Inside the lavish lifestyle of ultra-wealthy Dem endorsed by top Bernie Sanders group
A Democratic House nominee in California, who has made affordability a key issue in his campaign and is backed by a top Bernie Sanders group, is worth up to tens of millions of dollars. Eric Jones, who is running in California’s 4th Congressional District, reported between $18 and $86 million in assets, according to campaign finance disclosures. Along with other holdings, Jones owns a $4.6 million Napa home, which includes a pool, with furnishings and artwork estimated at between $393,000 to $578,000, a Fox News Digital review found. His evaluation contrasts sharply with his populist campaign platform, where he has painted himself as a relatable figure who has also grappled with concerns about affordability. TOP DEM HOPEFUL FLIPS SCRIPT AFTER YEARS IN SOCIALIST ORBIT WITH PUZZLING CLAIM “The cost of living continues to rise,” Jones said in an April campaign video. “I’m running for Congress because I know what it feels like to do everything right and still struggle… I will never take a dollar from a corporate PAC, I will never take a dime from a lobbyist, and I will never trade a stock while I serve you in Congress.” Throughout his campaign, Jones has highlighted his family’s struggle with financial stability. He grew up in a military family and had a disabled father. According to Jones, the family also struggled to overcome medical debt, relying on Medicaid and food stamps. On his website, Jones has listed three main priorities: ending corruption, lowering the cost of living and resource sustainability in government. His stances have attracted endorsements from progressive groups like Indivisible and Our Revolution, organizations with ties to progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has repeatedly attacked millionaires and billionaires throughout his career despite being a millionaire himself. “A Congress of millionaires will legislate for their corporate investments. A Congress from the working class will legislate for the people,” Our Revolution posted on X in 2022. In a 2025 post, Our Revolution shared a graphic attacking the number of millionaires in Congress. Despite several posts against millionaires and the wealthy, the group gave him a glowing endorsement. “Our Revolution believes in leaders who fight for working people with integrity and courage,” the endorsement said. “Eric Jones is one of those leaders — and we’re proud to stand with him as he brings a people-powered movement to Congress in 2026.” Jones’ wealth came from his career in investing. Shortly after graduating from Yale, he joined Dragoneer Investment Group in San Francisco in 2013. The group is a venture capital group that invests in technology and high-growth companies like ByteDance and Alibaba, a pair of Chinese businesses with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party. By the age of 27 in 2017, Jones had become the group’s first non-founding partner. During his 12 years with the group, Dragoneer exploded in value, going from managing $180 million in assets to $24 billion. ‘SQUAD’ DEM DISMISSES FRAUD PROBE SPECULATION AFTER $29M NET-WORTH DROP Jones listed an $8 million salary with the group from last year in his campaign financial disclosure. The extravagances of his roughly 3,000-square-foot home were featured by Architectural Digest in a June 9 home tour as part of a profile piece on his wife, who works for an architecture firm as a designer. Among his many assets, Jones’ furnishing collection includes a wall-hung ceramic sculpture worth up to $60,000, a “Polly chair” estimated at somewhere between $10,000 and $25,000 and a column coffee table worth $6,000. Now, as a candidate, Jones has campaigned against corporate influence in politics and a system that he argues is rigged in favor of larger corporations. He has identified that kind of structure as a key part of his plan to address affordability. “Rent, groceries, utilities, health care, childcare — everything costs more while giant corporations post record profits and pay little or nothing in taxes,” Jones states on his website. “That’s not an accident. It’s a system rigged to work for the people at the top.” DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’ When approached about his personal wealth, Jones said he doesn’t believe his personal wealth clashes with a message of affordability. “I grew up poor in rural America with a veteran father fighting medical debt and opioid addiction. I built businesses, created jobs and achieved the American Dream – I’m lucky that this country gave me that opportunity, and I’ll never forget where I came from. We should have leaders who’ve built something and know what medical debt feels like, not career politicians who’ve gotten rich serving Big Pharma and the insurance lobby. Every family in this district deserves that same shot at the American Dream, that’s why I’m running,” Jones said in a statement. Having placed in the top two candidates in the primary, Jones will face off against incumbent Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., in the state’s Nov. 3 general election.
Jack Smith’s Senate phone records probe turns to Verizon’s handling of subpoenas
EXCLUSIVE: The Senate investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe is widening, as Republican lawmakers question Verizon’s handling of subpoenas for senators’ phone records after the telecom giant failed to disclose one during an earlier congressional records search. As part of Operation Arctic Frost — the codename for the FBI’s Trump-election-interference probe with Smith placed at the helm — prosecutors subpoenaed Verizon and other phone carriers for toll records tied to members of Congress and other Republican figures. Several conservative entities were swept up in the probe, including the late Charlie Kirk. Verizon later acknowledged omitting Smith’s subpoena from its congressional record search. The dispute centers less on Verizon’s compliance with the subpoena than on what the company knew afterward, whether it should have notified Congress and why it failed to disclose the subpoena during an earlier records search. BIDEN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S ‘RUNAWAY TRAIN’ SCOOPED UP SENSITIVE LAWMAKER INFO: ‘ABUSE OF POWER’ Smith’s investigation has faced increased scrutiny in recent months, and now Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa — whose records were among those obtained — and a slew of his colleagues want to know what Verizon knew, when it knew it and whether the company should have notified affected members of Congress after turning over their phone records to Smith’s team. “Jack Smith oversaw a sweeping and unprecedented investigation that swept-up records from hundreds of Republican entities, including the phone toll records and text messages from myself and dozens of my colleagues,” Grassley told Fox News Digital Friday. Toll records are essentially the metadata of a telephone call — and exclude the contents of the conversation. They often include the phone numbers involved, date, time, duration and often the operative cell-tower location. MAJOR PHONE CARRIERS REVEAL JACK SMITH’S SUBPOENAS FOR REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ RECORDS “Congress deserves to know the full picture of how Smith carried out Arctic Frost so it never happens again.” “As part of our investigation, we need to fully understand what Verizon knew about Smith’s subpoenas, when they became aware members were impacted and why the company didn’t inform members like they were supposed to,” he said. In a Thursday letter to Verizon CEO Daniel Schulman, Grassley, Senate Investigations Subcommittee chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and more than a dozen senators said they remain concerned not only by the alleged “abuse of power by federal government actors… but also with Verizon’s disclosures of (m)embers’ phone records pursuant to a May 25, 2023, subpoena (and) its failure to disclose this information to affected Members.” JACK SMITH THRUST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT AT BLANCHE HEARING OVER EXPOSED SENATORS’ MESSAGES’ Of the signatories, Sens. Bill Hagerty IV and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., also had their phone toll records or text messages swept up by Smith. Their inquiry noted he asked Verizon in October 2023 to identify Justice Department or other federal law enforcement requests involving Senate devices used by his staff dating back to 2016. The senator wrote that the subpoena was not disclosed in Verizon’s initial response, and Grassley said Congress did not learn of it until Verizon acknowledged in 2025 that “human error” had caused its omission. In its original October 2023 response to Grassley, Verizon wrote that it often limits retention of legal processes received to a period of four years, and attested it had no records to produce prior to October 2019. “This raises questions as to whether Verizon discovered legal process from DOJ for Senate devices and lines, including the May 2023 Arctic Frost subpoena, in its search from October 1, 2019, to October 27, 2023, for responsive records to Chairman Grassley’s request,” Grassley wrote in his new letter. Therefore, Grassley and 15 other senators are demanding Verizon brass explain when they first learned Smith’s subpoena sought phone records that included members of Congress and when they discovered it had provided “tolling data” connected to those members and transmitted it to Smith. Fox News Digital reached out to Verizon for comment. Grassley’s new letter suggests the October 2023 exchange may be the key to determining whether Verizon merely missed the subpoena or discovered it and failed to disclose it. “On what date were Daniel Schulman, Vandana Venkatesh, Hans Vestberg, and Craig Silliman first informed about the May 25, 2023, subpoena?” they asked of Verizon’s front office. The senators also asked that Verizon explain its “human error” revelation in more specificity and produce internal records from May 2023 to October 2025 that discuss whether the company believed it was obligated to notify the implicated members of Congress or the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (SAA). The “human error” explanation also left unanswered why Smith’s May 25, 2023, “Arctic Frost” subpoena was omitted from Verizon’s review of legal process involving SAA phone lines, even though the company acknowledged that two SAA numbers were included in the subpoena. In 2025, documents provided to Grassley revealed Verizon complied with Smith while AT&T resisted the requests. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER However, both subpoenas were accompanied by gag orders signed by Obama-appointed District of Columbia federal Judge James Boasberg, a frequent foil of President Donald Trump’s. Boasberg directed Verizon and AT&T not to disclose the subpoenas to lawmakers for a period of one year. The DOJ has issued subpoenas for lawmakers’ information in the past, but former inspector general Michael Horowitz cautioned against it except in limited circumstances in a report published in 2025, saying that doing so “risks chilling Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch.” Grassley’s letter gives Verizon until Aug. 13 to explain when it knew senators’ records were involved, who inside the company was informed and why the May 2023 subpoena did not surface in its earlier response to Congress. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans have branded Smith’s “Arctic Frost” as “worse than Watergate.” Fox News Digital reached out to counsel for Smith for comment.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson names Andre Sayles as interim police chief after Barnes resignation
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced a new interim police chief on Friday following the resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes after a deadly shooting at a food festival over the weekend. “I do not take lightly what it means to make decisions that affect people’s safety and their lives,” Wilson said in a Friday morning news conference before announcing she had selected Deputy Chief Andre Sayles as interim police chief. She added, “I chose Andre Sayles because he has done this job before and can hit the ground running. He served as chief of police in Wisconsin, where he led with a community-focused approach that strengthened both public safety and community trust. He has earned the respect of our police force in his time here, and that is exactly what we need right now.” SEATTLE POLICE CHIEF SNAPS OVER CHICAGO HOME QUESTIONS, ABSENCE FROM CITY AFTER MASS SHOOTING Barnes had come under criticism after two people died and four others were shot at the Bite of Seattle food festival at Seattle Center on Sunday. Barnes described the shooting as “targeted” and “gang-related” but said the victims were “not related to the suspects in any way.” One arrest has been made, and one person believed to have been involved in the shooting has died. THIRD SUSPECT EMERGES IN DEADLY SEATTLE MASS SHOOTING, ONE ALLEGED GUNMAN FOUND DEAD Sayles said on Friday that the department is continuing to investigate and looking for any other possible suspects involved in the shooting. Barnes resigned on Thursday, saying in a statement through his attorney that Wilson had requested his resignation on Wednesday, and he “believes this is the best path forward for the city, which is still reeling from the shock and pain caused by the tragic events at the Seattle Center.” In an earlier statement, Wilson said: “Chief Barnes has served this department and this city with dedication, and I am grateful for his service. The courage and professionalism that the officers of the Seattle Police Department showed deserves to be honored.” GUNFIRE ERUPTS NEAR SEATTLE MAYOR’S EVENT AS FAMILIES, CHILDREN GATHER She added, “I share Chief Barnes’ hope that we can return our focus to addressing youth gun violence and ensuring that every family can feel safe in their neighborhood and across the city.” Sayles acknowledged that this week has been “difficult, but I also know what this department and city are capable of. When we come together with a common goal of keeping our community safe.” He committed to uniting a department “grounded in service, pride and dedication.” “The ongoing investigation into the Seattle Center shooting remains a top priority,” he added. “The men and women of the department continue working tirelessly to identify and arrest anyone responsible. In light of the tragic incident, the Seattle Police Department has heard from our community about safety concerns at public gatherings and events.” Sayles said the department will be increasing staff at all remaining major summer events. Wilson added that she is also searching for Barnes’ permanent replacement as police chief, saying it “will focus on someone who drives operational excellence and leads organizational change.” She said the “people of Seattle deserve a voice in this selection,” explaining that a search committee will be formed that is representative of different communities in the city. “I will be looking for someone who can be an effective leader of our police department, from top to bottom,” she said. “In particular, that means listening to and building relationships with the people standing behind me, the experienced and dedicated people who are leading our officers on the ground in neighborhoods across our city every single day.” Wilson added that she was also looking for someone who could earn the respect of the police force, “while also leading needed changes to culture and protocol in a way that is firm and fair. I will be looking for someone who can practice clear communication in stressful situations.”
Smithsonian America 250 exhibit features 3x more liberal items than conservative ones
A Smithsonian exhibit designed to commemorate America’s 250th birthday displays numerous objects linked to key points in the nation’s history, though it provides relatively little representation of Christianity or conservatism despite ample coverage for LGBT rights and racial justice movements, among other liberal causes, a Fox News Digital review of the exhibit’s online catalog found. In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness is an exhibit curated by the Smithsonian Institution with the aim of displaying 250 objects that help to tell the story of America from the 1700s to the present. Among these objects are historically significant items, such as a compass from the 1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, a dress belonging to Dolly Madison, Abraham Lincoln’s hat and the desk the Declaration of Independence was written on. Also included in the exhibit, according to an online catalog published by the Smithsonian, are a number of objects with clear ties to modern liberal politics, such as a pink “p-ssy hat” worn by a participant of the 2017 Women’s March, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s gavel, monarch butterfly wings worn by an illegal immigrant activist and a typewriter belonging to liberal writer Maya Angelou. Next to Angelou’s typewriter is a picture of a 1970s drag queen “wearing an off-the-shoulder shimmery gown,” according to a visual description of the exhibit published by the Smithsonian. TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY The exhibit’s selections are drawing scrutiny as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans challenge the Smithsonian’s portrayal of American history around the nation’s 250th anniversary. Fox News Digital reviewed the Smithsonian’s online catalog and grouped objects according to the movements, causes and institutions identified in the museum’s descriptions, finding seven tied to conservative movements, compared with nearly two dozen tied to causes including LGBT rights, abortion access, racial justice, organized labor and Democratic politics. The apparent domination of liberal causes in an exhibit designed to celebrate the contributions of all Americans to the nation’s history could further inflame conservative criticisms of the museum. While the exhibit examines how left-of-center individuals and movements shaped American history, conservatives have less representation. Just seven items representing conservative movements — a MAGA hat, a Tea Party placard, a pro-life sign, a dress worn by Melania Trump, a sign opposing the feminist-backed Equal Rights Amendment, a Ronald Reagan campaign T-shirt and a National Rifle Association button — are presented by the Smithsonian, according to its online catalog. By comparison, the same catalog shows that liberal causes — such as LGBT rights, farm-worker rights, abortion access, racial justice, environmentalism, labor unions and the Democratic Party — collectively have nearly two dozen items representing them. THE WAR ON AMERICA’S JUDEO-CHRISTIAN ROOTS THREATENS EVERYTHING WE SHARE Among those, the Smithsonian chose four total items representing the gay rights movement, for example. That wasn’t far behind the six it curated to represent Christianity, including items from churches and a Bible, per its catalog. Christianity historically was America’s dominant faith, influencing nearly all aspects of life, though it has declined in prominence in recent decades. Even the items representing Christianity, however, include undertones of racial justice. A pew from a Black Presbyterian church, for example, is accompanied by a description of its pastor’s racial activism. The one Bible on display as part of the exhibit, meanwhile, discusses the owner’s anti-slavery sentiments. Other religions, such as Judaism, with a Seder plate and a Hanukkah lamp, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, colloquially known as Mormons, with a plate depicting one of their temples, received representation as well. Among the LGBT artifacts displayed by the Smithsonian is a red tie that belonged to the late lesbian activist Carmen Vázquez. A description for the item notes that she described it as her “seduction necktie.” “Vázquez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New York City. After College, she lived in San Francisco for many years, honing her political understanding of immigrant rights and women’s and public health,” the online exhibit description continues. “Her endless energy for LGBTQ+ rights and justice for all, and her work, writing, and speeches ensured the safety and capacity to thrive of countless people across the United States.” LGBTQ PRESS CONFERENCE AT TRACK MEET INVOLVING TRANS ATHLETE DESCENDS INTO CHAOS, POLICE SUMMONED The online catalog also shows that nearly two-dozen items displayed at the exhibit are related to recent waves of Asian and Latino immigration. Earlier migrant groups such as the Irish, French and Italians, received just one entry each. One display dedicated to recent immigrants is a soccer ball donated by the founder of the Fugees soccer team for refugee children in Clarkston, Georgia, describing how the group “overcame anti-immigrant backlash.” The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital. However, comments made by the National Museum of American History’s director provide some insight as to why curators made the decisions they did when selecting items for the exhibit. “How do you structure a commemoration, celebration and time for reflection?” Anthea Hartig, the museum’s director, told British newspaper The Guardian. “What we landed on were those moments where individuals or communities had fought for recognition and advocated for their own sense of identity and self in their role in creating and becoming a part of the United States. But we also wanted to do the playful.” Beyond items of political or ideological significance, the exhibit also makes an effort to showcase historical changes to domestic life, technology and pop culture through the display of everyday objects. Various household appliances from different points in American history, props from the Star Wars movies, currency spanning hundreds of years, instruments belonging to famous musicians, technological advancements in areas such as video games and telecommunications and sports paraphernalia, like hockey gloves worn during the 1980 “miracle on ice” Olympic match against the Soviet Union, are all on display.
Democratic Socialists of America activists signed pledge to support, defend ‘Chinese socialism’
Multiple self-identified Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-linked individuals signed onto a statement extolling “Chinese socialism.” “We, Friends of Socialist China, aim to support the People’s Republic of China and to promote understanding of Chinese socialism,” the statement declares, in part. “The global advance to socialism is indispensable if humanity is to survive and to flourish; humanity needs socialism in order to prevent climate breakdown, end poverty, establish global peace and work towards dismantling structural discrimination and oppression,” the statement says, characterizing the “record of the socialist countries” as “overwhelmingly positive.” CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM ‘AXIS OF AGGRESSORS’ THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS The text asserts that “the continued survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter not only for the Chinese people but for all humanity” and declares that “we resolve to support, defend and build understanding of Chinese socialism.” Some of the people listed as signatories include Mirah Wood, who is described as the “Co-Chair Middle East & Africa Subcommittee, DSA International Committee” in the United States, and John McGrath, who is identified as being part of the “DSA International Committee (anti-war)” in the United Kingdom. Both Wood and McGrath appear on the list as far back as 2022 in archived web pages. Some of the other names on the list include indication of DSA membership. DSA CO-CHAIR EMBRACES ABOLISHING SENATE, ICE, BORDERS AS DEMOCRATIC INFIGHTING ESCALATES The statement describes the view that socialism leads to oppression as “propaganda” that should be challenged. It says that “owing largely to the reach and power of capitalist cultural hegemony, socialism is widely considered (particularly in the imperialist heartlands) to be a brutal, authoritarian system that suppresses human creativity and impedes progress. Socialist states — past and present — are portrayed as miserable backwaters, characterized by overzealous secret services, prison camps, thought control, stale uniformity, dictatorship, famines, social conservatism, corruption and poverty. In order to promote and uphold socialism, it is important to provide a counter-narrative and corrective to this propaganda.” CARVILLE SAYS ONE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST’S ‘LUNACY OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL’ POLICY COULD HAUNT SWING-STATE DEMS Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA and DSA International Committee on Friday.
Liberal court stuns with ruling that hands Trump major immigration win
A liberal-led federal appeals court handed President Donald Trump two immigration victories Wednesday, reversing separate district court orders that had delayed the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from South Sudan and Ethiopia. The judgments from the First Circuit Court of Appeals come after U.S. District Judges Brian Murphy and Patti Saris issued back-to-back orders temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Ethiopia and South Sudan, respectively, late last week. The rulings drew sharp criticism from legal experts and Trump administration officials, who called the judges “rogue” and argued their decisions defied the Supreme Court. The three-judge First Circuit panel consisted of Judges Julie Rikelman and Seth Aframe, both appointed by President Joe Biden, and Judge Joshua Dunlap, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. BIDEN JUDGE BLOCKING ETHIOPIAN DEPORTATIONS DESPITE SCOTUS RULING CLASHED WITH ICE BEFORE SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS In nearly identical rulings, the majority liberal panel found that the lower court judges’ orders conflicted with the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe, which held that courts cannot block TPS terminations based on non-constitutional claims. “Mullin held that ‘the TPS statute’s judicial-review bar applies to all non-constitutional claims’ challenging the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determination with respect to the termination of a TPS designation,” the judges wrote. Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan told Fox News Digital that the First Circuit correctly applied the precedent established by the Supreme Court. “These are clear wins for President Trump following his big win at the U.S. Supreme Court, explaining that district courts are not supposed to second guess TPS terminations, and even as this plays out, we’re moving towards the end of this litigation because district courts should not be hearing these disputes, and that’s what the Supreme Court said,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. SUPREME COURT’S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO ‘DIE AND SUFFER’ ATTORNEY WARNS A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson welcomed the rulings as “a win for the rule of law and common sense.” “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that—temporary,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.” The lawsuits were brought by African Communities Together, a New York-based immigrant advocacy organization that serves as the lead plaintiff in both cases, alongside individual TPS recipients from Ethiopia and South Sudan. The plaintiffs argue DHS unlawfully ended the protections in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution, alleging the agency failed to properly assess conditions in the two countries and that the decisions were motivated by racial discrimination. Murphy and Saris temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating TPS last week, issuing procedural orders to preserve the status quo while they considered whether the plaintiffs should be permitted to amend their complaints to pursue renewed constitutional claims. DHS EVISCERATES MEDIA FOR ‘ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY’ OVER CONCERN ABOUT ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ACTIVIST JUDGES LIST While the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe foreclosed most statutory challenges to TPS terminations, it left open the possibility that courts could consider claims alleging constitutional violations. However, Wessan said the district judges were operating outside the “legal bounds” by blocking the TPS terminations before any constitutional claims had been established. “If they want to let the plaintiffs amend their complaint, they’re allowed to do that, but in the meantime, TPS is over,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. The First Circuit’s decisions mark the latest setback for Murphy and Saris after the Trump administration accused both judges of effectively sidestepping the Supreme Court’s June ruling. After Murphy’s order, DHS General Counsel James Percival wrote on X that the district judge was engaged in “mutiny against the Supreme Court,” while he described Saris’ ruling as “open defiance” of the justices’ decision. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Murphy and Saris for comment.
Investigators believe Iranian hackers are likely behind cyberattack on Minnesota water systems: report
U.S. investigators believe a cyberattack that targeted dozens of water systems in Minnesota this week likely was orchestrated by Iranian hackers, a report said. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) said the “coordinated cyberattack targeted operational technology at more than 30 Minnesota community water systems” on Sunday and Monday, but the Minnesota Department of Health is “not aware of any active requests from Minnesota cities to have their residents modify their drinking water usage.” U.S. and state officials and others familiar with the incident told The New York Times that Iranian hackers were likely behind the cyberattack. The newspaper reported that three state officials briefed on an investigation into the cyberattack said the tradecraft used and the absence of a ransom demand led analysts to initially determine Iran was involved. Officials also cautioned that the assessment could change as more data is collected by investigators, according to the newspaper. However, President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Friday that he would “blame it on Minnesota and the governor.” “Today, I just want to mention that, we heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack, and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent. There was a cyberattack of 30 water plants, and I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota,” Trump said, referencing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. “They like to say, ‘oh it’s Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.” IRAN-LINKED HACKERS TARGET US MEDICAL TECH COMPANY The FBI said earlier in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday that it is “aware of recent public reporting around Water and Wastewater sectors.” “The FBI and our interagency partners are fully engaged to protect critical infrastructure and we remain well-equipped to protect against cyber threats of all varieties,” the FBI added. The New York Times reported that the hackers targeted infrastructure used to manage and monitor water towers operated by municipal governments. The mayor of the city of Braham, Nate George, said on Monday, a “plant operator found that the water tower was calling for water, but the well was not operating.” “After learning that similar problems were occurring in at least four other Minnesota communities, Braham staff determined that the plant’s computerized control system had been compromised,” he continued. “Public works isolated the affected system, restored a backup, and restarted the plant within approximately 90 minutes. While the plant was offline, residents continued receiving water from the city’s water tower. City administration temporarily requested that residents conserve water to prevent the tower’s limited supply from being exhausted,” George added. LIVE UPDATES ON IRAN WAR: TRUMP ANNOUNCES HAMAS DISARMAMENT DEAL WHILE SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCHES RED SEA DEFENSE COALITION In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, MNIT noted that “the investigation remains active, and Minnesota has not attributed the activity to a specific actor.” MNIT said it “continues to collaborate with federal, state, local, Tribal, and private-sector partners to investigate the attack, support affected communities, and strengthen the security of Minnesota’s critical infrastructure.” “Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure require a coordinated, whole-of-government response,” John Israel, MNIT assistant commissioner and Minnesota chief information security officer, said in a statement. “MNIT is working side by side with our partners to share intelligence, support affected communities, and help utilities restore operations safely while strengthening defenses against future attacks.” Israel told the Times that the breach was first detected Sunday and that hackers targeted 36 municipal water systems. “Minnesota was one of the early detectors of this, but we’re seeing that this same threat activity has likely been occurring in other states throughout the nation,” he was quoted as saying. Nick Andersen, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) acting director, told the newspaper that the agency was aware of “multiple potential incidents affecting local water utilities.” In the days leading up to the incident, CISA issued an advisory warning U.S. organizations of “ongoing Iranian-affiliated cyber activity targeting internet-connected operational technology (OT) devices.” “Iranian cyber actors continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure, and the FBI is committed to identifying, disrupting, and imposing costs on those responsible,” Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division said in the advisory. It stated that a “group of Iranian-affiliated actors” has “targeted devices spanning multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including Water and Wastewater Systems, Energy and Government Services and Facilities, to include local municipalities.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also issued an advisory on Thursday “to warn critical infrastructure asset owners and operators that malicious cyber actors are conducting cyber attacks targeting Operational Technology devices.” “Since 27 July 2026, Water and Wastewater Sector utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents to the FBI, and some of that activity degraded water operations,” it added.
Ben Sasse’s latest pancreatic cancer update comes amid his stark warning about America’s future
FIRST ON FOX: Battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is looking ahead with optimism for his own health but expressed less hope for America’s future. He cautioned that America’s greatest challenges are still to come in a pre-recorded interview for the Western Conservative Summit in Lakewood, Colorado, exclusively shared with Fox News Digital. “Pancreatic cancer is nasty, and I would never wish it on my worst enemy, but I also would never want to go back to a stage of my life where I didn’t know the power of pancreatic cancer prayer,” said Sasse, quoting Pastor Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York. Sasse, 54, shared in December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has spread to multiple organs — including his liver and lungs. He was initially given three to four months to live but entered a clinical trial for a drug called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to block the defective gene that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth. PANCREATIC CANCER VACCINE SHOWS PROMISE IN FIRST HUMAN TRIAL, PREVENTING DISEASE IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS “My tumors have shrunk by over 80% in the six and a half months I’ve been on this drug,” said Sasse in his update. “The drug has been amazing, and I’m grateful for that common grace extension of time.” “We’re a couple days away from being seven months since my diagnosis at three to four months to live.” Even as he reflected on his own mortality, Sasse said he’s increasingly concerned about the country’s future, cautioning that the U.S. must outcompete China, overhaul its failing schools and adapt to an AI-driven economy. “I want the U.S. Via decentralized corporate structures to rule the world, not CCP, tyrannical, Maoist to rule of the world, and I think most middle powers, most countries in the world, know that somewhere between 25 years from now, we’re going to say the world is Western/U.S. led,” said Sasse. CHINA IS BUILDING A MASSIVE SHIP THAT SHOULD SCARE AMERICANS ABOUT THE FUTURE He describes a world that is led by the U.S. passing along values with free trade, the rule of law, transparency and acknowledgment of human rights. The alternative would be “CCP led,” said Sasse. “Which is them controlling all trade through Beijing.” From the campus of Colorado Christian University, where conservative leaders gathered for the Western Conservative Summit, Sasse also weighed in on the challenges facing higher education. “Our educational systems are just a complete disaster,” said Sasse. The latest Nation’s Report Card found that roughly one in three eighth graders cannot read at even a basic level, nearly 40% fall below basic in math, and fewer than one-third are proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment Governing Board report for 2025. BEN SASSE CLAIMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE CREATED TO SEPARATE CATHOLIC KIDS FROM PARENTS, PRIESTS Sasse argued that academic benchmarks are too low and that increasing government spending on education has failed to improve student outcomes. “The potential and the capacity of most souls and most brains is a lot more than that, and we’ve just got a disastrous system,” said Sasse. Sasse said that the rise of AI is going to “externalize a lot of IQ” changing what schools will teach. He added that America is entering an AI revolution that will disrupt work, education, and global power. “A hundred years from now, when we look back on our moment, we’re not gonna talk about our politics very much. I think we’re gonna talk about the fact that we are living through a technological revolution,” said Sasse.
House Democrat blasted after early release law freed inmates later charged with murder
A COVID-era prison release law championed by Rep. Nellie Pou, D-N.J., is facing renewed scrutiny after multiple inmates freed early under the program were later charged with murder. More than 7,000 inmates received an early release starting in November 2020 after then-Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., signed legislation sponsored by Pou, then a New Jersey state senator. Under the law, state inmates were eligible for early release via “public health emergency credits” if they had less than one year remaining on their sentences and had not been convicted of murder or sexual assault and were not sex offenders. People serving time for other violent offenses — including aggravated manslaughter and kidnapping — could still receive a shortened sentence of up to eight months. NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER’S KILLING REIGNITES SCRUTINY OF ROY COOPER’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE RECORD IN SENATE RACE Two inmates released under the program later pleaded guilty to or were convicted in separate homicide cases. A third remains in custody awaiting trial on murder and conspiracy charges. Supporters of the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argued the measure was necessary to reduce the prison population amid concerns about overcrowding during the COVID-19 pandemic. A smaller prison population, according to Pou, would “keep everyone, guards included, safer” from the virus, she wrote in a 2020 statement. But the New Jersey Democrat has said little publicly about the law since multiple inmates released under the program were linked to grisly killings. The legislation passed over objections from GOP lawmakers and some county prosecutors, who warned it could endanger public safety by releasing violent offenders early. Jerry Crawford, 30, was arrested in the shooting death of an 18-year-old just two days after his release on parole supervision in November 2020. Crawford, who had been serving a burglary sentence, would have otherwise remained incarcerated until the following month, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections, NJ.com reported. He is scheduled to stand trial in January 2027 on murder and conspiracy charges, according to New Jersey court records. Another inmate, 31-year-old Ronny Paden, was released early in November 2020 after the COVID-era program shortened his sentence for aggravated assault and weapons offenses. Two months later, he shot and killed two men at a birthday party. Paden later pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in state prison. A third inmate, Theodore Luckey, 47, is serving life without parole after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. NEWSOM-BACKED LAW LETS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILD RAPIST SEEK EARLY RELEASE AGAIN AS DA URGES ‘STOP THE MADNESS’ Luckey attacked and killed an ex-boyfriend with a machete in August 2021, striking him more than 120 times, after being released from prison in May. Prosecutors also said he strangled another man in a hotel room shortly beforehand. He was released from prison under the program eight months early after completing most of a 15-year prison sentence involving a burglary conviction and illegal possession of a deadly weapon, the New Jersey-based Asbury Park Press reported. Republicans sharply criticized Pou’s embrace of the early prison release program that freed several repeat offenders. “Instead of holding criminals accountable, soft-on-crime radical Nellie Pou spearheaded legislation that lets violent offenders off the hook and threatens the safety of law-abiding New Jerseyans,” New Jersey Republican Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon told Fox News Digital. “Nellie is a threat to her constituents’ safety, and they’ll send her packing because of it,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said. A representative for Pou did not directly respond to a request for comment about whether the congresswoman believed the program proved successful, but emphasized Pou’s support for law enforcement and public safety. “Just this year, Congresswoman Pou voted in favor of more than $253 million in funding to hire and rehire local police and to steer $13.5 million toward state law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking,” Morghan Cyr, Pou’s campaign manager, said in a statement. The GOP attacks come as Pou is seeking a second House term in a northern New Jersey House seat that President Donald Trump narrowly carried in 2024. Pou, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has joined House Democratic leadership in voting against GOP-authored legislation ranging from cracking down on illegal immigration to targeting “soft-on-crime” policies in Washington, D.C. Still, it remains unclear whether Pou will face a serious re-election threat. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the race in favor of Democrats earlier this year to “Likely Democrat,” citing New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., carrying Pou’s district by nearly 20 points during the 2025 gubernatorial contest.
Trump unloads on Cornyn, ties AG nomination fight to bitter Texas primary
President Donald Trump unleashed more fury on a Senate Republican he worked to oust who is standing in the way of his personal lawyer becoming the next attorney general. Trump unloaded on Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, over acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s stalled nomination Friday morning, a day after threatening to withdraw Blanche’s nomination from the Senate. He accused Cornyn of previously having no issue with the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund, one of the issues that he and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., are trying to kill, before Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in their grueling primary showdown. TRUMP THREATENS TO YANK HIS OWN AG NOMINEE AS GOP REVOLT GROWS “John Cornyn never had a problem with the so-called ‘Fund,’ which will not benefit me, but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, until after I decided to Endorse and Support his Republican Primary opponent in Texas, who easily won the Nomination for the United States Senate,” Trump said on Truth Social. Fox News Digital did not immediately receive comment from Cornyn’s office in response to Trump’s remarks. Cornyn and Tillis are both pushing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and administration to provide explicit, written proposals to permanently nix and rewrite the anti-weaponization fund and Trump’s audit immunity, respectively, that were borne from his settlement deal with the IRS, which Blanche rolled out earlier this year. DOJ BARS IRS FROM AUDITING TRUMP’S PRIOR TAX RETURNS IN SETTLEMENT ORDER SIGNED BY BLANCHE The Texas Republican, in particular, wants changes to Trump’s audit immunity spelled out in the deal, and has so far not had his demands met as paper continues to flow back and forth between the lawmakers and administration. But the lawmakers contend that there’s a force above Blanche that is thwarting the process and further slowing down his confirmation. “I thought we were pretty close to landing the plane last night, but this morning there’s been some more complications,” Cornyn told reporters on Thursday. “I think if this were just between me and Todd Blanche, we would have worked this out. But apparently he’s getting some pushback from higher-ups at the White House. I don’t know who, but this doesn’t need to be this hard.” WATCH: GOP HOLDOUT REJECTS TRUMP THREAT AS AG NOMINEE STANDOFF EXPLODES Trump appeared unwilling to part with the fund, which has been condemned by Republicans and Democrats over concerns that it would dole out taxpayer dollars to rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “I will always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure, their lives have been ruined,” Trump said. “Millions of people agree with me, as was proven in my landslide Presidential win, where this was a major subject of debate, and so did John Cornyn, until he lost his Election to an opponent that I Endorsed. Todd Blanche, a good man, should be immediately approved as U.S. Attorney General.” Both Cornyn and Tillis met with Blanche toward the end of the day Thursday to continue hashing out a path forward. Meanwhile, Trump threatened to yank Blanche’s nomination from the Senate over the impasse after Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, postponed his confirmation hearing scheduled for Thursday. His plan would be to wait until both Cornyn and Tillis are out of office next year. But, there’s no guarantee that the Senate would be more welcoming to Blanche after the midterm elections this November. And Tillis and Cornyn aren’t the only Republicans with reservations about Blanche — Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and John Curtis, R-Utah, are both on the fence on whether to support him on a full floor vote in the Senate. Given universal Democratic opposition, their resistance could sink his chances.