Mike Minogue heads to Mass GOP convention ready to take on Maura Healey: ‘She’s bankrupting our state’
As the Massachusetts GOP gathers for its convention in Worcester this weekend, Airborne Ranger and former Abiomed CEO Mike Minogue appears to have the wind in his sails. With a solid business background, he is positioning himself as the practical problem-solver and outsider, running in the primary against two veterans of the Charlie Baker administration. Minogue, who ran a leading medical devices company for two decades, also benefits from a massive financial advantage over his two GOP rivals, Brian Shortsleeve, former chief administrator of the MBTA, and Mike Kennealy, secretary of Housing and Economic Development under Baker. COMBAT VETERAN TURNED CEO HAS A NEW MISSION: FLIP GOVERNOR’S OFFICE IN BLUE STATE “I am running as the political outsider, and because of that, I have the freedom and the ability to solve problems for our citizens,” Minogue said. “And I think that’s why I’m gonna win, and that’s why we’ve got the most momentum.” Delegates will vote for the party nomination for governor and other statewide offices. According to party rules, candidates need 15% of the vote to qualify for the September primary ballot and 50% of the vote to receive an official endorsement from the party. The convention will be a test of Minogue’s ability to capitalize on a robust infrastructure and fundraising effort against two establishment candidates. Minogue brings a compelling narrative to a campaign in which the GOP will face an uphill battle to unseat incumbent Gov. Maura Healey. He was awarded the Bronze Star for service during Operation Desert Storm and went on to a highly successful career in the medical device industry, ultimately guiding a deal that sold Abiomed to Johnson & Johnson for $16.6B. “Well, I think that the campaign has had a message that it’s time for a new kind of governor. And so since I’m not part of the establishment, I’m coming in with a blueprint as a leader,” Minogue said. “So, first of all, people want a leader that has integrity, common sense and compassion. And they want to elect somebody that has a blueprint to bring accountability, affordability, opportunity and will keep our community safe. And so that’s really my platform. “And on the accountability, the audit that 72% of the voters acted for is something I was able to get involved in as a concerned citizen, and that needs to be done. And, so, that’s something around transparency and holding the one-party system accountable. And as a business person, as the only person who’s run and built the company, as a public company CEO for 19 years, I got audited every three months by an outside agency. That’s the accountability we need.” Minogue brings a unique set of qualifications to the table, which are essential to his campaign message and its resonance with Bay State voters. “I’m not a political establishment person. The other two are. I also have the most experience from West Point to being a combat veteran, to running a business for 19 years, to also having several entrepreneurial private businesses and also being a leader in the nonprofit world around education, helping veterans, helping healthcare,” Minogue said. “So, I bring a skill set. … It’s more about my qualifications, less about policy. “But, again, people want someone to come in who will solve problems, doesn’t worry about the next election. And, so, I’ve got the most energy. I have more cash on hand, in fact, two times the cash on hand than the incumbent Governor Healey. And I am going to stop the overspending, the overtaxing and the overregulating because, as a business person, I know how to do that.” Massachusetts has long been dominated by the Democratic Party, except when it comes to the governor’s office. In fact, five of the last six governors prior to Maura Healey were Republicans. Nonetheless, the GOP nominee will face a challenge in a state in which only 8% of registered voters are Republicans. DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR AND MAYOR BOOED AT RED SOX HOME OPENER “So, I think what people don’t understand and why I’m gonna be the next governor is Massachusetts is not a blue state or a red state,” Minogue said. “In fact, we have low percentages for both parties, but people here have principles.” “More people say they’re conservative as well than the numbers of the Republican Party, but people also want common sense. We’re a gritty group of people. We started the revolution. We endured in order to drive the British out of Boston in 1776. And that culture is still here. And I love that about it.” Minogue argues that Healey’s energy and fiscal policies have left the state and its business community in a precarious position. “I think the biggest issue with Governor Healey is two things. One is a failure to be a leader. She hasn’t stepped forward and driven the audit of the legislature that we voted for. In fact, she’s avoiding it,” Minogue said. “The second thing is she hasn’t solved the energy problem. She doesn’t invest in innovation. She keeps investing more and more tax dollars in green energy — wind and solar. And after two decades and over a billion dollars in tax money, we get less than 6% of our energy in Massachusetts from wind and solar. “Meanwhile, we get 20% of our energy from the nuclear energy facility in Seabrook, New Hampshire, that we don’t subsidize. And we have natural gas in America. We’re blessed with it. The pipelines need to come from Pennsylvania or New York. That will lower our energy. That’s safe, reliable, cheaper.” BLUE STATE GOVERNOR DEMANDS PRIVATE AIRLINES STOP PROVIDING ICE FLIGHTS AFTER DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING Minogue argues that Healey does not have a plan to address the exploding state budget, which is particularly feeling the pinch from skyrocketing health care costs. “So, first thing is the overall budget, $63 [billion]. Then I would drill in to the healthcare budget, which is 54% of our budget. It’s around $34 billion,” Minogue said.
