Tennessee governor signs nuclear family month resolution as critics push back on exclusions
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed a resolution declaring June Nuclear Family Month as an alternative to the usual LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Lee, a Republican, signed House Joint Resolution 182 April 9 after it passed the House in April 2025 and the Senate last month. The legislation highlights the importance of celebrating the traditional family unit, described as “consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children.” “The nuclear family is under attack in our beloved State and nation, and it is our responsibility to uplift, protect, and support values that help Tennessee prosper,” the resolution adds. NASHVILLE TEACHER HAS RECORD CLEARED AFTER REFUSING TO READ SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BOOK TO FIRST-GRADERS A spokesperson for the governor did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have begun to speak out against the resolution, and a representative for GLAAD gave Fox News Digital its opinion on the bill. OHIO TEACHER SUES HIGH SCHOOL FOR DEMANDING HE REMOVE LGBT POSTER INSIDE CLASSROOM “The strongest families are grounded in love, not legislative definitions. It is disturbing to see lawmakers use their platform to intentionally exclude their own constituents,” the organization wrote in a statement. “Instead of drafting resolutions that aim to divide Tennessee families, Gov. Lee should be focused on building a state where every family is treated fairly, and every child has the opportunity to succeed.” The news of the legislation comes a few days after the pride flag at Stonewall National Monument’s federal flagpole in New York City, a well-known symbol for the LGBTQ+ community, was restored after a two-month legal battle and settlement with the Trump administration. “This is a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and for our entire city,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote in an X post Monday. “It’s a reminder that New Yorkers won’t let our history be rewritten. “Our administration will keep working to ensure LGBTQ+ New Yorkers can live safely and with dignity in our city.” Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
Shouting match erupts between RFK Jr and Dem lawmaker over his comments about Black children
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. found himself in a shouting match with a congresswoman after she questioned him about previous comments he made about Black children during a budget hearing Thursday. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., confronted Kennedy about remarks he made during a 2024 podcast interview alleging that all Black children are overmedicated and need to be “reparented.” “Mr. Secretary, you’ve already admitted that you are not a board-certified physician, and you’ve already admitted you did not go to medical school. Have you ever reparented or parented, I should say, a Black child?” Sewell asked Kennedy. RFK JR LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO SCHOOL FOR ALLEGED VACCINATION OF CHILD WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT At the time of the podcast, Kennedy was a candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Throughout the interview, he explored various campaign promises, including a plan to fight the drug epidemic by creating “rehabilitation facilities” in rural areas. The facilities would mirror “wellness farms” he encountered during his time in the Peace Corps. “Rehabilitation facilities that I’m going to start in rural areas all over the country — where any American can go for free, anyone who is dependent on drugs, either legal drugs or illegal drugs, psychiatric drugs — which every Black kid is now just standardly put on Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence,” Kennedy said on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast. “And those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get reparented — to live in a community where there’ll be no cellphones, no screens. You’ll actually have to talk to people.” MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT REP. STEVENS CITES ‘HEALTH CARE CHAOS’ IN IMPEACHMENT MOVE AGAINST RFK JR. For several minutes, the pair bickered back and forth over whether Kennedy made those remarks. Standing behind Sewell, an aide held a poster board displaying Kennedy’s remarks. Kennedy said he didn’t know what the phrase “reparented” meant and denied ever saying it. “You absolutely said it,” Sewell said. But Kennedy refused to answer Sewell’s question about whether he had ever reparented or parented a Black child. He accused Sewell of “making up” those remarks. “I am absolutely not making this up. Mr. Secretary, in your opinion, what factors should the federal government consider when reparenting a Black child who has been on ADHD or ADD [medication]? That’s rhetorical, sir,” Sewell said. An HHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Kennedy’s comments on the podcast were taken “out of context.” “Prior to his time as secretary, he described these communities as spaces where individuals, particularly young people facing alienation, mental health challenges, and rising rates of despair could undergo a form of ‘reparenting,’ HHS said. “In psychotherapy terms, reparenting involves developing the emotional regulation, discipline, boundaries and self-worth that may not have been established in childhood, through consistent care, accountability and supportive relationships.”
