Texas Dems also skipped town in 2021 to avoid a vote, and several caught COVID-19 in DC
Texas House Democrats departed the state Sunday in an attempt to halt a redistricting Monday vote, claiming that the legislation is “using an intentionally racist map” to undermine the voices of Black and Latino voters in the state of Texas. Democrats’ absence means that Republicans are unable to go ahead with a scheduled vote under House rules, blocking the potential passage of redistricting legislation that would establish a new congressional map that could lead to five new GOP U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm elections. “This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity,” state Rep. Gene Wu, the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement Sunday. TEXAS DEMOCRATS FLEE STATE TO BLOCK TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING VOTE IN DRAMATIC LEGISLATIVE MOVE Most of the House Democrats fled to Chicago, while others headed to New York and Boston. The Texas House stipulates that at least 100 members of the 150-member chamber must be present to conduct business, and roughly 50 Democrats are absent — meaning the vote is stalled until they return. It’s unclear how Democrats plan to proceed, and Wu told reporters that precise plans were still up in the air. The redistricting legislation would shift Democrat voters from toss-up districts into ones that are more solidly Republican, and also move other Republican voters into districts that lean more toward Democrats — ultimately paving the way for more GOP seats. This isn’t the first time Democrats have fled the state in protest of legislation. In July 2021, more than 50 Democrats also left the state of Texas and headed to Washington, D.C., to tie up Texas legislation that would implement new voting restrictions in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s loss of the 2020 election, which some Republicans claimed was “stolen.” Specifically, the measure Democrats opposed included new voter ID restrictions for those voting by mail and prohibited drive-by voting and extended voting hours. Likewise, the measure included new limitations for those who work at the polls, and barred local election officials from distributing a mail-in ballot to anyone who hadn’t officially requested one. Democrats ultimately returned to Texas weeks later, after multiple members caught COVID-19 while in D.C., and House Republicans finally passed the measure in August 2021 before Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law in September 2021. TRUMP, REPUBLICANS RACE TO REDRAW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN LEGAL WAR Meanwhile, Abbott threatened to arrest the Democrats who departed the state Sunday, should they not be back by 3 p.m. Monday when the Texas House reconvenes. Even so, there is no indication of when the Democrats plan to return to Texas. “Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business,” Abbot said in a statement late Sunday. The Texas Democrats have attracted support from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who labeled the Democrats’ decision to flee Texas a “righteous act of courage,” and accused Republicans of attempting to silence “millions of voices, especially Black and Latino voters.” “Texas Democrats were left with no choice but to leave their home state, block a vote from taking place and protect their constituents,” Pritzker said in a news conference Sunday. Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: Biden failed to stop China’s toxic nicotine invasion — and your kids paid the price, expert warns
EXCLUSIVE: Chinese-made nicotine and electronic cigarette products illegally flooded U.S. markets under former President Joe Biden, endangering both adults and children and posing an “urgent threat to U.S. sovereignty, public health, and law enforcement capacity,” according to nicotine awareness activist and former GOP senator Richard Burr. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Burr, who is chair of the Coalition for Smarter Regulation of Nicotine, said that even as the Biden administration cracked down on “reputable” companies like Juul, it took no action to control the flow of off-brand competitor products, most of which were manufactured and exported to the U.S. by Chinese companies through the open borders. “There was not a policy in the Biden administration to enforce the law at the border. And that’s where the growth really came from,” he explained, adding, “They not only didn’t speak out against them, but they didn’t make any attempt, any attempt, at enforcement.” According to Burr, Biden’s director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), Brian King, bears special blame for overseeing an agency so crippled by inaction that, Burr said, “most of the products that are on