FIRST ON FOX: DHS points to ‘common sense’ reason for collapsing crime: ‘No surprise’
FIRST ON FOX: As the White House touts “collapsing” violent crime rates in the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security is pointing to the deportation of violent criminal illegal immigrants as the “common sense” reason. A new analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) released this month reported that homicides will “likely” reach a “new historic low” in the U.S. as most crime rates continue to decline mid-year. CCJ reported that homicides in a sample group of large U.S. cities are down 18% from the previous year, which is on pace for the lowest level since 1900. Additionally, carjackings are down 47%; motor vehicle thefts are down 20%; robberies are down 17% and residential burglaries are down 13%. The White House touted the report as evidencing “extraordinary progress” in “delivering on one of President Trump’s core promises to restore law and order.” Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital, “It is common sense. When you remove criminals from the country, crime rates fall.” ICE LODGES DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF TRYING TO DISARM VIRGINIA POLICE OFFICER The agency shared exclusively with Fox News Digital some of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants who have been deported just in the last few weeks. Recent deportees include foreign nationals convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, aggravated assault, carjacking and other crimes, in addition to multiple with illegal re-entries into the country. Among those deported was a member of the foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, a Honduran national named Jared Adonay Cruz-Rivera, according to DHS. He was deported on July 18 following a previous conviction for robbery and an arrest on charges of drug possession. DHS said that one deportee, Olegario Ramirez, a Mexican national and Paisas gang member, has a criminal history including convictions for homicide and illegal re-entry into the U.S. He was deported on July 27. Another Mexican national deported the same day was Bulmaro Rendon-Ramos, a Surenos gang member, who had convictions for robbery, burglary and four counts of driving under the influence of liquor. ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ILLINOIS TEACHER LINKED TO TREN DE ARAGUA MASS SHOOTING Nammoun Khampanya, a Crips gang member from Laos, was deported on July 28 following convictions for cocaine possession, possession of a weapon, obstructing police and fraud. A Cuban national, Omar Loaces Gonzalez, was deported on July 17. His criminal history includes convictions for vehicle theft and wire fraud. Additionally, Haitian national Marc James Guerrier Pinard was deported on July 16 following his convictions for three counts of armed carjacking and an arrest on charges of burglary. NEW YORK TIMES TORCHED FOR ‘FALSE’ REPORTING ON ICE INVESTIGATIONS, OUTLET FIRES BACK Commenting on the deportations, Bis told Fox News Digital that “President Trump promised to make America safe again, and he has done just that.” “Crime has fallen to record lows under the Trump administration, including murders on pace to drop to the lowest level in 126 years. It’s no surprise that this drop in crime coincides with deportations of dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” she said.
The biggest threat in America’s race with China isn’t Beijing, tech executive warns
America’s biggest obstacle in the technology race with China may not be Beijing, but growing resistance to new data centers and the power needed to run them, according to Palantir’s chief technology officer. “The proximate issues are definitely going to be power and backlash against data centers,” Shyam Sankar said in an interview with Fox News Digital at Palantir’s American Builder Summit. Sankar, whose company builds software for the Pentagon, intelligence agencies and major manufacturers, argued the U.S. risks slowing its own technological progress more than falling behind Beijing. “The only threat to AI generating prosperity for America is suicide, not homicide.” LEADING ECONOMIST WARNS OF RISE OF ‘GEN Z AFFORDABILITY SOCIALISM’ The U.S. and China are pouring billions into the race to dominate artificial intelligence, viewing the technology as central to economic growth, military power and geopolitical influence. Winning that race depends on an enormous buildout of data centers, power generation and transmission infrastructure to support increasingly capable systems. But those projects have drawn growing resistance from communities worried about electricity demand, water use and whether the benefits will outweigh the costs. Companies have raced to build new data centers to support a wave of new computing infrastructure, fueling a nationwide expansion that also has sparked growing local opposition. The issue has spilled into the 2026 midterm campaigns, with candidates in battleground states such as Pennsylvania running ads focused on the economic and environmental effects of the projects. Residents have raised concerns about electricity demand, water consumption, noise, traffic and whether utility customers will ultimately bear the cost of expanding the power grid. Some projects have been delayed or canceled, while lawmakers in several states have proposed restrictions or moratoriums on new facilities. THE WAR ON DATA CENTERS JEOPARDIZES OUR ECONOMY AND NATIONAL SECURITY Some developers have responded by pairing new data centers with dedicated power generation rather than relying entirely on the electric grid. Sankar argues those debates risk slowing the industrial gains the technology can already deliver. He pointed to one submarine-parts manufacturer that cut production planning from two weeks to less than an hour, freeing enough capacity to add a third shift. “There is no one on that shift who thinks, ‘Hey, I got my job because of AI,’ but that’s actually what happened,” he said. The summit itself appeared designed to counter one of the AI industry’s biggest public relations challenges: fears that technology will replace jobs. Rather than showcasing increasingly capable AI models, Palantir filled the stage with factory workers, healthcare workers and military personnel demonstrating software they had built to solve problems in