Exclusive Photos: JD Vance joins Navy SEAL training, pushes limits in grueling workout
EXCLUSIVE: New photos obtained by Fox News Digital show Vice President JD Vance training with U.S. Navy SEALs in California — a 90-minute workout the vice president later said left him feeling like he’d been “hit by a freight train.” Images show Vance carrying logs, rowing in the ocean, running on the beach and climbing a rope obstacle course alongside a group of SEALs. “Just finished PT with the Navy SEALs for 90 minutes,” Vance wrote in an X post Monday. “They took it easy on me and I still feel like I got hit by a freight train.” Vance used the moment to praise the military’s special operations forces, writing that he is “so grateful to all of our warriors who keep us safe and keep the highest standards anywhere in the world.” HEGSETH WORKS OUT WITH US TROOPS IN MALAYSIA AS WAR DEPARTMENT VOWS ‘WE WILL BE FIT, NOT FAT’ The vice president participated in multiple stages of SEALs training at a facility in Coronado, California, per a source familiar. Many of the SEALs’ faces have been blurred to protect their identities. Vance is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Iraq War. He enlisted in 2003 and deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, where he worked in public affairs. TRUMP UNVEILS ‘GOLDEN FLEET’ OF NAVY BATTLESHIPS, TOUTS THEM AS ‘MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY’ EVER BUILT The vice president previously has said his time in uniform shaped his views on national security, the costs of war and the responsibility leaders bear when sending troops into harm’s way. Navy SEALs are among the U.S. military’s most elite special operations forces, known for grueling physical standards and missions ranging from counterterrorism to maritime operations. The post aligns with broader messaging from Trump administration officials emphasizing physical readiness across the armed forces. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has emphasized U.S. troops need to be “fit, not fat,” even up to the general and flag-officer level. He has frequently highlighted physical readiness in public remarks and has taken part in workouts with service members during visits to military units around the world.
98 Minnesota mayors warn state fiscal policies are hurting cities, residents and local budgets
A group of 98 Minnesota mayors raised concerns with state leaders in a letter about their state’s fiscal policies, saying they have impacted their cities and residents, noting a disappearing $18 billion surplus and a projected $2.9 billion to $3 billion deficit for the 2028-29 biennium. In a letter to state lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz, the 98 mayors expressed concern and frustration, said the state was slipping in national economic rankings. “Fraud, unchecked spending, and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities—reducing our capacity to plan responsibly, maintain infrastructure, hire and retain employees, and sustain core services without overburdening local taxpayers,” the letter states. ‘EPICENTER OF FRAUD’: MINNESOTA’S EMPTY STOMACHS, FAKE AUTISM THERAPY AND A SCANDAL THAT COULD TOP $2 BILLION Cities across the state now face workforce shortages, slowed business investment, rising operational and construction costs, and families choosing to leave Minnesota altogether, the letter states. In addition, the mayors noted potential property tax increases as a result of unfunded state mandates and costs that force cities to shift the burden to residents and businesses. “There is a growing disconnect between state-level fiscal decisions and the strain they place on the cities we lead, the letter said. “When the state expands programs or shifts responsibilities without stable funding, it is our residents—families, seniors, businesses, and workers—who ultimately bear the cost.” Unfunded mandates include requests for schools, health and human services, and public safety. Minnesota Republican lawmakers put the blame on Walz and Democrats. MINNESOTA’S ANTI-FRAUD SPENDING HAS QUIETLY BALLOONED, LEAVING TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR FAILURE TWICE “Governor Walz and Democrats passed unaffordable spending and tax increases along with unfunded mandates on the promise it would make life more affordable,” state Republican Sen. Andrew Lang, who serves as the Lead on the Senate State and Local Government Committee, said in a statement. “In reality they just passed down the costs to local governments, schools, and small businesses, who in turn pass down costs to local taxpayers and consumers. “Minnesota Counties sounded the alarm early last session about the proposals to shift costs onto their budgets, so I’m not surprised that nearly 100 mayors across the state are raising their own concerns. This letter is a warning that we must reduce state spending, stop the massive fraud plaguing our state, and remove unnecessary mandates to keep life affordable for everyone.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz’s office. The mayors noted that a state statute requires a balanced budget but that relying on one-time surplus dollars has created structural strain. “Our state owes it to our citizens to practice responsible fiscal management and to stop taxing our families, seniors, and businesses out of Minnesota,” they said. “We urge the Legislature to course-correct and to remember that every dollar you manage belongs not to the Capitol, but to the people of Minnesota.”