the marketplace today not only are illegal, they have never even attempted to go through an application process at the FDA.” However, a spokesperson for King vehemently denied Burr’s assertions, telling Fox News Digital that “the claim that there was no attempt at enforcement is not consistent with the facts.” KAMALA HARRIS BACK IN NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT AS JAMES COMER FLOATS SUBPOENA IN BIDEN ‘COVER-UP’ PROBE Burr said that currently approximately 85% of vapor and e-cigarette products sold in the U.S. are either illicit or unauthorized due to the Biden FDA’s failure to enforce the law. Now, Burr is urging the Trump administration to be proactive in fixing the Chinese nicotine problem unleashed on Americans under Biden. Burr sent a letter to Trump’s FDA commissioner, Martin Makary, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging them to take urgent action to “restore order” to the marketplace by reforming the government’s review process of nicotine and e-cigarette products and then fully enforcing against the entities responsible for growing the illicit market. In his letter, Burr describes the U.S. as being “in the midst of a crisis created by the free flow of illegal nicotine products into the U.S. marketplace, the majority of which are supplied by Chinese companies that are knowingly breaking U.S. laws.” ‘WAS THE PRESIDENT UP FOR THE JOB?’ STEVE RICCHETTI DEFENDS BIDEN’S FITNESS AS GOP SEEKS ANSWERS “During the Biden Administration, illicit Chinese vaping products, without any regulatory oversight or consumer protections, began flooding our market,” Burr wrote. “Produced overseas without meeting FDA safety standards or common tobacco product manufacturing practices, these illicit vapor products are deliberately avoiding compliance with the law, and many are intentionally marketed to underage users with youth-appealing features, for example, Gummy Bear flavors and gaming device screens.” Burr further said that manufacturers of illicit vaping products often use fraudulent shipping declarations and misclassified tariff codes to evade U.S. customs and trade laws. “President Trump has rightfully warned that counterfeit pharmaceutical products, often linked to the People’s Republic of China, threaten the security and safety of Americans,” he wrote. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the opportunity to address a similar crisis in the nicotine market by advancing a modern and common-sense approach to regulating nicotine products and effectively enforcing the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) to restore order to the marketplace.” To this end, Burr urged the FDA to “advance a comprehensive, effective regulatory framework,” which he said consists of streamlining the FDA’s approval process for less harmful smoke-free nicotine products, providing clear regulations to the industry and enforcing the law against companies selling illicit products, providing adult smokers with accurate information on the benefits of switching from cigarettes to FDA-authorized, smoke-free products and using regulation and oversight to drive down underage use. INSIDE THE BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE: 8 AIDES QUESTIONED, MORE ON THE WAY Speaking with Fox News Digital, Burr said that both Kennedy and President Donald Trump “have embraced a healthier America that our kids should be eating healthier, should be actively involved, and we should make sure that anything that’s detrimental to their ability to grow and to grow up healthy should be constricted significantly.” “This is at the heart of that,” he said. In response, a spokesperson speaking on behalf of King told Fox News Digital that “the claim that there was no attempt at enforcement is not consistent with the facts.” They listed 30 different enforcement actions the agency took under King’s tenure in 2023 and 2024, ranging from sending warning letters to potential violators to denying marketing requests to manufacturers not in compliance. “Within the past few years, the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products took many first-time compliance and enforcement actions, including setting up a joint interagency task force and conducting multiple targeted enforcement operations against illegally imported e-cigarettes in coordination with US Customs and Border Protection. This was in addition to other first of their kind actions across the supply chain focused on unauthorized products from non-US manufacturers, including monthly retailer blitzes against Elf Bar and other unauthorized disposable e-cigarette brands used by youth,” they said. “The FDA and other agencies should build on these efforts and take comprehensive enforcement action against illegal e-cigarettes, particularly those popular among youth,” said the spokesperson.
US considers requiring visa bonds of up to $15,000 for certain applicants from high-risk countries
The U.S. State Department is proposing that applicants for tourist and business visas be required to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the country, which could make the process unaffordable for some. In a notice posted on the Federal Register’s website and scheduled to be published on Tuesday, the State Department said it would kick off a 12-month pilot program for people from countries with high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls to be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, when applying for a visa. The proposal comes as President Donald Trump and his administration work to tighten requirements for visa applicants. The department announced last week that several applicants looking to renew their visas would have to submit to an additional in-person interview, which was never required in the past. TRUMP BANS TRAVEL TO US FROM SEVERAL COUNTRIES TO BLOCK ‘DANGEROUS FOREIGN ACTORS’ Additionally, the department proposed that applicants for the Visa Diversity Lottery have a valid passport from their country. The bond notice was previewed on the Federal Register website on Monday and said the pilot program will not take effect within 15 days of its publication. The notice also said the program is necessary to ensure the U.S. government is not financially liable if a visitor does not comply with the visitor’s visa terms. “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program,” the notice read. SENATE REPUBLICAN AIMS TO TREAT VISA OVERSTAYERS LIKE ILLEGAL ENTRANTS IN RESPONSE TO COLORADO TERROR ATTACK Once the program takes effect, the countries affected will be listed. The notice also notes that the bond could be waived based on individual circumstances. Citizens of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program, which provides for business travel or tourism for up to 90 days, will not be required to pay the bond. TRUMP STATE DEPT ANNOUNCES NEW STUDENT-VISA VETTING WILL BE ONGOING PROCESS, NOT ONE-TIME CHECK There are 42 countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program, which includes countries from Europe and the Middle East. While visa bonds have been proposed in the past, they have never been implemented. Reasons the bonds have never been implemented include potential misperceptions by the public, and the argument that the process of posting and discharging the bond could become burdensome. A spokesperson for the State Department told Fox News Digital the Visa Bond Pilot is consistent with Executive Order 141598, which Trump signed to protect the American people from an invasion. The spokesperson noted that the pilot reinforces the administration’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws in the U.S. and safeguarding national security. As for the list of countries, it may be updated from time-to-time, the spokesperson added. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Top Dem senator reveals socialist Mamdani is what her party should look like: ‘You bet’
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a champion of the progressive left, is praising democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s focus on affordability as he runs for mayor in the nation’s most populous city as a model for the Democratic Party. Asked by Fox News as she teamed up at a campaign event at a union headquarters on Monday with the Democratic Party’s New York City mayoral nominee if Mamdani was what the future of the party should look like, Warren answered “you bet.” “The Democratic Party needs to stand up and be clear. We are the party that fights for affordability, for working families, that means child care. That means housing. It means health care. It means making this country work better for the working people who make this country work,” Warren said. And pointing to Mamdani, Warren said, “Democrats are the ones who every day don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk to make our country more affordable for working people, and I’m here with the guy who’s walking the walk right now.” MAMDANI, CUOMO, CLASH OVER POLICE SUPPORT FOLLOWING NYC MASS SHOOTING Mamdani, the 33-year-old Ugandan-born state lawmaker from the New York City borough of Queens, shocked the political world in late June by coming from behind to top former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party mayoral nomination in the overwhelmingly blue city. Thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living, along with a massive grassroots army of supporters, and the backing of progressive champions Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Mamdani surged to a primary victory. MAMDANI FACES BACKLASH FOR OPULENT WEDDING CELEBRATION Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He also proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores. He is now the clear frontrunner in November’s general election as he aims to make history as New York City’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor. Republicans have targeted Mamdani and tried to turn him into the new face of the Democratic Party, highlighting multiple radical policy positions he has pushed, including defunding police, anti-Israel rhetoric, and “kick[ing] the fascist ICE out of New York City.” They aim to anchor him to vulnerable Democrats across the country running in elections this year and next year. Even though he was defeated for the Democratic Party nomination, Cuomo is running in the general election as an independent candidate. Cuomo, who stepped down as governor in 2021 during his third term amid multiple scandals, is aiming for a political comeback. Also on the general election ballot are Mayor Eric Adams, the embattled incumbent who announced earlier this year that he would seek re-election as an independent candidate rather than seek the Democratic Party nomination amid cratering poll numbers, and Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee. Warren took aim at Cuomo, arguing that the former governor’s “whole path here seems to be to go to a handful of billionaires, have them give you a bunch of money, and hope that you will be able to flood the city with a bunch of negative ads.” Cuomo, at a campaign event on Monday, continued to target Mamdani as he unveiled his own public safety proposal for the city. The former governor has called Mamdani “anti-police,” arguing he “doesn’t understand the need for public safety.” Mamdani, in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in a midtown Manhattan office building, has faced renewed scrutiny over past statements made on social media in 2020 when he called for defunding the police multiple times. Warren’s event with Mamdani was part of a multipronged push to support him in his push for New York City mayor. The senator, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, also released a social media video praising Mamdani and wrote an opinion piece that appeared in Rolling Stone. Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this story
DOJ launching grand jury investigation into Russiagate conspiracy allegations: sources
EXCLUSIVE: Attorney General Pam Bondi directed her staff Monday to act on the criminal referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard related to the alleged conspiracy to tie President Donald Trump to Russia, and the Department of Justice is now opening a grand jury investigation into the matter, Fox News Digital has learned. Bondi personally ordered an unnamed federal prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings and the prosecutor is expected to present department evidence to a grand jury, which would allow the department to secure a potential indictment, according to a letter from Bondi reviewed by Fox News Digital and a source familiar with the investigation. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the report of an investigation but said Bondi is taking the referral from Gabbard “very seriously.” The spokesperson said Bondi believed there is “clear cause for deep concern” and a need for next steps. DNI GABBARD CLAIMS ‘DEEP STATE ACTORS’ DIDN’T WANT TRUMP-RUSSIA INFORMATION TO ‘SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY’ The DOJ confirmed two weeks ago it received a criminal referral from Gabbard. The referral included a memorandum titled “Intelligence Community suppression of intelligence showing ‘Russian and criminal actors did not impact’ the 2016 presidential election via cyber-attacks on infrastructure” and asked that the DOJ open an investigation. No charges have been brought at this stage of the investigation against any potential defendants. The revelation that the DOJ is moving forward with a grand jury probe comes after Gabbard declassified intelligence in July that shed new light on the Obama administration’s alleged determination that Russia sought to help Trump in the 2016 election. DOJ RECEIVES GABBARD’S CRIMINAL REFERRAL ON BOMBSHELL CLAIMS OBAMA ADMIN ‘MANUFACTURED’ RUSSIAN COLLUSION HOAX Former President Barack Obama and his intelligence officials allegedly promoted a “contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn’t,” Gabbard said during a press briefing of the intelligence. Among the declassified material was a meeting record revealing how Obama allegedly requested his deputies prepare an intelligence assessment in December 2016, after Trump had won the election, that allegedly detailed the “tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.” That intelligence assessment stressed that Russia’s actions did not affect the outcome of the election but rather were intended to sow distrust in the democratic process. Gabbard has alleged that Obama and his national security officials laid the “groundwork” for a narrative that then-candidate Trump and his campaign colluded to help him win the 2016 election. An FBI investigation and two special counsel investigations loomed over much of Trump’s first administration. It is unclear whom the grand jury is expected to target and what charges could be in play given the statutes of limitations for much of the activity from nearly a decade ago have lapsed. Former Obama intelligence officials, including John Brennan, James Clapper and James Comey, have drawn scrutiny from Trump officials for their alleged involvement in developing intelligence that undermined Trump’s 2016 victory. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
GOP governor greenlights state troopers to join ICE in immigration crackdown
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed an agreement last week with ICE, enabling local law enforcement in select counties to work alongside federal agents in tracking and detaining illegal immigrants. Limited members of the Wyoming Highway Patrol in five counties – all of which encompass major interstates – will be able to assist ICE with enforcement during the execution of their day-to-day work and at the direction of and under the oversight of the federal law enforcement agency, according to a statement from Gordon’s office. The agreement marks only the second such pact made directly between a state and ICE. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the first to sign a similar “memorandum of agreement,” while several individual counties around the country have also approved methods of cooperation with ICE. SENATE BILL LOOKS TO BOX OUT FUTURE PRESIDENTS WHO MAY TRY TO SKIRT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT LAWS “Wyoming has been firm in our commitment to helping secure the border, and this is another step in that process,” Gordon said in a statement. “Our nation’s security depends upon effective immigration enforcement, and I am proud that our Wyoming Highway Patrol continues to support this effort and is now formalizing their commitment to this work through our agreement with ICE.” Wyoming Highway Patrol, under ICE oversight, will be able to take action and develop evidence against people who violate federal immigration law. A January executive order from President Donald Trump allows Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to forge such agreements with state and local authorities. Wyoming Highway Patrol Administrator Col. Tim Cameron cited Wyoming’s unique position of hosting