Maduro claims immunity, asks judge to dismiss drug-trafficking charges against him and his wife
Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores asked a federal judge Wednesday to dismiss the drug trafficking charges against them, arguing, among other things, that the pair have sovereign immunity, according to court documents. “No American court has ever presided over the criminal trial of a foreign leader who was recognized by their own country as the sitting head of state at the time the charges were brought. That is not an accident of history. It reflects a rule older than the common law: heads of state are exempt from the criminal process of any national court but their own,” a memorandum Maduro’s lawyers filed in support of their motion to dismiss read. “That immunity flows not from goodwill that can be withdrawn on a whim, but from the perfect equality and absolute independence of sovereigns. Thus, this Court lacks jurisdiction with respect to Mr. Maduro, who is recognized by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as its head of state,” the document continued. MADURO ALLY DEPORTED TO US OVER ALLEGED BILLION-DOLLAR CORRUPTION SCHEME TIED TO OIL, FOOD PROGRAM In January 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed a fourth superseding indictment against Maduro and Flores. The indictment charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, and both Flores and Maduro with cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The indictment alleged that for decades, Maduro used his position — first as a deputy in Venezuela’s National Assembly and then as the country’s president — to conspire with narco-terrorists from some of the world’s largest cartels to import cocaine into the United States. Maduro’s lawyers, however, claim that sovereign immunity prevents the U.S. from taking action against Maduro. “The official character of these acts — such as issuing diplomatic passports, deploying the military, and announcing Venezuelan foreign policy — is apparent from the face of the Indictment. Because these actions were undertaken in his official capacity on behalf of a foreign sovereign, he may not be required to respond in this Court to the Indictment’s characterizations of his motives and intent in taking these actions,” the document reads. STATE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES ‘TOTAL COMPLIANCE’ FROM VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT IN RELIEF EFFORTS AFTER MADURO ARREST The U.S. government officially declared Maduro to be an illegitimate president in 2019 after Maduro declared victory in the disputed 2018 presidential election. Maduro’s lawyers also argue that the indictment violates his and Flores’ due process, according to court documents. The document asserts that Maduro “vehemently denies that he had anything to do with drug trafficking or intended to benefit anyone engaged in terrorism.” The motion to dismiss then argues that the charges against Maduro fail to establish that his alleged crimes took place in or were aimed at the United States, and therefore do not meet the standards of due process. ARMY SOLDIER INVOLVED IN MADURO CAPTURE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY USING CLASSIFIED INTEL TO WIN $410K IN BETS “The narcoterrorism statute, which was enacted in 2006 in connection with the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT ACT, was intended to target foreign conduct. Recognizing that its power to police the rest of the world is not unlimited, Congress included a jurisdictional element that authorizes the use of the statute to prosecute foreign conduct under only five enumerated scenarios in which the foreign conduct is connected to the United States. Ignoring those parameters set by Congress, the Indictment fails — even by tracking the statutory language — to allege any basis for jurisdiction over the solely foreign conduct it alleges,” the motion to dismiss reads. The U.S. apprehended Maduro and Flores during a January military operation, titled Operation Absolute Resolve, in which U.S. forces captured the couple in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas and extradited them back to the United States to be prosecuted in New York federal court. TRUMP PICKS JAMES MCDONALD TO LEAD POWERFUL SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER JAY CLAYTON’S DEPARTURE Maduro is set to appear in court in November to begin oral arguments in support of his motion to dismiss. Fox News Digital contacted Maduro and Flores’ legal team and the SDNY for further comment.