Congress flees town as health care premiums set to explode for millions of Americans in January
Lawmakers left town. Last Thursday was the final day Congress met until early January. And despite health care dominating the conversation on Capitol Hill since late summer and through the autumn, Congress failed to execute a legislative fix for soaring health care premiums set to spike in January. It was a Congressional jailbreak around 3 pm et Thursday as the House called its last vote and lawmakers sprinted for the exits, piling into cars on the Capitol plaza. “Don’t send us home without a vote,” implored House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., on the House steps earlier in the day. “Our message to (House Speaker) Mike Johnson, R-La., is clear,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “You can run. But you cannot hide.” SANDERS BLASTED AFTER BLOCKING BIPARTISAN KIDS’ CANCER RESEARCH BILL: ‘GRINCH,’ ‘SELFISH’ Lawmakers packed up for December, practically channeling partisans of the (once) hapless Chicago Cubs, declaring “Wait til next year.” “I’m optimistic that we still have a chance to do better in 2026,” forecast Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. “I think before the end of January, we really do want to do something,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. There’s a reason why 2026 is fundamentally different from 2025. “It’s an election year,” observed Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. “I think that Members of Congress are going to start hearing from their constituents.” Freshman Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., beat former Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., by one point in 2024, flipping the district from blue to red. Last week, Mackenzie became one of four House Republicans who rebelled against top Republican leaders – and aligning with Democrats – to renew Obamacare subsidies. The “Fed Up 4” signed what’s called a “discharge petition.” This is a maneuver to go around the Speaker and put a bill on the floor – if the Speaker won’t. Democrats pushed a discharge petition to re-up the expiring subsidies for three years. But they needed four Republicans to join them in their parliamentary guerilla tactic to take this out of the hands of the Speaker. CROCKETT FIRES BACK AT JD VANCE’S ‘STREET GIRL’ COMMENTS, SAYS IT’S A RACIST TROPE “There is no silver bullet. If there was, either party would have done it,” said Mackenze. When asked about the politics of this in his battleground district, Mackenzie replied that “we have a long way to go before the midterms.” Discharge petitions don’t ripen for a vote immediately. The House must wait seven legislative days before consideration. The House is out until January 6, 2027. After two days to trigger the discharge petition, the House may consider this maneuver around January 8 or 9. But even one top House Republican believes this coalition of Democrats and few Republicans will succeed in January. “My gut tells me that the COVID era subsidies, because we had the four members of the House sign onto that discharge petition, that it probably will pass,” predicted House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI) on Fox Business. But the Senate blocked a similar plan earlier this month. That’s why Democrats are skeptical that Congress can fix the problem once premiums explode in the new year. “Huge damage has already been done. And nothing we do after January 1st can undo so much of that damage,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Some Republicans advocate a complete legislative overhaul of health care next year. “What is different, though, about 2026 on health care compared to 2025 about health care? Why does this suddenly change?” yours truly asked Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. JD VANCE TURNS TURNING POINT SPEECH INTO MIDTERM BATTLE CRY — AND A PREVIEW OF 2028 “There won’t be anything different if you keep doing the same old thing. So that’s the point,” said Graham. But he added that there was a “deal to be had” on health care. Only a bipartisan health care bill can overcome a Senate filibuster. That’s why the Senate nuked separate Democratic and Republican plans a few weeks ago. Some Republicans are now advocating going it alone on health care next year. They can do that – if they use a special budget process called “reconciliation.” Via reconciliation, senators can pass a bill with just a simple majority. But the measure must be budget neutral over a decade and just pertain to fiscal policy. Some Republicans prefer this path. They believe President Trump would sign a partisan bill. “The only way for us to be able to lower the cost of health care is to do another reconciliation bill,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), referring to the mechanism the GOP used to pass the Big Beautiful Bill. Democrats also deployed reconciliation to pass Obamacare. “For the life of me, I cannot figure out why my friend (Senate Majority Leader John) Thune, R-S.D., will not agree to do another reconciliation bill,” continued Kennedy. “Why would you give up the chance to put together a sound social and economic policy when you only need 51 votes to do it.? Why would you give that up?” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) agrees with Kennedy. He believes Democrats prefer to have health care as an issue in 2026 – and not actually address the problems. “They’re an obstruction party. They despise President Trump,” said Schmitt of the Democrats. “We have majorities. We should use them.” But that’s the problem. Congressional Republicans have never coalesced around a health care plan which can pass both bodies. Even with their majorities. It didn’t happen in 2017. It’s doubtful that can happen now. So lawmakers aren’t passing out presents at the holidays. They’re dishing out blame. “Because of Republicans, it is now impossible, sadly, to prevent people from having to pay hundreds, if not thousands more on their premiums next year,” said Schumer. “The Democrats do not want a solution,” said Johnson. “They want a campaign talking point.” So Democrats and Republicans alike abandoned the Capitol for the holidays without voting on a subsidy extension. “House Republicans have chosen to get out of town before
DOJ appeals dismissal of James, Comey criminal cases in long-shot legal gamble
The Justice Department on Monday appealed the dismissal of its criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, making good on its vow to revive both cases despite what appear to be significant legal and procedural hurdles. Lawyers for the Trump administration appealed both cases Monday to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va. “The power to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546 during the current vacancy lies with the district court until a U.S. Attorney is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate,” the Justice Department said in its appeal. Both appeals challenge a ruling handed down by U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie in November, which found that former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed to her role as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Because Halligan was unlawfully appointed — and was the sole prosecutor who secured the indictments — Currie ruled that the indictments were invalid and dismissed both cases without prejudice. “Ms. Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role since September 22, 2025,” Currie said in an opinion filed in both cases. “All actions flowing from Ms. Halligan’s defective appointment” as a result, he said, “constitute unlawful exercises of executive power and must be set aside.” COMEY SEEKS TO TOSS CRIMINAL CASE CALLING TRUMP PROSECUTOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ APPOINTEE Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed then to “immediately” appeal the decision, and FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI and Justice Department are exploring other options to keep the case against Comey alive. James was charged with two counts of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution during her 2020 purchase of a home in Norfolk, Virginia. Comey was charged with making false statements to Congress and for obstruction related to his testimony in September 2020. Currie dismissed Comey’s case and James’ case “without prejudice” – a detail that left the door open for the government to secure new indictments. Prosecutors ultimately attempted, without success, to re-indict both Comey and James, prompting new questions about the strength of the case. Federal prosecutors twice tried and failed to secure a new indictment against James from grand juries in Norfolk and then in Alexandria. Neither effort was successful. RAIGNED IN VIRGINIA ON FEDERAL BANK FRAUD CHARGES TIED TO 2020 HOME PURCHASE In Comey’s case, a separate judge ordered prosecutors to erase certain evidence – including emails and data – that had played a central role in the Justice Department’s case. Comey’s case also raises statute-of-limitations concerns, as both charges carried five-year limits that expired Sept. 30 – just three days after Bondi installed Halligan at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. It is unclear whether the judge’s order “resets the clock” on the statute of limitations under a federal law, as Trump’s allies have argued it should. Under the same law, a dismissal by the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals would trigger a 60-day window for the Trump administration to re-indict Comey. The Justice Department notified the lower court Monday that it had filed both requests to the Richmond-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Trump unveils ‘Golden Fleet’ of Navy battleships, touts them as ‘more powerful than any’ ever built