several cross-country highways. “Our troopers are uniquely positioned to support immigration enforcement through our daily operations along Wyoming’s interstates – key corridors for cross-country travel that are sometimes exploited for unlawful activity,” Cameron said in a statement. SENATE REPUBLICANS LAUNCH CRACKDOWN ON DC PERMITTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO VOTE IN ELECTIONS The nation’s longest interstate, the Boston-Seattle I-90, runs 200 miles through the upper corner of the state, New Jersey-San Francisco I-80 runs 400 miles across the bottom of Wyoming, and I-25 notably runs from near the southern border in New Mexico to I-90 in Buffalo. The select troopers will hail from Laramie County, which includes the capital, Cheyenne; Carbon County, which includes Rawlins; and Sweetwater County, which includes Rock Springs, Green River and a very long remote stretch of I-80. Select patrol officers in Campbell and Natrona counties will also be participating, as I-25 bisects both along the Nebraska border and into the city of Casper. “[This] agreement enhances our ability to identify individuals in violation of federal immigration law and take appropriate action under ICE’s direction,” Cameron added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This partnership strengthens public safety, expands our access to federal resources and intelligence, and reinforces the strong working relationships we maintain with local law enforcement.” Wyoming taxpayers will not be fronting any additional costs for the partnership, as officers will receive free training from the feds. Robert Guadian, a top official at ICE’s Denver Field office, praised Gordon for the agreement, calling it a “force multiplier” in immigration enforcement operations. Wyoming had previously independently dispatched troopers to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety at the southern border during the heat of the Biden administration’s open border crisis.
Cornyn takes swing at James, Schiff with new LETITIA Act targeting ‘crooked politicians’
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to crack down on public officials who use their position to grow their wealth. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is set to introduce legislation that would create stiffer penalties for public officials who commit federal bank fraud, tax fraud, or loan or mortgage fraud. Cornyn’s bill comes on the heels of two such instances where top officials and lawmakers were hit with allegations of mortgage fraud. FEDERAL HOUSING OFFICIAL SUBMITTED SCHIFF CRIMINAL REFERRAL TO DOJ OVER MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS Indeed, Cornyn’s Law Enforcement Tools to Interdict Troubling Investments in Abodes (LETITIA) Act is named for New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Justice Department earlier this year opened an investigation into James, who successfully won a civil case last year against President Donald Trump and his Trump Organization over allegations of faulty business practices, for alleged mortgage fraud. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OPENS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO NY AG LETITIA JAMES Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte alleged in a letter that James could have engaged in mortgage fraud by making false or misleading statements on property records, like a loan application that said her property in Virginia is her primary residence, a building record stating her multifamily Brooklyn property incorrectly has five residences instead of four, and a mortgage application that falsely stated James was her father’s spouse. “This legislation would empower President Trump to hold crooked politicians like New York’s Letitia James accountable for defrauding their constituents, violating their oath of office, and breaking the law, and I’m proud to lead my Republican colleagues in introducing it,” Cornyn said in a statement. Fox News Digital reached out to James for comment but did not immediately hear back. TAXPAYERS COULD BE FORCED TO FUND TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES’ LEGAL DEFENSE IF DEM BUDGET ITEM PASSES Cornyn’s bill also comes after his colleague Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was similarly hit with allegations of mortgage fraud. In another letter to the Justice Department, Pulte charged that Schiff falsified bank documents and property records by listing homes in Maryland and California as his primary residence out of an effort to allegedly get more favorable loans. Marisol Samayoa, a spokesperson for Schiff, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that both Trump and Pulte’s “false allegations are a transparent attempt to punish a perceived political foe who is committed to holding Trump to account.” “The facts here are simple: Senator Schiff and his wife accurately represented to their lenders that they would occupy and use the Maryland house they purchased in 2003 as a ‘principal residence,’ rather than a vacation home or an investment property,” she said. “He also disclosed to his lenders – repeatedly – that he maintained another home in his district in California, where he lived when not in Washington, and which was also a principal residence, not a vacation home or an investment property.” “This was done in consultation with relevant House counsel. As was proper, he claimed only a single homestead tax exemption (from California) worth approximately $70 in annual savings,” she continued. The bill, which is so far co-sponsored by six Senate Republicans, would increase federal statutory maximum sentences and fines for public officials who abuse their offices and violate the public trust to commit bank fraud, loan or mortgage fraud, or tax fraud. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP It would create new mandatory minimum sentences, including one year for bank fraud, one year for loan or mortgage fraud, and six months for tax fraud. And if a public official engages in a repeated pattern of offenses, minimum sentences increase to five years for bank or loan fraud and two years for tax fraud.
Trump confirms 2 nuclear submarines are ‘in the region’ to counter Russia
President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that nuclear submarines he ordered to counter Russia are now “in the region” ahead of U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit. Before boarding Air Force One in Allentown, Pa., to return to Washington, D.C., Trump was asked if the nuclear submarines had already been deployed to “face Russia.” Trump said on TRUTH Social on Friday that he ordered two nuclear submarines “to be positioned in the appropriate regions” in response to what he considered “highly provocative statements” from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev about potential war with the U.S. “I’ve already put out a statement and the answer is they are in the region, yeah, where they have to be,” Trump told reporters at Lehigh Valley International Airport on Sunday. Trump said that Witkoff is expected to travel to Russia on “Wednesday or Thursday.” Russian state media reported Monday that Witkoff would arrive on Wednesday. The visit comes ahead of the Friday deadline Trump set for Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine or face additional sanctions and tariffs. Trump also has warned about potential secondary tariffs for the purchasers of Russian energy. TRUMP BRUSHES BACK RUSSIA’S MEDVEDEV AFTER ‘WAR’ WARNING: ‘WATCH HIS WORDS’ “Well, there’ll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions. You know, they’re wily characters, and they’re pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” Trump told reporters in front of Marine One. “So we’ll see what happens.” Asked about Witkoff’s message to Moscow and if there’s anything the Russians can do to avoid sanctions, Trump said Sunday, “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.” “A tremendous number of Russian soldiers have been killed. And likewise Ukraine, a lower number, but still thousands and thousands of people. And now we’re adding towns where they’re being hit by missiles. So it’s a lot of people being killed in that ridiculous war,” Trump said. “We stopped a lot of countries from war, India and Pakistan, we stopped a lot of countries. And we’re going to get that one stopped too. Somehow. We’re going to get that one stopped. That’s a really horrible war.” “This should be the easiest to stop, and it’s not,” Trump added. Before ordering the deployment of nuclear submarines last week, Trump had warned Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, to “watch his words.” Medvedev had complained that Trump had shortened the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deadline from 50 days to just 10 to 12 days, saying that the “ultimatum” was threat toward war “not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.” Despite Trump cautioning that Medvedev was entering “dangerous territory,” the Russian official doubled down and referenced Russia’s “Dead Hand” – the Cold War-era automated nuclear retaliation system developed by the Soviet Union. The U.S. and Russia hold the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. Top Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly downplayed the U.S. deployment of nuclear submarines Monday. He told reporters that “American submarines are already on combat duty – that’s a constant process” and the Russians “don’t believe this is a case of any sort of escalation,” according to the Russian-language news website Meduza. Asked about Medvedev’s remarks, Peskov said members of the leadership in any country have different views but stressed Putin definitively decides Russian foreign policy. “We approach any statements related to nuclear issues with great caution,” Peskov added at the press conference, according to The Moscow Times. “Russia is firmly committed to nuclear non-proliferation, and we believe that all parties should exercise the utmost restraint when it comes to nuclear rhetoric.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES 25% TARIFF ON INDIA, SLAMMING ‘OBNOXIOUS’ TRADE BARRIERS, RUSSIA MILITARY AND ENERGY BUYS Meanwhile, Beijing and Moscow have deepened their ties in recent years, with China providing an economic lifeline to Russia in the face of Western sanctions over the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia and China have started mock combat drills and other war games in the Sea of Japan, The Telegraph reported. Citing a statement from the Chinese Defense Ministry, the newspaper said the three-day exercise involves four Chinese vessels, including the guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, and entails “submarine rescue, joint anti-submarine, air defense and anti-missile operations, and maritime combat,” as well as naval patrols in “relevant waters of the Pacific.” At a press conference announcing details of the annual drills last week, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said the Joint Sea 2025 exercise would be held in the air and seas near the Russian port city of Vladivostok, positioned across the sea from Japan’s west coast. Last year, the drill was held off southern China in the South China Sea. “This is an arrangement within the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries. It is not targeted at any third party, nor is it related to the current international and regional situation,” Zhang said. China and Russia also signed a “no-limits” economic partnership shortly after the war in Ukraine began. Zhang criticized ongoing drills that the U.S. Air Force is conducting with Japan and other partners in the western Pacific. Resolute Force Pacific is the largest contingency-response exercise ever conducted by the Air Force in the region, according to the U.S. military. The U.S. Air Force has said their exercise will train its forces to maintain readiness and execute missions under stress to demonstrate their ability to defend the United States and partner nations in the Pacific. “The U.S. has been blindly flexing muscles in the Asia-Pacific region and attempting to use military drills as a pretext to gang up, intimidate and pressure other countries, and undermine peace and stability in the region,” Zhang told reporters. Japan’s Defense Ministry said in an annual report earlier this month that China’s growing military cooperation with Russia poses serious security concerns. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump’s full-court press against ‘Orwellian’ European censorship intensifies amid US efforts to unleash AI
The Trump administration has been on a monthslong campaign railing against what it says are draconian censorship regulations in Europe that have not only stifled free speech, but have also served as another roadblock amid the artificial intelligence evolution. “In Europe, thousands are being convicted for the crime of criticizing their own governments,” the State Department recently posted to X, accompanied by a graphic slamming Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA). “This Orwellian message won’t fool the United States. Censorship is not freedom.” The EU adopted the DSA in 2022 to regulate online platforms such as social networks, content-sharing platforms and app stores, and is intended to “prevent illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation.” The law has since faced opposition from the Trump administration amid its free speech promotion on the global stage. The State Department’s X post follows a monthslong campaign of Trump officials lambasting Europe for its strict rules that limit free speech – most notably online and in the world of AI and evolving tech. Fox News Digital spoke with Darren Beattie, acting under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, who explained that as the Trump administration takes a hatchet to restrictions and censorship – most notably online and left over from the Biden era – Europe has moved to intensify its censorship with laws such as DSA. DETAILS OF TRUMP’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AI PLAN REVEALED BY WHITE HOUSE AHEAD OF MAJOR SPEECH “As we are rolling back the censorship industry in the United States by actions like what the State Department did, what we did at the State Department killing the (Global Engagement Center), but it’s happening all across the administration,” he said. “What’s happening is Europe, the European Union and the UK are moving to pick up the slack. That is to say, as we’re pushing back the censorship regime domestically, it’s intensifying in Europe.” The Global Engagement Center was an office established within the State Department during the Obama era that was plagued by accusations of censorship while positioning itself as focused on countering foreign propaganda and disinformation. The Trump administration State Department shuttered the office earlier in 2025. Beattie added that the U.S. is not taking a “holier than thou” approach to the issue, noting that censorship loomed large throughout the U.S. under the Biden administration. He pointed to cases such as social media user Douglass Mackey, who was convicted in 2023 of conspiring to suppress voter turnout in 2016 after posting phony voting messages. “We were, under Biden, moving in that direction in a very dangerous way,” he said. “The weaponization of government that occurred under Biden was severe.” President Donald Trump delivered his highly anticipated AI speech at the end of July, unveiling his administration’s plan of action, which included protecting AI systems from bias. The White House Office of Science and Technology policy director Michael Kratsios previewed the plan to the media, which included warning that the U.S. will not go down the same technology path as Europe, citing its strict regulations on the tech. “The action plan calls for freeing American AI innovation from unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, ensuring all Americans reap