their own workplaces. Sankar argued the AI industry has become overly focused on pursuing artificial general intelligence, or AGI, rather than deploying today’s AI systems across the economy. Artificial general intelligence, or AGI, refers to a still-theoretical system capable of performing a broad range of intellectual tasks at or beyond human level, rather than excelling mainly at narrower tasks such as writing, coding or image analysis. He compared the current moment to the early days of electricity, arguing that while technology already exists, businesses have yet to reorganize themselves around it. “The AI we have is powerful enough that it should have created more prosperity and value,” he said. “The only reason it hasn’t yet is not a failing of the technology, it’s a lack of our national will to push and invest in diffusing the technology through our economy.” “We shouldn’t lose the plot in pining away for a machine god,” he added. The summit brought together a cohort of Palantir’s American Tech Fellowship, where workers from industries including manufacturing, healthcare and defense demonstrated AI applications they had built for use in their jobs. The demonstrations were intended to illustrate Sankar’s contention: that AI will make workers more productive than ever rather than replace them. That runs against much of the public sentiment, where workers across industries have begun to wonder how long until their jobs will be done by a machine. FOX NEWS POLL: MOVE OVER BIG BROTHER, VOTERS SEE BIG TECH AS GREATER THREAT TO US “How many people have actually, at the front line, have experienced AI and how it’s changed their job versus how many people are imbibing the fear-mongering from the social media feed, which is partially a Chinese psyop as well.”
Late-term abortion takes front seat as blue state rushes to expand access before session ends
Massachusetts is poised to dramatically expand access to abortions access up to 24 weeks of pregnancy in a mad dash by Democrat lawmakers to pass the measure before the legislative session ends Friday. The Prioritizing Patients’ Access to Care Act is on a fast track to clear the Massachusetts Legislature after passing the House 119-33 last week. It marks the latest effort by Democratic-led states to expand abortion protections after the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision returned abortion policy to the states. Supporters say the New England state bill removes barriers to medically necessary care, while opponents contend it would make Massachusetts one of the nation’s least restrictive states for abortions later in pregnancy. MAMDANI AND HOCHUL ANNOUNCE CASH INFUSION FOR NEW YORK CITY ABORTION ACCESS HUB EXPANSION If enacted, the bill would remove current legal requirements limiting abortions after 24 weeks to four specific circumstances — protecting the patient’s life, physical health, mental health, or cases involving a lethal fetal anomaly or a grave fetal diagnosis. Instead, the bill would allow licensed physicians to decide whether an abortion after 24 weeks is appropriate based on their own medical judgment. It would also prevent third-party medical reviewers from overruling decisions made by a patient and their doctor. The proposal mirrors a law Maine enacted in 2023 that similarly allows late-term abortions based on a physician’s judgment. “The goal of passing this legislation is simple. Medical decisions should be made by a patient and their doctor,” bill sponsor Rep. Lindsay N. Sabadosa, D-Northampton, said in a statement. “Massachusetts has one of the best health care systems in the country, and patients should be able to rely on their providers to deliver medically appropriate care without restrictions that can fail to account for the complexity of individual medical circumstances.” “By removing those barriers, we can ensure that no one has to leave Massachusetts to receive the care they need.” Supporters of the bill argue that existing statutory exceptions are too narrow to account for every serious pregnancy complication. NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS ADVANCE BILL CRIMINALIZING INTERFERENCE WITH ABORTION, TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE Claire Teylouni, interim co-executive director of Reproductive Equity Now, told the New York Times about a 2021 case in which a woman had to leave Massachusetts for an abortion after her fetus suffered a stroke at 33 weeks because providers did not believe the case fit within the state’s existing legal exceptions. “She was shocked that she had to leave Massachusetts to get this care,” Teylouni told The New York Times. “Providers say they want to be able to use their professional expertise to make decisions — that’s how we treat almost every other area of health care.” Opponents say the current law already includes broad exceptions and argue the bill would remove existing limits on abortions after 24 weeks. “The current law that exists in Massachusetts allows abortion up until 24 weeks, and it already has exceptions,” Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Communications Direct Kelsey Pritchard told Fox News Digital. “It has health and life exceptions for the mother, but it even has exceptions that allow for so-called fetal anomaly abortion, so if the baby has a life-limiting diagnosis, if the baby has a disability diagnosis, already in Massachusetts you can abort those babies seemingly at any point. “And so what this new bill would do is allow abortion throughout the second and third trimesters if you have an abortionist who has a medical degree who can sign off on that for you, so essentially they’re opening the door to elective abortion at any point in pregnancy,” Pritchard said. FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP DOJ REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH PRO-LIFE PROTESTER TARGETED BY BIDEN ADMIN Pritchard also criticized the legislative process, saying Democratic leaders moved quickly to pass the measure before lawmakers adjourn. “There’s really no justification for them to make their law this extreme,” she said. “It’s something that they’ve been doing in secret. They kind of tried to fly under the radar when they passed this bill in the House. And then they bypassed the full Senate committee process to fast-track this and get this done before their legislative session ends on July 31.” Republicans in the legislature also questioned both the substance of the bill and how quickly it advanced. Republican state Rep. Kelly Pease told WWLP that he was caught off guard by the proposal. “I think most of our caucus was. It’s like, where did this come from?” Pease said. “I don’t see how I’m going to be in favor of a bill that allows babies over six months to be terminated when they’re probably viable outside the womb, unless there’s extenuating circumstances, and this kind of just takes away some of the safeguards that were in place before.” Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey has made expanding abortion access one of the defining priorities of her administration. Since taking office in 2023, she has called Massachusetts a “beacon of reproductive freedom” for abortion access in the post-Dobbs era, having directed state agencies to shield abortion providers and patients from out-of-state legal action and ordered the state to stockpile mifepristone after a federal court challenged the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill. She has not publicly weighed in on this bill. Fox News Digital reached out to Healey for comment.
Inside the lavish lifestyle of ultra-wealthy Dem endorsed by top Bernie Sanders group
A Democratic House nominee in California, who has made affordability a key issue in his campaign and is backed by a top Bernie Sanders group, is worth up to tens of millions of dollars. Eric Jones, who is running in California’s 4th Congressional District, reported between $18 and $86 million in assets, according to campaign finance disclosures. Along with other holdings, Jones owns a $4.6 million Napa home, which includes a pool, with furnishings and artwork estimated at between $393,000 to $578,000, a Fox News Digital review found. His evaluation contrasts sharply with his populist campaign platform, where he has painted himself as a relatable figure who has also grappled with concerns about affordability. TOP DEM HOPEFUL FLIPS SCRIPT AFTER YEARS IN SOCIALIST ORBIT WITH PUZZLING CLAIM “The cost of living continues to rise,” Jones said in an April campaign video. “I’m running for Congress because I know what it feels like to do everything right and still struggle… I will never take a dollar from a corporate PAC, I will never take a dime from a lobbyist, and I will never trade a stock while I serve you in Congress.” Throughout his campaign, Jones has highlighted his family’s struggle with financial stability. He grew up in a military family and had a disabled father. According to Jones, the family also struggled to overcome medical debt, relying on Medicaid and food stamps. On his website, Jones has listed three main priorities: ending corruption, lowering the cost of living and resource sustainability in government. His stances have attracted endorsements from progressive groups like Indivisible and Our Revolution, organizations with ties to progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has repeatedly attacked millionaires and billionaires throughout his career despite being a millionaire himself. “A Congress of millionaires will legislate for their corporate investments. A Congress from the working class will legislate for the people,” Our Revolution posted on X in 2022. In a 2025 post, Our Revolution shared a graphic attacking the number of millionaires in Congress. Despite several posts against millionaires and the wealthy, the group gave him a glowing endorsement. “Our Revolution believes in leaders who fight for working people with integrity and courage,” the endorsement said. “Eric Jones is one of those leaders — and we’re proud to stand with him as he brings a people-powered movement to Congress in 2026.” Jones’ wealth came from his career in investing. Shortly after graduating from Yale, he joined Dragoneer Investment Group in San Francisco in 2013. The group is a venture capital group that invests in technology and high-growth companies like ByteDance and Alibaba, a pair of Chinese businesses with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party. By the age of 27 in 2017, Jones had become the group’s first non-founding partner. During his 12 years with the group, Dragoneer exploded in value, going from managing $180 million in assets to $24 billion. ‘SQUAD’ DEM DISMISSES FRAUD PROBE SPECULATION AFTER $29M NET-WORTH DROP Jones listed an $8 million salary with the group from last year in his campaign financial disclosure. The extravagances of his roughly 3,000-square-foot home were featured by Architectural Digest in a June 9 home tour as part of a profile piece on his wife, who works for an architecture firm as a designer. Among his many assets, Jones’ furnishing collection includes a wall-hung ceramic sculpture worth up to $60,000, a “Polly chair” estimated at somewhere between $10,000 and $25,000 and a column coffee table worth $6,000. Now, as a candidate, Jones has campaigned against corporate influence in politics and a system that he argues is rigged in favor of larger corporations. He has identified that kind of structure as a key part of his plan to address affordability. “Rent, groceries, utilities, health care, childcare — everything costs more while giant corporations post record profits and pay little or nothing in taxes,” Jones states on his website. “That’s not an accident. It’s a system rigged to work for the people at the top.” DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’ When approached about his personal wealth, Jones said he doesn’t believe his personal wealth clashes with a message of affordability. “I grew up poor in rural America with a veteran father fighting medical debt and opioid addiction. I built businesses, created jobs and achieved the American Dream – I’m lucky that this country gave me that opportunity, and I’ll never forget where I came from. We should have leaders who’ve built something and know what medical debt feels like, not career politicians who’ve gotten rich serving Big Pharma and the insurance lobby. Every family in this district deserves that same shot at the American Dream, that’s why I’m running,” Jones said in a statement. Having placed in the top two candidates in the primary, Jones will face off against incumbent Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., in the state’s Nov. 3 general election.