‘Why would he do this to us?’: Trump’s foreign beef push is hurting his base, Republicans warn
Republicans are warning President Donald Trump that his decision to flood supermarkets with foreign ground beef is hurting a key group in his base as the midterm elections near their climax. Voters in beef-industry-heavy states, like South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, supported Trump in his bid for a second term. Now, lawmakers from those states say his decision to lift tariffs on hundreds of thousands of tons of foreign beef is putting the very people who elected him in a bind. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who is running for re-election, said his voters in South Dakota “love the president,” and view him like a member of the family, but the beef import order feels like the administration “pulled the rug right out from underneath” them. TRUMP WANTS CHEAPER BEEF. REPUBLICANS IN KEY RACES WARN HIS PLAN GOES TOO FAR “They’re hurt. I mean, they feel like they’ve been let down,” Rounds said. “Like, how could, you know, our friend, this guy that’s as close to us as they’ve ever been to a president, how could he do this to them? I mean, that’s the way they feel,” he continued. “And that’s the expression they’re giving me is, ‘Why would he do this to us? Doesn’t he understand ag?’” Republicans are searching for an economic message to bring to voters as grocery bills, gas prices and other day-to-day necessities grow more expensive. Some argue that kneecapping ranchers and farmers, some of Trump’s most loyal supporters, in the name of affordability runs counter to that. “I think people want an explanation,” a House Republican granted anonymity to speak freely told Fox News Digital. “We want to be able to go to the ranchers, who are big Trump supporters, right, to be able to go to them and say, this administration is fighting for you.” THE UNEXPECTED FORCE KEEPING BEEF PRICES HIGH AND WHY THE PRESSURE COULD LAST FOR YEARS Trump signed the order last week with the intent of flooding the market with 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef, lowering costs for consumers thanks to a commitment that the product would be sold at 25% below current market prices over a 90-day span. He also contended that it would allow ranchers to regrow the nation’s herds, which, thanks to a combination of drought and the invasive New World screwworm, has dwindled to historic lows not seen since the 1950s, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “I’m sympathetic to what he’s trying to get done,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Keloland. “He’s trying to lower beef prices, which I think we’re all supportive of. I just don’t think this is the way to do it. And so, we have a lot of beef producers here in South Dakota; they produce the highest-quality beef in the world, and we’re trying to build our herds back up.” As the blowback mounts, the administration has acknowledged that ranchers are bearing the brunt of the blow. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer huddled privately with House Republicans on Wednesday afternoon, when several lawmakers pressed him on the subject of Trump’s beef imports. NEBRASKA RANCHERS STRUGGLE TO RECOVER FROM HISTORIC WILDFIRES AS DROUGHT WORSENS CRISIS Sources inside the room told Fox News Digital that Greer acknowledged ranchers were frustrated but maintained the import strategy was temporary. He argued it was the administration’s way of easing high prices on the market in the short term, the sources said. But multiple House GOP lawmakers still said they were concerned as they exited the meeting. “This is not just a one-year issue on the affordability of beef. We’ve got to make sure that we’ve got a Made-in-America-first beef program. That means standing with our cattlemen on that,” Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital. “We’ve said the same thing to [Greer] in there.” Nunn, who is a top target for Democrats in November, said he planned to raise the issue again during dinner with Trump at the White House on Wednesday evening. Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., pointed out that it was a relatively small amount of beef for just a 90-day period but said he was worried about the timing as it overlaps with the time of year farmers bring their cattle to market. “If a rancher is expecting to get a price at market that suddenly drops out from underneath them, they’re faced with two things — they don’t have a stable market, so do I invest in heifers for next year? Or do I have to sell more calves to make up for that deficit for my operating costs? Which, neither one is helping rebuild the herd,” Downing told Fox News Digital. House Main Street Caucus Chairman Mike Flood, R-Neb., said he was opposed to a “tariff regime that undercuts American ranchers,” but said Trump’s policies were helping in the “big picture.” Compounding people’s anxiety in the meeting was Trump’s trade war with Canada, which that House Republican said made northern-border-state GOP lawmakers “nervous.” Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital there would likely be “quite a few” follow-up meetings. “It was absolutely outstanding, we had a tremendous amount of participation and people that were really excited to ask good questions,” he said of the meeting in general. And Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at an event in Iowa on Tuesday that the administration understood that “ranchers felt like that was a gut punch.” The White House argued that Trump “has done more for American agriculture than anyone” with trade deals, foreign market access expansion, lowering input costs, bolstering the farm safety net, doubling the death tax exemption, ending taxes on rural property loan interest, and creating rural opportunity zones.” “At the same time, he is delivering on his promise to consumers by reducing beef prices while allowing our American beef herd to grow,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. “The President will continue taking actions to support our great farmers while driving economic
FIRST ON FOX: ‘No Kings’ protest network behind fight against AI data centers and Flock cameras
FIRST ON FOX: The same hard-left network behind “No Kings” and other protests is leading the battle against data centers and Flock surveillance cameras, according to a Fox News Digital investigation and a new report. In growing protests from San Francisco to North Carolina, organizations and activists associated with the same ecosystem that rallied against President Donald Trump, Israel, Elon Musk, Tesla and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the last two years are now taking on data-center construction and license-plate readers. The overlap includes organizations funded by pro-China, Shanghai-based tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, whose sprawling nonprofit and media network has faced Congressional and federal scrutiny over its funding and foreign ties. Singham and the nonprofits he has funded have denied taking orders from any government or political party and haven’t been charged with any crimes. INSIDE THE FAR-LEFT’S ANTI-DATA CENTER PUSH AND WHAT EXPERTS SAY IS DRIVING IT: ‘PLAYBOOK WE’VE SEEN BEFORE’ The findings are detailed in a new report, “The Compute War at Home,” commissioned by Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, an Alexandria, Va., free-markets nonprofit that used social-media analysis by Arken Intelligence, a technology firm based in Washington, D.C., for parts of its study. “The money, media, organizing capacity and campaign objectives converge in the same ecosystem,” the report says. Based on reporting over the past several