Walz in the hot seat as critics’ predictions on his controversial new law come true: ‘Concerning trends’
As Minnesota’s fraud scandal continues to make headlines, signature legislation signed by Gov. Tim Walz extending the amount of paid leave available to Minnesota workers is already causing major headaches and concerns from critics worried about potential abuse of even more dollars. The legislation, which took effect on January 1, allows Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks a year off with partial pay to care for a newborn or a sick family member, and up to 12 weeks to recover from their own serious illness. Benefits are capped at 20 weeks a year for employees who take advantage of both. Two months in, the legislation is already receiving pushback, including from the state’s largest, non-partisan business advocacy organization. “Beyond just anti-fraud sentiments, employers are reporting a few concerning trends,” Lauryn Schothorst from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce told Fox 9 Minneapolis. TAFOYA RIPS WALZ ‘DODGING’ ACCOUNTABILITY IN HEARING, UNVEILS PLAN TO FIGHT FRAUD: ‘FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW’ “Providers are being pressured by patients for the full 12 weeks of leave, even if their condition does not require it. A number of respondents have shared that their employees are making more on paid leave than the wage replacement thresholds in law. Employees are going on vacation or to music festivals while supposedly on leave. These anecdotes don’t necessarily reveal fraud or a lack of oversight by the department. They highlight concerns with the broad eligibility and limited employer recourse elements of the law. To employers, overuse is abuse.” Two Republican lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital agreed with that assessment. “The chamber is right,” State Sen. Michael Holmstrom said. “Minnesota is not a business-friendly state. Employers were already offering this benefit and then the state got in between employers and their employees, which it has no business doing.” Holmstrom says a major employer in his district has seen a 700% increase in paid leave usage since the law took effect and the company is unable to backfill those positions with skilled workers to compensate. The result, Holmstrom explained, is carrying on with business as usual without replacements and providing a lower level of service. State Sen. Mark Koran told Fox News Digital he also agreed with the chamber and suggested fraud concerns are valid, saying there will be “no real enforcement” because the “state removed the employer from the oversight and administration of the program.” GOP LAWMAKER UNVEILS WALZ ACT AFTER BILLIONS LOST IN MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL Koran explained: “The program isn’t being used as intended, which Republicans predicted. It was sold as a replacement for short and long-term leave replacement. Now it’s a complex sick leave program with the effective date on day one, not the traditional seventh day of injury or illness.” “The liberal use guidelines mean employees can take a day off every week, or every Monday and Friday for a long weekend. It’s a huge negative impact on employers’ ability to find substitute labor and puts Minnesota in the bottom tier of business competitiveness.” Ultimately, Koran says the law will result in fewer jobs, lower pay, decreased benefits and a “continued exodus of business creation and expansion out of Minnesota.” On social media, critics have echoed similar sentiments, with some pointing out that most businesses in Minnesota already offered paid leave, making state interference unnecessary. “No way,” Brian McClung, former spokesperson for former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, posted on X. “I am shocked – shocked! If only someone had warned the MN Democrat trifecta that creating an expensive, cumbersome, bureaucratic system might go badly (when the vast majority of businesses already offered paid leave without a mandate).” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment. The new state paid leave program is being enforced by a new government division within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development with more than 400 full-time employees overseeing the process, causing uneasiness from some given the multiple state agency bureaucracies that oversaw the massive fraud scandal. Earlier this year, when the law was about to take effect, Fox News Digital reported on concerns that the bill could open the door up for even more fraud, with Bill Glahn, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, describing the legislation at the time as the “next billion-dollar fraud.” “When you build a multibillion-dollar state benefit program with weak oversight, fraudsters line up,” Townhall columnist and Minnesota resident Dustin Grage, told Fox News Digital in January. “We’ve already seen what happens in Minnesota. The paid family leave system will be a magnet for abuse.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development defended the program. “Minnesota is not unique in enacting a state paid family and medical leave program – we are one of 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have done so. The United States is an outlier – it’s one of only seven countries worldwide that lacks a national paid family and medical leave program. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics noted in 2023 that 73% of American civilian workers lack access to paid family leave,” the statement said. “We recognize that Paid Leave is a big change for Minnesota employers. That’s why we’ve worked closely with employers around the state, plus many employer advocacy groups, to develop tools and materials to make administering Paid Leave as smooth as possible. We have received positive feedback from many employers, and we are consistently improving service offerings.” The spokesperson added that the department “takes program integrity seriously.” “While the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has not shared the underlying data from its survey, the Chamber has presented its objections to paid family and medical leave programs for years at the Minnesota Legislature. Despite these objections, the Chamber has been a good partner in helping educate employers about Paid Leave.”
6 US service members aboard refueling aircraft after mid-air collision causes crash in Iraq
Six U.S. service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq Thursday afternoon after a mid-air incident with a second aircraft, officials confirmed. A U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq around 2 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command confirmed early Friday. All six crew members aboard the aircraft have been confirmed dead. The other aircraft involved in the incident landed safely, CENTCOM said. Officials said the loss of the aircraft was not the result of hostile fire or friendly fire. The identities of the service members are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and will be released 24 hours after those notifications are complete. FORMER TOPGUN PILOT DECLARES IRAN MILITARY ‘OVER WITH’ AMID US AIR SUPERIORITY, BUT WARNS OF ANOTHER DANGER The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. The KC-135 Stratotanker is a U.S. Air Force aircraft that refuels other planes midair, allowing them to fly longer missions without landing. It can also be configured for medical evacuations and surveillance, according to the Air Force. Based on the Boeing 707 design, the KC-135 has been in service for more than 60 years, supporting the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied aircraft. The Air Force is gradually replacing the aging fleet with next-generation KC-46A Pegasus tankers. Despite upgrades, concerns have been raised about the durability of the older aircraft. The Congressional Research Service reported that the Air Force operated 376 KC-135s last year across active duty, the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM A standard crew includes a pilot, co-pilot and boom operator, who controls the refueling boom from the rear of the aircraft. Some KC-135s are also equipped with wing-mounted pods and can carry cargo or passengers when needed. A second US official said another KC-135 was involved in the incident and landed safely in Israel, according to Israel’s ambassador to the United States. The crash follows last week’s mistaken downing of three US F-15E fighter jets by friendly Kuwaiti fire. Refueling tankers could become increasingly important if the conflict with Iran continues, as US aircraft may need to fly longer missions deeper into the region.
Why an unverified Iran drone tip prompted FBI alerts to California law enforcement
An FBI advisory referencing an unverified tip about a potential Iranian drone concept off the California coast circulated to multiple California law enforcement agencies — only to be forcefully downplayed by the White House hours later. The advisory, distributed through federal security channels, referenced intelligence suggesting Iran had “aspired” to launch unmanned aerial systems from a vessel offshore. The email did not identify specific targets, dates or operational details. The advisory was shared with California state officials and forwarded to local law enforcement agencies, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, including police departments in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Berkeley. Local officials emphasized there was no indication of a specific or imminent threat but confirmed they were coordinating with federal partners. DHS SHUTDOWN MAY DELAY US TERROR RESPONSE AMID IRAN CONFLICT, EXPERT WARNS FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson posted the alert to X Thursday, which he said went to joint terrorism task force partners. “We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event of U.S. strikes on Iran,” the alert said, according to Williamson. “We have no additional information.” After reports about the advisory surfaced publicly, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized the coverage. “This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people,” Leavitt wrote. She said the reporting was based on “one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip,” adding: “No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom similarly said there was no verified threat to the state and that officials remained in communication with federal authorities as a precaution. Former Department of Homeland Security official Tom Warrick said the wording of the advisory suggests the intelligence likely reflected aspirational discussion rather than operational planning. FBI RAISES COUNTERTERROR TEAMS TO HIGH ALERT AMID IRAN TENSIONS “When you see the word ‘unverified,’ that generally means this is aspirational,” Warrick said. He emphasized that advisories of this kind are not routine occurrences, but during periods of heightened tensions — particularly involving Iran — federal authorities may err on the side of caution. “It’s not a regular occurrence,” Warrick said. “But given the war with Iran, and given Iran’s known tendencies, it’s only prudent for the FBI to put out a notice to local law enforcement to be aware that this is what we know — but this is all we know.” Warrick said such reporting often stems from intercepted communications in which foreign actors discuss potential attack concepts without evidence of capability or follow-through. “Somehow the United States picked up information of Iranians talking to each other — who probably have some affiliation to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Force — talking about, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to launch a drone attack on California?’” Warrick said, describing what he believes likely triggered the alert. “That’s where we are.” He stressed that distributing such intelligence allows local authorities to connect suspicious activity — such as unusual drone purchases or maritime behavior — with broader federal reporting. NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT URGES DHS TO RAISE TERROR THREAT LEVEL, WARNS OF SLEEPER CELL RISKS IN US At the same time, Warrick drew a distinction between large-scale military drone strikes and smaller improvised threats. “We’re not talking about launching Shaheds at California. That’s not feasible,” he said. “Using small-scale hobby drones to carry out a terrorist attack has always been a concern of homeland security,” he added. “That threat already exists.” Current federal law limits the authority to actively disable or intercept drones to specific federal agencies, including the Department of War and Department of Homeland Security. State and local law enforcement agencies generally lack independent authority to jam or seize unmanned aerial systems without federal coordination. Some state and local officials have in recent years pushed Congress to expand counter-drone authority beyond federal agencies, arguing that the proliferation of small drones has outpaced existing legal frameworks. IRAN’S DRONE SWARMS CHALLENGE US AIR DEFENSES AS TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST FACE RISING THREATS While Warrick framed the advisory as precautionary, Iran specialists say the broader concept referenced in the alert is not entirely imaginary — though executing such an operation would be complex. Michael Eisenstadt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Iran has experimented with sea-based launch concepts in the past, including containerized missile systems deployed from modified merchant vessels. “The idea is something they’ve clearly thought about,” Eisenstadt said. “They’ve demonstrated elements of this concept before.” However, he cautioned that projecting such capability across the globe and positioning assets close enough to the U.S. coastline to make an operational difference would be difficult. “To get it across the globe and close enough off the coast of California to make a difference — I’m pretty sure we track pretty closely ships coming out of Iran,” he said, adding that such an operation would likely be “a little too complicated for them to do at this point.” Eisenstadt agreed that describing the advisory as aspirational was likely accurate. “I think that’s probably correct,” he said. He also questioned whether a direct drone strike on U.S. territory would align with Iran’s historical escalation patterns. “If they were to retaliate on the homeland, it would more likely involve inspired or commissioned attacks,” he said, rather than a complex maritime drone launch. Drone-related activity has drawn scrutiny along the West Coast in recent years, though analysts caution against drawing a direct connection between prior incidents and the unverified tip referenced in the advisory. In 2019, multiple U.S. Navy destroyers operating near the Channel Islands off the coast of California reported encounters with groups of unidentified unmanned aerial systems during training operations. Navy documents later released
Illegal immigrant accused of assaulting NJ teen could be released under sanctuary policies, ICE warns
A criminal illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in New Jersey could soon be released under the state’s sanctuary policies, prompting federal immigration officials to issue a warning to local leaders. Gerardo Garcia Gonzalez, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office on charges of sexual assault of a victim between 13 and 15 years old, criminal sexual contact and sexual assault by force or coercion. After illegally entering the U.S. in 2001, Gonzalez was returned to Mexico and later re-entered the country at an unknown time, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “This pedophile should NEVER have been in our country and able to prey on children in the first place,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “We are calling on New Jersey sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator charged with sexually assaulting a child from jail into New Jersey neighborhoods.” ICE SWEEPS UP CONVICTED PEDOPHILES, TRAFFICKERS IN MASSIVE HOLIDAY WEEKEND STING: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ Bis continued, “This is the exact reason we need sanctuary jurisdictions to work with us. No one should want this sicko to be on our streets.” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requested that Gonzalez not be released under the state’s sanctuary policies. DHS said the request follows proposals by New Jersey politicians for legislation and executive orders “designed to demonize our brave ICE law enforcement.” CALIFORNIA SANCTUARY POLICIES BLAMED AFTER ICE ARRESTS 9 SEX OFFENDERS IN LOS ANGELES Last month, two state Democratic assembly members introduced the F—ICE Act, formally known as the Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act. The legislation would permit civil action for alleged violations of the U.S. Constitution related to immigration enforcement. The bill was drafted after a Democratic Socialist councilman was confronted by a federal agent after arriving at the scene of a raid on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, where an agent told him, “I don’t need a warrant, bro.” DHS SAYS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS HELPED CHILD RAPISTS, GANG MEMBERS EVADE DEPORTATION “This is a disgusting bill just meant to demonize our officers who are experiencing a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement,” Bis previously told Fox News Digital. Shortly after taking office in January, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE activities on state property and creates a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement activity in their communities. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit last month against New Jersey and Sherrill, accusing the state of expanding its sanctuary policies and obstructing federal immigration enforcement through the executive order. DHS said the actions come as law enforcement officers face a 1,300% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats. Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill’s office and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office for comment. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Sen Schmitt reups push for expanding denaturalization after recent acts of violence by naturalized citizens
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., on Thursday renewed the push for his bill to expand the denaturalization process for people who commit fraud, serious felonies or join terrorist organizations. Schmitt brought up his legislation, the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act, after a naturalized citizen originally from Lebanon allegedly rammed his vehicle into a Michigan synagogue and a naturalized citizen originally from Sierra Leone allegedly opened fire at Old Dominion University in separate incidents on Thursday in the latest violent attacks in the U.S. committed by naturalized citizens. “After the SAVE America Act, we must pass the SCAM Act so we can denaturalize & deport those who are here to hurt Americans,” Schmitt said on X, referring to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters in federal elections to prove citizenship by providing a photo ID and other documentation, such as a passport or birth certificate. OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY SHOOTER IDENTIFIED AS MOHAMED JALLOH, FORMER NATIONAL GUARD MEMBER, ISIS SUPPORTER “We must denaturalize those who shouldn’t be here,” the senator continued. Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, was shot and killed by security officers on Thursday after driving through Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit before the vehicle caught on fire, according to authorities. Ghazali arrived in the U.S. 15 years ago on an immediate relative visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and was granted citizenship in 2016, the Department of Homeland Security said. PAXTON DEMANDS STRICTER VETTING AFTER DEADLY TEXAS RAMPAGE BY SUSPECT WHO WAS NATURALIZED CITIZEN Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, served in the Virginia National Guard from 2009 until he received an honorable discharge in 2015. Previously convicted of attempting to offer material support to the Islamic State, Jalloh reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University on Thursday, killing one person and wounding two others. The gunman was also killed. In another incident earlier this month, a shooting was carried out outside a bar in Austin, Texas, by a naturalized citizen, Ndiaga Diagne, 53, who was born in Senegal, leaving three people dead and more than a dozen wounded. Schmitt’s SCAM Act was originally introduced in January in response to allegations of fraud by Somalians in Minnesota. “American citizenship is a privilege, and anyone hoping to be a part of our great nation must demonstrate a sincere attachment to our Constitution, upstanding moral character, and a commitment to the happiness and good order of the United States,” he said at the time. “People who commit felony fraud, serious felonies, or join terrorist organizations like drug cartels shortly after taking their citizenship oaths fail to uphold the basic standards of citizenship,” the lawmaker added. “They must be denaturalized because they have proven they never met the requirements for the great honor of American citizenship in the first place. We must protect and restore the institution of American citizenship.”
Mamdani touts landmark court victory against repeat offender landlord in housing enforcement push
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday touted a Bronx Supreme Court judgment he said has already topped $2.1 million against Bronx landlord Seth Miller, portraying the case as a new template for City Hall to squeeze owners who don’t fix violations. Speaking at Bronx Borough Hall, Mamdani said the court found that “years of uncorrected code violations at 919 Prospect Avenue constitute a public nuisance,” and ordered penalties of “$1,000 a day” for violations dating back to April 21, 2019, “totaling more than $2.1 million so far,” with “fines continuing to accrue” if repairs are not made. “Since your landlord, a repeat offender on New York City’s annual Worst Landlord Watch List, purchased the property in 2011, your tenants have faced an unending stream of violations that have taken a toll on their health, safety and well-being,” he said. “We are speaking of infestations of, mice, rats and cockroaches; leaking pipes; collapsed ceilings; black mold; and lead paint. The list of abuses and failures, frankly, goes on.” “This is a landmark victory,” he said, saying it was “the first time that the court has levied the maximum civil penalties allowed on a landlord under the Nuisance Abatement Law.” IS MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST PUSH FOR RENT CONTROLS ABOUT TO WRECK THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING MARKET? He also warned other owners: “If you do not change your ways, we now have a strong precedent to pursue the same kind of legal action against you.” Mamdani’s corporation counsel, Steven Banks, declined to spell out how the city would force compliance if the landlord attempts bankruptcy tactics. “There are multiple ways forward. I’ve always learned [that] when dealing with somebody like this particular landlord, it’s best not to telegraph exactly what we’re going to do,” Banks said. “But rest assured: we will be ready.” The mayor said the city has “allocated more than $85 million in our preliminary budget to add 200 new attorneys and 100 support staff to our Law Department,” arguing the goal is compliance, not revenue. The push escalates Mamdani’s day-one posture that targeted landlords and promised aggressive legal intervention. On Jan. 1 at his inauguration, Mamdani vowed, “We will make sure that 311 violations are resolved.” “Today is the start of a new era for New York City,” Mamdani said. “It is inauguration day. It is also the day that the rent is due.” HOURS AFTER TAKING OFFICE, NYC MAYOR MAMDANI TARGETS LANDLORDS, MOVES TO INTERVENE IN PRIVATE BANKRUPTCY CASE During his day one action plan, Mamdani announced an executive order creating a LIFT task force, or a land-inventory effort designed to leverage city-owned land and accelerate housing development. He said the task force will review city-owned properties and identify sites suitable for housing development no later than July 1. He also announced the SPEED task force, which Mamdani said stands for Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development. He said the task force will work to remove permitting barriers that slow housing construction. Both task forces will be overseen by Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Lila Joseph, he said. “These are sweeping measures, but it is just the beginning of a comprehensive effort to champion the cause of tenants,” Mamdani said. WATCH: Landlord groups have attacked Mamdani’s tenant-protection chief, Cea Weaver, a longtime housing activist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), over past comments linking homeownership to “White supremacy,” calling them “racist” and evidence of hostility to property owners. Speaking about housing policy and equity in a March 2021 DSA video, Weaver said, “For centuries, we’ve really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good, and we are going to … in transitioning to treating it as a collective good and towards a model of shared equity, will require that we think about it differently.” “Families, especially White families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well, are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have,” she added. Fox News Digital’s Nikolas Lanum and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Soros-backed DA sparks backlash after blaming Old Dominion shooting on pro-gun lawmakers: ‘F— right off’
The George Soros-backed district attorney in Norfolk, Virginia, where Thursday’s mass shooting at Old Dominion University took place, doubled down on his viral comments, saying community members looking to place blame on the shooting should direct it towards pro-gun lawmakers and judges. Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi was pressed by Fox News Digital to elaborate on his comments during the press conference earlier, prompting him to stand by his comments. “I absolutely stand by what I said. It is the truth, no matter how much the gun lobby wants to deny it,” Fatehi said when asked if he stood by his comments despite Thursday’s mass shooter in Virginia having a public record of supporting Islamic terrorism. The shooter, a former National Guardsman and naturalized citizen from Sierra Leone, was previously sentenced in 2017 for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, but appears to have been released by the federal Bureau of Prisons in late 2024 during the Biden administration. NYC BOOSTS PATROLS AMID ‘HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT,’ AFTER GUNMAN RAMS TRUCK INTO MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE “We have confirmed reports that prior to him conducting this act of terrorism, he shouted all our stated Allahu Akbar,” Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans said in a Thursday evening news conference. “No matter the ideology of an attacker, that attacker is more dangerous with a gun than without one,” Fatehi, whose top two donors include the Soros-subsidized Justice and Public Safety PAC and Democracy PAC, said. A Fox News Digital review found that the two Soros-funded PACs donated over $650,000 combined to his campaign coffers between 2021 and 2025. A conservative group that tracks nonprofit spending, The Capital Research Center, reported that across a decade, between 2012 and 2022, Soros spent $40 million on the Justice and