Bondi grilled on Epstein files in first Capitol Hill return since DOJ ouster
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi returns to Capitol Hill on Friday for the first time since being ousted from the Justice Department, as lawmakers prepare to grill her over the Epstein files. Bondi will voluntarily participate in a transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee as part of the panel’s investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats walked out of a heated briefing hosted by Bondi and then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on the Epstein files in March, but lawmakers on the oversight panel are expected to heavily scrutinize her tenure during the closed-door testimony, which could stretch for hours. “Pam Bondi will finally have to answer our questions tomorrow about the Epstein files,” House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., wrote on social media. “It’s time for the truth.” HOUSE OVERSIGHT SUBPOENAS AG BONDI IN PROBE OF EPSTEIN CASE ‘MISMANAGEMENT’ Bondi’s appearance comes after Democrats and a handful of Republicans on the committee threatened to recommend civil contempt charges against her if she did not comply with a subpoena for her testimony. The Trump administration initially argued that Bondi should not have to testify and sit for a deposition as part of the committee’s probe because she was no longer in her official role as attorney general. The transcribed interview setting will not require Bondi to testify before congressional investigators under oath, but individuals speaking before Congress are still criminally prohibited from making false statements. A transcript of the interview could also be made available at a later date. The interview is taking place during Congress’ Memorial Day recess, and it remains unclear how many lawmakers will attend. Some Democrats on the panel have voiced objections to the interview setting. “Bondi must testify under oath, on camera, for the public to see,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-Ariz., said Thursday. “We demand transparency and accountability for Bondi and Blanche.” PAM BONDI DIAGNOSED WITH THYROID CANCER WEEKS AFTER DEPARTING AS TRUMP’S ATTORNEY GENERAL: REPORT Bondi has faced relentless scrutiny over the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files under her leadership, including from some Republicans, such as Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. She told Fox News at the start of her DOJ tenure that the files were “sitting on my desk right now for review,” but later appeared to backtrack on that claim. Scrutiny mounted after a monthslong delay in releasing information to the public, which accelerated after President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandating the release of the files. The department has since released more than 3 million pages of documents, though critics have complained that the records were not appropriately redacted. Bondi will be represented by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, who has served as Bondi’s counsel since her firing. “Because former Attorney General Bondi oversaw the Department at the time the Act was enacted and carried out, DOJ’s presence is solely to ensure accurate representation of Department processes, facilitate any necessary clarifications, and support a complete factual record for the Committee,” a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. The interview also comes as Bondi has undergone treatment for thyroid cancer, Axios first reported. The former top prosecutor was diagnosed shortly after leaving the Justice Department in April. “Pam has been quietly kicking cancer’s a– the last few weeks,” former Trump official and podcaster Katie Miller wrote on social media.
How does Trump solve key ‘nuclear dust’ hang-up in negotiations to end Iran War?
Even as U.S. and Iranian negotiators reportedly move toward a temporary framework agreement, one of the most consequential questions remains unresolved: What happens to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile? Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted retaining enriched uranium is a red line in negotiations, even as President Donald Trump has vowed Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon” and suggested the United States could ultimately “take” the material if necessary. Nonproliferation experts say the issue sits at the center of whether any future agreement can credibly prevent Iran from rapidly moving toward weapons-grade enrichment — particularly after U.S. strikes damaged key nuclear facilities but did not necessarily eliminate the nuclear material itself. “I think it would put a poison pill in any agreement because retaining any of these 60% stockpile or really any of the lower enriched material,” Andrea Stricker, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. “That would give them the ability to go higher to weapons grade at a time of their choosing.” AFTER THE STRIKES, HOW WOULD THE US SECURE IRAN’S ENRICHED URANIUM? The issue has taken on renewed urgency following 2026’s Operation Epic Fury against Iran and 2025 U.S. strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. While airstrikes can damage centrifuges, tunnel systems and enrichment infrastructure, experts say physically locating, securing and neutralizing enriched uranium presents a separate challenge altogether. Destroying infrastructure can slow or disrupt a nuclear program, but accounting for nuclear material itself requires sustained access, reliable intelligence and international oversight. “The stockpile is going to be the focus for the administration because that is the material, in particular the 60%,” Stricker said. Iran is believed to possess thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium ranging from low-enriched material to uranium enriched to 60%, which is considered near weapons-grade and can be more quickly refined to the 90% level typically associated with