President Donald Trump announced a new fleet of ships Monday, known as the “Golden Fleet,” as he revealed he approved plans for two new “very large battleships.” “As you know, we’re desperately in need of ships. Our ships are some of them have gotten old and tired and obsolete,” Trump said, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan. Trump said the new ships would be “100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” in an address from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. NAVY SECRETARY WARNS SHIPYARDS MUST ‘ACT LIKE WE’RE AT WAR’ AS CHINA’S AI-POWERED FLEET RACES AHEAD Renderings behind the president showed the new “Trump class,” including one named the USS Defiant. “We haven’t built a battleship since 1994. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships … other than our submarines.” Trump said the Navy would immediately start procuring two ships, working up to 10 and eventually 20 ships to 25 ships in total, and would aim to have the first two within two and a half years. Trump described the ships as heavily armed platforms combining missiles and traditional naval guns, arguing that gun-based firepower could deliver combat effects at a fraction of the cost of missiles. Each ship would displace more than 30,000 tons to 40,000 tons and serve as a flagship of the U.S. fleet, he said. The president said the battleships would be equipped with advanced weapons, including hypersonic missiles, electric rail guns and high-powered laser systems, as well as nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missiles currently under development. Trump also said the ships would feature state-of-the-art defensive systems and carry what he described as “tremendous numbers of missiles.” Trump denied that the ships were meant to counter China. “It’s a counter to everybody. It’s not China, we get along great with China,” Trump said. “I have a great relationship with President Xi and it’s not China. It’s, just everybody you don’t know who comes along, but, we just wanted peace through strength.” The announcement comes amid an ongoing debate within defense circles over the future of the U.S. fleet, with recent naval strategy emphasizing submarines, unmanned systems and more distributed surface forces. Some defense planners have argued that large surface ships can be more visible and vulnerable targets in modern, missile-heavy conflicts, while others argue larger platforms can provide greater firepower, endurance and command-and-control capabilities. He pointed to World War II-era shipbuilding as a model, noting that the U.S. once produced multiple ships per day, compared with what he described as today’s slower production pace. Trump also tied the battleship announcement to a broader push to accelerate U.S. defense production. He said he plans to meet next week with major defense contractors to demand faster delivery timelines, increased capital investment in new factories, and limits on stock buybacks and executive compensation. “We make the best equipment in the world, but they don’t make it fast enough,” Trump said, arguing that companies should reinvest profits into production capacity rather than dividends and buybacks. “I mean, I have sold more planes than any president by far times, probably 20. So every time I go someplace, I sell 100 planes,” he said. “And I’m always having to say five years, six years, seven years helicopters, Apache helicopters, many years.” The announcement comes at a time when the Trump administration has elevated shipbuilding to a White House–level priority, establishing a dedicated office to oversee maritime industrial policy and signaling a broader push to expand U.S. naval capacity. Defense leaders for years have warned that the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base has struggled to keep pace with demand, citing workforce shortages, fragile supplier networks, aging infrastructure, and persistent delays at major shipyards. Navy leaders have long pointed to shifting requirements and design changes after construction has begun as another factor driving delays and cost growth in major shipbuilding programs. In April, Trump signed an executive order declaring the erosion of America’s shipbuilding and maritime workforce a national security risk, directing a government-wide overhaul aimed at expanding domestic shipbuilding, stabilizing long-term funding, strengthening the workforce and countering China’s dominance in global ship production. Inside the Navy, Phelan has echoed that urgency, warning that the service must “act like we’re at war,” with shipbuilding and weapons production speeds. He has moved to overhaul the Navy’s acquisition culture, launching a new Rapid Capabilities Office designed to cut development timelines, enforce accountability and push new technology into the fleet faster than traditional Pentagon procurement allows. TRUMP WANTS TO REVIVE THE LAGGING US SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY. HERE ARE THE HURDLES HE FACES U.S. officials warn the shipbuilding crunch is colliding with an enormous capacity gap with China: the Office of Naval Intelligence has assessed that China has roughly 230 times the shipbuilding capacity of the United States, a disparity that has helped Beijing expand its fleet far faster than American yards can produce new hulls. While U.S. officials say the Navy retains a technological edge in areas such as undersea warfare and carrier operations, they warn that China’s growing fleet size and industrial capacity are narrowing that advantage. The U.S. Navy currently operates about 294 warships, while China now fields the world’s largest navy by hull count, with more than 370 ships in service. At the same time, several of the Navy’s marquee programs have struggled with delays and cost growth, including the Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine, the Virginia-class attack submarine and the Constellation-class frigate, which has faced schedule pressure amid design and requirements changes.
