Battleground Dem called patriotism ‘sensitive and controversial’ during debate over the Pledge of Allegiance
FIRST ON FOX: An Iowa Democrat seeking to flip one of the nation’s most competitive House seats in a rematch described patriotism as “sensitive and controversial” while also questioning the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance in a recently resurfaced newsletter she published in the weeks after the January 6 Capitol riot. Former Iowa State Rep. Christina Bohannan of Iowa City, who is running against incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, also criticized the politics around an Iowa bill she ultimately supported that mandated the Pledge of Allegiance for schoolchildren, urging Iowans to think critically about what the pledge means. “I acknowledge that patriotism is a sensitive and controversial subject,” Bohannan wrote in a 2021 newsletter put out by her State House office, while saying she remains patriotic herself. DEMS PUT ON BLAST OVER POLL THAT SHOWS RECORD-LOW PATRIOTISM IN US: ‘TEAR OUR SOCIETY APART’ “Many progressives have turned away from it. And I see the point, especially when the concept of patriotism has been so co-opted and distorted by the other side,” she wrote of Republicans. The newsletter has resurfaced as recent polling shows a partisan divide over displays of patriotism. AP polling released in June found that about six in 10 Democrats and independents said they never fly the American flag, while roughly seven in 10 Republicans said they display it at least on holidays. Bohannan wrote that the right viewpoint is to “not cede patriotism to anyone” but instead restore its definition as a belief in “democratic ideals of America and a willingness to fight to make those ideals a reality.” Bohannan went on to critique a February 2021 Republican-led bill, which ultimately passed, requiring the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public and certain private schools. Bohannan’s campaign manager, Dan Driscoll, told Fox News Digital that “Christina absolutely stands by her vote to require the Pledge of Allegiance in Iowa schools and her passionate defense of patriotism and the greatness of our country and democracy.” “That’s why in Congress she’ll put that into action by fighting to clean up Washington, enacting term limits and getting corporate money out of our elections, so our government focuses on working for Iowans — unlike Rep. Miller-Meeks who is funded by millions in special interest contributions while voting to raise drug, healthcare and energy costs.” FOX NEWS POLL: LOOKING AHEAD TO AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY The bill passed 91-3-6 with Bohannan in favor, but she wrote about her reservations in the same newsletter. “It was clear that many of our Democratic members in swing districts would risk their seats for voting ‘no’ on this bill,” Bohannan wrote. “And even if those members voted for it, they would still be held accountable if other members of our caucus voted ‘no’. That is how deep the concept of patriotism runs.” “But we can reframe the issue in a way that is true to our values.” IOWA DEM ADMITS BEING ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ WITH WHITENESS AS SHE SEEKS TO FLIP COMPETITIVE HOUSE SEAT Bohannan said in floor remarks at the time that she supported the bill not because she wanted children to “mechanically” recite the oath but because she wanted to give them the opportunity to “think critically” about the words they are saying and whether the U.S. is “living up to them.” “For example, the pledge is not just to the flag, but to the republic for which it stands. So our kids might ask whether our republic can last when our leaders fail to denounce those who subvert our democracy.” Miller-Meeks, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and medic, told Fox News Digital that patriotism “has never been controversial to me, not in the 24 years I served this country and not now.” “Bohannan and her DSA allies are free to call loving America ‘controversial,’ but they have no business representing Iowa,” Miller-Meeks said. Zach Kraft, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said Bohannan’s comments were predictable in light of prior controversial support she offered for the left-wing pro-DEI “1619 Project.” ‘QUEEN OF DEI’ RUNNING FOR CONGRESS RIPPED HER RURAL STATE AS ‘BACKWARDS’ ON PODCAST “Leave it to the Queen of DEI to hate America,” Kraft told Fox News Digital. “Only a true… woke warrior like Christina Bohannan could find patriotism offensive but see nothing wrong with calling Iowans backwards for believing in basic biology.” Bohannan warned against a bill prohibiting diversity and “implicit bias” training at schools and universities statewide, calling the Hawkeye State potentially “backward” if it passed. BATTLEGROUND DEMOCRAT FLIP-FLOPS ON CONVERSION THERAPY AFTER LEFT-WING BACKLASH SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “I think that it is going to be very divisive if passed. I think that it’s going to send a very bad message about Iowa and that it is going to seem like are kind of this backwards state that doesn’t understand there are things like systemic racism.” Miller-Meeks previously defeated Bohannan by about six percentage points in 2022, but the Democrat narrowly lost in 2024 in a race that triggered a recount and resulted in the Republican being re-elected by about 800 votes. The district, which includes Davenport and Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa, is competing with Rep. Zach Nunn’s district to the west for the distinction of being the most competitive in the state. Fox News Digital’s Elaine Mallon contributed to this report.