House Republican would ‘100%’ leave the GOP if red state changed primary rules
A congressman in a competitive district in Pennsylvania said he’d leave the Republican Party if his state conducted open primary elections. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., a moderate who has bucked party lines on some of President Donald Trump‘s key initiatives, including voting against the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, is seeking re-election in a purple district he has controlled for eight years. Fitzpatrick shared in an interview with Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer his “disdain for ideologues and partisans” and said it was “ignorant to subscribe to a party.” “Countless people go to the floor saying I really want to vote for this, but I got to worry about my primary,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s killing our country. It’s killing good policy, and we got to fix that.” NEW POLL REVEALS HOW PENNSYLVANIA DEMS FEEL ABOUT FETTERMAN BUCKING HIS PARTY Sherman asked why he does not just run as an independent. Fitzpatrick said his state has a closed primary, meaning only registered party voters can vote in primaries, which he deemed a disadvantage. If Pennsylvania’s primary system were open, Fitzpatrick said he would “100%” leave the GOP. “But you can run as an independent,” Sherman asked. “There’s some way to do it, isn’t there?” Fitzpatrick said it wasn’t possible in Pennsylvania. FETTERMAN RECEIVES NO SUPPORT FOR RE-ELECTION FROM PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE DEMOCRATS: REPORT “Do you want to forfeit your right to vote in 50% of elections?” Fitzpatrick said, referring to what would happen if voters registered as Independent. Fitzpatrick also mentioned that he was “upset” when people criticized Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has often voted with Republicans on key issues. Fetterman has been vocal about his criticism of his Democratic colleagues, such as their strategy to shut the government down to push for healthcare negotiations last fall. In the 119th Congressional legislative session, there is only one U.S. House of Representatives member who identifies as an Independent — Kevin Kiley, I-Calif. However, when Kiley was first elected, he ran as a Republican. Meanwhile, in the Senate, there are two Independents — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine. While they both maintain an Independent status, both senators caucus with the Democratic Party.
How mutiny at Southern Poverty Law Center triggered leadership collapse
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is facing federal fraud allegations less than a year after a staff mutiny triggered a leadership shakeup that has plagued the organization ever since. The Justice Department has accused the self-styled civil rights nonprofit of using paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups and funneling money to extremist groups — claims the organization is now forcefully disputing. Margaret Huang, who led SPLC, resigned last July after 92% of staff backed a no-confidence vote months earlier, according to The Las Vegas Sun. The center laid off about 80 employees — about 25% of its workforce — in June 2024, the outlet reported. Huang said she stepped down because she could not both care for her parents and meet the demands of the job, while the SPLC said at the time she left after five years at the helm “to prioritize family life.” PRO-POLICE GROUP ASKS DOJ TO PROBE SOROS-BACKED VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR USING BIDEN-ERA LAW ONCE AIMED AT COPS The leadership rupture exposed deep tensions between staff and senior management at the Montgomery, Alabama-based group, which is known for civil rights litigation and racial justice advocacy. Bryan Fair, a constitutional law professor at the University of Alabama and former chair of the SPLC board, stepped in as interim president and CEO following Huang’s departure. Fair has since taken charge of the organization’s response to the Justice Department’s allegations. The group faces federal charges, including wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering tied to its past use of paid informants. “This use of informants was necessary because we are no stranger to threats of violence,” