — wanted for the alleged murder of a pastor,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X following the arrest. DHS told Fox News Digital that the Salvadorian will remain in ICE custody until he is deported. AGENCY THAT NABBED EL CHAPO, DIDDY THREATENED AS DEMOCRATS’ DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON Despite setbacks from the partial government shutdown and shakeups at DHS which led to the appointment of Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the department has continued its commitment to President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to deport criminal illegal migrants. Earlier this week, Bis told Fox News Digital that DHS “will continue arresting public safety threats from our communities and will not allow the Democrats to slow us down from making America safe again.” The partial government shutdown continues, but a bipartisan deal appears close as both the House and Senate look to end what has been a near-50 day battle and the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history. DHS ARRESTS 5 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF VIOLENT CRIMES INCLUDING MANSLAUGHTER, CHILD ASSAULT The lack of funding for the department has impacted agencies that operate under DHS, including FEMA, TSA and the Coast Guard. This week, FEMA told Fox News Digital that disaster relief funds are “running dangerously low,” and until Trump’s executive order to pay TSA agents, airport security lines faced hourslong wait times with unpaid officers calling out of work. ICE and immigration agent operations, for the most part, were funded under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law by Trump last July. Debate over funding DHS is mainly centered around ICE operations, with congressional Democrats hesitant to agree to a spending bill without reforms for the agency, like federal agents having to show ID, obtain warrants and remove face coverings.
VP Vance to meet with Viktor Orbán in Hungary days ahead of foreign nation’s elections
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will visit Hungary next week, when he will meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán days ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections. The vice president and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, will visit Budapest from April 7 to 8, according to a release from his office. The release states that Vance “will also deliver remarks on the rich partnership between the United States and Hungary.” VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPICE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR “Vice President @JDVance will visit Hungary next Tuesday. Looking forward to welcoming you to Budapest!” Orbán declared in a post on X. U.S. President Donald Trump has enthusiastically endorsed the foreign leader. TRUMP ALLY ORBAN ISSUES SCATHING LETTER DEMANDING ZELENSKYY CHANGE UKRAINE’S ‘ANTI-HUNGARIAN POLICY’ “I was proud to ENDORSE Viktor for Re-Election in 2022, and am honored to do so again. Election Day is April 12, 2026. Hungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBÁN. He is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Hungary — VIKTOR ORBÁN WILL NEVER LET THE GREAT PEOPLE OF HUNGARY DOWN. I AM WITH HIM ALL THE WAY!” Trump declared in part of a Truth Social post last month. RUBIO SEALS CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH HUNGARY Trump had previously backed Orbán in February Truth Social posts as well.
Celebrity chef lashes out at Trump for changing the ‘rules’ the same year as America 250
Activist and celebrity chef José Andrés joined protesters outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, when President Donald Trump became the first sitting president on record to attend oral arguments on a case at the High Court. Andrés, when speaking to Fox News Digital, slammed Trump for “changing the game’s rules,” rules the chef said “have been already done,” the same year as America’s 250th anniversary since the Declaration of Independence was signed. He suggested that what Trump is doing – attempting to ensure that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily do not become American citizens – is not what America “should be working towards.” The chef’s comments mirrored remarks by other protesters alongside him outside the Supreme Court, complaining that Trump’s efforts to tighten the screws around birthright citizenship violates the Constitution. Actor Robert De Niro, who did not join protesters but joined Trump and some of his closest advisors inside the courtroom, was also present at the High Court on Wednesday. JUSTICE JACKSON SPARKS ONLINE UPROAR AFTER LINKING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP TO STEALING A WALLET IN JAPAN “The argument is that this country, this year, is celebrating 250 years! It’s not the time to be changing the game’s rules. Those rules have been already done,” Andrés said. “Let’s keep working to make sure that the 15 million immigrants become part of America. This is what America should be working towards.” Andrés’ suggestion that “the game’s rules” have already been written and Trump’s efforts are trying to upend those pre-settled rules, effectively saying it goes against the Constitution and other policies the country was founded on, was echoed by other protesters Fox News Digital caught up with outside the Supreme Court Wednesday as well. “Well, I don’t know that there should be no limits, but there certainly shouldn’t be the limits that are proposed. And Justice Robert said it way better than I could. It’s a new world. It’s the same Constitution,” someone at the protest outside the Supreme Court, holding a small dog wearing a sign that read “NO KINGS. ONLY B—-ES,” told Fox News Digital. EXPERT FLAGS ‘DISAPPOINTING’ QUESTIONS FROM JUSTICES IN TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE “We are setting ourselves up for a two-tiered, or hierarchy of citizenship, you know. Why is it that some people who are born here get to be citizens and other people are not, based on who their parents’ ancestry is? To me that just violates the core concept of equality that our country is supposed to be founded on,” said another. “It will help regulations when it comes to certain laws. And it was kind of – the hearing itself – it was educational, a lot of things to take, and things to learn from the 14th Amendment,” added another. “We have a 14th Amendment for a reason,” another activist said. “We can’t rewrite the Constitution.” SAUER CITES ‘STRIKING’ FIGURES ON SECRETIVE BIRTH TOURISM IN HIGH-STAKES SCOTUS CASE When asked for his thoughts on Wednesday’s oral arguments after leaving the courthouse Wednesday, De Niro focused his criticism on Trump, telling Fox News Digital he didn’t know what to think immediately after leaving the hearing. “I’m waiting to get a, getting a – I’m not sure because I could hear, but not hear. It’s complicated. So, I can’t say,” De Niro responded when asked about the oral arguments he had just witnessed. De Niro described the Trump administration’s stance on the matter — that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens — as a way for Republicans to “get rid of people they don’t want.” When asked about claims he has “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” sometimes referred to by the acronym “TDS,” De Niro called it “nonsense.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “People don’t like him for a reason,” De Niro shot back. “All the terrible things he’s done. If he did nice things, then he could have, he had the chance — he became president — to do nice things, not hateful, retribution, not just, outright mean things. If he did nice things, people would love him. But he’s got a problem. He’s damaged.” Asked what specifically bothered him about Trump, De Niro said “everything.” “Everything that we all know now,” De Niro, who reportedly sat in seats reserved for the justices’ guests, added as he was leaving the courthouse. Reporting from Wednesday indicated the Supreme Court appeared ready to reject Trump’s argument on birthright citizenship. The arguments reportedly lasted over two hours, and, in addition to Trump, recently fired U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was present, as was Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, among other Trump allies.
What B-52 bombers bring to Iran fight — and what it means for the war now
The U.S. is now flying B-52 bombers over Iran — an operational shift that signals American forces have achieved air superiority inside parts of the country after weeks of strikes degraded Tehran’s defenses. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said in a briefing Tuesday the missions began “given the increase in air superiority,” as U.S. forces expand operations inside Iranian territory. President Donald Trump said during an address to the public Thursday night that Iran’s air defenses had been “annihilated,” calling U.S. forces “unstoppable.” “We are in this military operation … for 32 days,” he said. “And the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat.” TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘NO LONGER A THREAT’ AFTER 32 DAYS — OUTLINES NEXT PHASE OF US WAR The bomber, first used during the Cold War and flown for about 70 years, allows the U.S. to expand the pace and flexibility of its strikes. Unlike earlier stand-off attacks focused on fixed targets, B-52s can remain over the battlefield and hit multiple targets in a single mission, including mobile systems and hardened sites, Mark Gunzinger, a retired Air Force colonel and former B-52 command pilot, told Fox News Digital. The development signals the U.S. has moved beyond the initial phase of degrading Iran’s air defenses and is now able to operate more freely inside the country’s airspace, allowing for sustained, higher-volume strikes as the campaign enters a potentially more intense phase. The aircraft can carry up to 70,000 pounds of ordnance. It is capable of launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory, including gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions. But the bomber is slower than modern aircraft and lacks stealth, making it more vulnerable to radar and air defenses — conditions that would typically keep it out of contested airspace. “The fact that these B-52s are now flying over Iran is clear evidence that we have air superiority — and even air dominance over parts of Iran,” Gunzinger said. Gunzinger said that level of control allows U.S. forces to operate more freely over Iran, including remaining over the battlefield and striking targets as they emerge rather than relying solely on pre-planned, long-range attacks. While U.S. officials have emphasized growing control of the skies, air superiority does not eliminate all threats. Iran still retains missile and drone capabilities, and has relied on asymmetric tactics throughout the conflict to continue attacks despite losses to its air defenses. Early in the campaign, B-52s fired long-range cruise missiles from outside Iranian airspace. More recently, bombers operating from U.S.-operated UK base Royal Air Force Fairford have been seen carrying precision-guided bombs — a shift that reflects growing U.S. control of the skies and the move toward closer-range strikes. “B-52s flying in Iran’s airspace shows America’s complete air dominance — and guaranteed, there are also F-22s and F-35s at high altitude on overwatch,” Rebecca Grant, a military analyst, told Fox News Digital. “They bring the big bomb payload for direct attacks on Iran’s drone and missile factories, plus underground targets.” The Pentagon could not immediately be reached for comment. During the June 2025 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, stealth B-2 bombers led the assault, dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on hardened sites like Fordow and Natanz. B-52s, meanwhile, were deployed to the region as part of the broader U.S. buildup — positioned to support sustained operations if needed. MORE THAN 90% OF IRANIAN MISSILES INTERCEPTED, BUT A DANGEROUS IMBALANCE IS EMERGING The latest development signals the U.S. has moved beyond the initial phase of degrading Iran’s air defenses and is now able to operate more freely inside the country’s airspace, allowing for sustained, higher-volume strikes as the campaign enters a potentially more intense phase. The expanded freedom of action could become more important as the campaign enters what Trump has described as its final phase, with U.S. officials signaling that strikes could intensify in the coming weeks. “If you really want to devastate Iran’s ability to continue to launch missiles and drones, you would want to use bombers to do that,” Gunzinger said. Gunzinger added that the U.S. is using a significant portion of its combat-ready bomber fleet to sustain operations, underscoring the scale of the campaign as it enters what could be its most intense phase. “Our bomber force now totals 140 aircraft,” he said, referring to B-2s, B-52s and B-1Bs. “If you scale that down to how many are ready to go to combat today, you’re probably at less than 50.” “That is a dramatic change since the end of the Cold War era, where we had over 400 bombers, so we’re using a good percentage — I’d say a majority — of our combat capable bombers for this fight, to sustain this fight.” Built in the early 1960s for nuclear war against the Soviet Union, the B-52 Stratofortress was never designed to operate inside modern, heavily defended airspace — making its current use over Iran a reflection of how much those defenses have been degraded. While U.S. officials have emphasized growing control of the skies, air superiority does not eliminate all threats. Iran still retains missile and drone capabilities, and has relied on asymmetric tactics throughout the conflict to continue attacks despite losses to its air defenses.
Karoline Leavitt reveals ‘anti-climatic’ way Trump told her she’d be press secretary: ‘Oh, by the way’
There was no formal meeting and no big announcement, just a brief phone call. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump informed her she had the job in a simple post-election call, telling her: “Oh, by the way, you know, you’re going to be the White House press secretary, right?” Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at George Washington University on Thursday evening, Leavitt described the moment as “the most anti-climatic thing ever” and said the job offer came without any formal process. “About a week after the election, we were on the phone about something, the president and me, just chit chatting,” Leavitt said. KAROLINE LEAVITT STOPS BY ‘RUTHLESS’ TO TOUT TRUMP’S ‘INCREDIBLE’ FIRST SIX MONTHS OF SECOND TERM “And it was the most anti-climatic thing ever. He goes, ‘Oh, by the way, you know, you’re going to be the White House press secretary, right?’” Leavitt said, to which she responded, “Oh, okay.” “And he said, ‘So about that other thing, what do you think about that? What should we do? What should we say?’” WHITE HOUSE HAS SUGGESTION FOR JASMINE CROCKETT AFTER DEM CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘SICK’ “That was it. That’s how I got the job,” she said. Leavitt added there was “no pomp and circumstance,” describing the moment as “true Donald Trump fashion.” Leavitt said she had worked on Trump’s 2024 campaign after losing her congressional race in New Hampshire and was serving as a spokesperson before being tapped for the role following the election. “There really wasn’t a process,” Leavitt said. “I thought, I hope I’ll get a job. I don’t know if I will.” Leavitt, who gave birth to her son in July 2024, is currently nine months pregnant with a girl.
Trump slaps up to 100% tariff on some brand-name drug imports in major America First push
President Donald Trump on Thursday proclaimed that certain imported patented pharmaceuticals and related ingredients could face tariffs of up to 100%, framing the move as a national security measure and intensifying his push to bring drug manufacturing back to the United States. The proclamation creates a tiered system for drugmakers: companies with Commerce Department-approved plans to onshore production could face a 20% tariff instead, while some firms that strike pricing and manufacturing agreements with the administration could receive zero-tariff treatment for a period. A senior administration official said the policy amounts to a “100% tax” on drugs produced abroad. Trump’s proclamation states that imported pharmaceuticals and key ingredients “are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.” TRUMP’S NEW TARIFF PLAN BARRELS BACK TO COURT FOLLOWING MULTISTATE LAWSUIT The move sets up a major clash over the cost and supply of brand-name medicines, as Trump argues the U.S. is overly dependent on foreign pharmaceutical manufacturing while offering lower tariffs to companies that build in America. According to the proclamation, about 53% of patented pharmaceutical products distributed in the U.S. are produced abroad, while only 15% of patented active pharmaceutical ingredients by volume are made domestically. VOTERS REACT AS TRUMP TOUTS SIGNATURE TARIFF PLAN AT STATE OF THE UNION Under the framework, imports of patented pharmaceuticals listed in Annex I will face a 100% tariff, unless they qualify for lower rates. Companies with approved onshoring plans can instead receive a 20% tariff, though that rate rises to 100% in 2030, according to the proclamation. The administration is using that structure to push companies to shift production to the United States, officials said. TRUMP RAISES GLOBAL TARIFF TO 15% The proclamation also sets lower tariff rates for certain allies: 15% for products from Japan, the European Union (EU), South Korea, and Switzerland, and 10% for the United Kingdom (UK), which could fall to zero under a future agreement. It also creates a zero-tariff lane for companies that both onshore production and enter “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing agreements with the administration. Not all drugs are affected. The proclamation says generic pharmaceuticals will not be subject to tariffs “at this time,” and U.S.-origin drugs are also excluded. The broader push ties into the administration’s TrumpRx initiative, including the recently launched TrumpRx.gov platform, which the White House says gives Americans access to lower prices on some high-cost brand-name drugs through “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing agreements with pharmaceutical companies. The tariffs will take effect July 31, 2026, for some companies and Sept. 29, 2026, for others, according to the proclamation. Trump issued the order under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the president to restrict imports deemed a national security threat.