nuclear weapons. Stricker said the Trump administration is likely to insist the stockpiles either be destroyed inside Iran or removed from the country under international supervision. “The best option would be to destroy the stockpile in Iran, and then you’re not having to deal with who takes possession and what can Iran do with the stockpile as far as having it sent back under certain terms,” she said. EX-CENTCOM COMMANDER WARNS AGAINST ‘RISKY’ US GROUND OPERATION TO SEIZE IRAN’S ENRICHED URANIUM But even if Iran agreed to surrender or neutralize the uranium, carrying out such an operation would likely involve excavation teams, international nuclear inspectors and hazardous materials specialists working inside heavily damaged underground facilities. Any operation to physically secure or remove the uranium could also raise broader questions about how much direct U.S. or international involvement would ultimately be required on the ground, even as the administration faces political pressure to avoid a prolonged military commitment in Iran. “You’re talking about having to go down into heavily damaged sites, and you’re not sure what the state of the material even is,” Stricker said. Stricker said the underground Isfahan tunnel facility was struck with Tomahawk missiles, while Natanz and Fordow sites were hit with massive ordnance penetrators designed to reach buried nuclear infrastructure. “So you will need hazard material teams to handle it, to safely package it and either to have it destroyed or to remove it from the country safely,” she said. Stricker noted that enriched uranium in this form is chemically toxic and corrosive, though she said it would not pose the kind of large-scale radiological danger associated with a nuclear detonation. “People don’t want to be breathing that material or coming into contact with it with their skin,” she said. Another possible pathway would involve transferring the material to international custody. Stricker said the International Atomic Energy Agency, along with an international recovery team, could potentially oversee the removal of the uranium and transfer it to the agency’s low-enriched uranium fuel bank in Kazakhstan. Limited quantities could also eventually be converted into fuel rods for civilian nuclear reactors, she said, though she argued Iran should not retain direct access to the material itself. Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, previously told Fox News Digital that internationally monitored downblending may ultimately prove more practical than attempting to physically seize or destroy the material inside damaged facilities. “The IAEA remains the best place to go back into Iran to monitor the sites, to try to track down and account for the enriched uranium,” Davenport said. The White House could not immediately be reached for comment. “The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States … or, preferably … destroyed in place,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday. Iranian officials, however, have continued to insist the country has a right to maintain uranium enrichment and stockpiles as part of a civilian nuclear program. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said Wednesday that maintaining enriched uranium stockpiles remains one of Iran’s “red lines” in negotiations with the United States. That position may ultimately collide with what many nonproliferation advocates view as the core objective of any agreement: preventing Iran from preserving a rapid nuclear breakout capability. Stricker said international inspectors had a relatively strong understanding of the quantities and locations of the material before access became more restricted, but argued that any future agreement would require continuous international monitoring over how the uranium is handled and removed. Stricker argued that any long-term deal would likely require not only removal of the stockpile, but also strict limits on Iran’s future enrichment capabilities and expanded access for international inspectors. “Ideally it would be a permanent ban,” she said, referring to uranium enrichment. “But it appears that they’re leaning more towards a long moratorium.” She added that any agreement would also require the International Atomic Energy Agency to regain deep access to Iranian facilities, including military sites, to verify compliance and account for nuclear materials. “They need full access to go wherever
WATCH: Black Hawk assists takedown of massive cocaine haul off coast of Puerto Rico
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Air and Marine Operations (AMO) deployed a Black Hawk helicopter to intercept a boat suspected of smuggling drugs off the coast of Puerto Rico earlier this month. On May 14, AMO detected a 25-foot blue vessel carrying three people and visible packages. After surveilling its activity, the San Juan Marine Unit deployed a pair of law-enforcement boats, flanked by the Black Hawk, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The agency seized three Dominican Republic nationals along with five bales containing 391 pounds of cocaine. The helicopter-assisted takedown is just the most recent display of American military might that has been targeting narcotrafficking operations south of the U.S. border. BORDER CRISIS SHIFTS TO CARIBBEAN: HOMELAND SECURITY FIGHTS SILENT WAR IN PUERTO RICO “Our Air and Marine Operations teams demonstrated exceptional skill and coordination in this interdiction. The decisive use of air disabling fire by our Black Hawk crew was instrumental in stopping the vessel and preventing dangerous narcotics from reaching our communities,” Caribbean Air and Marine Branch Director Christopher Hunter said. “This operation highlights our commitment to working with partners across all levels to disrupt smuggling networks and protect the security of the United States and its territories,” he added. Early on in his second administration, President Donald Trump made it clear he would use all available designations to label drug smuggling as a threat to the homeland. On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump declared a state of emergency brought on by the influx of narcotics. “They present an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with those threats,” the White House said in its executive order. SPEC OPS CHIEF ORDERED DEADLY CARIBBEAN STRIKE ‘IN SELF-DEFENSE’ WITH HEGSETH’S SIGN-OFF, WHITE HOUSE SAYS In turn, the Department of War caught the attention of the country when it began carrying out strikes on boats off the coast of Venezuela, in a manner it said was consistent with the administration’s posture. After nearly 20 strikes in waters around the Caribbean, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the efforts had successfully choked off some trafficking operations. “WINNING: Some top cartel drug-traffickers in the U.S. Southern Command have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean,” Hegseth said in a post to social media. In the Black Hawk confrontation, U.S. agents opted to approach the vessel instead of striking it from afar. Infrared video footage shared with Fox News Digital showed the three men on the boat desperately throwing the contents of the boat overboard as the Black Hawk and other U.S. boats encircled the craft. TRUMP’S WAR ON CARTELS ENTERS NEW PHASE AS EXPERTS PREDICT WHAT’S NEXT The three suspects put their hands above their heads as agents approached their vessel and were pulled onto U.S. boats. A search of the boat revealed empty plastic containers and other unidentified packages. The contraband thrown into the water was recovered, according to CBP.
RNC and NRCC file lawsuit defending Missouri’s new congressional map against Democratic challenges
The Republican National Committee (RNC) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) filed a lawsuit Thursday defending Missouri’s new congressional map. The RNC told Fox News Digital the lawsuit aims to intervene as Democrats escalate what Republicans describe as a nationwide campaign to block legally enacted redistricting laws. “Democrats across the country are using frivolous lawsuits to cling to power after failing at the ballot box,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. “The RNC is fighting for the values of Missourians against Democrats trying to use the courts to rig congressional districts in their favor and override the will of voters.” The RNC said the new congressional map, enacted by the Missouri General Assembly last year, fully complies with the state constitution. Opponents of the map dispute that claim and have argued in court that the plan violates provisions of the Missouri Constitution. MISSOURI GOV. MIKE KEHOE CONSIDERS SPECIAL SESSION TO REDRAW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AFTER TRUMP CALL “The people of Missouri deserve fair and equal representation, not a partisan power grab designed to silence voters and overturn a lawfully enacted map,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said. “The NRCC and RNC are standing up for the integrity of the democratic process and defending Missourians’ right to have their voices heard under fair congressional districts,” he added. The lawsuit comes as referendum organizers and other opponents of the map seek court action related to petitions that would allow Missouri voters to decide whether to restore the state’s previous congressional map. Republicans argue certification should not occur before the state’s signature-verification process is complete. MISSOURI HOUSE APPROVES REDISTRICTING PLAN AS PART OF NATIONWIDE GOP PUSH TO DEFEND HOUSE MAJORITY According to the RNC, certifying the referendum before the review process is finished could temporarily block implementation of the new map. The lawsuit seeks to allow the review process to continue and ensure election laws are followed before any referendum moves forward. The RNC also said Democrats and allied groups have already spent more than $6 million unsuccessfully challenging Missouri’s maps in court. TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN STATE INTO NEXT POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND The case comes after the Supreme Court last month ruled 6-3 that Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map — redrawn to create a second majority-Black district — constituted an illegal racial gerrymander. Supporters of the Missouri map argue the decision reinforces limits on the use of race in congressional redistricting. Voting-rights advocates and other legal experts have offered differing interpretations of the ruling’s broader implications for future redistricting cases. The RNC pointed to the decision, arguing it reaffirmed that states cannot draw congressional maps predominantly based on race and that state legislatures retain broad authority to draw districts reflecting their residents’ political preferences. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the new congressional map into law last year. Republicans believe the map could help the GOP gain an additional U.S. House seat in the 2026 midterms. Critics contend the map was designed to increase Republican electoral advantage and reduce the influence of some communities of interest, allegations supporters of the map reject. President Donald Trump praised the map in a Truth Social post at the time, calling it “FANTASTIC” and saying it would “help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections.” Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
Trump administration cracks down on Brazil’s biggest drug gangs with ‘global terror’ designation
The Trump administration increased pressure on crime cartels operating out of Brazil on Thursday by moving to classify two of the country’s biggest drug gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. The two syndicates — First Command of the Capital (PCC) and Red Command (CV) — likely have more than 50,000 members combined, according to The Associated Press. “Today, the U.S. Department of State is designating Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) and intends to designate both groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), effective June 5, 2026,” the State Department said in a statement. “CV and PCC are two of the most violent criminal organizations in Brazil. Together, they command thousands of members and have orchestrated brutal attacks against Brazilian police officers, public officials and civilians. Their influence and illicit networks extend far beyond Brazil’s borders, across our region and into our country,” the statement said. US GOVERNMENT TAKING ‘DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT APPROACH’ USING TERRORISM CHARGES AGAINST DRUG CARTELS: FBI ALUM The Trump administration, the department added, will continue to utilize all available tools to protect the nation and U.S. national security interests by keeping illicit drugs off American streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narco-terrorists. “Today’s action taken by the State Department further demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and criminal organizations in our region and ensuring the safety of the American people,” the department said in a statement. The new designation also came after conservative Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro met with President Donald Trump in Washington to urge the administration to formally designate the gangs as terrorist entities. BOLSONARO DYNASTY EYES COMEBACK AS BRAZIL’S SOCIALIST PRESIDENT FACES CHALLENGE FROM JAILED RIVAL’S SON The 45-year-old senator and presidential hopeful shared a photo Tuesday standing by Trump’s side in the Oval Office, flashing a thumbs-up sign as he seeks to bolster his image amid a political scandal at home. “I went specifically to ask him to designate the CV and PCC as terrorist organizations, because that’s what they are,” he told reporters in Washington. With Brazil’s presidential election slated for October, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro have campaigned for the U.S. designation to target the public security failures of current leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. FEDS CHARGE DOZENS OF ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING AND MURDER-FOR-HIRE Proponents argue that the PCC and CV operate across international borders through drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons smuggling and territorial control, making them comparable to other transnational groups already labeled as terrorist organizations by the U.S. Lula da Silva’s government strongly opposes the designation, arguing the gangs are heavily armed criminal enterprises rather than ideologically motivated terrorist groups. Lula is also seeking re-election. Brazilian authorities launched a major anti-gang financial crackdown this week targeting fraud and money-laundering networks allegedly linked to PCC operations, The Associated Press reported. Prosecutors revealed that the investigation uncovered billions of reais moved through fintech firms and shell structures. Last year, Brazilian authorities also uncovered a sprawling criminal network that had infiltrated parts of the fuel industry and connected to the financial sector through money-laundering schemes involving members of the PCC. At the time, authorities seized 1.2 billion reais (approximately $220 million) in assets, the outlet said.
Anti-ICE agitators clash with federal agents outside New Jersey detention center as tensions escalate
NEWARK, N.J. — Chaotic scenes intensified Thursday outside Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center as anti-ICE agitators clashed with federal agents amid escalating tensions over immigration enforcement and conditions inside. The protest crowd had swelled to more than 100 by 8 p.m. local time, as frequent clashes cropped up when unmarked federal vehicles approached to enter the center. As ICE agents appeared to swing on a fulcrum, some agitators refused to get out of the way — including one man who was dragged to the ground and detained just feet from where Fox News Digital was perched. An ICE agent could not confirm or deny whether detaining the civilian suspect portended potential criminal charges. ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY The clashes at the privately operated detention center — which activists believe houses roughly 900 detainees — come after days of mounting protests, political backlash and confrontations between demonstrators and federal authorities. New Jersey Democrats, including Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Sen. Andy Kim, have criticized conditions at Delaney Hall, while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused lawmakers and activists of fueling unrest and undermining ICE enforcement operations. Thursday evening, protesters blocked roads surrounding the facility as federal agents moved in and out of the area. At one point, an unmarked federal vehicle drove through the crowd, prompting a female agitator to accuse ICE agents of attempting to hit women demonstrators. One man was seen being detained during the chaos. When asked whether the detention would result in criminal charges, one ICE agent replied that he “can’t confirm,” though he said it politely, according to reports. PROTESTERS CLASH WITH ICE AS NJ DETENTION FACILITY DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE During another scuffle Thursday, an agitator who encroached was tossed to the ground by his shirt and another was pushed up against a truck that had gotten stuck in the melee. Four letter words abounded for a time and even a child and his father were shouting obscenities from a car parked across outside the facility. Police presence was again sparse, in line with Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s prior position against assisting immigration enforcement. Instead, an elderly agitator with a sign scrawled on the back of a CostCo box repeatedly admonished drivers for not sufficiently slowing down as they tried to pass the throng. Earlier this week, Sherrill and several members of Congress tried to enter the facility after reports that some detainees had begun a hunger strike. Sherrill was denied access and has since called for the detention center to be shut down. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH On Monday, agitators had blocked entrances by linking arms, sitting in roadways and forming a human chain to prevent ICE from entering or leaving the building. The clashes also intensified after Kim was allegedly struck by pepper-ball spray during an earlier protest. According to The Associated Press, the DHS said approximately six demonstrators were arrested Wednesday. DHS said those arrests stemmed from allegations that protesters assaulted law enforcement officers. The unrest also came as Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday unveiled new statewide guidance outlining how schools, child care providers, colleges, healthcare facilities and places of worship should respond to interactions with federal immigration authorities. Speaking at a State House press conference in Boston, she said the guidance was to help organizations in the state protect access to services, understand their legal rights and prepare staff in the event U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrive onsite. “We will not allow violent rioters to slow ICE down. Law and order will be restored. There is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall at this time,” DHS said in a statement.
Kash Patel reveals FBI’s top security concerns ahead of World Cup
FBI Director Kash Patel revealed a slew of security concerns, including cyber threats, drones and the potential for lone-wolf attacks ahead of the World Cup, which will draw millions of visitors across North America. Officials are expecting three million people to visit for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Out of the 104 total matches in the expanded 2026 World Cup, 78 games will be played in the U.S., while the remaining 26 will be split between its neighbors to the north and south. Host countries are aggressively ramping up security and intelligence operations to safely stage the much-anticipated soccer matches across 11 U.S. host cities. “It’s everything from traditional cop work going out to the streets, talking to communities and saying, ‘Hey, do you guys know of any bad actors? Have you heard of anyone that might want to do harm to people or venues?’” Patel told Fox News correspondent Brooke Taylor. “That’s our big security goal for us at the FBI.” US PREPARES FOR INFLUX OF INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AHEAD OF WORLD CUP WITH SECURITY AT THE FOREFRONT In an effort to foil any lone-wolf actors, the FBI has created a special operations center at its headquarters to centralize and analyze incoming data about potential threats. “When we’re talking about cyber actors, those [are ones] that come in and hack our infrastructure and hold data hostage for monetary payments. So we are taking all of that information to one place and centralizing, at least for us at the FBI, at our headquarters component,” Patel said. Patel added that outside of major nation-state adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, lone-wolf threats pose the greatest concern to national security. ‘PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED’: INSIDE THE FBI’S HALLOWEEN TAKEDOWN THAT EXPOSED A GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK “Separate and apart from that, [those] who are doing similar activities, or the disparate actors, the lone wolves that are out there, whether it’s in the cyber realm or the violent crime realm,” he said. “So we are heavily relying on the community and state locals and asking them over and over again, ‘What are you seeing in the online spaces? What are you seeing in the chat groups?’” Law enforcement is also heavily focused on combating the online radicalization of individuals who may feel compelled to carry out domestic attacks, Patel noted. Drones are another top-tier anxiety for federal officials, given that they vary wildly in size and can be easily operated by a pilot far from the target location. FBI LEADER SAYS IT’S ‘CONCERNING’ HOW LITTLE HIS AGENCY KNOWS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS DRONES SEEN OVER NEW JERSEY “The critical component that we at the FBI have been focusing down on is teaching our state and local partners how we handle drones and how they can handle drones with us,” Patel said. “And then collectively, it’s a force multiplier to have thousands of people out there, tens of thousands of police officers out there looking at the drone threat that’s coming in as it comes in, because it’s so quick and dynamic.” To counter this, Patel revealed that the FBI has developed technology capable of disabling problem drones mid-flight, a tool they have shared with local law enforcement partners during recent specialized training programs. Among the immediate domestic threats the FBI is tracking is a sharp rise in antisemitic violence. Patel pointed to the recent Hezbollah-inspired attack at a Michigan synagogue, where a man packed his pickup truck with gasoline and commercial-grade fireworks, rammed it into the building, and opened fire with an assault rifle before taking his own life during a shootout with the temple’s private security team. In the 14 months since the Trump administration took office, the FBI has arrested more than 45,000 violent offenders in an aggressive push to dismantle clandestine sleeper cells and violent networks across the country. The bureau also touted its recent success rate in tracking down high-profile international targets. “The FBI have arrested eight of the top ten [most wanted fugitives] in the world in 14 months,” Patel said, noting that the figure marks twice as many major captures as the prior four years combined.
Dem Senate candidate makes stunning admission about antisemitism in her party: ‘Dangerous’
Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan, wasted no time answering whether an antisemitism problem exists in the Democratic Party. “There is,” McMorrow answered bluntly at a debate Senate debate on Thursday. “At the Democratic convention, an attendee yelled an antisemitic slur at my husband, who is Jewish and was walking with my 5-year-old daughter. That is terrifying,” McMorrow said. Amid a tight, three-way Senate primary, McMorrow’s answer definitively reveals her stance on a question that’s steadily grown in recent years: whether the Democratic Party has positioned itself as more than just a critic of Israel’s government and, instead, provides a forum for disdain of the Jewish people themselves. CARVILLE WARNS DEMOCRATS ANTI-ISRAEL ‘LOUDMOUTHS’ COULD COST ELECTIONS A number of progressive Democratic figures have grown increasingly skeptical — and vocal — on the U.S.-Israel relationship. Most notably, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-declared socialist, has questioned whether the U.S. should align itself with Israel in the wake of its war with Hamas in Gaza, citing humanitarian concerns. The criticisms aren’t contained to New York. Democrats in Congress, such as Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Sens. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., are among a growing portion of the party that have called for a re-evaluation of U.S. support for the Jewish state amid conflicts in the Middle East. Notably, Abdul El-Sayed, one of McMorrow’s Senate primary challengers, has called Jewish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and said he believes the Israeli government is “evil.” SEN. SLOTKIN SAYS DEM SOCIALIST NYC CANDIDATE MAMDANI REPRESENTS ‘NEW GENERATION’ OF LEADERS YOUNG VOTERS WANT McMorrow, who has positioned herself as a middle-of-the-road candidate between critic El-Sayed and the more establishment-friendly Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., clarified that her criticisms of the party doesn’t mean she’s entirely aligned with the current U.S. posture toward Israel, either. “We need to be able to state very clearly that what the Netanyahu government is doing — that the violence needs to end,” McMorrow said. When asked if she would support U.S. aid to Israel, McMorrow said she would have voted for a recent resolution proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that would have blocked the sale of U.S. arms. McMorrow added that she believes Democrats need to be careful to ensure their rhetoric is narrowly tailored to Israel as a state and not the Jewish people in the U.S. MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE CLAIMS ISRAEL ‘JUST AS EVIL’ AS HAMAS “We need to bring about long-term peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis. And turning that into not an anti-Netanyahu, but an anti-American Jewish message is dangerous,” McMorrow said. Her comments were met with applause.
Viral Jeffrey Epstein lookalike announces run for Palm Beach mayor, promises free Botox and bagels
A viral internet lookalike, free Botox and imported New York bagel water are not usually the ingredients of a mayoral campaign. Peter Simel, the Florida man who went viral earlier this year as “Palm Beach Pete” over his uncanny resemblance to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, says he is now “seriously considering” a run for mayor of Palm Beach — with a platform centered around “living your best life.” Simel’s social media following exploded into the hundreds of thousands after a viral video sparked conspiracy theories online, described the effort as “a movement” during an interview with Fox News Digital. “We’re seriously considering, and it’s a movement,” Simel said. “We want to make Palm Beach really cool and great.” FLORIDA MAN MISTAKEN FOR JEFFREY EPSTEIN SENDS INTERNET INTO FRENZY: ‘I’M JUST ME BEING ME’ Simel’s internet fame exploded almost overnight after a video of him driving a convertible along Interstate 95 in South Florida spread online earlier this year, with stunned social media users insisting the silver-haired driver looked eerily similar to Epstein. In the now-viral clip, a person filming Simel can be heard shouting, “Epstein’s alive! Epstein’s alive!” “My name is Peter, and I am now ‘Palm Beach Pete’ on the internet,” Simel told Fox News Digital. “About two months ago, I was driving down I-95 and someone videoed me and said ‘Epstein’s alive.’” NEW YORK-STYLE BAGEL WATER WARS HEAT UP AS ICONIC BRANDS BATTLE FOR SNOWBIRDS The Palm Beach resident said the attention snowballed almost immediately. “We had 200,000 followers in less than two days, and I got deplatformed,” he said. “This whole thing occurred, and it has a mind of its own, the internet.” Simel later launched an Instagram account under the handle “@not.epstein” and began leaning into the viral fame that transformed him into an unlikely internet personality. ‘MEMBERS ONLY: PALM BEACH’ STAR SLAMS ‘NASTY’ RUMORS THAT SHE’S BEING KICKED OUT OF MAR-A-LAGO Simel, 71, is a former International Tennis Federation (ITF) Masters competitor. During the interview, Simel repeatedly emphasized wellness, fitness and enjoying the Palm Beach lifestyle as central themes of his campaign platform. “I’m still realizing how big it is,” Simel said of his viral fame. “I guess the best litmus test is when people come up to me in the street [saying], ‘Palm Beach Pete, we love you, you’re the GOAT, you’re a legend.’” Now, Simel appears to be transforming that momentum into a campaign-like movement complete with merchandise, slogans and a series of playful policy proposals. ‘MEMBERS ONLY’ STAR FIRES BACK AT PALM BEACH CRITICS, SAYS THEY’RE ‘EXACTLY THE PEOPLE’ THE SHOW EXPOSES Simel’s website includes campaign hats and proposals such as “Free Botox for All Palm Beach Residents,” and “Free Convertible Use for 1 Year,” expanded pickleball courts and a proposal to import New York City water for “better pizzas & bagels.” Palm Beach County election records reviewed by Fox News Digital on Wednesday did not show any officially qualified mayoral candidates, and candidates cannot formally qualify for the race until 2027. Fox News Digital also reached out to Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore’s office regarding Simel’s announcement, but did not immediately receive a response. THONG-WEARING ELDERLY MAN DIDN’T DO HIMSELF ANY FAVORS BY TELLING AN OFFICER TO “JUMP ROPE FOR ME, BABY DOLL” “Everyone on the island of Palm Beach gets the use of a convertible for a year and see how they enjoy it because it’s all about living your best life,” Simel said. Simel also proposed free drinks at Palm Beach’s iconic clock tower, dog-walking services and “fitness trainer[s] for life so you can live longer and pay taxes longer.” “And then the funny one at the end,” he added, “is everyone gets free mother-in-law therapy.” Asked how he planned to fund proposals ranging from free Botox to imported New York water, Simel repeatedly emphasized that the campaign would be “self-funded.” “I’m self-funding it,” he said. Despite the lighthearted platform, Simel insisted he is genuinely considering entering the race. “I’m seriously considering throwing my hat into the ring,” he said. “You can’t qualify until 2027 so we’re just doing our due diligence.” Simel stressed that he does not view the effort as a traditional political campaign. “I’m not affiliated with any political party,” he said. “I just want to keep the people together and bring people together and keep it as a great community.” Asked about the current mayor’s apparent silence, Simel laughed off the situation. “I have no comment, other than the comment I just made,” he joked. Simel described the campaign less as a conventional political effort and more as a broader internet-fueled movement centered around positivity and Palm Beach culture — even if arguably the town’s most famous resident, President Donald Trump, calls it home when he’s not in Washington, D.C. “In this day and time, and we have so much division and such uncertainty in the world, it’s kind of nice to have someone on a platform enjoying the benefits of living a good life and making the most out of what Palm Beach can be,” he said. The viral sensation also said he has no plans to alter his appearance despite the comparisons that launched him into internet fame. “I’ve always looked like this,” he said. “I’m a better version of that unnamed person. And I’m not gonna change for anybody.” “I’m me, I’m 71 years old. It works. I have a full head of hair. I’m lucky. I’m youthful. I’m vibrant. Nothing’s gonna change. I’m just gonna get more energetic.” Simel said he already has a team helping him manage the sudden internet fame and potential campaign operation. “We’re interviewing people for a position as campaign manager and marketing,” he said, adding that much of the effort would likely be digitally driven through influencers and online creators. “My demographic are Gen Zs and these influencers have such a hold or such an influence on them,” he said. “As I get more followers, it gets bigger and bigger.” The response from family members,
Rabid anti-Israel activists set to hit the streets tonight in Mamdani’s Manhattan
Jewish New Yorkers, beware. The same rabid anti-Israel activists who have harassed Jews at synagogues in recent weeks in violent protests, flown the flag of Hamas and Hezbollah and stomped on the Israeli flag are returning to the streets tonight at Time Square in midtown Manhattan to rage-bait Israelis and Jews attending a “Jerusalem Real Estate Expo” at Times Square. The protest underscores how anti-Israel activist groups are continuing to escalate their pressure campaigns against pro-Israel and Jewish events across the city, despite mounting criticisms of antisemitism. Earlier this week, Jewish and Muslim leaders led a protest at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence at Gracie Mansion, asking that he address the growing antisemitism in the city. Community leaders say these protests put more pressure on Mamdani who joined anti-Israel protests many times before he ran for the mayor’s office. In college, he was a founding member of his school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which also seeks “the return” of Palestinians to modern-day Israel and a one-state solution that claims modern-day Israel for Palestinians, essentially destroying the state of Israel. The planned confrontation unfolded at 6:30 p.m. at the New York Hilton Midtown, where anti-Israel protesters are expected to target attendees and organizers connected to the real estate event. The anti-Israel group sponsoring the protest tonight is the New York and New Jersey chapter of PAL-AWDA, a group that is seeking “the return” of Palestinians to modern-day Israel. The group advocates for completely dismantling the state of Israel, and it rejects discussions of a two-state solution, demanding Palestinian control of modern-day Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, or as they chant, “from the river to the sea.” VIDEO SHOWS CLASHES ERUPT OUTSIDE SYNAGOGUE AS ANTI-ISRAEL MOB WREAKS HAVOC AT REAL ESTATE EXPO PAL-AWDA group regularly participates in demonstrations targeting Jewish and pro-Israel gatherings across New York City, alongside activists from Within Our Lifetime and the Muslim American Society’s New York chapter, which are also expected to send members to the protest. Al-Awda activists protested outside a Queens synagogue two weeks ago and targeted another synagogue event on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Within Our Lifetime is led by its fiery co-founder, Nerdeen Kiswani, and Muslim American Society members are led by Abdullah Akl, a youth and outreach coordinator for the 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit. These groups have worked together with the network of far-left organizations that have organized anti-Israel protests and student encampments, like the People’s Forum, the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which have been funded and supported by Neville Roy Singham, a controversial American Marxist tech tycoon living in Shanghai, supporting the Chinese Communist Party. It isn’t clear if those groups will send their members, but there is usually a lot of cross-pollination. One regular anti-Israel protest participant, Anas Shuaib, 27, told Fox News Digital: “I will be at the Hilton event to stop land theft of Palestinian land and expose Zionist control of America.” The “Jerusalem Real Estate Expo,” scheduled from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Hilton, promoted the event as “the Israeli capital’s greatest real estate opportunities … all under one roof.” MAMDANI FACES A MUSLIM PROBLEM AHEAD OF GRACIE MANSION PROTEST In response, the PAL-AWDA New York and New Jersey chapter quietly announced its demonstration, titled “Stop the Sale of Stolen Palestinian Land.” Fox News Digital sent requests for comment to several of the organizations participating in the real estate event but didn’t hear back, and PAL-AWDA didn’t respond to a request for comment. Promotional material for the protest describe the expo as an “illegal land expo and settler recruitment fair” featuring the “Mayor of Jerusalem,” with the mayor’s title placed in quotation marks. Al-Awda used imagery in its protest advertisement that critics say symbolized the elimination of the Jewish state. The graphic featured a keyhole replacing the “O” in “Stop the Sale,” alongside a full map of modern-day Israel placed inside the “O” in “Stolen,” imagery commonly used by anti-Israel activists to reject Israel’s existence as a sovereign state. The renewed demonstrations are likely to intensify scrutiny on Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who already faced criticism Tuesday night as Jewish and Muslim protesters gathered outside Gracie Mansion to protest what they described as rising antisemitism and the city’s handling of anti-Israel activism. Fox News Digital’s Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.