Trump’s DC law-and-order blitz marks one year with eye-popping haul of suspects
FIRST ON FOX: The Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force will mark its first anniversary Tuesday after making more than 16,000 arrests since its launch, Fox News Digital has learned exclusively, as the Trump administration points to the results of its sweeping crackdown on violent crime in the nation’s capital. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners have delivered extraordinary results in our nation’s capital. More than 16,000 arrests, thousands of illegal drugs and firearms taken off the streets, and dangerous violent offenders brought to justice mean safer neighborhoods and lives protected,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “We will not relent until every community in Washington, D.C., is safe.” The task force launched Aug. 11, 2025, bringing federal, state and local law enforcement together after Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. Trump also deployed National Guard troops, drawing criticism from Democratic officials. DC MURDER RATE SEES ASTONISHING TURNAROUND AS TRUMP TEAM CREDITS FEDERAL CRACKDOWN The operation has led to the arrests of 35 homicide suspects and more than 100 known gang members, along with more than 3,200 narcotics arrests, nearly 2,000 illegal guns seized, and 25 missing children located and returned home, according to a White House official. “President Trump has transformed our nation’s capital from a crime-ridden city into a safe and beautiful haven for residents and visitors alike. The president’s Safe and Beautiful Task Force have made more than 16,000 arrests, including murderers, sex offenders, drug traffickers and other violent criminals,” said White House spokesperson Lauren Bis. “The Task Force has driven down crime, beautified the city, and improved quality of life for countless individuals,” she added. The operation followed the June 2025 killing of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian and a series of high-profile violent crimes, including the beating of a former DOGE staffer and the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy in a case involving MS-13 gang members. BLUE CITY’S STAGGERING 40% VIOLENT CRIME DROP A ‘BLUEPRINT FOR OTHER CITIES,’ LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERT SAYS “The men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service, along with our partners from so many federal and local agencies, have tirelessly worked to make D.C. safer for those who live here and for those who visit our nation’s capital,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta. “This operation shows the relentless dedication we have to investigate and apprehend the most violent, dangerous fugitives,” Serralta added. “When law enforcement works together, the impact is exponential. The D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force is proof of that the whole-of-government approach works.” Last year, Trump increased the federal law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C., deploying hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops to the streets to combat crime. The decision drew pushback, with “No Kings” protests across the country and Democratic leaders saying the troops were not welcome. DC GUARD SHOOTING SUSPECT STARES DOWN DEATH PENALTY IN FIRST COURT APPEARANCE Mayor Muriel Bowser previously slammed Trump for the move, saying, “I don’t think it’s legal, let me start there, for the National Guard to police Americans on American soil.” “We use the Guard to respond to emergencies. We use the Guard for large scale events. We do not use the Guard to police our local laws,” she said in October. In November, two National Guard members were ambushed in downtown D.C. when 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of the West Virginia National Guard, was shot in the head and died the following day, Thanksgiving. Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, then 24, was also shot in the head and critically injured but survived. 173 HOUSE DEMOCRATS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING POLICE AMID RISING ATTACKS SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “The true impact of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission is written not only in statistics, but the impact on our community. It is found in the courage of those who serve so that others could move through our nation’s capital with greater safety and peace,” said Brigadier General Leland D. Blanchard II, Commanding General (Interim) of the District of Columbia National Guard. “Alongside the U.S. Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners, our Guardsmen have answered that call with discipline, compassion and resolve. Sgt. Sarah Beckstrom gave the last full measure of devotion, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe endured a profound sacrifice in service to others. Their courage will forever be part of this mission’s legacy,” Blanchard added. “We honor them by carrying the work forward — united in purpose, steadfast in service, and committed to protect the people of Washington, D.C.”
Dems hammer Mace for saying all Muslims in public office are ‘a trojan horse’
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., asserted that all Muslim public servants in the U.S. pose a threat to the nation. “Every single Muslim holding public office in America is a trojan horse, and a threat to both national security and our republic,” Mace declared in a Friday post on X. “We refuse to be silent.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., condemned Mace’s comments and insisted that Republicans should do so as well. EL-SAYED TOUTS ENDORSEMENT FROM PASTOR WHO PRAISED NOTORIOUS ANTISEMITE INFAMOUS FOR CALLING JEWS ‘TERMITES’ “This is absolutely disgusting and dangerous. Republicans must denounce this blatant Islamophobia. To Muslim communities across America: I will always stand with you,” Jayapal wrote in a Saturday post on X. Mace, in part of a post replying to Jayapal, wrote, “Islam must be confronted and Islam must be removed from civil society in the US.” IMAM WHO PRAYED BEFORE CONGRESS FACES FORMAL REBUKE AFTER CELEBRATING GRAHAM’S DEATH California state Sen. Scott Wiener, who is running for the U.S. House in San Francisco, wrote, “Nancy Mace is on yet another bender demonizing Muslims and advocating to strip them of full citizenship. She is a vile person.” Owen Jones, a British man who describes himself on X as a “Socialist, antifascist, writer in various places,” shared Mace’s post and wrote in a Saturday post, “This is a Republican Congresswoman. If she spoke like this about Jewish Americans, she would right be regarded as a loud-and-proud Nazi. Islamophobia is spiralling out of control in the US.” Mace shared Jones’ post and wrote on Sunday, “If not wanting to be blown up, stabbed, or rammed by a car by a radical Islamist in the United States of America makes us Islamophobes, then so be it.” DEMS IN THE HOT SEAT FOR SKIPPING CRUCIAL HEARING ON RADICAL GROUP HIDING IN US: ‘EMBARRASSMENT’ Mace, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2021, ran unsuccessfully in the Republican South Carolina gubernatorial primary this year.
A Southern state just took the top spot in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries
North Texas has beaten some of the world’s biggest data center hubs to claim the No. 1 spot in a new global ranking, as Texas becomes an increasingly powerful player in the industry. Dallas ranked No. 1 in the 2026 Global Data Center Market Comparison by Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services firm. The Lone Star State made a strong showing across the board, with Austin-San Antonio and West Texas also ranking first in their respective categories. The rankings underscore how quickly Texas has become a major destination for data center development as companies search for the land and electricity needed to support artificial intelligence and other computing. Cushman & Wakefield said the state is growing at a pace that could eventually match, or surpass, Virginia, the world’s largest data center market by operating capacity. ONE OF AMERICA’S OLDEST MANUFACTURERS SAYS AI IS CREATING JOBS — NOT REPLACING THEM Dallas isn’t the world’s largest data center market. Despite Dallas’ No. 1 ranking, Virginia remains the world’s largest data center market based on the amount of capacity already in operation. Cushman & Wakefield’s ranking, however, looks beyond sheer size to where the industry is positioned to grow. The commercial real estate services firm compared 107 markets on factors including access to power and land, projects under construction, existing infrastructure and the regulatory environment. Dallas has one of the largest pipelines of planned data center development, trailing only Virginia and Atlanta, according to the report. And that development is spreading across Texas. Cushman & Wakefield said activity has pushed outward from the long-established Dallas-Fort Worth market as companies search for vast amounts of land and electricity needed to support AI and other computing. At the current pace, the firm said Texas could eventually match or surpass Virginia in total data center capacity. Texas has several advantages in that race, including abundant land, a business-friendly environment, an independent and deregulated power grid and incentives for development, according to the report. The rapid growth has also drawn political attention, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pressing data centers to provide more of their own power and cover infrastructure costs as development accelerates across the state. TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT EFFECTIVELY PAUSES NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS PENDING STATEWIDE GRID AUDIT The scale of that growth is also putting pressure on Texas’ resources. Water availability is becoming a concern in West Texas and the Panhandle, while the enormous amount of electricity needed for new data centers is putting greater focus on the state’s power supply. Texas has also adopted new rules requiring some large electricity users to share infrastructure costs and account for their impact on grid reliability. Finding enough power is an industry-wide problem. Cushman & Wakefield said electricity is now the top consideration when companies choose where to build, with utilities taking an average of 4.4 years to connect large new projects to the grid. Those waits are prompting some developers to secure or generate power themselves. Texas may already be home to the world’s top-ranked data center market, but staying on top could come down to whether the state can provide enough power for what comes next.
Dem rep, in first video since hit-and-run crash, opens up about wreck
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, has released a video on X saying she and her congressional staff involved in a Toledo, Ohio, car accident earlier this month are in good shape, thanking the well-wishes for helping fuel her “very rapid recovery.” “As I move to physical rehabilitation, sharing a message with the thousands who shared good wishes from our community, across our region, our country, and around the world,” the longest-serving woman in U.S. House history, Kaptur, 80, wrote on X and sharing the video. “It’s made a huge difference in my very rapid recovery. Each of you continue to uplift my spirit as we move forward. Thank you!” Kaptur, a 22-term House member serving since 1983, and her staffer Keegan Zimmerman were in a vehicle traveling to a church service when it was struck in what police described as a “hit-skip” crash near Detroit and Central avenues in Toledo. Ohio law uses the term hit-skip for a driver’s failure to stop following a crash. OHIO REP MARCY KAPTUR HOSPITALIZED AFTER HIT-AND-RUN CRASH ON WAY TO CHURCH “Dear friends, first of all, thank you so very, very much for the thousands of good wishes that are coming from our community, across our region, our state, our country, and even around the world,” Kaptur says in the video, where she is seated on what appears to be a wheelchair in front of an office window. “Really, it’s made a huge difference in my very rapid recovery. “I want to thank all of you on behalf of myself, my beautiful staff, including Keegan Zimmerman who was with me on that fateful day on Sunday a week ago. He also is in good shape. And I’m working my way back and am so grateful for all of the help that has been given to me in this effort.” The House is on August recess, giving her additional time to recover before returning to Washington, D.C. “We will not return to Washington until next month, so I’m blessed to have time to recover fully, and I want to thank the first responders, the fire and rescue squads, the police, and all of the medical personnel that served us at such a fateful moment,” she added in the video. TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN ADVANCES TO FACE VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT IN KEY HOUSE BATTLEGROUND She is seeking another term in November in a rematch against former Ohio State Rep. Derek Merrin after narrowly defeating him in 2024. The race will be a key battleground in the bellwether state of Ohio. In 2024, she won by just more than the 0.5% margin that would have triggered an automatic recount, with a Libertarian candidate snagging about 4% of the