years from street protests, Fox News Digital has identified the protest movement’s evolution across three phases. The new report chronicles a repeatable political model, in which activists first identify a local grievance, then connect it to a larger ideological narrative and package the argument through national media and activist infrastructure and carry it into new communities. The first phase appeared in early January 2025 with Trump’s inauguration and the launch of “Tesla Takedown” demonstrations to protest Tesla founder Musk as he led efforts to cut waste in federal spending. It became the mobilization infrastructure built around “No Kings” and “Hands Off” anti-Trump protests, anti-Israel activism and related campaigns, supporting the Communist Party of Cuba, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Venezuelan communist strongman Nicholas Maduro. Organizations from the Singham network – including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, CodePink, the People’s Forum, ANSWER Coalition and affiliated groups – appeared repeatedly across those movements, working with nonprofits more aligned with the Democratic Party, including Indivisible, a nonprofit network funded in part by billionaire Democratic megadonor George Soros. The organizations deny any wrongdoing as agents of alleged foreign influence and say they are addressing legitimate community grievances. AGITATORS UNITED BY CHINESE MONEY, HATE FOR AMERICA TARGET DATA CENTERS, EXPERTS WARN The second phase shifted that protest infrastructure toward American technological infrastructure. Over the past year, CodePink developed a national campaign against data centers, while the campaign took root among the approximately 70 chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation with near-identical messaging and strategies. Liberation News, which describes itself as the newspaper of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, nationalized local victories and promoted moratoria, bans and project cancellations. Media outlets, like BreathThrough News, from the Singham network provided additional amplification. The third phase involved an ideological crossover in which Flock cameras have now become a bridge between local privacy and policing concerns and the national fight over artificial intelligence, cloud systems, energy and data centers. The report doesn’t claim that every opponent of Flock cameras or data centers is connected to the activist network. It notes that opposition to Flock has become genuinely bipartisan, with legitimate concerns about privacy, data retention, misuse and poorly written government contracts. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently ordered license-plate readers removed from state highways, while Texas has also moved to pull back from the technology, and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has launched an investigation into Flock cameras over surveillance concerns. But the report credits the left-wing organizers with fusing the two issues into a one-two punch that has caught on with a broad coalition. According to the Arken Intelligence analysis, posts mentioning both Flock and data centers increased from 639 posts in the 10 weeks before a spike in organizing on May 19 led to 9,009 posts over the next 10 weeks, a 14.1-fold increase. Among posts for which a political affiliation could be classified, the report said, 81% came from right-wing, conservative or libertarian accounts. “Issue pairings rarely multiply fourteen-fold in a matter of weeks without a catalyst, particularly when the surge begins immediately after organizers start promoting the connection,” the report states. “These influence actions are cognitive warfare. Foreign actors don’t need Americans to become pro-China,” Rob Joyce, former director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, told Fox News Digital. “They need Americans to argue for the outcomes Beijing wants. And a free society that can’t build the power and govern the advanced technology is going to wind up renting it from the adversary, read the PRC, that doesn’t share its own values. And that scares me as an American.” DOJ LAUNCHES GRAND JURY PROBE INTO MARXIST MOGUL NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S FUNDING OF LEFTIST GROUPS The report identifies at least a year of coordination among far-left activists in the Singham network, deliberately linking the issues through propaganda media outlets and activist networks funded and supported by Singham. Late last September, BreakThrough News laid the groundwork, publishing an article that described Flock as “America’s authoritarian tracking infrastructure.” Soon after, People’s Dispatch, now merged into the BreakThrough News operations, covered a Denver campaign against data centers the next month, using a photograph from the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Denver chapter and quoting a local Party for Socialism and Liberation organizer. By early May, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Denver chapter partnered with Indivisible and the far-left Sunrise Movement and promoted a forum examining the “connections between mass surveillance and data centers and how BOTH only serve the needs of billionaires and not our communities.” PROBE INTO ‘SUBVERSIVE’ ANTI-AI SINGHAM NETWORK IS ‘ENORMOUS,’ FORMER TREASURY ADVISOR SAYS Days later, on May 19, when the convergence of issues went public, the
2028 Dem hopeful’s longtime ally exposed for deep ties to CCP officials: ‘Good friends’
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has been floated as a potential 2028 Democratic contender for president, but his longtime ally and former senior advisor on foreign trade and economic development could be a liability due to his deep ties to Chinese Communist Party officials, a Fox News Digital investigation found. Henry Yin is a longtime California businessman and political operative who Khanna has praised for his “leadership” and has called one of his “good friends” on Facebook. He was born in China, raised in Taiwan and then moved to the United States, where he has lived for several decades. However, while living in California, Yin has been a major player helping China get a foothold in California over the last several decades through multiple roles, including serving as a member of the California Commission for Economic Development and founding a consulting firm that included multiple corporate clients with ties to Chinese Communist Party officials. A 2011 profile piece revealed that Yin “made his fortune selling used computer equipment to China” and had “done business in China for more than a quarter-century.” The profile piece went on to say Yin has “good connections and a sense of [China’s] business climate” and was “leading city trade delegations to China, which have contributed to several Chinese firms — most recently software company Trunkbow International — setting up offices in the city and helping city businessmen get a foothold in China.” SWALWELL RESIGNATION COLLIDES WITH CHINA-LINKED SCANDAL AS CRITICS DEMAND FILE RELEASE “Henry has some sort of special skill-building relationships,” one businessman said in the profile piece, praising Yin. “There’s a lot more government involvement in China, and you need relationships with local government officials.” In addition to his consulting business and several overseas trips to China, Yin has allegedly attended at least 10 events hosted by United Front groups, including the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC), according to China expert Jackie Deal, the president of Long Term Strategy Group, a defense research firm. Fox News Digital has extensively reported on the CCP’s United Front and the threat it poses to U.S. institutions as the CCP gains influence in the United States. In a Sept. 2019 Facebook post, Khanna announced that Yin, who was first appointed to the California Commission for Economic Development in 2010 by then- Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and later reappointed to the position in 2015 by the succeeding Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, would “serve as my Senior Advisor on Foreign Trade and Economic Development.” “We discussed the importance of improving the US China relationship to cooperate on issues of climate change and medical research while protecting intellectual property and opening access to markets,” Khanna continued. “I was particularly touched that Henry and the group had a birthday cake for me. It was wonderful celebrating with them!” A few months later, in December of the same year, Khanna posted about Yin on Facebook again, writing, “Thank you Henry Yin for your leadership!” That same month, Yin invited Khanna to be his “honorable guest” for an event titled, “S.V. U.S.