Judge blocks ICE from re-detaining Abrego Garcia – but signals ruling could come fast
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Monday extended a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from immediately re-detaining Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, after the government again failed to produce a final removal order. Xinis agreed to keep in place the TRO she issued earlier this month, which ordered Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody, and blocked immigration authorities from immediately re-detaining him. The extension rested on the court’s earlier determination that ICE had not obtained a final court order needed to remove Abrego Garcia from the U.S. Without that removal order, Xinis said, Abrego Garcia could not remain detained in immigration custody. Ultimately, Monday’s hearing ended with little in the way of new information for the court in the way of that document or any other details sought by the court. Instead, the proceedings were punctuated only by moments of frustration from Xinis – the judge who has presided over Abrego Garcia’s civil case since March – as she tried and failed to ascertain the status of the same deportation order she cited as the basis for his release from ICE custody 10 days earlier. “I don’t know what the government’s position is,” Xinis said Monday, exasperated. US JUDGE VOWS TO RULE ‘SOON’ ON ABREGO GARCIA’S FATE AFTER MARATHON HEARING Xinis ultimately adjourned court with a vow to work “as quickly” as possible to issue a ruling. She set a deadline of Friday – one day after Christmas – for the Justice Department to submit additional information on its removal plans, including the deportation document and third country of removal. She also ordered additional information from the plaintiffs, due by the end of the month. Lawyers for Abrego reiterated on Monday that his preferred country of removal is Costa Rica, which had agreed to accept him in August. Xinis noted that the government told her in court last month that Costa Rica had rescinded its offer to accept Abrego Garcia; a subsequent declaration submitted by a government official for the country clarified that it had not. She used her earlier order to excoriate what she described as the government’s “persistent refusal to acknowledge Costa Rica as a viable removal option, their threats to send Abrego Garcia to African countries that never agreed to take him, and their misrepresentation to the Court that Liberia is now the only country available to Abrego Garcia, all reflect that whatever purpose was behind his detention, it was not for the ‘basic purpose’ of timely third-country removal.” Xinis reiterated these concerns Monday. ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS ASK US JUDGE TO ORDER RETURN TO MARYLAND AMID ONGOING CRIMINAL CASE She said that without the extension of the TRO, she feared that the Trump administration would seek to illegally detain Abrego Garcia “in the middle of the night” and without due process. “I am trying to get to the bottom of whether there are going to be any removal proceedings,” Xinis told the Justice Department lawyers on Monday. “You haven’t told me what you’re going to do next.” ABREGO GARCIA REMAINS IN US FOR NOW AS JUDGE TAKES CASE UNDER ADVISEMENT Xinis used a separate memo opinion earlier this month to tick through, in extemporaneous detail, the court’s unsuccessful, five-month effort to obtain information from the Trump administration about ICE’s plans to deport Abrego Garcia to the four African countries it had identified for his removal – Uganda, Ghana, Eswatini and Liberia. At times on Monday, Xinis struggled to keep her incredulity at bay. “I’m again making a finding that these representations, which are misrepresentations – are in bad faith,” Xinis told the government lawyers. The hearing was fairly short, and notable if only for the fact that Abrego Garcia, newly released from ICE custody, attended in person. He addressed a large crowd outside the courthouse after the hearing adjourned. Abrego Garcia’s status has been at the center of a legal and political maelstrom since March, when he was deported to his home country of El Salvador, in violation of a 2019 court order and in what Trump officials acknowledge was an “administrative error.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump admin pausing all off shore wind project construction
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Clinton spox demands Trump DOJ release ‘any remaining’ docs related to former president, Epstein -Anti-Trump ex-husband of president’s 2016 campaign manager launches congressional bid as Democrat -Letitia James, Bernie Sanders to swear in far-left NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s Department of Interior announced on Monday that, effective immediately, leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects being constructed in the United States will be paused. In a press release, DOI wrote that the pause is due to “national security risks” identified by the Department of War in “recently completed classified reports.” In a press release, DOI says the pause will “give the Department, along with the Department of War and other relevant government agencies, time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects.”…READ MORE. EARLY SIGNAL: Turning Point poll reveals conservatives ‘all in’ for JD Vance 2028 presidential run TIGHTENED VETTING: Trump immigration agency flags 182 national security risks, issues record 196K notices to appear in 2025 ENVOYS OUT: Trump admin recalling around 30 ambassadors as part of State Dept realignment, official confirms CURSED OUT: Vance unleashes profanity-laced two-word message for critics of his wife Usha CAPITAL CRACKDOWN: DOJ sues DC over restrictive gun laws ‘NATIONAL SECURITY’: Trump taps Republican governor to serve as special envoy to Greenland UNDER SIEGE: House moves to protect children from online predators as Australia clamps down on social media DEAL DERAILED: Sanders blasted after blocking bipartisan kids’ cancer research bill: ‘Grinch,’ ‘selfish’ BILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: Comer summons Minnesota officials as House probes massive social services fraud BILLION DOLLAR BUST: ‘No way’ Walz administration was unaware of Minnesota fraud scandal, Emmer says QUESTIONS REMAIN: Schumer moves to force Senate to take legal action against DOJ, Trump admin over Epstein doc dump ‘WILL DO NO SUCH THING’: Gov. Sanders rejects demand from legal group to undo Christmas closure: ‘I will do no such thing’ ‘SERIOUSLY?’: Social media erupts after Minnesota AG posts about cracking down on fraud: ‘You’re kidding right?’ ‘UNACCEPTABLE’: Colorado governor accuses Trump of playing ‘political games’ after FEMA denies disaster requests NEWSROOM REVOLT: Bari Weiss tells staff ’60 Minutes’ CECOT story wasn’t ready, says disrespect among colleagues is unacceptable GLOVES OFF: Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin Tyler Robinson tries to boot prosecutors from case Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump unleashes ‘toughest fentanyl crackdown in history’ as GOP vows ‘consequences’ for Chinese producers
