Dem justices slap Soros-backed Philly DA with power strip in stunning decision: ‘Not reliable’
A divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court, including two Democrat justices, ordered Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office to face new outside scrutiny over its post-conviction concessions after the state’s high court found the office’s handling of one convicted murderer’s case was unreliable and said similar problems extended beyond just that single case. Justice Kevin Dougherty, a Democrat, wrote the 4-3 opinion in the case of Levar Brown, a Philadelphia man whose murder convictions became the centerpiece of a broader legal fight over Krasner’s Conviction Integrity Unit and the office’s willingness to concede relief in serious criminal cases. Dougherty was joined by Justice Daniel McCaffery, another Democrat judge on the state’s Supreme Court, and two other Republican judges. The dissenters were all Democrats. The 4-3 decision reversed a Philadelphia post-conviction order granting Brown a new trial after Krasner’s office conceded his conviction should not stand and a Philadelphia judge approved the request. It also ordered that, going forward, Philadelphia judges handling post-conviction challenges must notify the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and allow the office to intervene before granting relief in any case where Krasner’s office concedes that a conviction should be overturned. The ruling stops short of handing control of the cases to the state attorney general, but it creates a new court-ordered check on Krasner’s office in future post-conviction matters. FETTERMAN TELLS PHILADELPHIA DA TO ‘LIGHTEN UP, FRANCIS’ AFTER HEATED ICE REMARKS “The prosecutor does not decide whether a defendant is entitled to relief under the Post Conviction Relief Act,” Dougherty wrote for the majority, emphasizing that a judge must independently determine whether a conviction should be overturned even when prosecutors agree with the defense. The majority concluded that Krasner’s office’s concession in Brown’s case “was not reliable,” finding that Krasner’s office conceded relief when it was not warranted by the existing record, withheld material evidence from the court, submitted a false stipulation of fact, misstated facts in its pleadings, failed to conduct a reasonable investigation and opposed a required evidentiary hearing. The court suggested that if its concerns in the Brown case were confined to just that case alone, it would not have justified a broader remedy. But the majority opinion said the concerns were evident in other post-conviction cases as well. PHILLY DA’S ‘HUNT YOU DOWN’ WARNING TO ICE DRAWS CALLS FOR DOJ CRIMINAL PROBE Since 2018, the Philadelphia DA’s office has conceded relief “well over 100 times,” mostly in murder cases, according to the opinion. The court also said there are apparently more than 1,000 cases still waiting to be reviewed by the office’s Conviction Integrity Unit. The case was brought to the high court by family members of murder victims Michael Richardson and Robert Crawford. Brown was convicted by a Philadelphia jury in the 2004 murder of Richardson and convicted by another Philadelphia jury in the 2005 murder of Crawford, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Two decades later, Krasner’s office conceded that Brown should receive a new trial and argued that relief was due without an evidentiary hearing, the attorney general’s office said. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday praised the ruling, saying his office will now be able to serve as a check on the process for Philadelphia residents and victims’ families. “As prosecutors, our role is to advocate for victims of crime, for public safety, and for justice,” Sunday said in a statement. “Centuries of experience teach that the best way to achieve that justice is through the adversarial process, with vigorous representation for both sides.” PHILADELPHIA DA GOES INTO TIRADE ABOUT ‘FASCIST’ TRUMP, ‘HITLER’ WHEN CONFRONTED AT PARK IN VIRAL VIDEO Sunday’s office said the court concluded the Philadelphia DA’s concession in Brown’s case was “not reliable” and “recognized that similar concessions in numerous other cases also appeared to be unreliable.” “The Court directed judges to notify the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General of any concessions before granting relief, and to permit the Office of Attorney General to intervene in future cases where the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office attempts to concede a conviction,” the office said. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office said it is still assessing what the ruling will mean for its workload, budget and personnel. “We are assessing what yesterday’s Supreme Court of Pennsylvania order will mean for our office’s workload and what impacts it may have on our budget and our personnel,” the OAG Press Team said. “Given the many unknowns involved, including the number of cases concessions will be made in and our response to those concessions, it may be difficult to fully assess these impacts until the process truly begins.” The office added that it appreciates the court allowing the AG’s office to “serve as a check on this process for the citizens of Philadelphia and ensure that the interests of victims’ families are represented.” SOROS-BACKED DA KRASNER THREATENS ICE AGENTS AT PHILLY AIRPORT: ‘I WILL PUT YOU IN HANDCUFFS’ Krasner’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. But Krasner posted a video response online defending his reform agenda and attacking the ruling as an anti-democratic move that treats Philadelphia differently from other counties. The video featured images of civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. as Krasner framed criminal justice reform as part of a broader social justice movement. “Reform can be scary to those who need it,” Krasner said in the video. “Which part don’t you like? The safety or the freedom?” Krasner said Philadelphia has not had better numbers for “safety” or “freedom” in his lifetime and argued that critics are fighting a national criminal justice reform movement. “The truth is that criminal justice reform is a national social justice movement,” Krasner said. “And like all other social justice movements, it follows a certain pattern. First they ignore you. We’re past it. Then they laugh at you. We’re past that. Then they fight you. And we have been fighting for eight and a half years. And then the
Walz approval rating craters to lowest level ever and trails Trump amid massive fraud scandal: ‘Tired of it’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s approval rating in his state has plummeted to a level below President Donald Trump as the state’s top executive continues to face blowback from the massive fraud scandal that erupted under his watch. Walz, who is leaving office in January after announcing he will not run for re-election, has an approval rating of 39% in the state and a disapproval rating of 53% with 8% not sure, according to a new poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy Inc. for KARE 11, the Minnesota Star Tribune, and the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The poll surveyed 800 Minnesota registered voters likely to participate in the November general election via live telephone interviews from June 8-10, 2026 and the numbers represent Walz’s lowest approval rating since taking office six years ago. On the fraud issue, 45% of voters say they trust Republicans to fix it compared to 38% who chose Democrats and 14% who said neither party. FINAL WALZ FRAUD REPORT RIPS ‘CULTURE OF TOLERANCE’ AS MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS FACE BILLIONS IN ALLEGED LOSSES The same polling unit registered Trump’s approval rating in the state at 41% this week, which conservatives on social media took notice of. “Tim Walz has a lower approval rating than President Trump in deep blue Minnesota right now,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. “That’s how toxic the fraud has become for Democrats.” Over the past year, the Trump administration has taken a major interest in Minnesota and unleashed its fraud task force into the state, resulting in raids, arrests and further investigations into how the fraud was able to grow so quickly in the state. Another contentious issue revealed by the poll is Minnesota’s new state flag, supported by Walz, that 50% of voters say they disapprove of. The state’s new flag has become a cultural and political flashpoint in a state already reeling from one of the largest fraud scandals in U.S. history, heavily involving the Somali immigrant community. The flag was approved by a 13-member commission created by the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2023. Critics of the flag say it is overly simplistic and some have even knocked it as bearing a resemblance to Somalia’s national flag. MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS UNLOAD ON WALZ’S ‘LEGACY’ AFTER HE TOUTS FRAUD RECORD IN FINAL ADDRESS: ‘RIDICULOUS’ “Two issues that unite a majority of Minnesotans are the rejection of Tim Walz and his failed policies and our hatred for the Minnesota Somali state flag,” Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. “The flag is an embarrassment and good on the cities who are actively removing it from their city halls and communities.” “President Trump is more popular than Tim Walz in his home state because Minnesotans are sick and tired of Walz siding with illegal aliens and Somali fraudsters over his hardworking, taxpaying constituents.” he continued. “The legacy of Tim Walz will be the fires that destroyed Minneapolis, the fraud that he allowed to be stolen under his watch, and his failures that have harmed our great state.” Fraud appears to have played a significant role in Walz’s cratering approval, which is evidenced by a 10-point drop in his support since last year as the fraud scandal has dominated headlines. Only 1% of Republicans in the state say they approve of the job Walz is doing, along with 73% of Democrats and 32% of Independents. “America rejected Tim Walz in 2024,” Republican Minnesota State Sen. Michael Holmstrom told Fox News Digital. “Now Minnesotans are following suit. The good news for Tim is that, now that his record is on full display, he could soon be the most popular guy in the jailhouse.” Republican State Sen. Mark Koran told Fox News Digital that the polls “really tell you what Gov. Walz has done to himself.” “He let his fraud crisis blow up and didn’t do anything to fix it while he was busy shoving all this radical stuff into state government,” Koran said. “After years of extreme far-left ideology and policies that don’t help normal people, Minnesotans have had enough. His legacy is going to be the fraud crisis and desecrating the state flag. Minnesota is just tired of it.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report
Ex-House Dem who ripped congressional stock trading ban as ‘bulls—‘ changes her tune in comeback bid
Former Congresswoman Elaine Luria’s record on congressional stock trading — and a net worth that skyrocketed during her time in office — is clashing with her campaign rhetoric in one of the country’s most competitive districts. Luria, the Democrat who previously represented Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District from 2019 to 2023, told attendees at a recent candidate forum that she would “support” legislation to ban members of Congress from owning or trading stocks. “I will say that this is an issue where I’ve changed my opinion over time. I will support the STOCK Act,” Luria said, referring to proposals to limit trading for lawmakers. She framed her position as a matter of public trust. WATCH: DEM CANDIDATE GRILLED ON STOCK TRADING AFTER BEING DUPED WITH SELFIE REQUEST “At first, I thought, well, you know, you elect people to Congress, they make important decisions. Don’t you trust them? And will you trust them with personal finances? And I came to see that, over time, really everything that Congress is doing has eroded that trust.“ In a statement to Fox News Digital, a campaign spokesperson echoed that framing. “Elaine has seen the corruption in Washington that has allowed Jen Kiggans and Donald Trump to raise health care premiums, drive-up energy costs, and use their offices to benefit dark money donors and political interests. That’s why Elaine will continue to call for a ban of Members of Congress on trading stocks in office, fight to end the corruption in Washington perpetuated by Jen Kiggans and the Trump administration, and lower costs for working families,” the campaign said. However, the new position stands in stark contrast with her own past comments on the issue and highlights how candidates in competitive districts are being forced to grapple with the issue. When asked about a stock ban proposal in 2022, Luria told reporters that the “whole concept is bulls—.” Luria’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her changed stance. At the time she left office, she had a number of documented financial positions, including $250,000 in stocks with Alibaba, a Chinese company — the most of any Democrat in the House of Representatives in 2021. MARINE VET TAKES AIM AT TRUMP, MUSK IN VIDEO LAUNCH FOR KEY SWING HOUSE SEAT In another instance, Luria’s husband purchased between $1,000 and $15,000 in Tesla Inc. stock as President Joe Biden’s signature Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was making its way through Congress, according to disclosure records. Among other provisions, the bill appropriated $7.5 billion in funding for electric vehicle charging stations, aiming to incentivize buyers away from combustion engines and reduce carbon emissions. According to disclosures, Luria’s husband made the purchase in March 2021 — eight months before Luria ultimately voted for the bill and before Tesla’s stock jumped nearly 50%. In total, Luria’s net worth skyrocketed during her time in Congress, going from $1.13 million to more than $22 million. HOW MIKIE SHERRILL’S FAMILY MADE MILLIONS AFTER SHE WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS Luria’s time in office came to an end when she lost in a 51.6% to 48.2% bid against Republican challenger Jen Kiggans. Luria and Kiggans will face off again in the 2026 general election on Nov. 3.
Progressive Michigan Senate candidate’s staffer raged at White women in unearthed posts
FIRST ON FOX: The communications director for Michigan’s controversial U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has a history of anti-White social media posts, directing most of her vitriol towards White women. Fox News Digital unearthed posts made by Roxie Richner in 2019 and 2020 on X, then called Twitter, where she directed most of her vitriol towards White women. In the posts, some of which were made during the violent far-left riots after the death of George Floyd, she accused White woman of trying to get Black people killed and called them “failures.” “I don’t care if it’s scary or makes you uncomfortable,” Richner posted on May 26, 2020, the day after Floyd died. “Black people are being murdered by the police and white women are making shit up trying to get Black people killed. snap [the f—] out of it and start taking action.” DEM GOV’S NEW CAMPAIGN MESSAGE MAN ONCE SAID ‘RELIGIOUS RIGHT’ UNITED BY ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’ She followed that post with another that said, “all white women are policy failures.” On the same day, she said: “fellow white people: one of the most powerful anti-racist acts is having those tough conversations with your loved ones. I make it a point to speak with my family about dismantling white supremacy almost every day. people are willing to learn, but you HAVE to make the effort.” On June 4, 2020, during the height of the rioting and destruction in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following Floyd’s death, Richner mocked White people who were concerned about the chaos and violence in their neighborhoods. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE “[I]f one more white ann arbor person dms me asking why i’m ‘dEFeNdiNG LoOtiNG’ i’m seriously gonna explode. your racism is showing. check yourselves. I’m not holding back on this s-— anymore, i’m dropping names if u keep it up,” she said. The day after the November 2020 presidential election, Richner responded to a video posted by an activist celebrating President Joe Biden’s win. “”!!! POC youth really carried us [purple heart emoji] and let’s be very clear not ALL youth.. very disappointed in white youth and white women,” she said in the post. SWING-STATE DEM CANDIDATE’S ‘DISGUSTING’ COMMENTS ABOUT JD, USHA VANCE’S ‘BROWN CHILDREN’ SPARKS OUTRAGE In 2019, she chastised White people for defending then-candidate Joe Biden’s “racist a– comments.” “‘[E]veryone said stuff like that back then’ is not at all an excuse for being straight-up racist. period,” the post said. In another post, she mocked that idea that White Americans could ever face racial discrimination. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE DELETED THANKSGIVING TWEET CALLING FOR INDIGENOUS REPARATIONS: REPORT Other posts from Richner indicate that she’s been working with El-Sayed since at least 2018. During that year, the progressive Democrat ran for governor, but finished second in the Democratic primary behind Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. His platform then was similar to the one he is running on today, including calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and establish universal healthcare. SANDERS-ENDORSED SENATE CANDIDATE KNOCKED FOR ALLEGED FLIP-FLOP TO ‘HAVE IT BOTH WAYS’ ON KEY ISSUE Beyond the controversies surrounding his top communications aide, El-Sayed is also no stranger to scandal and criticism. He has defended his decision to campaign with extreme far-left social media influencer Hasan Piker, who at different points said “America deserved 9/11,” that his favorite flag is that of the terrorist group Hezbollah and equated Hamas with Israel. Just last week, Mariam Odeh, a former El-Sayed staffer, was indicted along with seven others for alleged threats made against University of Michigan officials, private businesses and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit related to the conflict in Gaza. It occurred as the defendants attempted to get the school to divest investments in Israeli-tied companies. Odeh was charged with conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate and foreign commerce. The campaign said it wasn’t aware of Odeh’s activities when it hired her. Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment but did not hear back.
Failed 2024 candidate Kamala Harris predicts Obama-like end for Trump on Iran negotiations
Former Vice President Kamala Harris took an apparent shot at the Trump administration’s Iran deal, saying it could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections during a public appearance at a climate summit in Vienna on Tuesday. “This is a war the American people did not want. This is a War of Choice. This is a president who has proven himself to be entirely self-indulgent. And we will see what happens in the coming hours and days in terms of the negotiation. And really, it’s a concept of an agreement,” said Harris at the Austrian World Summit hosted by the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative. While Trump’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran has not been released, comparisons to former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal have reemerged. According to administration officials, the agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and require Iran to halt nuclear weapons development and support for terrorism. GAS SURGE TIED TO IRAN CONFLICT HITS SWING STATES, TESTING TRUMP’S LOW-PRICE PITCH Harris has seized the moment to reignite a political fight over which approach did more to curb Iran’s ambitions. “Whatever is being negotiated, this president is going to declare victory, and we’ll end up where we were after the JCPOA and call that a victory, the JPOA that he withdrew from,” said Harris. Republicans are entering the November midterm elections amid concerns that many Americans continue to feel the strain of elevated gas and grocery prices. Trump administration officials have repeatedly emphasized that, under the MOU, consumers are expected to see relief at the gas pump beginning this summer. IRAN’S REGIME SPINS NUCLEAR AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ DEAL WITH TRUMP AS VICTORY OVER US, ISRAEL “There is a direct correlation between this war of choice and what has happened in terms of gas prices. It is estimated the average American has spent, since the war started, $500 more because of this war,” Harris said. “I have no question or doubt that we will win the midterms, and it will be a result of people of every background and political association who will contribute to that outcome,” she added. Oil prices fell on Monday to their lowest levels since early March after a preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement raised hopes that traffic through the Strait could soon return to normal. VANCE REVEALS TRUMP LESSON GUIDING IRAN DEAL STRATEGY AS TEHRAN FACES 60-DAY DEADLINE The agreement, soon to be released, would test whether Iran is willing to trade decades of isolation for economic relief and renewed ties with the West. The deal hinges on whether Iran can demonstrate during a 60-day negotiating period that it has abandoned its nuclear ambitions and support for terrorist organizations.
Hillary Clinton hammers Joe Biden for 2024 reelection bid despite supporting campaign: ‘terrible mistake’
Former Secretary of State and failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Monday night trashed former president Joe Biden for his decision to run for reelection in 2024. “He made a terrible mistake,” Clinton said in an interview with David Remnick of 92NY. “He made a terrible mistake for himself, his legacy and for the country.” It furthers the Democrats’ narrative shift over Biden’s health and his decision to seek a second term after former First Lady Jill Biden last month revealed she worried her husband was having a stroke on stage during his June 2024 debate with President Donald Trump. Clinton is now bashing her one-time ally by claiming he went back on his word and insisting that former Vice President Kamala Harris would have had a chance to win if she was the candidate from the get-go. “He had said that he would not run again, and you know, counterfactual narratives are always a bit tricky, but I believe that if he had kept to that plan and said in say, the late summer of ’23, that he wasn’t going to run, that he was going to pass the torch to the next generation we would’ve had a real contest,” Clinton said in her sit-down in Manhattan this week. Biden exited the presidential race in late July 2024, a few weeks after a disastrous debate display led to left-wing commentators calling for him to step down. The Democratic Party then installed then-VP Harris as its presidential nominee without a primary vote. “Very sadly, I believe that whoever emerged from the contest, whether it was the vice president or a governor or a senator or anybody else, would have beaten Donald Trump,” Clinton retroactively speculated. “So I think it was a terrible miscalculation on the part of President Biden, but once he didn’t move and did not admit that he had said he was going to step aside and decided not to, and held on for as long as he did, we were in a terrible dilemma.” DEMOCRAT WHO RAN AGAINST BIDEN SAYS PRESIDENT’S DECISION TO SEEK RE-ELECTION ‘SEALED’ WIN FOR TRUMP Clinton never voiced any concerns about Biden’s reelection bid while it was ongoing. In fact, on June 28, 2024, the day after Biden’s comatose debate performance, she maintained her support for him in a post on X. FORMER OBAMA ADVISORS TELL ‘THE VIEW’ DEMS HURT PARTY BY TAKING TOO LONG TO ADMIT BIDEN COULDN’T WIN “The choice in this election remains very simple,” she said at the time. “It’s a choice between someone who cares about you—your rights, your prospects, your future—versus someone who’s only in it for himself. I’ll be voting Biden.” She spent all of 2024 propping Biden up before his abrupt decision to hand the reins over to Harris. “We don’t have to wonder what this year’s presidential contenders would do in office,” she said in a post on June 19, 2024. “When it comes to immigration, President Biden keeps families together while strengthening our economy. Donald Trump ripped families apart. Vote accordingly.” In January of that year, she was actively encouraging people to support Biden in the name of democracy. “After Iowa, we’re one step closer to knowing who the Republicans will nominate for president. But no matter who they choose, we’re in a fight for reproductive freedom and democracy that we can’t afford to lose. Join Team Biden-Harris today,” she said. Fox News Digital did not hear back from a Biden spokesperson when reached for comment on Clinton’s recent remarks.
Oklahoma Democrats face runoff showdown in race for deep-red Senate seat
Two underdog candidates advanced to a runoff election in Oklahoma’s 2026 Democratic Senate primary after no candidate clinched a majority of the vote. N’kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and Chickasaw Nation citizen, and Jim Priest, a lawyer and ordained minister, will compete in an Aug. 25 runoff election, according to The Associated Press. Thomas won 45% of the vote, followed by Priest, who registered just under 24% support. The winner will face Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., who easily clinched the GOP nomination for the deep-red Senate seat and avoided a runoff election. Hern is endorsed by President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. 6 MONTHS TO MIDTERMS: THE SENATE SEATS THAT COULD TIP THE BALANCE OF POWER Under Oklahoma law, if no candidate secures more than 50% of the primary vote, the top two vote-getters will compete in a runoff election. Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., a former energy executive who currently represents the seat, was barred by state law from seeking election for a full Senate term. He was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., to replace Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in March. The Democratic primary winner will face an uphill battle in the ruby-red state that voted for Trump by a 2-to-1 margin in 2024. A Democratic candidate has not won a Senate race in the Sooner State in more than 35 years. National Democrats have not invested in the race, signaling little expectation it could flip. HOUSE GOP LEADER LAUNCHES SENATE BID AS TRUMP TAPS MARKWAYNE MULLIN FOR DHS Priest mounted a failed bid for Oklahoma attorney general in 2010 but was soundly defeated by 20 points. He previously led two nonprofits, Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma and Sunbeam Family Services, according to the Oklahoma-based outlet NonDoc. Hern has vastly outraised Democrats, with a $6.8 million war chest, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings. Priest entered June with $117,000 cash on hand, while Thomas had just over $546. The two leading Democratic contenders also have a minimal online presence. An X account associated with Priest’s campaign had just 20 followers as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, a campaign X account affiliated with Thomas had just over 160 followers. Three other Democratic candidates vied for the nomination, including business owner Troy Green and R.O. Cassity Jr., a retired professor and attorney.
Deadly B-52 crash puts focus on engines, controllability as investigators hunt for answers
The B-52 bomber aircraft first entered service during the Eisenhower administration during the 1950s. More than seven decades later, the Air Force is spending billions of dollars to transform the Cold War-era bomber with new engines, upgraded avionics and advanced radar systems designed to keep it flying into the 2050s. That modernization effort was thrust into the spotlight Monday when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California during a test mission for its new radar system, killing all eight people aboard. The crew included military personnel, civilians and contractors supporting the flight test mission. Boeing later confirmed that two of its employees were among those on board. Lauren Smith, the wife of Jeromy Smith, a flight test engineer for the U.S. Air Force who died in the crash, told local outlet KTLA that her husband had said the plane was experiencing issues before the Monday flight. “My husband told me on Friday that they were supposed to fly on Friday and that something was wrong with the plane,” Smith said to KTLA. “I don’t know what was wrong, but the flight kept getting pushed back.” Smith added in a comment to Fox News Digital that delays happen regularly and she was unaware of what caused the crash. “I’m obviously not assuming this is what caused it, I don’t have any idea,” she said. “But on Friday my husband told me they couldn’t fly because the plane was broken. I don’t know what he was testing specifically.” The Air Force declined to comment on the alleged maintenance issues. SIX DEADLIEST NON-COMBAT MILITARY AVIATION ACCIDENTS IN THE LAST 5 YEARS The crash marks the loss of one of just 76 B-52s remaining in the Air Force inventory. The nuclear-capable bomber remains a cornerstone of America’s strategic bomber force and is expected to serve alongside the Air Force’s next-generation B-21 Raider for decades to come. As investigators begin piecing together what happened, aviation attorney and Marine helicopter pilot veteran Justin Green said the fact that the aircraft went down moments after takeoff is likely to shape the early stages of the investigation. “Aircraft controllability issue, some sort of engine failure, because they’re in a very critical moment of flight when you’re just taking off,” Green told Fox News Digital. “So I think that’s really gonna be the focus.” The Air Force has said its investigation could take up to six months to complete. Flight test operations at Edwards are on pause until early next week. Green, who serves as co-chair of the plaintiffs’ executive committee in litigation stemming from the 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia and is involved in litigation related to the January 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River, cautioned that investigators are still in the earliest stages of the probe. “The key thing in investigations is you don’t make any assumptions,” Green said. “In the early days, you have to really just keep an open mind and really follow the facts where the facts lead you.” The aircraft was conducting a local test sortie supporting the Air Force’s radar modernization program when it crashed, according to the Air Force. Edwards Air Force Base serves as the Air Force’s premier flight-test center, where aircraft are routinely used to evaluate new technologies and modifications before they are fielded across the broader fleet. The Air Force is currently pursuing one of the most ambitious modernization efforts in the B-52’s history. The service plans to equip the bombers with new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, upgraded avionics and a modern active electronically scanned array radar intended to improve navigation, targeting and situational awareness while extending the aircraft’s operational lifespan well into the middle of the century. WHAT B-52 BOMBERS BRING TO IRAN FIGHT — AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WAR NOW The timing of the crash has naturally drawn attention to those upgrades. But Green said the radar system itself is not an obvious explanation based on the limited facts available. “I think it’s very unlikely,” Green said when asked whether the new radar system could have contributed to the crash. “A new radar system shouldn’t really affect the ability of the airplane to take off safely.” While investigators are expected to examine every aspect of the aircraft and mission, Green said they are likely to focus heavily on factors that directly affect an aircraft’s ability to safely depart the runway and climb after takeoff. The B-52’s age is also expected to be part of the discussion. The bomber first entered service in the 1950s and remains one of the oldest aircraft in the U.S. military inventory. Yet Green said investigators may be more likely to focus on maintenance records, recently installed components and operational factors than on the aircraft’s original design. “This is a very old airplane,” Green said. “A problem is not really gonna be a design problem. It’s gonna be more of a manufacturing if it’s a new part or a maintenance issue or a piloting issue.” Investigators are expected to analyze physical evidence recovered from the crash site, along with maintenance records and any available flight data. According to Green, the wreckage itself will “tell the story,” and likely provide many of the answers investigators are seeking. He added that flight data and cockpit recordings, if recovered, could prove critical in reconstructing the aircraft’s final moments. The involvement of contractors and Boeing employees on the flight could also raise unique legal questions depending on what investigators ultimately determine caused the accident. Military personnel generally cannot sue the federal government over injuries or deaths that occur in the course of military service because of the Feres doctrine, a longstanding legal precedent. Contractors are not subject to the same restriction, though potential claims could still face significant legal hurdles depending on the circumstances of the crash and the role of any companies involved. “Unless the manufacturer does something really off, you know on its own that’s negligent, they may also have protection from
Trump says Senate hearing on DNI nominee is cancelled until US attorney replacement confirmed
President Donald Trump declared in an early Wednesday morning Truth Social post that a scheduled Senate hearing on Jay Clayton’s nomination to serve as director of national intelligence would not move forward Wednesday. The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has a hearing on Clayton’s nomination for DNI scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. But the president said the hearing will not take place until Jamie McDonald has been confirmed to fill the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York post. President Trump tied the move to an ongoing dispute over renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, claiming Democrats had backed away from an agreement pertaining to acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte and the surveillance authority. The provision allows U.S. intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets located outside the U.S. TRUMP PICKS JAMES MCDONALD TO LEAD POWERFUL SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER JAY CLAYTON’S DEPARTURE The president further said he would not support renewal of FISA authorities unless Congress also advances the SAVE AMERICA ACT, a voting-security measure backed by the administration. Clayton’s hearing had been scheduled amid a broader debate over the future of U.S. intelligence leadership and the reauthorization of key surveillance authorities. TRUMP NOMINATES JAY CLAYTON, FORMER SEC CHAIRMAN, CURRENT US ATTORNEY, AS INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR “Regarding the approval of our Great Patriot, Jay Clayton, we are cancelling the Senate Hearing RE: DNI today, and will not be going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney. In the meantime, Bill Pulte will remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. Pulte “will take over on June 19th,” the president declared in a post last week. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP “The Republicans agreed with Dumocrats to remove very fair, and talented, William Pulte, from serving as Acting DNI in return for getting FISA approved by the Dumocrats. However, the Republicans moved so fast with the hearings of the Great Jay Clayton, current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, that Pulte would be gone before the Dumocrats would vote on FISA. Now, the Dumocrats are saying they will vote against FISA — So, the Republicans wound up having fulfilled their commitment, but Dumocrats broke the Deal,” Trump said in his post on Wednesday morning. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: LAWMAKERS SCRAMBLE AS FISA FIGHT COMES AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME “In addition, the newly nominated U.S. Attorney, Jamie McDonald, must be confirmed and blue slipped. Because of the ridiculous views of Republicans on blue slipping (Dumocrats are often willing to nix it), I may not be able to get the extraordinary Sullivan & Cromwell Partner, Jamie, approved, and I don’t want to take Jay Clayton away from the great job he is doing until Jamie is in place. Therefore, to add a slight bit of intrigue but, for the Good of the Nation, and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it. Not complicated, actually, the Republicans fell into a trap,” he added. The Associated Press contributed to this report
No one knows if Trump’s DNI pick will have his confirmation hearing after Truth Social bomb
Former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Walter “Jay” Clayton was set to face senators at what was expected to be a tense confirmation hearing to become director of national intelligence Wednesday. But President Donald Trump abruptly halted the proceedings, declaring in an early morning Truth Social post that Clayton’s confirmation hearing would not move forward Wednesday. While Trump commands a great deal of authority, he can’t cancel a hearing on the Hill on his own. The president can “withdraw” a nominee, or neglect to send the paperwork to Capitol Hill lawmakers if there’s an issue of timing, but he has not indicated he will do either. Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton said Wednesday that Clayton is a pending nominee before the committee. “We will proceed with his hearing as scheduled unless the president directs him not to appear or withdraws his nomination,” he said. Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that it’d be “hard to have a hearing without a witness.” The presumably postponed hearing had been set against the backdrop of’ Democrats’ weeks-long uproar over President Donald Trump’s temporary pick for the job — homebuilder scion and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte. Clayton is currently serving as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is considered the most prominent of the dozens of national posts – with alumni ranging from Rudy Giuliani to Preet Bharara. TRUMP NOMINATES JAY CLAYTON, FORMER SEC CHAIRMAN, CURRENT US ATTORNEY, AS INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a top Trump critic, told reporters Tuesday that concerns over Pulte could actually help push Clayton through once he appears before the Intelligence Committee. “[I] would love to hear some reassurance from the White House that Bill Pulte is not going to take over as DNI, even for a very short period of time, but that I don’t anticipate that coming,” he said. Kelly said that Pulte looming over the intelligence community might be an “incentive” to move Clayton through “on a faster timeline.” TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE “But to do that, we have to have everybody in the committee,” he said. Democrats have accused Pulte of playing politics with his powers at FHFA and worry that his lack of intel credentials and alleged partisanship endanger the role of DNI. Trump dismissed such claims, saying “Dumocrats” are inordinately “afraid” of Pulte. WHY TRUMP PICKED BILL PULTE TO LEAD US INTELLIGENCE AS CRITICS QUESTION HIS QUALIFICATIONS Clayton, meanwhile, is expected to come before Congress with a resume that may be easier for Democrats to digest in the narrow-GOP-majority upper chamber. While Clayton also doesn’t come from the intel community, he does have the prosecutorial chops some critics may be assuaged by. As SDNY’s top federal prosecutor, Clayton has overseen cases involving violent crime, drug trafficking, Wall Street-related enforcement and national security matters, while avoiding public controversy of other Trump picks. SENATE PUSH TO REAUTHORIZE NATION’S SPY POWERS STUMBLES OVER CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP DECISION Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said that Clayton’s role as SDNY does crossover into intelligence matters. “Jay Clayton is an eminently qualified individual to become the new director of national intelligence. And so we are looking forward to processing him this week. [Intelligence Committee] Chairman Cotton will be … [holding] his confirmation hearing tomorrow… and hopefully reporting him out later in the week.” Returning to concerns over Democrat roadblocks for another Trump pick, Thune noted it would take cooperation of the minority party to fast-track the nomination. It remains unclear when Clayton’s confirmation hearing will be rescheduled or whether Democrats will cooperate with efforts to move his nomination quickly. Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.