-China Trading Partners Concerned Group Dinner Meeting Agenda,” which was sponsored by Yin’s consulting firm, USA-China-Link. A review of the event’s presentations showed the attendees were slated to talk about an array of topics, including China investments, technology and business asset management, among other topics. Khanna was slated to discuss intellectual property. ELITE US COLLEGES LINKED TO CHINESE SURVEILLANCE LABS DRIVING UYGHUR ‘GENOCIDE,’ STUDY WARNS In Feb. 2020, Khanna posted another photo of himself having dinner with Yin, who he referred to as one of his “good friends.” In the post, Khanna decried that “Chinese Americans are feeling they are being stereotyped as the symbols for the coronavirus.” “This is a time to embrace our Chinese American neighbors and friends and continue to frequent Chinese-American stores, restaurants and shopping centers.” On Yin’s LinkedIn profile, which still includes the senior advisor title with Khanna’s office, he includes over a dozen slides detailing his consulting business, USA-China-Link, and showcasing his business acumen in China, which was featured in several profile pieces in Chinese state media. One of the slides says his firm “specialized in high-tech and green tech” and helped China do business in California and vice versa. Other slides show a list of his Chinese clients and a slide that called him an “Official Commerce Rep in US for the Province of Fujian, China.” Another slide shows a photo of Yin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in 2009 for the China National Day Banquet, where he calls himself a “VIP” in the caption. According to reports on the event, the banquet included several senior-level CCP officials in attendance, including then-Chinese President Hu Jintao and his successor Xi Jinping, the former third-ranking member of the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee, Wen Jiabao, among other top officials. A spokesperson for Khanna, who is a member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, told Fox News Digital earlier this year that “Henry Yin has never been employed by Rep. Khanna” and “he doesn’t serve in any role in his office or campaign.” When asked Wednesday whether his office stands by the quote, Khanna’s office did not immediately respond. Despite the previous denial, Khanna and Yin were pictured sitting beside each other earlier this year at an event. In Feb. 2026, Khanna posted a photo showing him sitting beside Yin at a political action committee meeting in Sunnyvale, California. Khanna wrote he was “honored to be back in the district, hearing directly from Chinese American community leaders.” Yin has made several trips abroad to China over the last decade, including a July trip where he led a delegation to Guangzhou to meet with Zhu Xiaojun, the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province’s deputy director, which is a CCP-controlled position. A Chinese report on the trip said the two sides collaborated on two-way trade between California and the Guangdong province. Two months before the event, Yin attended the 2026 China-California Economic
GOP mail-in voting proposal could impact millions of Americans ahead of midterms
FIRST ON FOX: The nationwide battle over how and when Americans can vote has hit Capitol Hill, with two allies of President Donald Trump unveiling a new proposal they say will help restore confidence in U.S. elections. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., plans to introduce legislation on Thursday mandating that absentee and mail-in ballots are received by the relevant officials by the end of the day on Election Day. A corresponding bill is being led in the Senate by Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla. “This is something that we’ve done in Florida for many years, and it’s a really effective way of making sure that elections stay organized and that we have timely election results,” Lee told Fox News Digital. SUPREME COURT RULES ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY Lee is Florida’s former top elections official, having served as its secretary of state from 2019 until May 2022. “Florida is proof-positive that this works, that it does not deny any voter the right to vote. Our job as elected officials or as elections officials throughout the states is just to make sure that voters know the deadlines, that they know the rules and tell them your ballot has to be received,” Lee said. “They can do that just as easy as they can get it postmarked by Election Day.” TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS It follows an executive order Trump issued in March 2025 essentially setting an Election Day deadline for when mail-in ballots can be received. If passed, the legislation could have a significant impact on millions of Americans, nearly a third of whom vote by mail. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESTRICTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS However, the topic of mail-in ballots has been a political lightning rod that’s divided the GOP. Republicans in states where voting by mail is popular have expressed concern about changing the current system ahead of November. But Lee argued her bill does not curb people’s ability to vote by mail. REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP’S TOP ELECTION PRIORITY ‘DEAD’ IN SENATE AS GOP FRACTURES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS “One thing that’s important to understand about this bill is that it doesn’t limit voting by mail. It simply says that for states who allow mail voting, ballots must be received by Election Day,” she said. “So it still keeps all of those options that states have chosen to implement on the table for them. It just creates a different deadline.” Moody told Fox News Digital of the bill, “The Ballots by Election Day Act is a simple fix to rebuild trust in elections. The fact that some states allow ballots to pour in for days after an election is absurd. Passing our Ballots by Election Day Act would deliver results before bed.” Meanwhile, a separate Trump order making significant changes to the mail-in voting system is currently at the center of a dramatic legal battle between the White House and over 20 states. That order would create new hurdles for the U.S. Postal Service and other agencies to verify proof of citizenship before delivering ballots, as well as mandate the use of specific stationery denoting federal election mail. Supporters of the rule have argued it’s key to enhancing voter confidence in elections, while opponents have said it would do the opposite by sowing chaos in the current system.
Trump’s Army secretary hunt takes shape as insiders float potential picks
The hunt is on for the next secretary of the Army after Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House, opening a key leadership vacancy atop the nation’s largest military branch. Driscoll said Wednesday will be his “last full day” serving as Army secretary, adding that serving in the role under President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been “the honor of a lifetime.” The next Army secretary will inherit a service undergoing a major transformation, with questions over readiness and the Army’s role as the conflict with Iran continues. ARMY CUTS HELICOPTERS, PUSHES ‘AMAZON FOR WAR’ AS DRONE COMBAT RESHAPES MILITARY Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal could serve as acting secretary once Driscoll’s departure is finalized. A former special operations officer and defense industry executive, Obadal has also taken on a more public-facing role, including speaking at conferences. In the Trump administration, deputy officials have repeatedly stepped into top leadership roles after resignations or firings— including then-Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao becoming acting Navy secretary after John Phelan’s departure this year. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman and a senior adviser to Hegseth, has emerged as one potential candidate, according to sources. PENTAGON FIRES BACK AFTER MARK KELLY ACCUSES PETE HEGSETH OF TARGETING WOMEN AND BLACK MILITARY OFFICERS “A lot of people inside [Office of the Secretary of War] want to see Sean Parnell become the next Secretary of the Army because they’ve worked alongside him and know what he brings to the table,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital. Parnell, who serves as assistant to the secretary of War for Public Affairs, is a former United States Army captain whose platoon killed over 350 enemy fighters at the height of the Afghan War. He unsuccessfully ran for the House in 2020 before launching a 2021 campaign for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, earning Trump’s endorsement. He later suspended his campaign amid domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Laurie Snell, which he denied. HEGSETH TURNS TABLES ON DEMS AS SPARKS FLY DURING HEARING CLASH: ‘I PUT THIS ON YOU’ The senior administration official said Parnell understands the Pentagon and the problems inside from military experience paired with his work at the highest levels of the institution. “He also understands the importance of working alongside General LeNeve, who has been carrying an enormous load to keep the Army moving, and giving the Army Staff the leadership and support they need to get it back on track,” the official said, referring to the acting Army chief of staff. A senior Pentagon official told Fox News Digital Parnell has “proven time and time again” that he is loyal to the president, citing that Parnell was present at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot. After the president was removed from the rally, Parnell stayed behind to help others get out, the senior Pentagon official said. Parnell returned with Trump to Butler three months after the assassination attempt. “Their relationship goes back many, many, years at this point, and it’s not just with the president. It’s also very senior members of the White House that are with the President every single day,” said the senior Pentagon official. REPUBLICANS DEFY JOHNSON TO ADVANCE DEMOCRAT-BACKED UKRAINE AID A third senior administration official told Fox News Digital that “Sean Parnell is 100% focused on the job he was appointed to by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.” Florida Rep. Brian Mast may also be under consideration, a source with knowledge told Fox News Digital. The Trump-endorsed candidate serves as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and previously served in the Army for 12 years. Driscoll’s exit comes after reportedly butting heads with Hegseth over concerns with the administration about the Army’s transformation and readiness, including his belief that Hegseth had hindered those efforts, Fox News Digital previously reported. Parnell defended Hegseth’s leadership and said the department remains united behind his vision. “Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War and, at President Trump’s direction, has ushered in a new era of Peace Through Strength. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs,” Parnell told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way.” “The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first,” he added. Democrats and some Republican lawmakers unloaded on Trump and Hegseth over the changes in the Department of War. North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Hegseth is “creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks” while ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed of Rhode Island said, “Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished and competence is secondary to personal allegiance.” Navy Secretary John Phelan was ousted in April after reportedly clashing with Hegseth over shipbuilding and management. FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP TO OPEN DIRECT LINE WITH MILITARY FAMILIES IN GROUND-UP READINESS PUSH The White House directed Fox News Digital to DOW when asked for comment. Fox News Digital reached out to Parnell, Mast, the Army and DOW for comment.
Gloria Steinem, feminist writer and activist, dead at 92
Feminist writer and activist Gloria Steinem has died at the age of 92, according to a statement posted on her Instagram page Thursday. “Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her,” the message read. “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end.” “Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor,” the statement continued. The statement said Steinem “spent her recent years doing the two things she loved most: being in community with others and writing.” FLASHBACK: GLORIA STEINEM, NOBEL LAUREATES ARRIVE IN NORTH KOREA FOR PEACE MARCH ACROSS DEMILITARIZED ZONE “Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain. Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle,” it added. Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934, Steinem was a “founder of New York and Ms. magazines, and is the author of An Unexpected Life, The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off, My Life on the Road, Moving Beyond Words, Revolution from Within, and Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, in addition to many collections and essays,” a biography on her website said. “She co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Free to Be Foundation, and the Women’s Media Center in the United States. As links to other countries, she helped found Equality Now, Donor Direct Action, and Direct Impact Africa,” it added. “Among many tributes and honors for her activism, in 2013 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and in 2019, she received the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum,” the biography continued, noting that “Gloria’s home is the heart of Gloria’s Foundation and has become renowned as a magnetic and life-changing center for feminist and activist thinkers from around the world.” Steinem “helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, a pioneering national information center that specialized in nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group that continues to work to advance the numbers of pro-equality women in elected and appointed office at a national and state level.” CELEBRITY ACTIVISTS WHO HAVE MADE A GLOBAL IMPACT “She also co-founded the Women’s Media Center in 2004. She was president and co-founder of Voters for Choice, a pro-choice political action committee for twenty-five years, then with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund when it merged with VFC for the 2004 elections,” her website said. Steinem married businessman and animal rights activist David Bale in September 2000. Bale, the father of actor Christian Bale, died three years later from primary brain lymphoma. Steinem began her career as a journalist, notably one who reported, in 1963, on degrading conditions in Hugh Hefner’s Playboy empire, an undercover assignment she came to later regret, according to The Associated Press. She credited a meeting six years later, where women spoke out boldly in favor of abortion rights, with changing her career path. “That speak-out was the beginning of activism for me,” Steinem, who had undergone a secret illegal abortion herself at age 22, told the AP in an email in 2022, reflecting on the reversal of Roe v Wade. “Either our control over our own bodies is equal, regardless of sex or race, or we’re not living in a democracy.” Well into her 80s, Steinem was traveling the globe and speaking out on issues of importance to her. These included everything from genital mutilation to Korean reconciliation, but it was equality for women that took precedence. “Being a feminist means that you see the world as whole instead of half,” she once said. “It shouldn’t need a name, and one day it won’t.” In 2020, her life was the subject of a feature film, “The Glorias, A Life on The Road,” based on her 2015 memoir and starring Julianne Moore. And at 91, she collaborated on a picture book with Liberian peace activist and Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee aimed at inspiring young people to change the world. “Rise, Girl, Rise: Our Sister-Friend Journey. Together for All” was published in February 2026. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FAA seeks permanent airspace restrictions near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago as expert warns rules are ‘not good enough’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed permanent flight rules around President Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, to secure the airspace near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate amid heightened concerns over unauthorized aircraft and rogue drones — moves that some say are insufficient to deter dedicated adversaries. The regulatory action was initiated at the request of the U.S. Secret Service, in the “interest of national security,” the agency confirmed to Fox News Digital. “At the request of the U.S. Secret Service in the interest of national security, the FAA is proposing Special Air Traffic Rules for the airspace near Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT),” an FAA spokesperson said. NORAD FIGHTER JETS INTERCEPT 2 AIRCRAFT NEAR TRUMP’S GOLF CLUB, 3RD PLANE DELAYS HIS NJ DEPARTURE Under the proposed mandate, a Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) would be established. Aircraft flying below 2,000 feet within one nautical mile of the designated zone would be required to obtain explicit clearance, maintain two-way contact with air traffic control, and continuously transmit an assigned transponder code. Arriving and departing aircraft would also need to meet strict security criteria before entering the airspace. TRUMP HAS BECOME AMERICA’S MOST TARGETED LEADER, FACING THREATS EVERY FEW MONTHS The heightened precautions follow multiple threats against Trump, including a June plot where five suspects attempted to coordinate an ambush using explosive-laden drones aimed at targeting him and other high-profile officials during the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. However, drone experts argue that regulatory boundaries are “not good enough.” AMERICA’S POWER GRID, FOOD SUPPLY AND MORE ARE UNDER THREAT FROM DRONES “When you look at what happened in Butler [Pennsylvania] it was discovered later on that the shooter had done very basic surveillance with a drone — a Chinese drone that you could buy off Amazon — before he conducted the attack against the president,” Brett Velicovich, a former U.S. Army special operations intelligence analyst and drone expert, told Fox News Digital. Velicovich emphasized that government agencies must move faster to adopt active interdiction capabilities rather than relying solely on airspace designations. “We’re going to have to have more counter-drone systems in place because it is not good enough simply for the FAA to send a message saying this area is a no-drone zone,” he added. “When you’re a bad actor, that doesn’t matter.” The FAA proposal remains open for public comment through Oct. 2. The White House deferred questions regarding the security framework to the U.S. Secret Service, which did not immediately provide additional comment.