Hillary Clinton rips Trump on migrant child detentions, but Bill Clinton’s own record cuts deep
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices, warning that the detention of thousands of migrant children is causing “terrible damage” – but data from former President Bill Clinton’s tenure shows a similar trend. “Terrible damage to children is being done in our name,” Clinton shared in an X post on Wednesday, along with data showing the Trump administration has so far detained 6,200 children, with an average of 226 children held a day. Clinton’s criticism lands against a historical record that complicates the attack, because federal data from the 1990s showed hundreds of juveniles in custody on an average day under former President Clinton as immigration enforcement toughened. IGNORED ICE DETAINERS ‘PUT LIVES AT RISK,’ DHS SAYS, TARGETING NEWSOM, PRITZKER, HEALEY The Clinton administration’s Immigration and Naturalization Service, a former agency within the Department of Justice, detained 4,136 unaccompanied illegal juveniles in fiscal year 2000 for longer than a 72-hour period, according to a Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report published in 2001. About 400 to 500 children were held in custody on an average day that same year, the report continued. In 1996, former President Clinton signed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, two laws that expanded immigration enforcement by broadening mandatory detention and speeding up removals. The data Clinton referenced in her tweet came from the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news outlet that reports on the criminal justice system, and outlined detainee figures during the second Trump administration. “ICE does not target children or separate families,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday when asked about Clinton’s post. “Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administrations’ immigration enforcement.” Clinton’s tweet followed her appearance at the Munich Security Conference in February, when she said there’s a “legitimate reason” to have a debate on immigration policies, adding that it “went too far.” “It’s been disruptive and destabilizing, and it needs to be fixed in a humane way with secure borders that don’t torture and kill people, and with a strong family structure, because that is at the base of civilization,” said the former 2016 presidential candidate. Following the influx of over 18 million illegal immigrants under the Biden administration, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), DHS says it has stopped the exploitation of 450,000 unaccompanied children. “Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers,” the DHS spokesperson said. “The Trump administration has located more than 145,000 of these children in person in the United States through visits and door knocks.” HILLARY CLINTON SAYS MIGRATION ‘WENT TOO FAR’ AND ‘NEEDS TO BE FIXED IN A HUMANE WAY’ Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
US general warns Russia may be developing nuclear anti-satellite weapon in orbit
The head of U.S. Space Command said the U.S. is “very concerned” that Russia may be developing a nuclear weapon in space to target satellites, warning such a move could disrupt global communications, GPS systems and daily life on Earth. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, the commander of U.S. Space Command, made the remarks during an appearance on The General & The Journalist, a weekly podcast by The Times. “Russia remains a very historic and sophisticated space power. Yes, they have been hurt by economic sanctions, but they continue to invest in counter-space weapons, with the most concerning reports being that they are potentially thinking about placing on orbit a nuclear ASAT weapon,” he added. “That would violate the Outer Space Treaty that they’re a party to, and it would hold at risk everyone’s satellites in low Earth orbit, and that would be an outcome that we just couldn’t tolerate.” Whiting noted that space is considered a global commons, with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty — signed by nearly every nation, including all major space powers — prohibiting claims of sovereignty. SWEDEN JAMS SUSPECTED RUSSIAN DRONE NEAR FRENCH CARRIER AS NATO WAR FEARS RISE He said that differs from earlier eras when explorers would plant flags to claim land for a king or country. Whiting stopped short of confirming the underlying intelligence, but emphasized the seriousness of the concern. “I won’t speak about our intelligence sources and methods, but obviously it’s a report that we’re very concerned about,” he said. PUTIN PUTS ‘NUCLEAR TRIAD’ ON FAST TRACK, ZELENSKYY CLAIMS ‘WORLD WAR 3’ UNDERWAY Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for further comment on the matter. A nuclear detonation in low Earth orbit — which spans roughly 100 to 1,200 miles above Earth — could have devastating consequences for both military and civilian infrastructure, according to Whiting. “All of low Earth orbit would be at risk, and you know, that’s over 10,000 satellites today with these new proliferated low earth orbit constellations like Starlink,” he said. RUSSIA, CHINA SQUEEZE US ARCTIC DEFENSE ZONE AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND Such an event could cripple satellite networks that underpin GPS, communications, financial systems and global internet access. Whiting noted that most people do not realize how dependent modern life is on space-based systems. “The average citizen around the world probably doesn’t think about how space enables their life every day, but if they carry a smartphone in their pocket, they are leveraging space multiple times a day,” he said. US COMMANDER SAYS RUSSIA AND CHINA’S ARCTIC PATROLS ARE ‘NOT FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES’ He suggested Russia may view space-based attacks as a way to offset what it sees as U.S. and NATO advantages in conventional warfare. “From a Russian perspective, they look at the United States, they look at NATO and they see a conventional overmatch there of conventional arms,” Whiting said. “They believe that novel ways of trying to undermine the United States and NATO, such as by neutralizing our space capabilities, helps them to level the battlefield.” Whiting also pointed to ongoing Russian activity targeting satellite systems, including widespread interference in Europe. ‘THEY WERE SPYING’: SULLIVAN SOUNDS ALARM ON JOINT RUSSIA-CHINA MOVES IN US ARCTIC ZONE “Clearly across Europe, we have seen sustained satellite communication jamming and GPS jamming,” he said. He warned that such actions are already having real-world consequences, particularly for civilian aviation. “The real problem with that GPS jamming, for example, is it’s being done in a way that’s affecting civil aviation in Eastern Europe and across Southern Europe,” Whiting said. “When we put at risk civilian airliners full of citizens just trying to go on business or holiday, that’s incredibly problematic,” he added. “We do not want to see this normalization of trying to interfere with other satellites.”
House lawmakers express disgust over Swalwell not being exposed sooner: ‘It’s shameful’
Lawmakers from both parties expressed disgust and alarm that Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has been able to hold elected office for 16 years, build a national profile — even mount a front-running gubernatorial campaign — all the while masking the alleged sexual misconduct that forced him from office earlier this week. “There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy in the Capitol for that type of behavior,” Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., said. “I’m glad that he resigned. He needed to resign. My heart breaks for any victim, all the women who have come forward thus far. And I’m horrified by his behavior.” McBride’s thoughts were echoed by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, who noted Swalwell’s conduct had crossed obvious red lines. SEX CRIMES COULD COST LAWMAKERS TAXPAYER-FUNDED PENSIONS UNDER HAWLEY’S NEW PROPOSAL “I think it’s pretty clear. Don’t sleep with your staff. Don’t sexually harass people that work for you. And don’t rape women. It’s not really that hard of a list to follow,” Van Duyne said. The remarks from lawmakers come as Capitol Hill grapples with how to prevent similar stories from repeating themselves down the road. Bombshell reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle last week laid out accounts from multiple victims detailing how Swalwell had made sexual advances toward intoxicated women, pressured employees into intimate situations and invited them to send him explicit images over text. In their wake, Swalwell announced he would abandon his campaign to become the next governor of California on Sunday. A day later, he also announced his resignation from Congress. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, was left baffled by how Swalwell had managed to keep his conduct under wraps — despite an apparent reputation for pushing the envelope. “I don’t know — I mean it’s a shame and it’s shameful. I know folks say that there were rumors and so forth,” Castro said. LEAVITT PUTS DEMOCRATS ON DEFENSE AS ‘DISGUSTING’ ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SWALWELL MOUNT At the same time, he noted that members have limited visibility into each other’s lives. “This place — people don’t generally, unless they intend to, they don’t generally hang around with each other a lot,” Castro said. To Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., future instances of misconduct might be prevented by a greater culture of transparency between offices. “I think that people need to know that they can come to women members like me and do something,” Dingell said. “And I’ll tell you one thing. If Nancy Pelosi had had any indications, she would have cut his ‘blanks’ off,” she added, referring to the former speaker of the House. Even after his resignation, Swalwell has continued to rebuff the claims against him. “These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service,” Sara Azari, Swalwell’s attorney, wrote on social media Tuesday. “The timing, nature and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves.” Other members reacting to Swalwell’s comments said they were not concerned about when the claims surfaced. “It’s always unfortunate whenever allegations like this emerge at whatever time. But I don’t think there’s a wrong time for truthful allegations to ever come out,” Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., said. ERIC SWALWELL CAMPAIGN PAID HOTEL WHERE ACCUSER LONNA DREWES CLAIMS ASSAULT TOOK PLACE With Swalwell having resigned office, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state would hold a special election to fill to fill the vacancy on Aug. 18. A special primary is scheduled for June 16.
