DOJ dangles massive signing bonuses for lawyers ready to fight ‘lawless’ cities far beyond DC
The Department of Justice is offering signing bonuses of up to $25,000 to recruit lawyers across the country to bolster legal battles against what one department official described as “lawless jurisdictions.” New job postings show the high-dollar bonuses are being offered through the DOJ Civil Division components that handle immigration lawsuits and investigations into transgender medical treatments, two of President Donald Trump’s most contentious priorities, and highlight New York City, Raleigh, San Francisco and Dallas. The hiring push comes as the Civil Division, the DOJ’s most expansive division led by Brett Shumate, continues the resource-intensive task of defending White House policies in court as it faces hundreds of lawsuits, while also drawing scrutiny for employee departures and reported recruiting challenges. The new recruitment strategy puts a spotlight on the pressure DOJ is facing to sustain its aggressive legal defense strategy, particularly in blue cities and states that it has accused of undermining federal authority, while also combating narratives that the department is struggling to retain staff. TRUMP ADMIN UNLEASHES CRUCIAL RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN WITH MASSIVE BONUSES TO BOLSTER ICE RANKS A DOJ official told Fox News Digital the hiring effort is not reflective of any internal strain but rather a way for the department to “look broader by enticing attorneys around the country who may not have considered” working for a D.C.-based federal agency. “The department is expanding resources across the country to combat lawless jurisdictions and nationwide injunctions, and there is a need to attract candidates from those new areas,” the official said, touting that Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act gave the DOJ “millions of dollars to hire more attorneys specifically for those efforts.” The offers come as blue states, civil rights groups and Democrats flood courts across the country with lawsuits challenging Trump’s efforts to shrink and unify the executive branch, crack down on illegal immigration, implement tariffs and tighten policies surrounding election security and transgender people and more. Lower court judges have often stymied the administration’s work. The DOJ has chosen on rare occasions to raise the adverse rulings on an emergency basis with the conservative-leaning Supreme Court and won some two dozen cases — which represents a vast majority of the cases — when taking that route. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA The Civil Division, which is in charge of defending the civil lawsuits against the administration, has also been offering incentives to current lawyers, according to Bloomberg Law. The outlet said the division was offering new biweekly bonuses up to $220 through Thanksgiving because lawyers “keep fleeing” and because the division was “growing more desperate to stave off further departures of valuable legal minds” who are uncomfortable with Trump’s priorities. The DOJ official addressed concerns about an employee exodus in a statement to Fox News Digital, after The Financial Times also reported that more than a quarter of its nearly 13,000 lawyers have quit or been fired since the beginning of last year. JUDGE RESTORES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS The official attributed the departures, in part, to employees taking a “fork in the road” resignation option, which the Trump administration rolled out last year with the stated goal of reducing the size of government. “This has allowed DOJ to run more efficiently and hire new employees who wholeheartedly believe in the work they’re doing,” the official told Fox News Digital. Assistant Attorney General Shumate told Fox News Digital in a statement he was “always looking for talented and qualified attorneys to advance President Trump’s priorities and protect the American people.” “The Civil Division will continue to hire hardworking patriots from across the country and offer appreciation bonuses to our loyal attorneys who remain committed to our mission and upholding the rule of law,” Shumate said.