Pete Hegseth signs memo opening door for troops to carry personal firearms on bases
War Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday ordering a major shift in base security policy, allowing service members to request permission to carry personal firearms for self-defense amid growing concerns about threats on U.S. installations. In an announcement on social media, Hegseth said all American citizens have a God-given right under the Second Amendment to carry weapons for protection. However, he said that right has not been extended to uniformed service members, who are “trained at the highest and unwavering standards.” “These war fighters, entrusted with the safety of our nation, are no less entitled to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms than any other American,” Hegseth said. “Our war fighters defend the right of others to carry. They should be able to carry themselves.” HEGSETH INSTATES ‘HIGHEST MALE STANDARD ONLY’ FOR COMBAT, OTHER CHANGES, DECLARING DEPT. OF DEFENSE ‘IS OVER’ Citing recent tragedies at Fort Stewart, Holloman Air Force Base and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Hegseth said the incidents have “made clear” that “some threats are closer to home than we would like.” “In these instances, minutes are a lifetime, and our service members have the courage and training to make those precious short minutes count,” he said. “Before today, it was virtually impossible … for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations.” While service members can already own personal firearms, concealing and carrying a weapon was previously not permitted on federal sites — including military installations. HEGSETH APPEALS RULING BLOCKING PUNISHMENT OF DEM SENATOR OVER ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ VIDEO Those who owned personal weapons had to register their guns with base authorities and storage was often controlled by the installation. Carrying on post was often restricted to military police, security and personnel on official duty. “Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. “Unless you’re training, or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry. You couldn’t bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post. Well, that’s no longer.” PENTAGON CITES ‘MERITOCRACY’ AS OFFICER REMOVALS DRAW DEMOCRATIC CRITICISM The memo signed Thursday directs installation commanders to allow requests to carry a privately owned firearm, with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection. If a request is denied, Hegseth said the reason for that denial will be put in writing and will explain, in detail, the basis for that direction. “Again, the presumption is service members will be able to have their Second Amendment right on post,” he said. “Not all enemies are foreign, nor are they all outside our borders. Some are domestic. Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I’m signing into action today, and I’m proud to do so.” Hegseth did not specify if training or certification will be required, or if storage and transport of weapons will be regulated. It is also unclear if there will be uniform rules across all military branches.
Florida, Mississippi join wave of states tightening voter citizenship rules
Florida and Mississippi voters will soon face new citizenship verification rules after governors signed the measures into law Wednesday, triggering at least two lawsuits in the Sunshine State. The measures, signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, are aimed at upholding election integrity as similar legislation by President Donald Trump remains stalled in Congress. Mississippi’s measure is expected to take effect on July 1, with Florida’s law following on Jan. 1, 2027. Under both laws, voters will be required to provide citizenship documents — such as birth certificates, passports, or naturalization certificates — if local officials challenge their eligibility after cross-referencing databases for voter registration applications. If individuals fail to provide the required proof of citizenship after being flagged, both states are required to remove them from its voter registration rolls. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE ‘TALKING FILIBUSTER’ AND THE SAVE ACT DeSantis said the Florida SAVE Act will improve the security and transparency of the state’s election system. “Safeguarding the electoral process to improve oversight and prevent unlawful influence has been a top priority for my administration since my first days in office,” he said in a social media post. “This legislation strengthens the security, transparency, and reliability of Florida’s election system.” Lawsuits challenging the bill quickly followed, with one civil rights group arguing that some voters may not have the required documents and could face difficulties obtaining them. “Many eligible voters do not have these documents and cannot obtain them for a variety of reasons—including because they were born without a birth certificate in the segregated South, because their documents were destroyed in a hurricane, or because they cannot afford the hundreds of dollars it costs to replace them,” the lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida by the League of Women Voters of Florida stated. Under the law, student IDs and retirement community identifications can no longer be used as polling identifications. New driver’s licenses must also reflect citizenship status starting July 2027. GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL Separately, the Mississippi SHIELD Act does not mandate driver’s licenses to reflect citizenship. However, it does require local officials registering voters to run additional citizenship checks if applicants do not provide a driver’s license number on their voter application. Mississippi officials must also perform an annual statewide check against the federal database before a federal election to flag potential noncitizens. “While states like California and New York flood their voter rolls with illegal aliens, Mississippi will do the opposite and defend Americans’ right to determine the outcome of elections,” Reeves said in a social media post. “We will continue to do everything in our power to make it infinitely harder – with a goal to make it impossible – to cheat in our elections!” Civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center noted that the measure could disenfranchise Mississippi residents who lack the proper paperwork, including women whose last names changed upon marriage. The new laws follow similar measures signed in late March by South Dakota and Utah to strengthen proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters. Meanwhile, Trump’s own voting legislation — the Republican‑backed SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and photo ID for federal elections — has been approved by the U.S. House but remains stalled in the Senate amid insufficient support to overcome the Democratic-led filibuster.