DOJ opens investigation into Eric Swalwell over sexual assault allegations
The Department of Justice is investigating the multiple sexual assault allegations against former California Rep. Eric Swalwell, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News Digital. Within the last few weeks, Swalwell has been accused by five different women of sexual assault and harassment over the last several years. District attorneys for both Los Angeles and New York have also launched their own respective investigations. The string of allegations includes that he allegedly drugged and raped one woman and sexually assaulted one of his staffers, which have spurred at least two local criminal investigations. He has denied all the allegations, but has admitted to making mistakes. Following the allegations, Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor and resigned from his position in Congress. ‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST CLAIMS SHE PERSONALLY WITNESSED TROUBLING BEHAVIOR FROM SWALWELL “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said in a statement announcing his resignation. “I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.” “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” he continued. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.” While Swalwell was originally silent as the allegations began, his office broke its silence earlier this week speaking to the New York Post. ROSIE O’DONNELL HEARTBROKEN OVER SWALWELL SCANDAL, DECLARING ‘MEN SUCK’ AFTER BILL CLINTON COMPARISON “This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, said at the time. Swalwell first became a member of the House of Representatives in 2013 after serving as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. He was also a city councilmember in Dublin, California, in 2010.
Trump says Israel, Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday. “I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel. These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “On Tuesday, the two Countries met for the first time in 34 years here in Washington, D.C., with our Great Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. I have directed Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, together with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Razin’ Caine, to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve a Lasting PEACE. It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let’s, GET IT DONE!” he added.
Dozens of Dems flip on Israel, vote to ban arms sales in protest of Iran war
More Senate Democrats than ever before voted to halt arms sales and military bulldozers to Israel as an act of protest against President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. The late-night vote on Wednesday, which saw both of Sen. Bernie Sanders’, I-Vt., resolutions fail, signaled a shift among Senate Democrats, who in several previous attempts by the progressive had joined Republicans to support the Jewish state. Combined, Sanders’ resolutions would have blocked nearly $500 million in arms and equipment sales to Israel. One resolution would have halted the sale of roughly $295 million in Caterpillar bulldozers, while the other would have stopped the sale of nearly $152 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs. Though they failed without Republican support, Sanders viewed the swell of Democratic backing as “progress.” GOP HOLDS WITH TRUMP ON IRAN WAR, BUT CRACKS EMERGE AS DEADLINE NEARS “Today, more than 80% of the Democratic caucus stood with the American people and voted to block U.S. military aid to [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his horrific, illegal wars,” Sanders said in a statement. “When we started this effort there were just 11 votes,” he continued. “Now, there are 40. That shift reflects where the American people are.” The shift comes after Israel’s strikes in Lebanon threatened a fragile ceasefire, and broader peace talks, to end fighting in Iran. Senate Democrats weren’t fully aligned on both resolutions — 40 supported halting the sale of bulldozers to Israel, while 36 voted to block bomb sales. Notably, the last time the Senate voted to disapprove arms sales to Israel, 27 Democrats voted yes. Before that, only 19 did. ROGUE DEM BUCKS PARTY ON TRUMP WAR POWERS, CALLS IRAN ‘47-YEAR-OLD WAR CRIME’ Notably, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has been a vocal critic of the war, voted against Sanders’ resolutions. Lawmakers who flipped their votes were quick to stress that they still support Israel but viewed their votes against the sale of weapons and military equipment as a referendum on the war in Iran. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., who previously voted against Sanders’ attempts to halt arms sales to the Jewish state, said in a statement that her decision to flip was “informed by President Trump’s and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reckless decision to go to war.” “I have serious questions about any supplemental expenditures for this war, let alone additional sales of weapons for the same war to Israel,” Hassan said. SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE The vote, coupled with overwhelming Democratic support to rein in President Donald Trump’s war powers in the Middle East earlier on Wednesday, could be viewed as a preview of the power Democrats may wield over an expected supplemental spending request to fund the war in Iran, which the administration has yet to send to Congress. The price tag of that package has fluctuated from as much as $200 billion to as low as $50 billion. Because of the influence Senate Democrats could have over funding the war effort, Republicans are considering including the request in a party-line package. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., explained her vote against “1,000 pound so-called ‘dumb bombs’ and military bulldozers” was meant to highlight a stark contrast between supporting Israel and supporting the war. “But being pro-Israel today is not simply about supporting the political or military agenda of Prime Minister Netanyahu, just like being pro-American should not be equated with loyalty to President Trump,” she said.
GOP firebrand vows to strip Swalwell and Gonzales of lifetime taxpayer-funded benefits
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., vowed to cancel the pensions of former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, both of whom resigned Tuesday amid sexual assault and sexual harassment allegations. Boebert shared a video Wednesday on X, announcing that she was “working on” efforts to ensure that Swalwell and others like him lose their taxpayer-funded pension. “Former Congressman Eric Swalwell abused his position of power in Congress to assault and victimize women,” Boebert said. “Now as things stand, taxpayers will be sending him tens of thousands of dollars every year for the rest of his life. This is totally unacceptable.” SWALWELL OUT AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS AFTER 13 YEARS IN CONGRESS Swalwell and Gonzales are both eligible for federal retirement benefits offered under the Federal Employees Retirement System, or FERS, or the Civil Service Retirement System. Both plans require at least five years of federal service. Neither congressman would be able to access his taxpayer-funded pension until age 62. They would receive roughly $22,000 each year for the rest of their lives. FLASHBACK: SWALWELL TOUTED EPSTEIN SURVIVOR AS SOTU GUEST WEEKS BEFORE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS EMERGED Boebert told a CNN reporter earlier in the week that she did not think Swalwell or Gonzales should have been allowed to resign. Instead, she said there should have been a vote to expel or censure them. “And I think that we actually need to look into ways to censure, with other aspects to say you can’t have your pension, you can’t leave here with all your taxpayer-funded benefits after such shameful acts that cause you to bow out and resign from Congress,” Boebert told CNN reporter Manu Raju on the House steps. Only six House of Representatives members have been successfully expelled. An expulsion vote can be based on a member of Congress engaging in “disorderly conduct.” Members of Congress do not automatically lose their pension benefits based upon a censure or expulsion vote. Under several federal laws, such as the HISS Act and STOCK Act of 2012, members will only lose their pensions and other benefits if they are convicted of crimes committed while in Congress. Fox News Digital reached out to Boebert for further details of her plan to end the former members’ retirement benefits.
US kills 3 alleged drug traffickers in another Eastern Pacific strike
The U.S. military carried out its third strike in days against suspected narco-terrorist targets in the Eastern Pacific, killing three men aboard an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in a lethal operation, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The lethal kinetic strike targeted a vessel operated by what SOUTHCOM called Designated Terrorist Organizations, though it did not immediately provide additional details about the identities of those killed or the specific groups involved. “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operation,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement on X. “Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,” the command said. HEGSETH SAYS US STRIKES FORCE SOME CARTEL LEADERS TO HALT DRUG OPERATIONS No U.S. military forces were harmed during the operation, it added. The latest strike comes after SOUTHCOM said the U.S. military conducted similar strikes in the Eastern Pacific earlier this week. US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED CARTEL OPERATIVES IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE, SOUTHCOM SAYS Two individuals believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking were killed in a strike on Monday, while four alleged narco-terrorists were killed in another strike on Tuesday, the command previously said. The U.S. military has carried out dozens of strikes in recent months on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations. SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.