Jack Smith’s Senate phone records probe turns to Verizon’s handling of subpoenas
EXCLUSIVE: The Senate investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe is widening, as Republican lawmakers question Verizon’s handling of subpoenas for senators’ phone records after the telecom giant failed to disclose one during an earlier congressional records search. As part of Operation Arctic Frost — the codename for the FBI’s Trump-election-interference probe with Smith placed at the helm — prosecutors subpoenaed Verizon and other phone carriers for toll records tied to members of Congress and other Republican figures. Several conservative entities were swept up in the probe, including the late Charlie Kirk. Verizon later acknowledged omitting Smith’s subpoena from its congressional record search. The dispute centers less on Verizon’s compliance with the subpoena than on what the company knew afterward, whether it should have notified Congress and why it failed to disclose the subpoena during an earlier records search. BIDEN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S ‘RUNAWAY TRAIN’ SCOOPED UP SENSITIVE LAWMAKER INFO: ‘ABUSE OF POWER’ Smith’s investigation has faced increased scrutiny in recent months, and now Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa — whose records were among those obtained — and a slew of his colleagues want to know what Verizon knew, when it knew it and whether the company should have notified affected members of Congress after turning over their phone records to Smith’s team. “Jack Smith oversaw a sweeping and unprecedented investigation that swept-up records from hundreds of Republican entities, including the phone toll records and text messages from myself and dozens of my colleagues,” Grassley told Fox News Digital Friday. Toll records are essentially the metadata of a telephone call — and exclude the contents of the conversation. They often include the phone numbers involved, date, time, duration and often the operative cell-tower location. MAJOR PHONE CARRIERS REVEAL JACK SMITH’S SUBPOENAS FOR REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ RECORDS “Congress deserves to know the full picture of how Smith carried out Arctic Frost so it never happens again.” “As part of our investigation, we need to fully understand what Verizon knew about Smith’s subpoenas, when they became aware members were impacted and why the company didn’t inform members like they were supposed to,” he said. In a Thursday letter to Verizon CEO Daniel Schulman, Grassley, Senate Investigations Subcommittee chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and more than a dozen senators said they remain concerned not only by the alleged “abuse of power by federal government actors… but also with Verizon’s disclosures of (m)embers’ phone records pursuant to a May 25, 2023, subpoena (and) its failure to disclose this information to affected Members.” JACK SMITH THRUST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT AT BLANCHE HEARING OVER EXPOSED SENATORS’ MESSAGES’ Of the signatories, Sens. Bill Hagerty IV and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., also had their phone toll records or text messages swept up by Smith. Their inquiry noted he asked Verizon in October 2023 to identify Justice Department or other federal law enforcement requests involving Senate devices used by his staff dating back to 2016. The senator wrote that the subpoena was not disclosed in Verizon’s initial response, and Grassley said Congress did not learn of it until Verizon acknowledged in 2025 that “human error” had caused its omission. In its original October 2023 response to Grassley, Verizon wrote that it often limits retention of legal processes received to a period of four years, and attested it had no records to produce prior to October 2019. “This raises questions as to whether Verizon discovered legal process from DOJ for Senate devices and lines, including the May 2023 Arctic Frost subpoena, in its search from October 1, 2019, to October 27, 2023, for responsive records to Chairman Grassley’s request,” Grassley wrote in his new letter. Therefore, Grassley and 15 other senators are demanding Verizon brass explain when they first learned Smith’s subpoena sought phone records that included members of Congress and when they discovered it had provided “tolling data” connected to those members and transmitted it to Smith. Fox News Digital reached out to Verizon for comment. Grassley’s new letter suggests the October 2023 exchange may be the key to determining whether Verizon merely missed the subpoena or discovered it and failed to disclose it. “On what date were Daniel Schulman, Vandana Venkatesh, Hans Vestberg, and Craig Silliman first informed about the May 25, 2023, subpoena?” they asked of Verizon’s front office. The senators also asked that Verizon explain its “human error” revelation in more specificity and produce internal records from May 2023 to October 2025 that discuss whether the company believed it was obligated to notify the implicated members of Congress or the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (SAA). The “human error” explanation also left unanswered why Smith’s May 25, 2023, “Arctic Frost” subpoena was omitted from Verizon’s review of legal process involving SAA phone lines, even though the company acknowledged that two SAA numbers were included in the subpoena. In 2025, documents provided to Grassley revealed Verizon complied with Smith while AT&T resisted the requests. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER However, both subpoenas were accompanied by gag orders signed by Obama-appointed District of Columbia federal Judge James Boasberg, a frequent foil of President Donald Trump’s. Boasberg directed Verizon and AT&T not to disclose the subpoenas to lawmakers for a period of one year. The DOJ has issued subpoenas for lawmakers’ information in the past, but former inspector general Michael Horowitz cautioned against it except in limited circumstances in a report published in 2025, saying that doing so “risks chilling Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch.” Grassley’s letter gives Verizon until Aug. 13 to explain when it knew senators’ records were involved, who inside the company was informed and why the May 2023 subpoena did not surface in its earlier response to Congress. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans have branded Smith’s “Arctic Frost” as “worse than Watergate.” Fox News Digital reached out to counsel for Smith for comment.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson names Andre Sayles as interim police chief after Barnes resignation
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced a new interim police chief on Friday following the resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes after a deadly shooting at a food festival over the weekend. “I do not take lightly what it means to make decisions that affect people’s safety and their lives,” Wilson said in a Friday morning news conference before announcing she had selected Deputy Chief Andre Sayles as interim police chief. She added, “I chose Andre Sayles because he has done this job before and can hit the ground running. He served as chief of police in Wisconsin, where he led with a community-focused approach that strengthened both public safety and community trust. He has earned the respect of our police force in his time here, and that is exactly what we need right now.” SEATTLE POLICE CHIEF SNAPS OVER CHICAGO HOME QUESTIONS, ABSENCE FROM CITY AFTER MASS SHOOTING Barnes had come under criticism after two people died and four others were shot at the Bite of Seattle food festival at Seattle Center on Sunday. Barnes described the shooting as “targeted” and “gang-related” but said the victims were “not related to the suspects in any way.” One arrest has been made, and one person believed to have been involved in the shooting has died. THIRD SUSPECT EMERGES IN DEADLY SEATTLE MASS SHOOTING, ONE ALLEGED GUNMAN FOUND DEAD Sayles said on Friday that the department is continuing to investigate and looking for any other possible suspects involved in the shooting. Barnes resigned on Thursday, saying in a statement through his attorney that Wilson had requested his resignation on Wednesday, and he “believes this is the best path forward for the city, which is still reeling from the shock and pain caused by the tragic events at the Seattle Center.” In an earlier statement, Wilson said: “Chief Barnes has served this department and this city with dedication, and I am grateful for his service. The courage and professionalism that the officers of the Seattle Police Department showed deserves to be honored.” GUNFIRE ERUPTS NEAR SEATTLE MAYOR’S EVENT AS FAMILIES, CHILDREN GATHER She added, “I share Chief Barnes’ hope that we can return our focus to addressing youth gun violence and ensuring that every family can feel safe in their neighborhood and across the city.” Sayles acknowledged that this week has been “difficult, but I also know what this department and city are capable of. When we come together with a common goal of keeping our community safe.” He committed to uniting a department “grounded in service, pride and dedication.” “The ongoing investigation into the Seattle Center shooting remains a top priority,” he added. “The men and women of the department continue working tirelessly to identify and arrest anyone responsible. In light of the tragic incident, the Seattle Police Department has heard from our community about safety concerns at public gatherings and events.” Sayles said the department will be increasing staff at all remaining major summer events. Wilson added that she is also searching for Barnes’ permanent replacement as police chief, saying it “will focus on someone who drives operational excellence and leads organizational change.” She said the “people of Seattle deserve a voice in this selection,” explaining that a search committee will be formed that is representative of different communities in the city. “I will be looking for someone who can be an effective leader of our police department, from top to bottom,” she said. “In particular, that means listening to and building relationships with the people standing behind me, the experienced and dedicated people who are leading our officers on the ground in neighborhoods across our city every single day.” Wilson added that she was also looking for someone who could earn the respect of the police force, “while also leading needed changes to culture and protocol in a way that is firm and fair. I will be looking for someone who can practice clear communication in stressful situations.”
Smithsonian America 250 exhibit features 3x more liberal items than conservative ones
A Smithsonian exhibit designed to commemorate America’s 250th birthday displays numerous objects linked to key points in the nation’s history, though it provides relatively little representation of Christianity or conservatism despite ample coverage for LGBT rights and racial justice movements, among other liberal causes, a Fox News Digital review of the exhibit’s online catalog found. In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness is an exhibit curated by the Smithsonian Institution with the aim of displaying 250 objects that help to tell the story of America from the 1700s to the present. Among these objects are historically significant items, such as a compass from the 1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, a dress belonging to Dolly Madison, Abraham Lincoln’s hat and the desk the Declaration of Independence was written on. Also included in the exhibit, according to an online catalog published by the Smithsonian, are a number of objects with clear ties to modern liberal politics, such as a pink “p-ssy hat” worn by a participant of the 2017 Women’s March, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s gavel, monarch butterfly wings worn by an illegal immigrant activist and a typewriter belonging to liberal writer Maya Angelou. Next to Angelou’s typewriter is a picture of a 1970s drag queen “wearing an off-the-shoulder shimmery gown,” according to a visual description of the exhibit published by the Smithsonian. TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY The exhibit’s selections are drawing scrutiny as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans challenge the Smithsonian’s portrayal of American history around the nation’s 250th anniversary. Fox News Digital reviewed the Smithsonian’s online catalog and grouped objects according to the movements, causes and institutions identified in the museum’s descriptions, finding seven tied to conservative movements, compared with nearly two dozen tied to causes including LGBT rights, abortion access, racial justice, organized labor and Democratic politics. The apparent domination of liberal causes in an exhibit designed to celebrate the contributions of all Americans to the nation’s history could further inflame conservative criticisms of the museum. While the exhibit examines how left-of-center individuals and movements shaped American history, conservatives have less representation. Just seven items representing conservative movements — a MAGA hat, a Tea Party placard, a pro-life sign, a dress worn by Melania Trump, a sign opposing the feminist-backed Equal Rights Amendment, a Ronald Reagan campaign T-shirt and a National Rifle Association button — are presented by the Smithsonian, according to its online catalog. By comparison, the same catalog shows that liberal causes — such as LGBT rights, farm-worker rights, abortion access, racial justice, environmentalism, labor unions and the Democratic Party — collectively have nearly two dozen items representing them. THE WAR ON AMERICA’S JUDEO-CHRISTIAN ROOTS THREATENS EVERYTHING WE SHARE Among those, the Smithsonian chose four total items representing the gay rights movement, for example. That wasn’t far behind the six it curated to represent Christianity, including items from churches and a Bible, per its catalog. Christianity historically was America’s dominant faith, influencing nearly all aspects of life, though it has declined in prominence in recent decades. Even the items representing Christianity, however, include undertones of racial justice. A pew from a Black Presbyterian church, for example, is accompanied by a description of its pastor’s racial activism. The one Bible on display as part of the exhibit, meanwhile, discusses the owner’s anti-slavery sentiments. Other religions, such as Judaism, with a Seder plate and a Hanukkah lamp, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, colloquially known as Mormons, with a plate depicting one of their temples, received representation as well. Among the LGBT artifacts displayed by the Smithsonian is a red tie that belonged to the late lesbian activist Carmen Vázquez. A description for the item notes that she described it as her “seduction necktie.” “Vázquez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New York City. After College, she lived in San Francisco for many years, honing her political understanding of immigrant rights and women’s and public health,” the online exhibit description continues. “Her endless energy for LGBTQ+ rights and justice for all, and her work, writing, and speeches ensured the safety and capacity to thrive of countless people across the United States.” LGBTQ PRESS CONFERENCE AT TRACK MEET INVOLVING TRANS ATHLETE DESCENDS INTO CHAOS, POLICE SUMMONED The online catalog also shows that nearly two-dozen items displayed at the exhibit are related to recent waves of Asian and Latino immigration. Earlier migrant groups such as the Irish, French and Italians, received just one entry each. One display dedicated to recent immigrants is a soccer ball donated by the founder of the Fugees soccer team for refugee children in Clarkston, Georgia, describing how the group “overcame anti-immigrant backlash.” The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital. However, comments made by the National Museum of American History’s director provide some insight as to why curators made the decisions they did when selecting items for the exhibit. “How do you structure a commemoration, celebration and time for reflection?” Anthea Hartig, the museum’s director, told British newspaper The Guardian. “What we landed on were those moments where individuals or communities had fought for recognition and advocated for their own sense of identity and self in their role in creating and becoming a part of the United States. But we also wanted to do the playful.” Beyond items of political or ideological significance, the exhibit also makes an effort to showcase historical changes to domestic life, technology and pop culture through the display of everyday objects. Various household appliances from different points in American history, props from the Star Wars movies, currency spanning hundreds of years, instruments belonging to famous musicians, technological advancements in areas such as video games and telecommunications and sports paraphernalia, like hockey gloves worn during the 1980 “miracle on ice” Olympic match against the Soviet Union, are all on display.
Democratic Socialists of America activists signed pledge to support, defend ‘Chinese socialism’
Multiple self-identified Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-linked individuals signed onto a statement extolling “Chinese socialism.” “We, Friends of Socialist China, aim to support the People’s Republic of China and to promote understanding of Chinese socialism,” the statement declares, in part. “The global advance to socialism is indispensable if humanity is to survive and to flourish; humanity needs socialism in order to prevent climate breakdown, end poverty, establish global peace and work towards dismantling structural discrimination and oppression,” the statement says, characterizing the “record of the socialist countries” as “overwhelmingly positive.” CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM ‘AXIS OF AGGRESSORS’ THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS The text asserts that “the continued survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter not only for the Chinese people but for all humanity” and declares that “we resolve to support, defend and build understanding of Chinese socialism.” Some of the people listed as signatories include Mirah Wood, who is described as the “Co-Chair Middle East & Africa Subcommittee, DSA International Committee” in the United States, and John McGrath, who is identified as being part of the “DSA International Committee (anti-war)” in the United Kingdom. Both Wood and McGrath appear on the list as far back as 2022 in archived web pages. Some of the other names on the list include indication of DSA membership. DSA CO-CHAIR EMBRACES ABOLISHING SENATE, ICE, BORDERS AS DEMOCRATIC INFIGHTING ESCALATES The statement describes the view that socialism leads to oppression as “propaganda” that should be challenged. It says that “owing largely to the reach and power of capitalist cultural hegemony, socialism is widely considered (particularly in the imperialist heartlands) to be a brutal, authoritarian system that suppresses human creativity and impedes progress. Socialist states — past and present — are portrayed as miserable backwaters, characterized by overzealous secret services, prison camps, thought control, stale uniformity, dictatorship, famines, social conservatism, corruption and poverty. In order to promote and uphold socialism, it is important to provide a counter-narrative and corrective to this propaganda.” CARVILLE SAYS ONE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST’S ‘LUNACY OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL’ POLICY COULD HAUNT SWING-STATE DEMS Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA and DSA International Committee on Friday.
Liberal court stuns with ruling that hands Trump major immigration win
A liberal-led federal appeals court handed President Donald Trump two immigration victories Wednesday, reversing separate district court orders that had delayed the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from South Sudan and Ethiopia. The judgments from the First Circuit Court of Appeals come after U.S. District Judges Brian Murphy and Patti Saris issued back-to-back orders temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Ethiopia and South Sudan, respectively, late last week. The rulings drew sharp criticism from legal experts and Trump administration officials, who called the judges “rogue” and argued their decisions defied the Supreme Court. The three-judge First Circuit panel consisted of Judges Julie Rikelman and Seth Aframe, both appointed by President Joe Biden, and Judge Joshua Dunlap, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. BIDEN JUDGE BLOCKING ETHIOPIAN DEPORTATIONS DESPITE SCOTUS RULING CLASHED WITH ICE BEFORE SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS In nearly identical rulings, the majority liberal panel found that the lower court judges’ orders conflicted with the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe, which held that courts cannot block TPS terminations based on non-constitutional claims. “Mullin held that ‘the TPS statute’s judicial-review bar applies to all non-constitutional claims’ challenging the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determination with respect to the termination of a TPS designation,” the judges wrote. Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan told Fox News Digital that the First Circuit correctly applied the precedent established by the Supreme Court. “These are clear wins for President Trump following his big win at the U.S. Supreme Court, explaining that district courts are not supposed to second guess TPS terminations, and even as this plays out, we’re moving towards the end of this litigation because district courts should not be hearing these disputes, and that’s what the Supreme Court said,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. SUPREME COURT’S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO ‘DIE AND SUFFER’ ATTORNEY WARNS A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson welcomed the rulings as “a win for the rule of law and common sense.” “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that—temporary,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.” The lawsuits were brought by African Communities Together, a New York-based immigrant advocacy organization that serves as the lead plaintiff in both cases, alongside individual TPS recipients from Ethiopia and South Sudan. The plaintiffs argue DHS unlawfully ended the protections in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution, alleging the agency failed to properly assess conditions in the two countries and that the decisions were motivated by racial discrimination. Murphy and Saris temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating TPS last week, issuing procedural orders to preserve the status quo while they considered whether the plaintiffs should be permitted to amend their complaints to pursue renewed constitutional claims. DHS EVISCERATES MEDIA FOR ‘ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY’ OVER CONCERN ABOUT ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ACTIVIST JUDGES LIST While the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe foreclosed most statutory challenges to TPS terminations, it left open the possibility that courts could consider claims alleging constitutional violations. However, Wessan said the district judges were operating outside the “legal bounds” by blocking the TPS terminations before any constitutional claims had been established. “If they want to let the plaintiffs amend their complaint, they’re allowed to do that, but in the meantime, TPS is over,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. The First Circuit’s decisions mark the latest setback for Murphy and Saris after the Trump administration accused both judges of effectively sidestepping the Supreme Court’s June ruling. After Murphy’s order, DHS General Counsel James Percival wrote on X that the district judge was engaged in “mutiny against the Supreme Court,” while he described Saris’ ruling as “open defiance” of the justices’ decision. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Murphy and Saris for comment.
Investigators believe Iranian hackers are likely behind cyberattack on Minnesota water systems: report
U.S. investigators believe a cyberattack that targeted dozens of water systems in Minnesota this week likely was orchestrated by Iranian hackers, a report said. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) said the “coordinated cyberattack targeted operational technology at more than 30 Minnesota community water systems” on Sunday and Monday, but the Minnesota Department of Health is “not aware of any active requests from Minnesota cities to have their residents modify their drinking water usage.” U.S. and state officials and others familiar with the incident told The New York Times that Iranian hackers were likely behind the cyberattack. The newspaper reported that three state officials briefed on an investigation into the cyberattack said the tradecraft used and the absence of a ransom demand led analysts to initially determine Iran was involved. Officials also cautioned that the assessment could change as more data is collected by investigators, according to the newspaper. However, President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Friday that he would “blame it on Minnesota and the governor.” “Today, I just want to mention that, we heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack, and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent. There was a cyberattack of 30 water plants, and I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota,” Trump said, referencing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. “They like to say, ‘oh it’s Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.” IRAN-LINKED HACKERS TARGET US MEDICAL TECH COMPANY The FBI said earlier in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday that it is “aware of recent public reporting around Water and Wastewater sectors.” “The FBI and our interagency partners are fully engaged to protect critical infrastructure and we remain well-equipped to protect against cyber threats of all varieties,” the FBI added. The New York Times reported that the hackers targeted infrastructure used to manage and monitor water towers operated by municipal governments. The mayor of the city of Braham, Nate George, said on Monday, a “plant operator found that the water tower was calling for water, but the well was not operating.” “After learning that similar problems were occurring in at least four other Minnesota communities, Braham staff determined that the plant’s computerized control system had been compromised,” he continued. “Public works isolated the affected system, restored a backup, and restarted the plant within approximately 90 minutes. While the plant was offline, residents continued receiving water from the city’s water tower. City administration temporarily requested that residents conserve water to prevent the tower’s limited supply from being exhausted,” George added. LIVE UPDATES ON IRAN WAR: TRUMP ANNOUNCES HAMAS DISARMAMENT DEAL WHILE SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCHES RED SEA DEFENSE COALITION In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, MNIT noted that “the investigation remains active, and Minnesota has not attributed the activity to a specific actor.” MNIT said it “continues to collaborate with federal, state, local, Tribal, and private-sector partners to investigate the attack, support affected communities, and strengthen the security of Minnesota’s critical infrastructure.” “Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure require a coordinated, whole-of-government response,” John Israel, MNIT assistant commissioner and Minnesota chief information security officer, said in a statement. “MNIT is working side by side with our partners to share intelligence, support affected communities, and help utilities restore operations safely while strengthening defenses against future attacks.” Israel told the Times that the breach was first detected Sunday and that hackers targeted 36 municipal water systems. “Minnesota was one of the early detectors of this, but we’re seeing that this same threat activity has likely been occurring in other states throughout the nation,” he was quoted as saying. Nick Andersen, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) acting director, told the newspaper that the agency was aware of “multiple potential incidents affecting local water utilities.” In the days leading up to the incident, CISA issued an advisory warning U.S. organizations of “ongoing Iranian-affiliated cyber activity targeting internet-connected operational technology (OT) devices.” “Iranian cyber actors continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure, and the FBI is committed to identifying, disrupting, and imposing costs on those responsible,” Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division said in the advisory. It stated that a “group of Iranian-affiliated actors” has “targeted devices spanning multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including Water and Wastewater Systems, Energy and Government Services and Facilities, to include local municipalities.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also issued an advisory on Thursday “to warn critical infrastructure asset owners and operators that malicious cyber actors are conducting cyber attacks targeting Operational Technology devices.” “Since 27 July 2026, Water and Wastewater Sector utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents to the FBI, and some of that activity degraded water operations,” it added.