Public Safety PAC, which is known for supporting left-wing prosecutors. Democracy PAC, a super PAC created by Soros in 2019, was given nearly $30 million during the first three months of 2020, The Capital Research Center also reported. Some of the better-known liberal prosecutors supported by these Soros-backed groups include recalled San Francisco district attorney, Chesa Boudin, former Chicago district attorney, Kim Foxx, and former Los Angeles district attorney, George Gascon, according to the Capital Research Center. On Thursday, Fatehi, who has served as the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Norfolk since 2022, walked up to the podium during a post-shooting press conference unprovoked before giving his remarks about who should be to blame – at least in part – for the shooting. “I’m constrained in what I can say about the facts of the case, but I can speak a little more freely about the bigger questions,” Fatehi said after walking up to the podium. ‘UNDER SIEGE’: INSIDE THE GROWING RADICAL ISLAM THREAT CRITICS SAY IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT IN DEEP RED TEXAS “These men work every day to make people safe,” he continued, referring to law enforcement officials. “People are as safe on the ODU campus as anywhere, arguably safer than in other parts of Norfolk. But this is not an ODU problem. This is a national sickness. We live in a country where people care more about guns than they care about 6-year-old children. They care more about guns than they care about synagogue worshipers. And they care more about guns than they do about college students.” The left-wing prosecutor went on to say that it doesn’t matter “how hard” law enforcement or the university works to ensure tragic incidents like what happened Thursday, are not repeated, adding that “somebody will be a victim eventually.” These remarks sparked backlash on social media, with several conservatives attacking him and bringing up the criminal history of the shooter. “I really try not to cuss here, but Fatehi can f— right off with this statement,” BearingArms editor Cam Edwards posted on X. “Given this lunatic is the DA, there’s like a 90% chance he’s going to charge the hero who stabbed the Islamist to death to stop the attack,” RedState writer Bonchie wrote on X. “You see, ISIS terrorists wouldn’t be terrorists if it weren’t for Republican gun culture or something,” Bonchie said in another X post. “Mind-numbing.” “I generally stop short of telling bad faith morons to go to hell because eternal damnation isn’t a trifling matter, but this level of intentional and malicious imbecility is testing my resolve,” Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, wrote on X. “Until there is the political will to break the spell of the cult of gun absolutism, you will see more incidents like this. So, if you are looking for somebody to blame, don’t look at anybody up here, look at our lawmakers who don’t have the courage to implement sensible gun control measures, look to a Supreme Court that enables them, and do something about it,” Fatehi continued. “That is the lesson – let’s mourn the people who’ve died, let’s decry what has happened, but let’s keep the focus where it belongs. It belongs on us, and having to change something so that we don’t have to suffer through this.” Multiple federal sources confirmed to Fox News that the suspected shooter at ODU was Mohamed Jalloh. The shooting occurred shortly before 10:49 a.m., the university said in an emergency alert. The gunman was later pronounced dead when responding officers arrived following a shooting near ROTC cadets, Police Chief Garrett Shelton told reporters during a news conference. Reporting from the New York Post indicated that Jalloh was targeting ROTC members on campus, before one eventually stepped in to stop the madness, stabbing and killing the suspect. Later in the day Thursday, ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton indicated one victim died from the shooting, along with the gunman, while two others were injured. FBI Director Kash Patel also indicated Thursday that federal authorities were investigating the matter as an act of terrorism.
Illegal alien’s violent tussle with federal officer leads to multiple charges after suspected Biden-era entry
The Justice Department filed a criminal complaint this week against a Venezuelan national accused of assaulting a federal officer and grabbing and possessing the officer’s gun while resisting arrest outside a business earlier this month. Law enforcement officers assigned to the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Task Force, or HSTF, began surveillance near a business in Utica, Michigan, after receiving information that individuals living in the U.S. illegally were working at the site as delivery drivers. Agents observed a vehicle registered to Arnoldo Jose Marquez-Pulido, 33, who was leaving the parking lot, and they determined he was in the country illegally, according to a press release from the Justice Department. ‘YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT’: TEMPERS FLARE IN SENATE AS DHS SHUTDOWN DEBATE ERUPTS, STALEMATE DIGS DEEPER After agents attempted a routine traffic stop, authorities say Marquez-Pulido briefly pulled over before fleeing from officers at a “high rate of speed.” He then returned to the business location, where he proceeded to flee on foot, the criminal complaint alleged. An HSTF agent proceeded to tackle Marquez-Pulido after he allegedly ignored the agent’s commands to stop and attempted to enter the business, the Justice Department said in a press release. During the struggle, Marquez-Pulido is accused of striking the agent in the face with his elbow and reaching for the agent’s service weapon, identified as a “Glock 19” pistol. Prosecutors say he was able to remove the gun from the agent’s holster and briefly wield it before losing control of it as the agent regained leverage. Additional officers responded and recovered the weapon from the ground. Authorities say Marquez-Pulido continued to resist before being restrained. The agent sustained a contusion to his elbow, abrasions to his knees and hands and a contusion to his cheek, officials said. A second agent sustained a knee contusion. Both were treated at a hospital and released. Marquez-Pulido was scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Detroit this week, though prosecutors said they will seek to have him held in custody pending further proceedings. MINNESOTA DRAGS TRUMP’S ICE TO COURT IN EFFORT TO PAUSE IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN Marquez-Pulido is believed to have entered the U.S. at a San Ysidro, California, port of entry in 2024, without a visa or valid travel documents. Federal prosecutors said the allegations against the Venezuelan national underscore the dangers that some officers face while seeking to crack down on border security and enforce a hardline immigration enforcement agenda that President Donald Trump has prioritized during his second White House term. “Some say that enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is unfair because illegal aliens are all harmless,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon of the Eastern District of Michigan said in a statement. “Today’s allegations break that narrative. “High-speed flight from arrest, fighting federal agents and grabbing an agent’s gun are not ‘harmless,’” he added. “And what’s ‘unfair’ is the fact that Americans pay the price for dangerous illegal aliens.” The news comes as DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said assaults on officers have increased sharply and vowed to pursue individuals accused of violence against law enforcement. Senate lawmakers remain sharply divided over how to proceed with fully funding DHS and ending the shutdown that stretched into its 27th day Thursday. Immigration enforcement has emerged as a key sticking point for Democrats, in particular, as they continue to grapple over the specifics of a bill to fully fund the sprawling federal agency. KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday he and most Democrats in the chamber were ready to fund “most of DHS,” including TSA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, FEMA and the Coast Guard but not Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency or CBP. Schumer, for his part, has also accused Republicans in the chamber of blocking the bill due to disagreements over immigration, prompting a heated exchange with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “I assume the Democrat leader is aware of the fact that we have tried repeatedly to fund everything temporarily to allow the negotiations over the ICE budget to continue,” Thune shot back. Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
Trump admin’s push to end controversial policy extended by Biden sparks backlash ahead of crucial deadline
A handful of immigrants and advocacy organizations are asking the Trump administration to extend its March 17 deadline to end the temporary protected status (TPS) afforded to Somalis in the U.S., arguing the administration is changing the immigration designation purely along lines motivated by race. The change in designation would force roughly 1,080 Somali TPS recipients to self-deport or turn themselves in to immigration enforcement, according to a Tuesday filing before a Massachusetts district court. “President Trump has smeared the Somali community publicly, categorically, and repeatedly. He has called Somali people ‘garbage’ and ‘low IQ people.’ And he has said point blank: ‘I don’t want [Somali people] in our country,’” the challenge states, referring to remarks President Donald Trump made at a Cabinet meeting last year. “They reflect a desire to target and punish Somali nationals based on their race and national origin in violation of the U.S. Constitution.” MINNESOTA FRAUD HEARING SPARKS IMMIGRATION CLASH AS GOP LAWMAKER SPOTLIGHTS SOMALI WELFARE DATA The suit was brought by African Communities Together and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans and lists the Department of Homeland Security as a defendant. Their challenge comes amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and his administration’s continued focus on Somali populations in states like Minnesota, where alleged fraud activity has drawn national attention. Trump has had an eye toward Somalia since his first term, when, in 2017, he included the country in a travel ban. That focus resurfaced in November 2025 amid news that a number of predominantly Somali-led fraud schemes had allegedly siphoned as much as $9 billion from Minnesota government assistance programs. The news prompted Trump’s first move against Somali TPS. “Minnesota is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. I am, as president of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota,” Trump wrote in a November post on Truth Social. US FREEZES ALL VISA PROCESSING FOR 75 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING SOMALIA, RUSSIA, IRAN Outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem made the designation switch official in January. Asked about the TPS designation in the wake of Noem’s recent ouster from the agency earlier this month, a DHS spokesperson confirmed the plans remained unchanged. “Temporary means temporary. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for temporary protected status. Allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. The Trump administration is putting Americans first,” an agency spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Under the Immigration Law of 1990, aliens protected by TPS are allowed to work in the United States and are shielded from removal as long as their country of origin is experiencing “temporary conditions” like war or natural disaster that would prevent their safe return. The attorney general may extend a country’s TPS status for 18 months at a time. Somalia received TPS in 1991 and has held a TPS designation for 35 years. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BLOCKED FROM ENDING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIANS Tuesday’s filing argues dangerous conditions remain in place, citing terrorist activity from groups like Al-Shabaab listed in Somalia’s latest TPS extension. “The 2024 redesignation noted that ‘Somalia continues to experience widespread insecurity due to armed conflict involving state and non-state actors’ … subjecting civilians to human rights abuses, including summary executions, indiscriminate and targeted killings, gender-based violence, child recruitment, disappearances and physical abuse,” the plaintiffs argued. DHS declined to comment on its on-the-ground assessments of Somalia’s local conditions.
Legalize prostitution effort left candidate ‘shocked’ in blue state with rampant human trafficking
Michael Allen, a Republican candidate for Colorado attorney general, said he was “shocked” by a Democratic proposal to legalize prostitution, warning it would “open the floodgates” to human trafficking in Colorado. “It’s hard for me to even decipher why they’ve decided this is the time and place to introduce a radical bill like this,” Allen said in an interview with Fox News Digital. The bill, which sponsors said would “decriminalize adult commercial sexual activity,” was introduced last month by Democratic state Sens. Nick Hinrichsen and Lisa Cutter and Reps. Lorena García and Rebekah Stewart. NEWSOM KNOCKED FOR ‘INSANE’ CALIFORNIA GAS PRICES AFTER BLAMING TRUMP FOR RISING COSTS According to Allen, the bill would go far beyond Nevada’s law allowing prostitution and would make Colorado “the leader in the entire country on legalized prostitution.” “I was shocked,” Allen admitted. “It doesn’t make any sense to me. It would not solve any issue that is happening on the ground in Colorado. It would not help with our huge budget deficit. It will not help our crime deficit,” he said. “It is, frankly, very appalling to me that we’ve got four members of the left-leaning Democrat legislature who thought it would be a good idea to just open the floodgates and let these criminal actors run free without any repercussions.” The bill sponsors did not respond to requests for comment. A current Colorado district attorney, Allen is one of two Republicans running to flip one of the state’s top offices red. If successful, Allen would be the first Republican elected attorney general in over a decade. Allen said, despite the state being dominated by Democrats, he believes that, after 10 years of “devastatingly bad criminal justice reform,” voters are ready for a Republican attorney general. Though the bill appears to have stalled for now in the state legislature, Allen said it demonstrates how the Democratic Party is “not doing the right things on behalf of the people in this state.” The only outcome he predicts will result should the prostitution bill ever pass is “continued depravity in the state of Colorado.” DEMOCRAT RISING STAR CALLED OUT FOR ‘CREEPY’ COMMENT ABOUT TRANSGENDER CHILDREN “Prostitution is a natural outgrowth of human trafficking,” he said. “The links are undeniable.” He explained that, in Colorado, “You’ve got two major corridors of travel that go through the state,” which, he said, “are major arteries for human trafficking, and we see that in the Denver metro area as a huge hub for human trafficking.” Colorado is seeing record highs in human trafficking victims and is ranked among the states with the highest numbers of reports, according to data gathered by the Common Sense Institute. Further, according to the study, 79% of Colorado human trafficking crimes were for the purposes of commercial sex. The study also backs Allen’s claim that the trafficking is concentrated in the Denver area. MODERATE DEMOCRATS LOOKING PAST KAMALA HARRIS FOR 2028, SUGGESTING PARTY ‘START OVER’ As attorney general, Allen vowed to work to finally turn the tables on the rampant human trafficking in Colorado. “The attorney general’s office has the ability to use the statewide grand jury to investigate those crimes and then also prosecute those crimes and hold people accountable,” he said. He believes the upcoming midterm election in Colorado, including his race for attorney general, will be “pivotal.” “We need to have a better, stronger and more effective posture from our Colorado Attorney General’s Office to combat criminal activity that is, frankly, affecting the entire state of Colorado,” he said.