Blanche urged to investigate alleged foreign influence in fight against data centers
FIRST ON FOX: Lawmakers are calling on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to investigate alleged foreign influence in the nationwide campaign to block construction of data centers. A letter penned by Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, and signed by multiple GOP lawmakers claims foreign-linked organizations and advocacy networks are trying to block the centers to give Chinq a leg up in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. “We believe that the Chinese and also the Russians are colluding and working to make sure that the United States of America is not the leader when it comes to AI policy and development,” Gooden told Fox News Digital in an interview. “They are so sophisticated with respect to disinformation and manipulating our processes here in the United States against us.” MARXIST ORGANIZER LEADS CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIRGINIA AI DATA CENTER AS FOREIGN INFLUENCE CONCERNS MOUNT “We know historically, that they have funded [nongovernmental organizations] and nonprofits that don’t disclose donations,” Gooden added. “And then, they use these foreign funds against us and against our policy in a way that benefits them.” As AI demand accelerates, data centers have become essential to providing the computing power, electricity and infrastructure needed to process information and store massive amounts of data. However, proposed facilities often have faced opposition from critics who say they drive up utility costs and threaten the environment. This past January, a self-described “organizer” for the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Jack Tensley, testified before the Frederick County Planning Commission in Maryland against the construction of a data center in Virginia. TOP ENERGY GROUP WARNS WEALTHY FOREIGNERS ARE POTENTIALLY BANKROLLING ANTI-DATA CENTER CAMPAIGNS ACROSS US “My really big fear here is the security risk. We have infrastructure attacks and failures, cyberattacks that happen — I want to know if this puts a target on the back of Frederick County,” Tensley said. “I see a lot of risk here.” Tensley did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. In a social media post from Party for Socialism and Liberation Boston, the organization openly opposed data centers, saying the control of AI and data centers is in the hands of billionaires. HOUSE PANEL SUBPOENAS 3 LEFT-WING GROUPS IN PROBE OF $39M TIED TO MARXIST TYCOON NEVILLE SINGHAM “Workers are rising up across the country in a growing movement against the tech billionaires – from fights against data centers in hundreds of cities, to labor organizing at the world’s biggest tech corporations,” the post read. Neville Roy Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups that operate in the U.S. He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. Singham now faces a grand jury investigation over his financial activity in the Southern District of New York, a probe that Blanche authorized. Fox News Digital has reached out to Singham, who has not been charged with any crime to date, repeatedly for several months but has not received any responses. The letter to Blanche cited reports from both the Bitcoin Policy Institute and OpenAI, both of which outlined the alleged role of foreign influence on campaigns against data center production. OpenAI said that “two clusters of ChatGPT accounts likely originating from China” were “banned after they used our models in support of apparent covert influence operations that promoted narratives in an attempt to manipulate a legitimate debate about American AI and wider tech policies.” The Bitcoin Policy Institute found that PSL has organized anti-data center campaigns in at least 14 states, opposing roughly $23.6 billion in AI investments. “Recent reports have also identified involvement of China-based tycoon Neville Roy Singham and his network of Marxist, communist, and socialist nonprofit organizations in influencing American AI discourse,” the letter to Blanche read. “A BPI report from last month also uncovered specific instances of a nationwide influence campaign to undermine the American AI supply chain being led by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), an unincorporated political party that acts as ‘the political arm of the Singham network’ with ties to socialist governments like Cuba and Venezuela.” Fox News Digital asked the Justice Department if it was planning to respond to lawmakers or open an investigation but did not receive a response.
Fetterman trolls the Democratic Socialists of America as Israel kills Hamas terrorists: ‘Cry harder’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., an ardent supporter of Israel, trolled the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in a Thursday post on X. “Israel keeps killing Hamas members. @DemSocialists, cry harder,” he wrote, tagging the DSA. In a Thursday post on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) highlighted the elimination of several terrorists. REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’D WELCOME FETTERMAN AS GOP EYES BIGGER SENATE MAJORITY “ELIMINATED: Abdallah Jahja, a terrorist in the Naval Force of Hamas’ military wing who infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 Massacre,” the IDF’s post stated. The post added that “2 additional Hamas terrorists were eliminated,” including “Mohammed Al-Hawari, a cell commander in Hamas’ Zeitoun Battalion” and “Sabhi Saqallah, observation operative in Hamas’ Zeitoun Battalion.” “The terrorists advanced terror attacks targeting IDF troops & Israeli civilians,” the IDF added. SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE ‘LAST MAN STANDING’ IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL Fetterman told Fox News Channel’s Kayleigh McEnany last week that “these DSA people are deeply anti-Israel” as well as “deeply anti-America.” The lawmaker said that he “will always be the last man standing within the Democratic caucus in the Senate that’s pro-unapologetically standing for Israel.” “Israel is our special ally, and I’m always proud to stand with Israel,” he said. FETTERMAN REVEALS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR HIM TO LEAVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY Fetterman indicated last week during remarks at the Hill Nation Summit that he would “leave” the Democratic Party if it were ever to officially become the “anti-Israel party.”
Trump turns to ‘zombie’ court after Boasberg pointed to it in deportation fight
The Trump administration is moving to deport an unnamed illegal immigrant suspected of terrorism through the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), which has never heard a single case. The Justice Department filed its first-ever application for a removal order with the court on July 15, marking the first attempt in the court’s nearly 30-year history to invoke a little-known law allowing the government to deport noncitizens suspected of terrorism through a specialized judicial process that relies on sealed classified evidence. If successful, the administration could revive what legal scholars have called a “zombie” court as a powerful new tool for removing suspected terrorists. “This Department of Justice will use every tool available to bring alien terrorists to justice and remove them from the United States, including by use of this court established by Congress in 1996,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The move also comes months after Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., pointed to the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court as an alternative for handling terrorism-related deportation cases while questioning the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. EXCLUSIVE: NEW YORK WOMAN WHO WISHED ‘EVERY DAY WERE OCT. 7’ CHARGED WITH FUNDING PALESTINIAN TERROR GROUP “In fact, Congress has an answer for us, doesn’t it? Because they created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court,” Boasberg said during a March hearing. “So if there’s a national security concern with having these hearings, whether via habeas or otherwise, you can always go to the ATRC, which would be a first, but that’s what it’s there for, right?” Boasberg made the comments while presiding over litigation challenging the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. He temporarily blocked the administration from using the wartime law for those removals while the courts determine whether Trump’s use of the statute is lawful. Boasberg also ordered deportation flights already in the air to return, setting off a high-profile legal battle between the administration and the judiciary. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, told Fox News Digital that it was about time the Justice Department took advantage of this special court. “I think it is a sign of negligence, frankly, of prior presidents that they did not use this special court, this special procedure that was specifically set up by Congress, so that they could quickly get aliens — aliens who were either terrorists or supported terrorist activities — out of the U.S.” von Spakovsky said. BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY The one-page sealed application contained virtually no information, leaving out the person’s identity, the alleged conduct, and the specific section of the anti-terrorism law the Justice Department cited. After hearing arguments from Justice Department officials, ATRC Chief Judge Joan N. Erickson, appointed by President George W. Bush, requested additional information before proceedings could continue. “The Court had questions about the nexus that the government alleges between the actions of the respondent and the specific sections and subsections it invokes with respect to those actions,” Erickson wrote. “The answers persuaded the Court that the Government could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration,” Erickson continued. Erickson gave the Justice Department until Wednesday to respond with additional documentation. Congress created the ATRC through the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. “From now on we can quickly expel foreigners who dare to come to America and support terrorist activities,” Clinton said at the bill’s signing. The court is made up of five federal district judges who serve five-year terms. It handles terrorism-related deportation cases where the government says its evidence cannot be made public because it would threaten national security. In those cases, the government provides the respondent with an unclassified summary instead of the classified evidence itself. DC APPEALS COURT ORDERS JUDGE BOASBERG TO HALT TRUMP CONTEMPT PROBE OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS At the time of the law’s passage, then Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., blasted the law. “You and me, Judge — me, the prosecutor; you, the judge — let’s deport him in a secret hearing, using secret evidence,” Biden said. “We know you did it, and we can’t tell you how we know. Now I think that is about as un-American as it gets.” According to the 9/11 Commission staff report, DOJ attorneys considered 50 cases by 1998 and another 50 over the next two years, but every one was rejected. Some terrorism-related cases moved forward through the regular immigration court system instead. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The Justice Department’s case before the ATRC comes as the Trump administration has repeatedly faced resistance from federal judges, who have blocked, delayed or narrowed key parts of its immigration enforcement agenda. Von Spakovsky said the Justice Department’s use of the ATRC could not only streamline terrorism-related deportation cases but also reduce interference from what he described as “rogue” liberal judges. “I think this court is a much stronger tool the Justice Department can use, and it’s going to make it much tougher for what I consider to be rogue judges to interfere with, and hopefully prevent, the removal of immigrants,” von Spakovsky said.
California mayor’s hot mic catches candid exchange after audience sends meeting off rails
A live microphone exposed a behind-the-scenes conversation between Sacramento’s mayor and vice mayor as they discussed whether disruptive protesters could be barred from future city council meetings after a heated immigration-related debate descended into chaos. “We should go over this disruptions thing, because if we want to ban somebody in the future, like to take them out, we have to point out specifically…” Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes is heard saying. “I know, but the city attorney said we can’t do that,” Mayor Kevin McCarty replied. “We did it last time,” Talamantes responded. GOP SENATORS RALLY AROUND NEW DHS PROPOSAL TARGETING SANCTUARY CITIES: ‘SHOULD PAY A PRICE’ “We can’t,” McCarty said, shaking his head. “I spent my first six months going over this. I wanted to give people, like, probation, like, you can’t come…” Talamantes then appeared to realize the microphone was still live and quickly reached over to switch it off before continuing the conversation, according to the publicly available city council livestream reviewed by Fox News Digital. The awkward exchange unfolded Tuesday after Sacramento City Council recessed and ordered the public removed from the chambers following repeated disruptions during a fiery debate over the city’s continued participation in a regional intelligence-sharing center. The confrontation escalated after Talamantes defended accepting federal funding for the Central California Intelligence Center, or CCIC, arguing Sacramento’s sanctuary city policies and immigrant protections made the city better suited to oversee the grant than other jurisdictions. “The city of Sacramento is a sanctuary city,” Talamantes said during the meeting. “If we don’t pass these dollars, other counties will apply for these dollars, they will get those dollars and we will have no safeguards to protect our immigrant communities here in Sacramento.” Dozens of speakers had earlier urged the council to reject the agreement, arguing the intelligence center could facilitate information sharing with federal immigration authorities and undermine Sacramento’s sanctuary city policies. Police officials repeatedly disputed those claims during the meeting, telling council members Sacramento does not share personal identifying information for civil immigration enforcement and complies with California’s sanctuary law, known as SB 54. DHS LAWYER SAYS UCLA ‘UTTERLY FAILED’ TO STOP PROTEST CHAOS AT LAW SCHOOL APPEARANCE As public comment grew increasingly heated, one speaker repeatedly demanded McCarty pay attention. “Kevin, I need your f—ing eyes. Kevin, listen to me. Stop being an a–hole, dude. Listen to your f—ing constituents,” the speaker shouted. Following Talamantes’ remarks, another round of shouting erupted inside the council chambers. WATCH: HEARING DERAILS AS PURPLE-HAIRED DEM POINTS FINGER, SCREAMS AT CHAIR TO PUT DHS CHIEF ‘IN HIS PLACE’ “You’re a pick-me b—-,” one attendee shouted at Talamantes, while others yelled, “Shame on you.” McCarty responded with what he described as a “final notice.” “This is the final notice,” the mayor said. “We’re going to continue with the deliberation, and if there’s any more outbursts, we’re gonna have to ask the audience to leave.” Seconds later, the disruptions intensified. “You can’t do this behind closed f—ing doors!” one attendee shouted. “We are the community,” another yelled. “You represent us. You are our f—ing audience,” another voice exclaimed as council members attempted to continue the meeting. Council officials then paused the meeting and cleared the chambers after repeated disruptions prevented deliberations from continuing. Following the meeting, McCarty said the private conversation focused on existing meeting procedures, not new restrictions. “Every Tuesday, Vice Mayor Talamantes and I are responsible for overseeing and ensuring transparent, accessible, and open Council meetings,” McCarty said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, when meetings are repeatedly disrupted, we must discuss existing policies and rules to ensure Council meetings remain effective, orderly, and respectful for both the residents in attendance and the Councilmembers. We are committed to ensuring that all members of the public can access and engage safely without distraction or intimidation.” The Sacramento City Attorney’s Office declined to address McCarty’s reference to legal advice during the hot-mic exchange. “The City Attorney’s Office has no comment and will not be providing comment on this matter,” the office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The city’s published meeting rules state that members of the public receive two minutes per agenda item and may speak on no more than four items during a meeting, limits intended to help the council conduct city business. The hot-mic exchange quickly drew criticism from some activists, who argued Talamantes appeared interested in silencing vocal opponents. Joshua Masias, a volunteer organizer with the Sac Immigration Committee, told The Sacramento Bee the conversation showed an authoritative approach toward members of the public. “It’s very authoritative how she wants to use her power,” Masias told the outlet. “It stuck out to me that she was the only one to try to silence the crowd.” Resident Leanna Hunt, one of the council’s most outspoken critics, also defended the protesters’ frustration. “I’m fed up,” Hunt told the Bee. “It’s not even a tactic — I’m just tired of being treated like we are an audience and that the king is deigning to see us peasants today and when the peasants are unruly, the king gets upset.” Fox News Digital reached out to Vice Mayor Talamantes’ office, Sacramento Police Department and the Sac Immigration Committee for additional comment.
Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman admits to sufficient facts in June drunken driving case
The leader of the Massachusetts Democratic Party was arrested during a traffic stop on alleged drunken driving charges last month and days later admitted to prosecutors there were sufficient facts to support a conviction, according to state court records. A judge on June 15 — two days after the traffic stop in the town of Southborough — continued the operating under the influence (OUI) liquor charge without a finding after Steve Kerrigan, chairman of the state’s Democratic Party, entered an “admission to sufficient facts,” a Massachusetts legal disposition in which a defendant acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to obtain a conviction, according to Westborough District Court records. In addition to the OUI charge, Kerrigan, 54, faced a negligent operation charge and a marked lanes violation. The negligent operation charge was dismissed, and he was found not responsible for the marked lanes violation. The judge sentenced Kerrigan to a year’s probation, suspended his driver’s license for 45 days, ordered him to pay $600 in fees and required him to complete an impaired driving education program. COLORADO DEMOCRATS FORMALLY CENSURE GOV POLIS OVER TINA PETERS COMMUTATION Kerrigan was elected chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party in 2023. He was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014, and previously served as an executive with the Democratic National Convention Committee. He also serves as president and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center. According to a Southborough Police Department report, an officer stopped Kerrigan shortly after midnight on June 13, after observing his BMW traveling on or over the lane divider. The officer wrote that Kerrigan’s eyes appeared “glassy” and “bloodshot red” and that his speech was slow and slurred. The report states the officer could not detect the smell of alcohol because of what was described as an “overwhelming odor of cologne.” FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR DUI AFTER TROOPERS ALLEGEDLY FIND 34 OPEN ALCOHOL CONTAINERS IN VEHICLE Kerrigan told the officer he was driving home from a restaurant and said he had consumed two beers around 6 p.m. before dinner, according to the report. Police administered field sobriety tests before Kerrigan provided a breath sample that registered a 0.089% blood alcohol content, according to the report. The legal blood alcohol limit in Massachusetts is 0.08%. Kerrigan acknowledged the incident in a statement provided to Boston.com through his attorney, Andrea Levy. “In June, I was pulled over for a marked lanes violation and blew a .089 on the breathalyzer,” Kerrigan said. “I regret and take full responsibility for my actions and their consequences and appreciate the Southborough Police Department and the Westborough Court for their professionalism and service.” The Massachusetts Democratic Party did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Rubio unveils visa restrictions targeting cybercrime networks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals responsible for or complicit in cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime. “This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, such as those involved in cyberscams, and sextortion,” Rubio said in a statement. Certain immediate family members of people covered by the policy may also be subject to the State Department’s new visa restrictions, according to Rubio. TRUMP LAUNCHES GOLD EAGLE TO HUNT CYBER FLAWS WITH AI President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year titled “Combatting Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens” directs federal agencies to develop measures against foreign scam centers, transnational criminal organizations and cyber-enabled financial fraud. The administration, Rubio said, “is taking action to counter an unprecedented threat from online investment scams.” WHAT A SCAMMER SEES THE MOMENT THEY GOOGLE YOUR NAME “Often orchestrated by Chinese transnational criminal organizations, scammers have defrauded U.S. citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024 alone while fueling corruption, money laundering, and human trafficking,” the secretary said. “American children also have been specifically targeted by offenders operating overseas for sextortion scams, devastating families and futures,” he continued. Rubio said the administration is “deploying every tool at our disposal—sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests, and international law enforcement cooperation—to dismantle criminal scam networks and impose costs on those who enable them.” “By restricting visa issuance to those who are responsible for or complicit in these criminal enterprises, we are sending a clear message: The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens,” he said.
Dem’s stunning ideal standard for immigration detention conditions resurfaces amid Texas senate bid
During a 2019 interview following a visit to border enforcement, James Talarico, candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, said he gauged the suitability of immigration detention facilities based on how he would treat his own family. “I think I was struck by the conditions these folks were being held in,” Talarico said. “When I first walked in, I looked at one of the security monitors and saw these things strewn around the floor, and I realized they were human beings being held in these tiny rooms. The standard I use is: would I allow my child, my parent, my grandparent to be held in one of these facilities? And the answer, after my visit, was a resounding no,” Talarico said. His resurfaced comments continue to raise questions about his views on border policy as he looks to flip a Republican-held Senate seat in Texas. PROGRESSIVE TALARICO KNIFES BIDEN’S OPEN BORDER, TRIES MODERATING STANCE ON KEY ISSUES IN TEXAS SENATE RACE During his campaign, Talarico has drawn scrutiny for walking a tightrope between traditionally Democratic criticisms on President Donald Trump’s border enforcement measures and appearing too soft on border policy. Like progressives in the party, Talarico has called on lawmakers to “tear down” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has characterized voter ID requirements as a method to rig elections and, in the past, even criticized President Barack Obama’s record on immigration. In one 2019 remark, Talarico famously called Obama the “deporter-in-chief.” His past comments have left some observers believing his record makes the case for him. “There is a very concerning pattern with James Talarico siding with pedophiles, criminal illegal aliens and cartels while slandering the brave men and women of law enforcement who keep Texans safe,” Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee (RNC), said in a statement, referring to detentions highlighted by the Department of Homeland Security. ICE ARRESTS 15 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH CONVICTIONS INCLUDING HOMICIDE, RAPE AND CHILD SEX CRIMES OVER WEEKEND “Talarico is a true radical and fully committed to defunding the police, knocking down President Trump’s border wall and welcoming millions of illegal aliens into America,” Kraft added. At the same time, Talarico has voiced concern about the government’s effective use of resources on the border and whether its investments are being reflected in its detention operations. He raised the issue in the 2019 interview. “How are we spending close to a billion dollars every year on border security when these border patrol agents told us firsthand they didn’t have the resources, basic logistical items that would help the situation better for them and for the people being held?” Talarico said. Talarico argued that poor standards don’t speak to individual facility needs but rather reflect broader problems with immigration enforcement. “This is not a matter of some bad apples at a Border Patrol station. This is a systemic problem that even the Border Patrol agents identified as something morally wrong and something that needed to be solved,” Talarico said in an interview. “I believe this is a statewide problem; this is a stain on all of our reputations. It violates a lot of the values we have as Texans.” Texas spent roughly $800 million on border security in 2019, according to the state’s legislative budget board. TALARICO MAKES STUNNING CLAIM ABOUT WHY HE THINKS TEXAS ELECTIONS AREN’T ‘FREE AND FAIR’ When pressed for more details about Talarico’s ideal detainment conditions a reality, his campaign pointed to his border security plan he recently unveiled and noted that he has also raised concerns about border security ineffectiveness under the Biden administration. “James supports stronger border security and safe, secure, and humane detention facilities. He’s the only candidate in this race to unveil a border security agenda endorsed by Republicans and Democrats that will add more border patrol agents and improve technology at the border to better detect threats. For too long, both parties have failed our border communities by grandstanding on the issue instead of finding real solutions. James is running for Senate to keep our country safe by deporting criminals instead of locking up moms, babies and small business owners who have been contributing to our economy for decades,” a campaign spokesperson said. Having secured the Democratic nomination, Talarico will face Republican nominee Ken Paxton in the Nov. 3 general election.
Secret Service agent on JD Vance’s detail investigated for allegedly leaking operational security info
A U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s security detail is being investigated over allegations of leaking sensitive information. “A member of the Vice Presidential Protective Division is the subject of an administrative investigation, and potential criminal inquiry, involving allegations of compromising operational and information security,” Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to Fox News. The agency would not comment on the specifics of the case, Guglielmi said, but noted that “any conduct that potentially threatens the safety of a protectee will not be tolerated.” TRUMP SAYS HE’S IRAN’S ‘NO. 1’ TARGET AS RENEWED CONFLICT RAISES ASSASSINATION FEARS The probe came a week after an MS Now report detailed alleged frustrations within Vance’s security detail over last-minute personal and family travel requests. One day after the story was published, MS Now reported Vance’s office canceled a helicopter flight scheduled for his son’s golf lesson. The Trump administration said the proposed use of Marine Two — the call sign for the helicopter carrying the vice president — was for operational reasons. “Compared to a motorcade, it drastically decreased the burden on local law enforcement and eliminated the inconvenience of road closures and disruptions to motorists along the long driving route,” the administration wrote in a statement to Fox News. USHA VANCE MOCKS NEW YORK TIMES FOR DRAWING ‘POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE’ FROM HER PREGNANCY FASHION The MS Now report noted that current and former Secret Service agents pointed out that prior vice presidents “eschewed using such expensive government perks for the convenience of their children’s schedule.” Agents said the “off-the-record” (OTR) trips sometimes force them to cancel personal plans and require them to construct security plans in a hurry. “The detail is tired of them not giving notice on things and making everything an OTR,” a person familiar with the detail’s frustration told the news outlet. “[Vance] thinks he can still move around like a U.S. senator.” A Vance spokesperson told Fox News the family is grateful to the Secret Service. IRAN-BACKED PROXIES SABOTAGING LEBANON PEACE AS JD VANCE LEADS US DELEGATION TO SWITZERLAND, HERZOG SAYS “While protecting a vice president with a large policy portfolio and a young and growing family presents a unique challenge, agents of the Secret Service do so with excellence every day,” the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, USSS Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said that all special agents understand the commitment required to serve on a protective detail. “Our agents work tirelessly to ensure protectees’ safety and security, while also preserving normalcy to the extent possible,” Quinn told Fox News. “We are committed to supporting our personnel, which requires around-the-clock dedication and discipline. This is a job that requires absolute dedication and discipline. There is no room for compromise.” The frustration among agents reportedly led some to create custom coins and stickers mocking the frequency of Vance’s last-minute travel, referencing the vice president’s Secret Service code name, “Bobcat.” Some coins reportedly read, “Bobcat OTR Survivors Club.” The Trump administration acknowledged that last-minute trips can arise unexpectedly. “Most past presidents and vice presidents have not had young children, and therefore the detail has not been presented with this nature of protective mandate,” the administration told Fox News. “The Vice President is also a very active and involved Vice President, more so than recent officeholders,” the statement continued. “His unprecedented diplomatic role, for example, while critically important, has added new demands for a detail used to operating with lead times that are impossible in high-stakes diplomacy.”
AP post on USAID cuts backfires as critics question taxpayer-funded Nepal transgender jobs
An Associated Press social media post about transgender aid workers in Nepal turning to sex work after losing their jobs due to U.S. foreign aid cuts sparked a wave of conservative backlash, with critics arguing the video made the case for defunding USAID rather than saving it. The AP post said that in Nepal, where “a conservative culture leaves openly transgender people with few legal job options,” around 100 LGBTQ aid workers left jobless by U.S. funding cuts had turned to sex work to survive. An accompanying video focused on Rubi Lama, a former HIV outreach worker who said USAID-funded programs had provided free condoms, lubricant and HIV-prevention medication before the cuts. “When USAID funding was there, condoms were free, lubricant was also distributed … for free,” Lama said in the video, adding that HIV treatments, including PrEP, were also available without cost. “But, now it is gone.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS MORE THAN $1B IN UN BUDGET CUTS AS REFORM PUSH GAINS MOMENTUM The framing quickly drew criticism from conservatives who said the story raised the opposite question: why American taxpayers were funding those programs in the first place. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, was among the conservatives who argued the AP report made the opposite point from the one intended. “Our tax dollars no longer fund employment for transgender Nepalese sex workers,” Gill wrote on X. “Thank you for reminding us why defunding USAID was long overdue.” “Wow very grateful that my tax dollars are no longer funding a bunch of random trannies in Asia,” mocked Daily Wire host Matt Walsh “Is that the point you were trying to make or did you expect us to be somehow sad about this?” SOCIALIST-BACKED MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL CALLS AMERICAN POLITICS A ‘DISEASE’ AFTER PROFESSING LOVE FOR US The backlash comes after President Donald Trump, immediately upon returning to office, ordered a 90-day pause on new foreign development assistance obligations and disbursements while his administration reviewed whether programs aligned with his foreign policy. USAID later told partners to pause new funding obligations and issue stop-work orders or suspensions for existing awards, while critics have said the review led to major disruptions, staff reductions and the cancellation of critical foreign-assistance awards. But Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway argued the AP post exposed misplaced priorities, particularly among the media, saying the outlet presented U.S. tax dollars flowing to a “trans Nepalese job protection program” as though it was a good use of public money. “The AP announces that your hard-earned tax dollars were flowing to a trans Nepalese job protection program as if that was an even remotely good use of your money,” Hemingway wrote in a post on X. “AP is sick Democrat propaganda.” “How dare Elon cut USAID funds to the Nepalese trans sex worker community,” quipped Republican activist Jack Posobiec.
Mamdani slow to respond to suspected antisemitic stabbing as Hochul, other NY officials condemn attack
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani remained silent for serveal hours on what officials described as an antisemitic stabbing in New York City on Thursday afternoon, choosing to instead post about his millionaire housing tax initiative — even as the attack drew attention from other state officials. “I have been briefed on today’s horrifying stabbings on the Upper West Side, where an Asian man and a Jewish man were attacked. According to witness and victim statements, the perpetrator yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. I am relieved that both victims are in stable condition,” Mamdani wrote in a statement. “The NYPD responded immediately and arrested Raul Morales in connection with both assaults—and I am grateful to the officers for their swift response.” The delayed response from Mamdani played into the fears of some observers that his critical stances towards Israel, views shared by many progressives, are feeding into hesitations about supporting Jewish communities in the U.S. LIBERAL MS NOW WRITER CALLS MAMDANI PRIMARY SWEEP A ‘GENUINELY SCARY NIGHT FOR NEW YORK CITY JEWS’ Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, another member of the New York City Council, more pointedly laid blame with Mamdani. “According to credible reports I received, the attacker was yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’ during his attempted murder. I pray for the speedy recovery of the victims. [Mamdani,] you got blood on your hands,” she wrote. Authorities reported that a 57-year-old man was reportedly attacked near West 84th Street and Central Park West just after 1:30 p.m. local time. He was found conscious and alert with a stab wound to his back. He was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. Investigators later found another 50-year-old man nearby with a stab wound to his torso. He was also conscious and alert and was taken to a nearby hospital. City officials described the violence as an “antisemitic stabbing,” though police have not yet identified a motive or said whether the attacks are being investigated as a hate crime. Raul Morales, the suspect, is in custody, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) told Fox News Digital. NYC REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER SLAMS MAMDANI ANTISEMITISM OFFICE AS A ‘BLACK HOLE’ LACKING PUBLIC-FACING RESOURCES Almost immediately, the incident drew alarm and condemnation from observers, expressing dismay at another instance of violence against the Jewish community in New York City. “Disgusted by what appears to be another senseless attack on New Yorkers simply because they’re Jewish,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a post to X. “While we await additional details to be confirmed, we know that what is happening in our city is abhorrent. The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, regardless of their faith or identity.” “While we await additional details to be confirmed, we know that what is happening in our city is abhorrent. The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, regardless of their faith or identity,” Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council, wrote in a post to X “A man yelling ‘allahu akbar’ stabbed a man in a kippah at 86th and Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side at 1:30 pm today, then likely stabbed someone else at 84th and Central Park West. Has apparently been caught. On the Jewish day of mourning. In Zohran Mamdani’s city,” another observer wrote. Even as the incident captured attention online, Mamdani remained notably silent on the attack. Instead, he made a post on his recent housing tax plan, a strategy to dissuade wealthy New Yorkers from purchasing and keeping an outsized number of residences. “If you have a second home in New York City worth more than $5M, check your mailbox when you’re back in the five boroughs — because you’ve got mail. Today, we sent notification letters to property owners, letting them know that our new pied-à-terre tax is coming soon,” Mamdani wrote at 3:55, almost two and a half hours after the attack. JON STEWART PRESSES MAMDANI ON WHERE HE BREAKS WITH FELLOW DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS ON PRISONS AND BORDERS In the first quarter of 2026, the New York Police Department has received 146 hate crime complaints and made 71 arrests, according to police data — an uptick from 137 complaints and 51 arrests in the first quarter of 2025. Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether factors behind the scenes had caused a delay in response.