vote. But, she is recovering after the crash where she suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was active and alert after the collision, her office reported after the crash. “It was not a pleasant experience and there were wounds that resulted, but let me tell you we have to be very grateful in this region to have the kind of dedicated medical staff that exists at Mercy St. Vincent’s treating patients from across this region, many of are underserved,” she said in the video. “Absolute dedication to saving lives. I was just so impressed.” TOP DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER SUFFERS MINOR INJURIES IN DELAWARE CAR CRASH Kaptur closed the video by showing viewers a handmade get-well card she received from a child. The card included a drawing of a brown dog named Charlie, whom Kaptur jokingly described as “half-human.” “We’ve heard from many people of many ages, and I received this card from a young gentleman named Avery,” she said. “Isn’t this sweet? That’s his dog, Charlie. And he and I happen to be friends. And he was worried about me. So he did this card for me. “And I’ll just read it for you: It says, ‘Get well soon’ – with Charlie, with hearts, because I really love this dog, Charlie. He’s half-human. And signed Melanie, Adam, Eli, and Avery.” “These are wonderful people, and they uplift your spirits, and each of you uplift my spirit as we move forward.”
Subpoenaed pro-China outlet defends itself on Democracy Now!, which paid Singham-founded company millions
A U.S.-based pro-China media outlet subpoenaed in a Congressional probe of communist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham’s funding network mounted its public defense on Democracy Now!, a progressive news outlet that once paid millions of dollars to a software company Singham founded. BreakThrough News, one of three organizations subpoenaed by the powerful House Ways and Means Committee last month, used Democracy Now! to portray the investigation as an attack on journalism rather than what the committee said is a probe into its funding and alleged foreign influence. During an interview with Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, BreakThrough News presenter Rania Khalek slammed the subpoenas as a McCarthy-style attack on free speech and independent journalism. She also warned investigators could eventually target Democracy Now! itself and encouraged viewers to financially support BreakThrough News as it fights the subpoenas. ‘MCCARTHY TRIALS’: HASAN PIKER, FAR-LEFT FIGURES ERUPT OVER SUBPOENAS IN $39M SINGHAM PROBE “They’re attempting to criminalize dissent and an independent press because they’re losing the argument,” Khalek told Goodman. Khalek described the subpoenas as a “flagrant attack” on the First Amendment and argued lawmakers were reviving McCarthy-era tactics because they were losing the public debate. She said the committee had cited the outlet’s coverage of Israel and ICE’s immigration enforcement. According to a previous Fox News Digital investigation cited by the House Ways and Means Committee, BreakThrough BT Media Inc., the parent organization of BreakThrough News, received about $1.1 million from Neville Roy Singham. Separately, IRS filings show Democracy Now! paid about $2.5 million between 2019 and 2024 to ThoughtWorks, the software company founded by Singham, for software development services. Democracy Now! is not a target of the House Ways and Means Committee investigation and the committee has not suggested those payments are part of its inquiry. Singham sold the company in 2017. BreakThrough News and two other organizations are being scrutinized over funding tied to the Singham network and for failing to produce documents requested by the committee earlier this year. The committee said it is examining whether nonprofit laws adequately protect against foreign influence and whether Congress should strengthen those laws. The committee alleges the Singham network routed money through shell companies and donor-advised funds in ways that obscured the original source of the funding. The committee is specifically investigating about $39 million it says flowed to BreakThrough News, as well as People’s Forum Inc., a New York-based activist organization, and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, which describes its work as rooted in “national liberation Marxism.” BreakThrough News operates from People’s Forum’s West 37th Street address in Manhattan. HOUSE PANEL SUBPOENAS 3 LEFT-WING GROUPS IN PROBE OF $39M TIED TO MARXIST TYCOON NEVILLE SINGHAM Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold ThoughtWorks for an estimated $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, has directed at least $278 million into six core nonprofits within a broader international network of media organizations, activist groups and think tanks, according to a previous Fox News Digital investigation. Organizations within the broader network have regularly organized or participated in anti-ICE, anti-Israel and pro-Iran demonstrations, Fox News Digital previously reported. During the Democracy Now! interview, Khalek argued the committee was investigating BreakThrough News because of its political views. Khalek also disputed the committee’s characterization of the investigation. “They are explicitly saying it’s because of our viewpoints,” she said. However, in a cover letter accompanying the subpoenas to BreakThrough News, the House Ways and Means Committee rejected such arguments made by attorneys for the organization that the investigation infringed First Amendment protections. The committee said its inquiry concerns BreakThrough News’ “financing arrangements and organizational structure” — “not its speech, editorial positions, or political viewpoints.” The cover letter stated that the committee is seeking internal communications, financial records and documents relating to the committee’s investigation into organizations connected to the Singham network. Khalek later expanded on her McCarthyism comparison, arguing Republicans were attempting to shape public opinion because they were “losing the argument.” She said the original McCarthy era succeeded because it won public support. “This smear that we’re part of a ‘foreign plot’ is all they have left because they can’t win on their merits,” Khalek said. “That’s what people need to understand this as.” Khalek did not address the committee’s questions regarding BreakThrough News’ finances or organizational structure during the interview. INTEL EXPERT SAYS SINGHAM NETWORK IS MORE THAN A NONPROFIT SCANDAL—IT’S A SECURITY THREAT Her remarks echoed messaging that quickly spread among left-wing activists and organizations defending BreakThrough News after the subpoenas became public. Supporters portrayed the probe as an effort to suppress dissent rather than scrutinize the network’s funding and alleged foreign influence. As Fox News Digital previously reported, Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, socialist politician Kshama Sawant and others — rapidly characterized the investigation as “McCarthyism,” a “witch hunt,” an attack on independent journalism and a “war on the left.” Many argued the probe was aimed at suppressing dissent rather than scrutinizing the network’s funding and alleged foreign influence. Benjamin also appeared on the same Democracy Now! program, where she discussed a separate Treasury Department investigation into CodePink following the group’s Cuba convoy earlier this year. Benjamin co-founded CodePink with Jodie Evans, who married Singham in 2017, the same year he sold ThoughtWorks. As previously reported by Fox News Digital, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York has separately opened a grand jury investigation into alleged wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and other financial crimes involving Singham’s funding network. The investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been announced. In March 2026, Piker, Benjamin and Evans traveled to Cuba to express support for the country’s communist government. Later in the interview, Khalek broadened her warning beyond BreakThrough News. “It starts with BreakThrough News. But if we let them win, next they come after Democracy Now!, and it only gets bigger from there,” Khalek said. BreakThrough News and Democracy Now! did not respond to a request for comment.
Bernie Sanders demands Democrats ban super PACs from primaries, blasts AIPAC, ‘corrupt system’
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is urging Democratic leaders to restrict super PAC involvement in party primaries, arguing that wealthy outside groups have too much influence over Democratic nominations. In a post on X on Sunday, Sanders singled out the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, while criticizing outside spending in Democratic primaries. “It is insane that the Democrats allow super PACs like AIPAC to spend millions in their primaries — only for those same special interests to help elect Republicans in the general election,” Sanders wrote. “My message to Democratic leaders: Ban super PACs from Democratic primaries NOW.” Sanders also shared an Aug. 8 letter addressed to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin. SANDERS’ ANSWER WHEN ASKED IF HE WILL ENDORSE SOCIALIST HONG IN WISCONSIN SPARKS INSTANT MOCKERY: ‘SAYS A LOT’ In the letter, Sanders said AIPAC and affiliated groups spent more than $30 million in Michigan’s Democratic primary in an effort to defeat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. He also said the group plans to spend tens of millions more to support Republican Mike Rogers in the general election. “AIPAC is not the only super PAC or outside organization playing this role. Corporate super PACs — including crypto, AI and online betting special interests — have already spent a record $517 million this election cycle, shattering the record set in 2024,” Sanders wrote. His criticism focused not only on the amount of outside spending, but also on groups that he said try to influence Democratic primaries and then support Republican candidates if their preferred Democrat loses. “What is particularly obscene is not only the outrageous amount of money coming into Democratic primaries from billionaire-funded super PACs, but the reality that these special interests have no particular desire to see Democrats win,” he said. BERNIE SANDERS TELLS JAMES CARVILLE TO START HIS OWN PARTY AS MODERATE DEMS WARN AGAINST ‘EMBRACING EXTREMISM’ “It is absurd that they spend tens of millions of dollars to try to determine who the Democratic nominee is and, if they fail, then proceed to support the Republican candidate in the general election.” AIPAC says it supports pro-Israel candidates from both parties, according to its website. “AIPAC is a grassroots membership organization with a PAC that supports pro-Israel Democratic and Republican candidates for Congress,” as noted on its website. “The AIPAC PAC is funded by individual American citizens who care deeply about helping elect leaders who want to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Israel.” AIPAC is affiliated with United Democracy Project, a super PAC that says it works to help defeat “detractors — both Republicans and Democrats — of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” its website states. Sanders again called for a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United and for public financing of elections. “Right now, the Democratic Party has the power to prohibit super PACs from participating in its primaries. That can be done. That must be done,” Sanders wrote. “I urge you to take action and make clear that the Democratic Party will no longer maintain this corrupt system.” BERNIE SANDERS BLASTS FETTERMAN AS ‘WAY OUT OF TOUCH’ WITH AMERICANS AFTER GRAHAM PLATNER REBUKE Sanders added, “While there are ideological differences of opinion within the big tent of the party, I would hope that we can all agree that Republican special interests should not play a role in determining the outcome of Democratic primaries. The time to act is now.” In May, Sanders and Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., introduced the Abolish Super PACs Act, which would cap individual contributions to super PACs at $5,000 and effectively eliminate them. AIPAC, Sanders, Schumer, Martin, Jeffries and Rogers could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.
Trump doubles down on reflecting pool vandalism allegations, cites new witness account
President Donald Trump escalated his criticism Sunday over the dismissed Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case, pointing to a National Park Service employee’s account that former Olympian David Hearn “violently” ripped and tugged at the pool’s coating before authorities arrived. Trump shared a screenshot from court documents on Truth Social that detailed interviews with two National Park Service employees who were cleaning the interior of the Reflecting Pool when Hearn approached the area. According to the document, one employee, identified as W-1, said Hearn initially used his cellphone to take what the employee believed were photos or video of damage to the pool. WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS ‘TARGETED SABOTAGE’ OF REFLECTING POOL AS REPAIRS PUSHED PAST JULY 4 CELEBRATION The employee then alleged Hearn “knelt, placed both hands into the reflecting pool, below the surface of the water, and started to ‘violently’ rip and tug at a large portion of the blue pool coating,” according to the document Trump posted. The filing further states that W-1 asked a second NPS employee to contact police and told Hearn not to touch or pull at the coating. Hearn allegedly responded that NPS personnel were “awfully sensitive about the pool” and continued tugging at the coating until National Guard soldiers arrived. Trump pointed to the witness account Sunday as he continued pressing his case after federal prosecutors moved to dismiss the felony charge against Hearn earlier this month. “ALERT: A National Park Service career employee, a highly credible witness, saw David Hearn (ActBlue) in broad daylight vandalize the Reflecting Pool by ‘violently’ ripping and tugging at the Pool’s somewhat delicate coating,” Trump wrote. TRUMP URGES JEANINE PIRRO TO REVISIT DROPPED LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE The president said the employee provided the account to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in early July and argued that the statement bolstered his claim that at least some of the damage was caused deliberately. Trump also alleged that other incidents occurred around the Reflecting Pool, including the use of an “acid like material” on newly installed grass beside the pool, where “86 47” was allegedly written. “There was substantial other damage to the Reflecting Pool, also but, unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself,” Trump wrote. Trump acknowledged in the same post that contractors were responsible for a portion of the problems at the pool, saying there was “some contractor error” as crews rushed to finish the renovation ahead of July 4, but he described that damage as limited. TRUMP SHARES NEWS OF ‘CRYSTAL CLEAR’ REFLECTING POOL, CALLS FOR VANDALISM SUSPECT’S ARREST “We are working on the Pool, and it will reopen shortly,” Trump said, adding that security cameras have been and are being installed. The latest post comes days after Trump urged U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to revisit the case after prosecutors dropped the charge against Hearn. Hearn was indicted July 2 on one count of felony destruction of property after U.S. Park Police alleged he grabbed and pulled at a loose portion of the pool coating on June 19 and continued after being told to stop by a National Park Service employee. Officials initially alleged the damage exceeded $1,000. Pirro’s office later said prosecutors had received only “barebones” reports from the Department of the Interior before seeking the indictment and were not initially given records documenting broader problems with the pool coating’s installation. FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN INDICTED IN ALLEGED REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM Prosecutors said documents produced after the indictment showed that some of the Reflecting Pool damage was tied to flawed installation by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings and a push to finish the project before events surrounding the America 250 celebration. “Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment,” prosecutors wrote in seeking dismissal. The government said the newly disclosed evidence made it difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hearn caused the damage alleged in the indictment. Prosecutors asked for the case to be dismissed without prejudice, leaving open the possibility that charges could be brought again. OLYMPIAN CHARGED IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM DONATED THROUGH DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT Trump has repeatedly challenged Pirro’s decision, saying last week that he “disagree[d] 100%” with the U.S. attorney and later accusing her of having “choked” under pressure in the case. Hearn’s attorneys, Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann and Steve Levin, previously said the case “should never have been brought” and accused the administration of wrongly arresting and charging a man they said “did nothing wrong.” Trump, however, argued Sunday that the witness account shows the Reflecting Pool damage wasn’t caused by faulty construction alone, pointing to the government’s own court filing to support his claim. Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
AOC documents egg-freezing journey, takes aim at Trump admin over women’s reproductive choices
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., revealed that she is freezing her eggs, opening up about the deeply personal decision in a series of Instagram Story videos while saying the procedure will give her more control over her future and using the announcement to criticize the Trump administration’s policies on women’s reproductive health. The progressive “Squad” member posted the videos Saturday, explaining that she had spent years considering the procedure and saving for it before deciding to undergo fertility preservation. Ocasio-Cortez said she wanted to be open about the process because women are often not taught enough about their reproductive health or family-planning options. AOC SAYS MAHA ADVOCATES’ FIGHT ‘ISN’T PARTISAN’ AS SHE BLASTS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOR FUELING ‘A TON OF ANXIETY’ “I have made the decision to start freezing my eggs,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I was weighing it for a very long time, and I think that I was saving for it for a very long time.” Ocasio-Cortez, who was first elected to Congress at 28, said serving in office at a young age meant navigating major life decisions publicly in a way many people do not. “When you get elected young, you have to grow up in the public eye in a time that most people usually get to grow more privately,” she said. MELINDA FRENCH GATES SAYS IT TOOK 3 DOCTORS TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM The New York Democrat said she hoped sharing the experience would help normalize conversations about fertility, pregnancy, menopause, perimenopause, PCOS and other aspects of women’s health that she believes are too often overlooked. “As women in general, we are not taught about our bodies,” Ocasio-Cortez said, referencing puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause and conditions including PCOS. “I think we need to show more depictions of women having full lives in every context and every choice,” she added. Ocasio-Cortez framed the move as an effort to take more control over her future. NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS ADVANCE BILL CRIMINALIZING INTERFERENCE WITH ABORTION, TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE “This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” she said. “If people want to make assumptions about my decision, let them make those assumptions. I feel empowered to make this choice.” She acknowledged that being able to undergo the procedure was a privilege and said advances in technology had helped make egg freezing more financially accessible. Ocasio-Cortez then pivoted to politics, saying she was aware there could be a “political tax” associated with disclosing such a personal decision and arguing that female politicians face scrutiny around marriage, pregnancy and family planning that male politicians often do not. She also blamed the Trump administration for what she described as an increasingly hostile environment for women’s reproductive choices. LATE-TERM ABORTION TAKES FRONT SEAT AS BLUE STATE RUSHES TO EXPAND ACCESS BEFORE SESSION ENDS “In the political context that we’re in, in an administration that is dedicated to politicizing women’s bodies and taking our choices away from us and punishing us around decisions to be pregnant or not be pregnant,” she said. “Frankly, this administration has made pregnancy more dangerous than probably at any point in the last 30-plus years,” Ocasio-Cortez added. “We’re going to take our power back,” she said. “And we have to talk about it.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks. SEE IT: MARK KELLY BLAMES TRUMP’S AGENDA FOR BOOSTING AOC AS DEMS PRESIDENTIAL PICK The announcement quickly drew criticism from some conservatives on social media, including Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet, who argued that Ocasio-Cortez’s decision reflected what he described as a broader progressive message prioritizing careers over starting families. “This is the message progressives spread when it comes to family formation, and one of the reasons why fertility rates are cratering,” Kolvet wrote on X. “Just freeze your eggs, kids! Pursue that career, even if you’ve been engaged for 4 years to a man you’ve known since college,” he continued. “AOC turns 37 in a few weeks so if she got pregnant tomorrow it would already be a geriatric pregnancy. This is not female ‘liberation,’ it’s a cautionary tale.” FDA TO REVIEW 7 POPULAR PEPTIDES TOUTED FOR WEIGHT LOSS, HEALING AND LONGEVITY Ocasio-Cortez has been engaged to longtime partner Riley Roberts since May 2022. Her egg-freezing announcement comes roughly seven years after the New York Democrat famously warned in 2019 that “the world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change,” leaving about five years remaining under that timeline. Ocasio-Cortez said she plans to take viewers through parts of the egg-freezing process, including the hormone injections required ahead of egg retrieval. She said she had already filmed herself unboxing her medications and administering her first shot. The congresswoman said she would even give herself one of the injections in the green room before appearing on an ABC morning show. “I’m gonna take my shot in the green room before my interview,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Because women can do anything.” “I think it’s bad— that I’m gonna be, you know, giving myself shots in the green room, get my glam on, roll out, talk about international events, domestic policy, elections, pop out, live my life, do my thing.”
RNC chair says Talarico’s GOP crossover hopes are a ‘pipe dream’: ‘Nobody is going to follow him’
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico needs to flip some Republican voters this November to win in the largest red state in the U.S., but his opponents are calling out claims of Republicans backing him as inauthentic, if not fraudulent. “Any chance that Talarico has building any type of Republican coalition is a pipe dream for him,” Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Nobody is going to follow him. He’s completely out of touch with Texans.” Gruters’ rebuke came after women voters interviewed on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” claimed to be Republican crossover supporters, only to have longstanding ties to Democrats and anti-President Donald Trump groups — not exactly people that would be voting for Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton in one of the Senate’s biggest ticket races in the battle for the majority. “The people that he had come out and say that they were on his team have been proven to be basically Democrat, liberal activists that have been supporting Democrat candidates for 10-plus years,” Gruters continued. ‘FAKE’ MODERATE TALARICO’S TEXAS SURGE TESTS PAXTON IN FIGHT TO HOLD CRUCIAL GOP SENATE SEAT “I just don’t believe it,” Gruters said. “This is Kamala Harris‘ ‘White Dudes for Kamala.’ It just doesn’t exist. It’s a wannabe or an attempt at them to try to build some crossover support.” Talarico has emphasized building a broad coalition in his campaign, which says it intends to “go everywhere and talk to everyone” ahead of the November election. But Republicans have seized on the political histories of some of Talarico’s backers as evidence the outreach is less bipartisan than advertised. FOX NEWS POLL: GOP DIVISIONS SHAPE TEXAS SENATE RACE One of the women presented as a Republican mother supporting Talarico was identified in subsequent reporting as Mindy McClure. She has Federal Election Commission filings associated with her showing repeated ActBlue contributions benefiting Democratic candidates and political groups dating back to 2018, including Kamala Harris and The Lincoln Project — an anti-Trump political activist group. “When you have policies like mutilating children, saying that God has six different genders and is non-binary and all this other stuff, you can’t expect that Republicans are going to hop on and think that they’re going to be on board to this liberal clown show that he’s operating down there in Texas,” Gruters said. The primary-voting history of another woman featured in the campaign’s outreach was exposed by a record showing more participation in Democratic than Republican primaries. When reached for comment Sunday, the Talarico campaign said the women have no official ties to the campaign, but the spokesperson pointed to the MS Now interview, noting they had previously voted for Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott — one of whom vowed to never do again. “Republicans in Texas are endorsing James Talarico and rejecting Ken Paxton because they know James will bring people together to lower costs while Paxton continues to enrich himself at the expense of working people,” Talarico campaign spokesman JT Ennis told Fox News Digital. Talarico has showcased the support of former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, a longtime Republican who endorsed the Democrat at a recent campaign event. REPUBLICANS UNITING TO BEAT TALARICO: PAXTON TELLS ‘RUTHLESS’ Whitley ran as a Republican judge, but his recent endorsements are on the left. The former county judge endorsed Democrat Mike Collier against Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in 2022 before backing Harris for president and Democrat Colin Allred for U.S. Senate in 2024. All those Democrats lost to Republicans, as did Beto O’Rourke to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, by less than three points in 2018. That history has given Republicans an opening to argue that Talarico is largely attracting voters who had already broken with GOP nominees before the current Senate contest. “He’s not Beto: Beto was actually a decent candidate, as liberal as he was,” Gruters said, delivering his oft-used moniker to Talarico for his “freakish” policy positions in a campaign for Senate in the deeply conservative state. “This guy makes Beto look like a conservative. “Tala-freako has no chance, because people aren’t buying into the stuff that he’s peddling.” CORNYN PREDICTS TRUMP MIDTERM ‘DISASTER,’ THEN ‘THE MOST MISERABLE TWO YEARS OF HIS LIFE’ Texas is famously a state that Trump says votes on “God, guns and oil,” so the RNC chair says those not on board with Trump or those staples are “not the right candidate for Texas” and “not the right candidates for the U.S. Senate” in the state. “We don’t need weak members,” Gruters said. “We need strong MAGA warriors. And that’s exactly what Ken Paxton will provide is he will bring: strength to the U.S. Senate on behalf of Texas and will represent them well.” Paxton survived a potential Texas state impeachment effort just about three years ago. Two of those Republican Texas State House impeachment managers that voted to impeach Paxton in an attempt that died in the state Senate are now campaigning for Paxton. Republican State Rep. Jeff Leach introduced Paxton at an Allen, Texas, campaign rally last week, and state Rep. Briscoe Cain introduced Paxton at a Houston rally. Both are backing Paxton over Talarico. “Ken Paxton has been impeached by Republicans for bribery, indicted for investment fraud, and amassed 15 properties on a government salary while Texans can’t afford one,” Ennis’ statement added. “James is building a people-powered movement — including Republicans and independents — to change this broken political system and reject Ken Paxton’s corruption.” THE BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWNS THIS MONTH THAT YOU NEED TO WATCH There had been some concern Paxton — endorsed by Trump — was not an ideal GOP nominee, having ousted sitting Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who was a four-term senator and won by nearly double digits in 2020. Cornyn was “a great U.S. senator for a long time,” Gruters admitted, stopping short of saying whether Cornyn will stump for Paxton like those impeachment managers that have come home for him. Fox News Digital reached out