The primary is over; now come the primetime mistakes
There’s a reason football great Deion Sanders was known as “Primetime.” Sanders epitomized his sobriquet with electric performances on “Monday Night Football” and in the playoffs. But not every political candidate is ready for primetime. The roadside is littered with political failures from both sides. Candidates are better suited for late-night public access in the suburbs. Consider for a moment someone else who also wasn’t bad in primetime: former football star Herschel Walker. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. But when Walker ran for the Senate in Georgia in 2024, his political acumen could barely qualify him for a political practice squad. UNEARTHED INTERVIEW REVEALS EL-SAYED’S SHARIA ‘OBLIGATION’: ‘NOT BECAUSE OF FEAR’ This year, Democrats trotted out political novice Graham Platner to try to defeat 30-year veteran Sen. Susan Collins, R-Man. But his Nazi-era tattoo and allegations of rape and sexual abuse revealed that Platner was more downtrodden than Down East. So, how will some of this year’s political hopefuls fare? Platner would have been the Democrats’ most controversial candidate of the 2026 Senate election cycle. But Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has eclipsed Platner. El-Sayed is progressive. He holds extreme views and previously associated closely with left-wing influencer Hasan Piker. During an appearance on Fox, El-Sayed compared Sharia law to canon law in the Catholic Church, pitched ditching the Second Amendment and somehow wound up discussing private parts. El-Sayed’s performance scored headlines. But he also created headaches for Democrats. The party needs to hold the Michigan seat to flip the Senate. And El-Sayed is exactly what Republicans were looking for. Since El-Sayed captured the Democratic nomination to face former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., Republicans hope to use him to nationalize the midterms. They want to portray El-Sayed as “what’s wrong” with the Democratic Party and why he’s not aligned with mainstream voters. The GOP believes that message will trickle down to other Democratic candidates around the country. In other words, could El-Sayed’s echo undercut Democratic candidates beyond the Wolverine State? When campaigning, El-Sayed promoted polished policy positions. “You deserve good health care,” said El-Sayed. “You deserve protections at your job.” But when asked on Fox about boys playing sports with girls and sex changes for kids, his rhetoric devolved to this: “Circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling. So, you really want to bring that up? I just think you guys are really selective about how you guys want to talk about things,” El-Sayed told Fox’s Jesse Watters. Political consultants on both sides of the aisle will likely agree. If a candidate finds himself on national television using euphemisms for private parts and not discussing the war in Iran or the cost of groceries, something is wrong. El-Sayed also backs Medicare-for-all and slavery reparations. “I just think it’s past time to have that conversation. That shouldn’t be a crazy thing,” said El-Sayed. Republicans are clamoring to hear more from El-Sayed. “It’s common sense versus communist crazy. And don’t believe my word. Listen to what El-Sayed says,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told Fox Business. DEMOCRATS WHO ‘NEVER VOTED REPUBLICAN’ BACK ROGERS OVER EL-SAYED IN RAZOR-CLOSE RACE El-Sayed’s association with Piker worries Democrats because Piker espouses antisemitic views. “Those comments were dangerous, malicious and antisemitic and shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone in the public square,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said. But now El-Sayed is distancing himself from Piker. “I got so much exposure and empowerment from the Jewish community,” said El-Sayed at a rally. “Jewish people are a light unto the world.” But not everyone is buying it. “His response was pathetic, and it did not answer the call,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in the House, said on Fox. “This is not a guy who any of us should embrace.” In fact, the campaign of Rogers went as far as to say that El-Sayed was making the case for their candidate. President Trump recently escalated the trade war with Canada. He renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” El-Sayed vanquished moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in the primary. With all of this tumult, one wonders if Democrats would feel better wrestling with the president over trade with Stevens as their nominee versus El-Sayed. That said, politics is a funny thing. This doesn’t mean that El-Sayed is unelectable. Progressives throb with energy inside the Democratic Party right now. Someone like El-Sayed could actually bolster turnout among the left. This could work to the Democrats’ advantage if Republicans stay home because they’re disappointed in President Trump. Or, as House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu, D-Calif., told voters this week, “Just go fu—– vote.” On the Republican side of the aisle, few had heard of Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., until brother Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died unexpectedly. Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster quickly appointed Darline to her brother’s seat and cajoled her to run for the full term. Darline Graham was a political neophyte. And despite President Trump tapping her for the permanent gig, it was far from clear that she was ready for primetime. During a debate in the GOP primary runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Graham stumbled when asked about U.S. interests regarding Taiwan. “I’m not that informed on national security,” said Graham. “But I do support the military.” Of course, foreign policy was her brother’s forte. He died just after jetting back to Washington after meetings in Turkey and Ukraine. But Darline Graham used the gaffe to pivot. She claimed that voters are more concerned with kitchen table issues. “You know how many (people) brought up Taiwan or national security?” Graham said when stumping. “Not one. They’re talking about the rising cost of health care and affordability.” A reporter pressed Graham for details about harnessing inflation. “Is there something from you, affirmatively (could do like) a piece of legislation, to help drive down the cost of goods?” a scribe asked. “We’ll see when I get there,” Graham replied. Well, Graham is already “here.” She’s been in
Blue state creates six-figure role for trans inmate services amid budget shortfalls
The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) hired a gender-affirming care coordinator last month, and the job will pay between $78,000 and $115,000 annually. The job includes oversight of a program for “managing and monitoring needs and safety risks of transgender, intersex and non-binary adults in custody,” according to the listing. The position also chairs a multidisciplinary team focused on their individualized needs. The role, which comes as the DOC is projected to have a $55 million deficit in 2026, continues gender-related initiatives spearheaded by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a longtime champion of the trans community, as she pursues re-election to a second term. It also highlights the logistical difficulties associated with trans prisoners. BIOLOGICAL MALE KILLER HOUSED IN OREGON WOMEN’S PRISON WINS HIGH-DOLLAR LEGAL SETTLEMENT IN SEX ABUSE SUIT After a 2023 review of Oregon’s only women-only prison, the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Kotek said her administration would look for ways to address what the report called delayed care for its cisgender and trans inmates. “Transgender residents [are] being denied or delayed access to needed care, including hormone replacement therapy. This creates significant medical and mental health issues for some residents, including gender dysphoria,” the report stated. The report included one example of a transgender resident at the Coffee Creek who said her request for continuing her hormone blocker treatment had gone unheeded. “I had been accessing prescriptions at the county. I did not get it when I got here. … I sent several [requests], but they kept bumping me to different places. Now I’ve gotten my period twice. It’s been terrorizing and humiliating,” the resident, a biological woman, said. Kotek promised to address issues raised by the report. “In the wake of national, systemic shortcomings in meeting the needs of women who are incarcerated, I am resolved to confront these issues head-on,” Kotek said in a press release. FORMER TOP OREGON GOP OFFICIAL SECURES NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR AS REPUBLICANS TARGET BLUE-STATE PICKUP “The GIPA report was sobering to read. It is incumbent on Oregon’s corrections system to ensure that the use of carceral settings yield the best possible public safety outcomes and sets people up for successful re-entry.” As a part of the response, her office created the Advisory Panel on Gender Responsive Practices in Corrections. In turn, the panel recommended training staff who make decisions about housing and medical and behavioral care for the needs of transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse inmates. The panel did not specifically recommend the gender-affirming care coordinator position. The role is similar to a position that would have been established through SB 1120, a failed bill. Among other provisions, that law would have created a role tasked to “provide coordination of efforts and training across staff and adults in custody on best practices for supporting transgender, nonbinary or gender-diverse adults in custody.” The hire clashes with Kotek’s instruction to agencies to reduce spending. In 2025, when Republicans in Washington, D.C., passed tax cuts through President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” Oregon’s tax picture also changed. The state’s tax code mirrors many of the definitions of taxable income used by the federal government. When those definitions shrank, so did Oregon’s revenue, leaving the state with a negative general fund balance of $373.7 million, according to state reports. “This is not what we had planned for, but it is what we must do. I am asking you to leave no stone unturned to save tax-payer dollars. This challenge is not unique to Oregon, but how we respond will be. Our resilience, teamwork and determination have carried us through hard times before. They will again,” Kotek wrote in a letter to state department heads. Like other departments, the DOC was also affected, reporting a projected $55 million deficit. To remedy this, the department was instructed to slow operational spending, prepare for operational cost reductions and suspend non-essential out-of-state travel. Even so, Kotek has highlighted trans care as a priority, strongly advocating for a government-led approach to expanding access to trans procedures, calling them part of “health care.” “I want to be very clear. Gender-affirming care is health care. Period, end of story,” Kotek said at a bill signing in 2023 after the legislature passed a reproductive and gender-affirming care package. She has also pushed back against attempts from the Trump administration to limit federal funding for hospitals that provide transgender procedures to minors. TRUMP DIRECTS CMS ADMINISTRATOR MEHMET OZ TO END MEDICAID GENDER TRANSITION FUNDING FOR MINORS “The Trump administration cannot change the rules and restrict funding to hospitals and doctors who provide gender-affirming care to young people. Gender-affirming care is recognized by major medical organizations and plays an important role in helping young people stay safe, healthy and supported for who they are,” Kotek said in a video release. Kotek’s office did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the new position and additional details about its duties.