Dem representative admits to working with Mexico to sneak oil into Cuba, despite blockade
A Democratic lawmaker is drawing backlash after saying she spoke with foreign ambassadors about getting oil to Cuba despite U.S. sanctions, defending the outreach as “literally our right and responsibility.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., made the remarks during a recent Seattle briefing following a congressional delegation trip to Cuba, where she discussed the island’s worsening fuel shortages and U.S. policy toward the communist regime. “I was in conversations with the ambassadors from Mexico and some other places … trying to figure out how to get oil there,” Jayapal said during the briefing, calling the situation on the island “a crisis beyond imagination.” REP. JAYAPAL DEFENDS COMMENT CALLING ICE ‘A TERRORIST FORCE,’ SAYS WHITE HOUSE ‘OWES AN APOLOGY’ TO AMERICANS Jayapal said the event was part of a broader briefing on the humanitarian situation in Cuba following her recent visit. “As many of you know, I traveled to Cuba as part of a congressional delegation last month,” she said. “It is part of my role to see how U.S. foreign policy is actually affecting the people in the countries where that policy is being implemented.” PAIR OF DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS SLAM ‘BLOCKADE OF FUEL’ TO CUBA, ‘ECONOMIC BOMBING’ AFTER VISIT TO ISLAND She said she met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, senior government officials, political dissidents, civil society groups and foreign diplomats during the trip. Video of the remarks circulated widely on X, where users criticized the progressive lawmaker’s comments and raised legal concerns. REP. JAYAPAL SLAMMED FOR TELLING AMERICANS TO ‘THINK ABOUT WHO PICKED’ THEIR FOOD IN ANTI-DEPORTATION REMARKS Conservative accounts amplified the clip, including End Wokeness, which claimed she was “conspiring against the U.S.” and suggested her actions could constitute a federal felony. Libs of TikTok wrote that her actions “seems a little like treason to me.” DEM CONGRESSWOMAN DENIES RHETORIC INCITED ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE, DOUBLES DOWN ON CONDEMNING AGENCY Social media users also pointed to potential legal implications. “Traitor. She should be prosecuted,” wrote “The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet on X. Those claims are political commentary and have not been independently verified, and no investigation or charges have been publicly announced. Jayapal responded to the backlash in a post on X, writing, “Breaking news: Members of Congress meet with ambassadors of other countries every day. That’s literally our right and responsibility.” Her remarks came as she sharply criticized U.S. sanctions on Cuba, describing them as “economic bombing of the infrastructure.” “It is illegal. It is against the law,” she said. “This is essentially doing the same thing. It is bombing the infrastructure of Cuba with economic sanctions that essentially ensure that the infrastructure collapses.” DEM SENATOR’S EL SALVADOR TRIP MIGHT VIOLATE LAW LIBERALS USED AS PRETEXT FOR MICHAEL FLYNN PROBE: CRITICS The controversy has also prompted discussion of the Logan Act, a rarely used federal law that bars unauthorized individuals from negotiating with foreign governments in disputes involving the United States. Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital the statute has never resulted in a conviction and has been used only sparingly in U.S. history. “There has never been a conviction under it — in fact, there have only been two indictments, the last one about 174 years ago,” McCarthy said. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHING OUT TO DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS SEEN IN VIDEO TELLING TROOPS TO ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ He added that any potential legal exposure would depend on whether a lawmaker took concrete action that violated U.S. sanctions. “There would be no criminal case … unless it can be shown that she took some action that violated, or aided and abetted a violation of, the sanctions,” McCarthy said. FOLLOW US ON X He argued disputes over engagement with foreign governments are more appropriately handled through political accountability rather than criminal law. CHINA’S SPYING IN CUBA SPARKS ALARM ON CAPITOL HILL AFTER FRESH SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW SURVEILLANCE BUILDUP The Trump administration has previously described the Cuban government as a national security concern due to its ties to adversarial countries and actors, including relationships with Iran and alleged links to groups such as Hezbollah. The Cuban government has also faced longstanding criticism over political repression and restrictions on free speech. GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL The island’s economic conditions have contributed to a surge in migration, with hundreds of thousands of Cubans arriving in the United States in recent years. Jayapal, who traveled to Cuba in April with Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., has argued U.S. policy is worsening conditions for civilians on the island while also acknowledging concerns with the Cuban government. CUBAN PRESIDENT ADMITS TALKS WITH TRUMP ADMIN AS FUEL BLOCKADE CHOKES DOMESTIC ENERGY SUPPLY AND ECONOMY “I do also have criticisms of the Cuban government … In our meetings, I have always raised those,” she said, referencing issues including political prisoners and limits on dissent. “The Cuban government has sent many signals that this is a new moment for the country,” Jayapal said in a statement following the trip, adding that U.S. restrictions on fuel amount to “cruel collective punishment.” She has called for lifting the U.S. embargo and removing Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, while backing legislation to block potential U.S. military action against the country. Fox News Digital has reached out to Jayapal’s office, the White House and the State Department for comment.
Texas water park changes ‘Muslim only event’ after Gov Abbott threatens to pull $530K in state grants
A “Muslim-only event” at a taxpayer-funded Texas water park has been changed to say “all are welcome,” while encouraging guests to dress moderately after criticism and threats by Gov. Greg Abbott to pull public safety grants. A local Islamic group rented out the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark for its annual Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) “Epic Eid” celebration June 1. A flier for the event originally stated that the gathering was a “Muslim only event” that required a “modest dress code.” Amid the backlash, the organizer of the event, Aminah Knight, said the event was about “creating a space where individuals and families, particularly those who value modest dress and a modest environment, can come together and enjoy a recreational setting comfortably.” The new poster removes “Muslim only event” and now says “Modest dress only” and replaces the phrase “For Muslims only” with “All are welcome.” MUSLIM GROUPS, OTHER LEADERS DEMAND ABBOTT RESCIND CAIR’S ‘TERRORIST’ DESIGNATION: ‘DEFAMATORY’ “In response to feedback, we have updated our materials to clearly reflect that this is a modest dress-only event, centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment,” she wrote in a message on the event website. The event is the third being held at Epic Waters, a city-owned water park funded in part by a voter-approved 0.25% sales tax in the DFW suburb of Grand Prairie. Initially, the event advertised a “Muslim only event” admission policy that featured halal food and a private prayer area. Women are required to dress in “burkinis,” and men are required to wear swim trunks and shirts. Although men and women won’t be separated, the event website states that guests should uphold “Islamic etiquette,” just as they do in other mixed-gender spaces. MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CAIR SUES TEXAS OVER ABBOTT’S ‘TERRORIST’ DESIGNATION Abbott blasted the event, calling the initial “Muslim only” policy “unconstitutional” and “religious discrimination.” “I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim-only no-go zones in Texas,” he wrote on X. “The City must cancel the event and commit to never allowing something like it again by May 11th, or lose $530,000 in state grants. Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans.” In a letter to Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen, Abbott noted that his Public Safety Office has five active grants with the city and that city leaders agreed to comply with state laws regarding civil rights and discrimination upon accepting the awards. Fox News Digital has reached out to the water park and the city of Grand Prairie.
Minnesota’s eye-popping subsidy payments to nine daycare centers exposed after last week’s fed raids
Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) paid more than $67 million in public childcare subsidies over the past eight years to nine day care providers, several of which were confirmed to have been raided by federal authorities last week. The figure is based on an investigation of state records by local Minnesota news outlet KSTP, which points out that since there have not been any charges, it is unclear how much of this may be fraud. While an exhaustive list of the daycares raided last week has not been released by authorities, public records can confirm several included programs that receive CCAP subsidies. The investigation of state records found that in the final two years of publicly available data that state payments through the CCAP program to these nine centers more than doubled, growing from around $8 million in 2023 to over $16 million in 2025, while the number of students served remained steady. UNEARTHED SURVEILLANCE EXPOSES HOW PARENTS WERE ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN MINNESOTA’S DAYCARE FRAUD SCHEME “I think voters are very frustrated with the entire situation. I don’t think it’s Republican or Democrat — they’re just frustrated,” former state lawmaker, a small business owner and member of the Taxpayer League of Minnesota, Phil Krinkie, told KSTP. “Just last week, Democrats killed a bill to increase oversight and fraud penalties for child care providers receiving high amounts of CCAP funding, like these nine providers,” the Minnesota House Republican Caucus added on X. Federal agents issued 22 search warrants at day care and autism centers in Minnesota last week. Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI, Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Association of Children and Families (ACF) to confirm details of the raids, including whether the nine daycares receiving CCAP funds were part of last week’s operations. Only HHS responded, indicating that “ACF does not comment on ongoing litigation.” NEW AUDIT EXPOSES FLAWED SYSTEM CRITICS SAY LET MINNESOTA FRAUD TO SLIP THROUGH CRACKS: ‘DIDN’T ACT FOR YEARS’ Former Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said the scope of the warrants suggests investigators are looking for evidence that publicly-funded services were actually provided, according to KSTP. “Whether it’s a business, a school, a nonprofit — if something grows that much, you know, makes sense to ask why is it growing that much and how could it grow so fast,” Swanson, who oversaw several Medicaid fraud prosecutions during her time as Attorney General, told KSTP. “These are federally and state-funded programs,” Swanson continued. “The question is, ‘were services billed to the government that weren’t rendered?’” CCAP is a publicly funded program for families who cannot afford childcare administered via Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), which also provided the data examined by KSTP. Fox News Digital reached out to DCYF for comment and details about the CCAP program but did not hear back in time for publication. DCYF did not give any information to KSTP, either. The local Minnesota news operation had to go to state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee in the Minnesota legislature, after the agency ignored its public records request. Robbins made the same request, but DCYF did provide the records, documents and data in that case, according to KSTP.
Seattle council member touts ‘Black budget,’ calls for Black residents to form ‘most powerful political party’
The Seattle City Council president said she works with two budgets — her district’s and “the Black budget” — and urged Black residents to unite as “the most powerful political party” in Seattle. Joy Hollingsworth, president of the Seattle City Council and representative of District 3, told attendees at the State of Africatown 2026 conference how she has advocated for the “Black budget” to be reflected in the city’s general budget. The public town hall, focused on advancing Seattle’s Black community, was held in late February, but Hollingsworth’s remarks mentioned by Seattle talk show host Jason Rantz. KEY TRUMP AGENCY UNLEASHES PROBE ON BLUE STATE OVER POTENTIAL RACE-BASED MORTGAGE AID: ‘DEI IS DEAD’ “So, I got two budgets every time I go to council member Dan Strauss every year. I have a District 3 budget and then a black budget,” Hollingsworth told the audience. Hollingsworth’s remarks came just days before Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson ordered city agencies to cut their budgets for next year by 5% to 10%. Seattle is facing a projected budget deficit of $140 million for the 2026 fiscal year. During the address, Hollingsworth talked about how she assembled roughly 70 Black residents to testify last year on the city’s budget, dubbing it “Black Budget Day.” “It is important that they see us, that they hear us, that we just don’t show up for certain things that we are down here advocating for us,” Hollingsworth said of Black Budget Day. “There are political parties in Seattle, and I believe that if Black people come together, we can be the most powerful political party in the city of Seattle. We have to coalesce our power.” Rantz invited Hollingsworth on his radio show to explain what she meant by the term “Black budget,” suggesting that whether she meant it as a literal budget or a term used for political branding, it’s still a “problem.” WHITE DEVELOPER SUES BALTIMORE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL CLAIMING HE WAS FIRED BECAUSE OF HIS RACE “But we’d rightly call out a ‘white budget,’” Rantz wrote. “And it’s worth asking why Hollingsworth doesn’t appear eager to offer other constituencies their own budget. Perhaps she doesn’t care enough about Asians or Latinos?” Rantz said Hollingsworth canceled the interview with his station, but in a statement to Fox News Digital, Hollingsworth said the Black budget refers to “targeted investments and resources directed toward historically impacted communities in Seattle.” “This is about addressing long-standing challenges in public safety, infrastructure, small business support, clean and safe parks, roads and sidewalks and workforce development,” Hollingsworth said. “In Seattle, we need to stay focused on delivering the city basics,” Hollingsworth continued. “That’s what communities across our city are asking for and what they want to see government deliver on every day. We are focused on the fundamentals of local government, safe streets, reliable infrastructure, responsive city services and clean public spaces.” Asked what percentage of Seattle’s $8.9 billion budget should be allocated for the “Black budget,” Hollingsworth said in an email, “8.9 billion dollars. The city’s budget.”
FBI raids Spanberger ally office as federal corruption probe targets cannabis business
The FBI has raided the office of a powerful Virginia Democratic lawmaker and ally of Gov. Abigail Spanberger as part of a federal corruption and illegal marijuana sale probe, Fox News has learned. Longtime state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, a major power broker in Virginia politics who stumped for Spanberger on the campaign trail in 2025, is now at the center of a major FBI corruption probe, according to federal law enforcement sources. Agents executed court-authorized criminal search warrants at Lucas’ office in Portsmouth, Virginia, Wednesday, according to federal law enforcement sources. The FBI simultaneously carried out a search of a cannabis dispensary believed to be connected to Lucas. The state senator arrived at her office as the raids were being conducted. She told Fox News that she had no idea what the FBI agents were doing at her office. FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN TURNED VA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ABIGAIL SPANBERGER ACCUSED OF ETHICS VIOLATION The raids put more political pressure on Spanberger, who already is facing tumbling polling numbers as many critics accuse her of forcing down a far-left agenda on the once-purple state. The search warrants were signed off by a federal judge, who agreed there is probable cause to conduct the raids. This is not the first political firestorm Lucas has faced. She has co-owned a cannabis shop in Portsmouth, Virginia, that faced scrutiny after an investigation reported that some products were allegedly mislabeled or exceeded legal THC limits, raising regulatory concerns under Virginia law. DHS UNLOADS ON ‘SANCTUARY CALAMITY’ VIRGINIA AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME RELEASED: ‘SICKO’ Lucas is known for a bombastic social media presence, heavy on crude language and memes. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger and Lucas for comment. This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
Chicago knows what happens when Ken Griffin turns on a city, now Mamdani may find out
here is no clearer example of what happens when billionaire Ken Griffin turns on a city than Chicago, a blueprint now playing out in New York. The Citadel founder is clashing with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over taxes targeting the ultra-wealthy and intensifying crime, reviving the same tensions that drove him to pull his business and billions out of Chicago. Griffin, worth about $50 billion according to Forbes, moved the firm’s global headquarters from Chicago to Miami in 2022, a departure that showed how quickly jobs, investment and influence can follow when a major financial player leaves. The move marked Griffin’s break from Chicago, where he built one of the world’s most powerful hedge fund and market-making operations, which helped cement the city’s status as a global financial hub. MAMDANI’S RISE IN NYC MIRRORS ECONOMIC FLIGHT TO THE SOUTH, STUDY SHOWS The Windy City, which served as Citadel’s home for more than 30 years, has seen much of the firm’s workforce shift south, with the office going from roughly 1,300 employees to a few hundred and still shrinking. “Asking people to leave Chicago for New York or Miami has not been hard,” Griffin said at a conference in New York on Oct. 6. “Chicago, over the past six or seven years, has been engulfed in a series of problems,” he said, pointing to crime as one of the city’s most pressing challenges, along with broader economic and policy concerns weighing on employees’ willingness to stay. BILLIONAIRE KEN GRIFFIN SAYS CITADEL’S CHICAGO EXODUS WAS ‘NOT HARD,’ CITES CRIME, TAXES “I think the sad part of the story is how many people who had built lives in Chicago were willing to walk away from that and move to Miami or New York, just given the challenges that Illinois has faced,” he added. For Chicago, the result has been a steady erosion of one of its most prominent corporate anchors — shrinking office space, relocating employees and the departure of a billionaire who once poured hundreds of millions into the city’s institutions and politics. It also meant fewer high-paying finance jobs downtown and the disappearance of a major civic and cultural benefactor. That dynamic is now resurfacing in New York, where Griffin is locked in an escalating fight with Mamdani, echoing the early stages of his break with Chicago when Lori Lightfoot was mayor and JB Pritzker was governor of Illinois. MAMDANI THANKS SAME BILLIONAIRE HE TARGETED IN TAX VIDEO FOR NYPD MONEY The dispute was sparked by Mamdani’s viral April 15 video promoting a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million. Filmed outside Griffin’s 24,000-square-foot Central Park South penthouse — purchased for a record $238 million — the video singled out the hedge fund powerhouse by name. “This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million, whose owners do not live full-time in the city. Like for this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million,” Mamdani said in the clip. Griffin has since criticized the video as “creepy and weird” during a discussion at the Milken Institute Global Conference on April 6. He said he watched it three times. Asked about Citadel’s plans for a $6 billion office tower at 350 Park Avenue, he said the firm is reassessing the project while doubling down on its expansion in Miami, which he called “unquestionably” the right choice. The clash highlights a widening divide between progressive ambitions in major cities and the financial leaders who help drive their economies. It also raises a broader question: whether New York could follow a path similar to Chicago’s where a prolonged standoff between political leadership and one of its most powerful business figures ultimately ended in departure. Meanwhile, Florida and other red states have branded themselves as business- and billionaire-friendly, welcoming high earners and balking taxes that would burden their empires.
Trump tentatively making peace with Iran, but potential future strikes remain as leverage
President Donald Trump hailed a tentative peace deal in the works with Iran with the caveat that in-person truce signings remain “too far” off. “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.” Shortly after that post, Trump told media outlets, “I don’t think” there should be any imminent plans to make a trip to the Middle East for any longtime peace deal talks or denuclearization signing. WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR “It’s too far,” Trump reportedly told the New York Post on Wednesday morning. “No, it’s too much.” Trump has long panned his peace negotiators getting on a long trek to the Middle East for merely exchanging ceasefire or peace proposals, repeating many times in the past week that talks with him and his administration can be done “telephonically” for now. “I think we’ll do it” over the phone, Trump has said. TRUMP CLAIMS IRAN ‘STARVING FOR CASH,’ ‘COLLAPSING FINANCIALLY’ AFTER EXTENDING CEASEFIRE Trump’s Truth post came as reports suggested Washington and Tehran were nearing a possible framework to end their 67-day war, with Pakistan helping mediate talks. Trump said he was meeting with military officials Wednesday morning amid announcements of an end to Operation Epic Fury before the 60-day Authorization of Military Force deadline this week. Trump also announced a pause to “Project Freedom,” a mission he had announced two days earlier to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump wrote Tuesday night on Truth Social. VANCE EN ROUTE TO PAKISTAN FOR HIGH-STAKES IRAN TALKS AS ‘FRAGILE’ CEASEFIRE TEETERS Trump has previously said he would be open to traveling to Pakistan to sign a formal agreement, citing the role of Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir in helping bring the two sides together. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, when he also delivered a White House daily press briefing, standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. “They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they’re going,” Rubio told reporters, adding that it is difficult to get a full read on Iran’s scattered and in-hiding leadership because some of the leftover regime hardliners are “insane in the brain.” MARCO RUBIO WARNS IRAN WANTED TO BE THE ‘NEXT NORTH KOREA’ AS HE SEES ‘FINISH LINE’ IN CONFLICT Trump declined to define what would lead to renewed military operations against Iran, saying Tuesday, “They know what not to do.” Iran’s president has said that surrender to “unilateral demands” is “impossible,” but Esmail Baghaei Hamaneh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Iranian news Wednesday that some unspecified leaders are “considering the U.S. proposal” for peace. “The U.S. proposal is still being considered by Iran, and after summarizing its points of view, Iran will convey its views to the Pakistani side,” Hamaneh added, according to a translation. As Iran’s foreign minister meets his counterpart in Beijing, Rubio warned that countries violating U.S. sanctions will face secondary penalties.
Walz hit with local revolt from Minnesota mayor refusing ‘ugly’ new flag: ‘People’s decision’
Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is facing a new challenge from a Minneapolis-area mayor who is refusing to back down from flying the original 1980s state flag. The mayor said the controversial flag redesign has left citizens out of the process and stuck with what consider an “ugly” replacement. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Champlin Mayor Ryan Sabas said that “in my nearly 10 years of being on the city council in Champlin and going on four years as mayor of this town, I have never heard from more people on any one issue than I did about the Minnesota state flag.” The new flag has become a cultural and political flashpoint in a state already reeling from one of the largest fraud scandals in U.S. history, heavily involving the Somali immigrant community. The flag was approved by a 13-member commission created by the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2023. Critics of the flag say it is overly simplistic and some have even knocked it as bearing a resemblance to Somalia’s national flag. Sabas said that “without any question” there is at least a two-to-one majority in favor of keeping the earlier 1983 version of the state flag. He said that many believe it erases their history, while others simply think it is “ugly.” He also emphasized the massive wasteful spending to replace the old flag, pointing to the $40,000 it cost the city of Champlin alone. For these reasons, he is now calling on Walz and the state legislature to reopen the flag issue and put it to a vote by citizens across the state. “These are the people’s flagpoles. This is the people’s decision,” he emphasized. MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS PUSH BILL TO CUT STATE AID TO CITIES THAT FLY THE ORIGINAL STATE FLAG The old flag features a blue field with the state seal, with a farmer and American Indian figure along with the state motto and founding date. The new flag touts a more simplified design with a dark shape representing Minnesota, a light blue field and an eight-point North Star. In its final report to the Minnesota legislature, the Minnesota State Emblems Redesign Commission said that “through extensive public input, a design contest that drew over 2,500 entries, and many hours of deliberations,” the commission had “created designs that reflect the spirit of Minnesota — the people, the land and water, and the history of our state.” Many Minnesotans, however, do not feel the flag represents them or their state. The Champlin City Council voted in February to continue flying the original Minnesota state flag. There has been an effort by some Democrats in the legislature to crack down on around a dozen towns and counties across the state refusing to fly the new flag. Sabas emphasized that Champlin is well within its legal rights to fly whichever state flag it wants or even no flag at all. He said that he does not have a particular personal attachment to the old flag. He does, however, take issue with how he believes the citizens of Minnesota were left out of the process of choosing their own flag. “Two years ago, the governor and the Democrats had full power of the House, Senate, and the governor’s seat. They chose they wanted to change the state flag, which they legally have the ability to do that. But instead of bringing this to the House, through the Senate and all voting on it, they picked select members of a committee and that’s who chose the flag,” he said. Now, Sabas said Walz and the state legislature “have the opportunity to do this legally and do it right.” ‘SCHEMES STACKED UPON SCHEMES’: $1B HUMAN-SERVICES FRAUD FUELS SCRUTINY OF MINNESOTA’S SOMALI COMMUNITY In the state legislature, Minnesota Sen. Mark Koran, a Republican, told Fox News Digital that despite being created as a bipartisan commission, the flag redesign committee only represented “about 13 percent of Minnesota’s population.” “Native Americans, Hispanic, LGBT, you name it, every special group was identified,” he said. “So, that was really reflective of how all governance [in Minnesota] has been done by a small group of people that they’ve pandered to under the guise that they’re they’ve been oppressed and they’ve given them the strongest voice.” While he admitted that the flag “may seem unimportant at one level,” he said it has galvanized people across the state because “it’s a direct assault on hard-working, legal U.S. Minnesotans.” “It was a process that reflected almost how all of [Minnesota] legislation has been implemented,” he asserted. Back in Champlin, Tim Huttner, a member of the city council, echoed the mayor’s sentiment on putting the new flag to a statewide vote. “We cannot legally put it on a city ballot, but it doesn’t mean we can’t put it on a state ballot,” he told Fox News Digital. Huttner said that before the council voted on which flag to fly, he held a roundtable of his own with constituents. By taking an informal vote of roundtable attendees, Huttner said he found “100 percent” expressed support for flying the original flag. KEVIN MCCARTHY SAYS MINNESOTA’S ‘ENTIRE DEMOCRAT ADMINISTRATION’ WILL HAVE TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD SCANDAL When a constituent asked him what his opinion was on the flag, Huttner said his response was, “I don’t have an opinion. I work for you.” “I respect our city legislators, I respect our state legislators, but sometimes you’ve got to redo a redo,” he continued. “I believe this is one of those times.” As the nonpartisan leader of a purple municipality, Sabas said of Walz, “I’ve always felt that he’s someone who does listen to me when I have something to say.” “So, I challenge the governor in his last year of being governor of the state of Minnesota to really find a way to unite,” he said. “Unite Minnesotans, unite us, Republicans, Democrats, people that don’t know which side they are on, unite us.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth
US ‘locked and loaded’ for ‘much higher’ strikes if Iran talks fail as Trump pauses Hormuz ops
A fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is holding despite continued attacks, as President Donald Trump announced a pause in naval escort operations to allow negotiations to continue — while warning that failure to reach a deal would result in a significantly escalated bombing campaign. Trump said the pause in Project Freedom — the U.S. mission to guide commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — is intended to give negotiators time to finalize what he described as a potential “complete and final agreement” with Iran, while maintaining that the U.S. naval blockade would remain in place. Trump suggested in a social media post Wednesday morning the conflict could soon come to an end if Iran agrees to the terms under discussion, but warned that if it does not, U.S. forces would resume bombing at a significantly higher level and intensity. LEAVITT EXPLAINS WHY IRAN’S SEIZURE OF TWO SHIPS DOESN’T VIOLATE TRUMP’S CEASEFIRE “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump wrote Wednesday morning. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.” “We prefer this to be a peaceful operation, but are locked and loaded to defend our people, our ships, our aircraft, and this mission without hesitation,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday. Even as negotiations advance, Iran has continued attacks on commercial vessels and U.S. forces, which officials say remain “below the threshold” of restarting major combat operations. Since the start of the ceasefire on April 7, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times, “all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations,” according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. “No, the ceasefire is not over. Ultimately, this is a separate and distinct project,” Hegseth told reporters Tuesday. “We’re not looking for a fight.” But administration officials have not defined what level of escalation would constitute a violation of the ceasefire, even as attacks continue across the region. Asked what level of firing would violate the ceasefire, Trump told reporters Tuesday: “You’ll find out.” “They know what to do, and they know what not to do,” Trump went on. “They fired from little boats with peashooters… You know why? Because they don’t have any boats anymore. Their Navy is comprised of, they call them little boats, right? Boats and they’re fast. Yeah. They’re so fast that, that they had eight of them and they’re all gone, and they’re fast, but they’re not fast like a missile. A missile is slightly faster.” U.S. forces already have engaged Iranian assets directly. In recent days, American helicopters sank at least six Iranian fast-attack boats targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command. The latest exchanges are a far cry from the early days of the war, when U.S. forces were striking targets across Iran — from bridges and infrastructure near Tehran to a massive bombardment of Kharg Island. The ceasefire initially was expected to include a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane, but that has not materialized. Iran has continued to restrict access to the waterway, effectively maintaining a blockade even after the agreement took hold. TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘PROJECT FREEDOM,’ IRAN THREATENS ATTACKS, PAKISTAN ANNOUNCES US RELEASE OF SEIZED CARGO SHIP In response, the U.S.-launched Project Freedom, a short-lived effort to direct stranded vessels through the strait, and has imposed its own restrictions on Iranian shipping, intercepting vessels and warning that ships entering or leaving Iranian ports could be turned back. Iran, however, has accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire, warning that any American interference in the strait is considered a breach of the agreement. The violence has also extended beyond shipping lanes. The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran on Monday alone, resulting in injuries. Emirati officials say hundreds of missiles and drones have been intercepted since the start of the conflict, with civilian casualties reported. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, and shipping companies remain hesitant to resume normal transit as attacks continue and insurance risks rise. Even with U.S. escorts, industry analysts say the current security environment is unlikely to restore regular traffic in the near term. So far, two U.S.-escorted commercial ships have successfully transited so far under Project Freedom. The ceasefire began as a two-week deal to allow both sides more time to agree to a permanent end to the war. But negotiations dragged on to almost the one-month mark and Trump said Sunday he finds Iran’s latest proposal unsatisfactory. “They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it,” he said. “They have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity, and the world, over the last 47 years,” he wrote on Truth Social Sunday.