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will ratchet up the Trump administration’s crackdown on highly addictive fentanyl flowing from China, building on President Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to stop the flow of the illicit drug that has devastated U.S. communities. “President Trump is leading the toughest fentanyl crackdown in American history — and it’s going to save lives,” Republican Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr told Fox News Digital. “While past Presidents like Joe Biden allowed adversaries to flood the U.S. with deadly fentanyl, President Trump is taking the fight directly to the drug cartels and their Chinese suppliers.” Trump signed the NDAA into law Thursday, which includes provisions from Barr’s legislation, H.R. 747. The provisions amend the existing Fentanyl Sanctions Act to expand the definition of “foreign opioid trafficker” to include Chinese entities and officials involved in the opioid industry who fail to stop trafficking. The NDAA is a roughly $901 billion package that includes defense policy unlocking funding for several of the Trump administration’s national defense priorities, including regarding decades-old war authorities, strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, Ukraine, lifting sanctions and Washington, D.C.’s, airspace. TRUMP TARGETS MADURO AS WESTERN HEMISPHERE BECOMES ‘FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE’ IN NEW STRATEGY Under the provision, designated entities could face sweeping financial penalties and visa bans, which would effectively cut them off from the U.S. financial system. “I’m proud to stand with him, which is why I led the Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act, legislation heading to his desk this week to sanction anyone in China producing illegal fentanyl used in drug trafficking,” added Barr, who is running for the Senate in Kentucky to replace retiring longtime Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. “More than half the fentanyl that comes into our country comes from China and 70% of overdoses involve fentanyl. We are sending a clear message to China: if you manufacture fentanyl that kills Americans, there will be consequences.” SOUTHCOM SAYS 8 NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL KINETIC STRIKES The defense spending budget comes the same week Trump signed a historic executive order declaring illicit fentanyl and its precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction. The order stated fentanyl is “closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” noting that just two milligrams can kill someone. “Today, I’m taking another step to protect Americans from the scourge of deadly fentanyl flooding into our country,” Trump said from the Oval Office Monday of the executive order. “With this historic executive order I’m signing today, we are formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction — because that’s what it is.” LEAVITT DEFENDS TRUMP’S DRUG BOAT STRIKES, SAYS DEMOCRATS ATTACKING U.S. MILITARY ‘STOOPED SO LOW’ Trump campaigned in-part on ending the flow of illicit drugs from foreign nations pouring into the nation, most notably fentanyl from China, as well as from South and Central America. The opioid crisis has devastated U.S. communities stretching back decades, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that an estimated 806,000 people died from an opioid overdose between 1999–2023. The opioid crisis under the Biden administration cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 alone, when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the healthcare system, according to a report published by the Council of Economic Advisers earlier in 2025. “Our country is being poisoned from within by the drugs and by all the other crime that’s taking place,” Trump said in 2023 as the election heated up. “The drug cartels are waging war on America, and it’s now time for America to wage war on the cartels.” Since September, the administration has launched at least 28 strikes on suspected narco-trafficking boats from Venezuela. The administration has defended strikes, which have killed dozens of suspected drug criminals, on suspected narco-boats as protecting the U.S. from cartels looking to “poison Americans” with opioids. Democrats have increasingly taken issue with the strikes, including a pair of strikes on Sept. 2 against an alleged drug boat from Venezuela. The White House confirmed the military carried out an initial strike on the boat before firing off a second that killed two suspected traffickers, sparking Democrats to claim the administration committed potential war crimes. The defense budget was passed by a bipartisan vote in both the house and Senate, though left-wing lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont have railed against the bill. “We are spending $1 trillion every year on the military. That’s more than the next NINE nations combined,” Sanders said on X Thursday. “Meanwhile, millions lack health care & we have the highest childhood and senior poverty rate of almost any major country. Congress needs to get its priorities straight.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: OIG report shows major turnaround in Social Security Administration’s phone service under Trump
EXCLUSIVE: The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) internal watchdog has confirmed that the agency’s publicly reported phone service data was accurate and that performance improved during fiscal year 2025, according to a new audit completed after Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questioned whether the figures could be trusted. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reviewed the SSA’s national 800-number telephone metrics and found that the data the agency released to the public was correct, and that overall service improved during fiscal year 2025, according to a draft audit report provided to agency leadership ahead of public release. The report did not issue any recommendations to the agency. The review was initiated after Warren expressed concerns in June about long wait times and the reliability of SSA’s phone performance data. She formally requested an audit on July 24, prompting SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano, who serves under President Donald Trump, to agree to an independent review by the watchdog. The audit found that SSA served 68 million callers during fiscal year 2025, either through live agents or automated systems, a 65% increase from the prior year. Average wait times fluctuated early in the year but improved steadily, according to the audit, ending the fiscal year at roughly seven minutes in September after peaking at about 30 minutes in January. TRUMP SAYS ELIZABETH WARREN HAS ‘GOT TO TAKE A DRUG TEST’ The metric cited by the agency, known as Average Speed of Answer, measures only the time callers actively wait on hold before speaking to an employee and does not include time spent waiting for callbacks. “Last year, people waited 40 minutes on the phone, and now they’re in single digits. We’re doing twice as many calls,” Bisignano said. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Bisignano said the audit confirmed what agency leadership had been reporting publicly about improvements in service levels. “Senator Warren was completely wrong in everything that she was saying, and it’s now been proven out,” Bisignano said, citing the watchdog’s finding that SSA’s publicly reported telephone metrics were calculated accurately. Bisignano said he welcomed the audit and was confident the data would withstand independent scrutiny. EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP TOUTS ‘ZERO TAX’ BENEFITS FOR MAJORITY OF SENIORS ON SOCIAL SECURITY’S 90TH ANNIVERSARY The inspector general’s report concluded that SSA’s telephone performance improved during fiscal year 2025 largely because of operational changes, including the rollout of a new cloud-based telecommunications platform, expanded automation and staffing realignments. The platform, implemented in August 2024, allowed SSA to increase call capacity, expand self-service options and monitor performance in real time, according to the report. The watchdog also confirmed that SSA’s internal data-verification process ensured accuracy by comparing raw data with reported metrics and working with vendors to resolve any discrepancies. The audit found no evidence that the agency misrepresented its national 800-number performance. Bisignano said improvements were driven by a combination of technology, process changes and workforce adjustments. The report explains that SSA experienced especially high call volumes between January and March 2025 due to Medicare and tax-related questions, as well as the implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, which affected more than 3.2 million beneficiaries. Despite the surge, the agency reduced average wait times over the course of the year. SOCIAL SECURITY IS 90 YEARS OLD. WE ARE MAKING IT SMARTER, BETTER, FASTER UNDER TRUMP The audit also found that about 25 million calls during fiscal year 2025 ended without callers receiving service, either because callers disconnected, did not answer callback attempts or encountered busy signals. Those calls were not included in the agency’s wait-time metrics. Automation played a growing role in absorbing the surge. According to the audit, automated systems handled an average of nearly 2.9 million calls per month in fiscal year 2025, up from about 300,000 per month the year before. Automated services allowed callers to complete common tasks without speaking to a live agent, reducing pressure on phone lines. The inspector general also reviewed how SSA calculates its Average Speed of Answer metric, which measures the time callers actively wait on hold before speaking to an employee. The audit clarified that callers who accept a callback are counted as having zero active wait time, a methodology that reduces the average but does not include the time callers wait to receive callbacks. Bisignano said transparency about how the numbers are calculated is essential. “We figured out how to leverage technology, process engineering, and human capital,” he said. Staffing changes also contributed to the turnaround. Early in fiscal year 2025, the number of employees available to answer national 800-number calls declined by about 13%. By July, SSA began assigning roughly 1,000 field office employees each day to help handle national call volume. The audit found that this coincided with sharp improvements in wait times, with Average Speed of Answer dropping from about 13 minutes in June to roughly 7.5 minutes in July. The audit did not evaluate service levels or wait times at local Social Security field offices. Beyond wait times, the audit found that service quality remained high. About 87% of callers who responded to post-call surveys said their issue was resolved on the first contact. The survey results reflect feedback from callers who reached an SSA employee and do not include callers who only used automated services. Bisignano said the improvements matter most for seniors and beneficiaries who rely on Social Security services. “We’re investing in Social Security and servicing the American public at a level they’ve never been serviced before,” he said. “We’ll meet you where you want to be met: on the phone, in the field offices or on the web.” He added that people who haven’t called the agency recently may be surprised by how much has changed. “What would surprise them the most is how quickly they can get their phone call answered,” he said. Looking ahead, Bisignano said the agency plans to continue expanding digital services and reducing backlogs, including in disability claims, while maintaining accountability through ongoing oversight.
Year in review: The most radical college professors and administrators of 2025
Over the past year, Fox News Digital has extensively reported on controversies surrounding “radical” teachers and administrators at universities across the country pushing far-left agenda items and sparking outrage from parents’ rights groups about liberal indoctrination on college campuses. As the Trump administration’s ICE raids cracking down on illegal immigration made headlines in Chicago, Fox News Digital was first to report on University of Chicago associate professor Eman Abdelhadi, who was arrested for aggravated assault at an anti-ICE rally and unloaded on former Vice President Dick Cheney upon the news of his death. Universities across the country have faced scrutiny for continuing to push Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion curriculum despite the Trump administration’s crackdown on the practice. In Florida, Fox News Digital first reported that Dr. Haywood Brown, associate vice president of academic affairs at the University of South Florida, touted in an unearthed recording how he has been avoiding DEI laws while attacking state and federal officials, including top White House official Stephen Miller. Brown resigned shortly after Fox News Digital’s reporting after pressure from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said in a statement, “Our office has immediately ensured his relationship with our university system has ended.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS COAST TO COAST “I love breaking rules,” UNC Asheville dean of students Megan Pugh said in an undercover video produced by Accuracy in Media and first reported by Fox News Digital in June as the administrator described how DEI is still alive and well at the school but, “you gotta keep it quiet.” A spokesperson later told Fox News Digital that Pugh is no longer employed by the university. Stacey Patton, a professor of journalism at Howard University, called on White political allies to emulate vigilante mass murderer John Brown in a controversial blog post, Fox News Digital reported in October. The assassination of Charlie Kirk sparked numerous examples of professors on college campuses justifying, downplaying or making controversial statements about his death, which Fox News Digital reported on extensively. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SITE WARNS OF A ‘WHITENESS PANDEMIC,’ URGES WHITE PARENTS TO ‘RE-EDUCATE’ Less than 24 hours after Kirk was killed, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Hampshire, took to social media to criticize the slain conservative leader. Fox News Digital was first to report on George Washington University administrator Anthony Pohorilak, who is no longer employed by the school after posting on social media his theory as to why Kirk’s murder was “fair.” Fox News Digital reported on other professors disparaging Charlie Kirk at the University of Pennsylvania, Fort Hays State University, Louisiana State University and several other universities. Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, found itself facing criticism from professors on college campuses, including from Rutgers University professor Tia Kolbaba, who signed an online petition that sought to disband the school’s Turning Point USA chapter from campus. At the University of Oklahoma, Fox News Digital reported on a professor who uses she/they pronouns facing disciplinary action after flunking student Samantha Fulnecky on an essay wherein Fulnecky invoked her Christian beliefs and the Bible. UNCOVERED DOCS SHOW TOP TEACHERS UNION GUIDING GENDER TRANSITIONS, BASHING CONSERVATIVES: ‘INSANE ASYLUM’ Fox News Digital extensively reported on a professor at Rutgers University, known as “Dr. Antifa,” who made headlines for fleeing the United States earlier this year and is set to teach a history seminar on communism next spring. The professor, Mark Bray, is best known for his book, “Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook,” published in 2017, and once portrayed doxing as a legitimate tactic for use against political opponents in his seminal work. In September, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill placed a professor who is a member of a far-left gun club on administrative leave, Fox News Digital exclusively reported. The professor, Dwayne Dixon, was later reinstated after the school “found no basis to conclude that he poses a threat to University students, staff and faculty, or has engaged in conduct that violates University policy.” In Chicago, at a “No Kings” protest where residents rallied against President Trump, a staff member from Wilbur Wright College was captured on video calling for federal immigration agents to be shot. A school spokesperson later said the institution “does not tolerate violence” and that the staffer is no longer employed. Just this week, Fox News Digital reported on University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor Gabriel Rodriguez and leaked PowerPoint lessons from a first-year education course showing extreme left-wing bias on the topic of illegal immigration, as well as race and gender. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Preson Mizell contributed to this report.