the benefits of AI technologies and leveraging AI to drive new scientific breakthroughs,” he said. “On deregulation, we cannot afford to go down Europe’s innovation-killing regulatory path. Federal agencies will now review their rules on the books and repeal those that hinder AI development and deployment across industries, from financial services and agriculture to health and transportation.” The AI plan is focused on three pillars, one of which is centered on ensuring bias is not included in U.S. systems. “The second is that we believe that AI systems should be free of ideological bias and not be designed to pursue socially engineered agendas,” AI and crypto czar David Sacks said in a press call July 23. “And so we have a number of proposals there on how to make sure that AI remains truth-seeking and trustworthy.” Vice President JD Vance has been at the forefront of admin leaders lambasting Europe’s restrictions on AI and free speech, including the EU’s Digital Services Act. FEDERAL AI POWER GRAB COULD END STATE PROTECTIONS FOR KIDS AND WORKERS “The U.S. innovators of all sizes already know what it’s like to deal with onerous international rules,” Vance said at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris in February. “Many of our most productive tech companies are forced to deal with the EU’s Digital Services Act and the massive regulations it created about taking down content and policing so-called misinformation.” “The AI future is not going to be won by hand-wringing about safety. It will be won by building – from reliable power plants to the manufacturing facilities that can produce the chips of the future,” he added. Vance traveled to the Munich Security Conference days after his Paris address and delivered another fiery speech chastising Europe for employing “Soviet-style” tactics that chill free speech. JONATHAN TURLEY: DEMOCRATS, CLINTONS AND GLOBALISTS WORK TOGETHER TO CENSOR AMERICANS … FOR ‘DEMOCRACY’ “To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old, entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation,’ simply because they don’t like the idea that someone with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election,” he said in the address. The speech set off criticisms in Europe and the U.S., including CBS host Margaret Brennan suggesting during an interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on “Face the Nation” in February that free speech had been “weaponized” to bring about the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Rubio launched a fierce defense of Vance while noting his concern that Europe hold the same values as the U.S., such as protecting free speech and democracy. TRUMP PRAISED BY FAITH LEADERS FOR AI LEADERSHIP AS THEY WARN OF TECHNOLOGY’S ‘POTENTIAL PERIL’ “Why would our allies or anybody be
Trump’s global reset of trade relationships will remain in the spotlight this week
President Donald Trump’s global reset of trade relationships will remain in the spotlight this week as his administration moves forward with sweeping new taxes on imports. The White House said last week that the new tariff rates, originally slated to take effect Aug. 1, will come into force on Thursday in order to give U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials additional time to prepare to collect the duties. WHERE TRUMP’S TARIFFS STAND NOW AND THE WINDING ROAD THAT LED US HERE In the days leading up to the Aug. 1 deadline, Trump announced trade deals with Japan, the European Union, and South Korea. So far, 11 of the U.S.’s top 15 trading partners have agreed to broad trade deals. Last week, Trump raised import tariffs on goods from Canada to 35%, signaling a widening rift with America’s second-largest trading partner. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously singled out Ottawa during a July 17 press briefing, saying “our neighbors to the north have been pretty difficult to deal with” when asked about the ongoing trade talks. WHITE HOUSE SAYS CANADA HAS BEEN ‘DIFFICULT’ AS TRADE DEADLINE LOOMS Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s lead on U.S. trade relations, said Prime Minister Mark Carney is likely to hold talks with President Trump “over the next number of days.” Meanwhile, the U.S. struck temporary truces with China and Mexico as trade representatives continue negotiations. TRUMP ANNOUNCES TRADE DEAL WITH EUROPEAN UNION So far this year, the U.S. has collected over $150 billion in tariff revenues, according to Treasury data. In July alone, collections exceeded $29 billion, the highest monthly total to date in 2025. Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have previously said the tariffs could generate more than $300 billion in revenue for the federal government. American consumers often end up bearing the cost of tariffs, as U.S. businesses pass along higher prices to offset the economic burden. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP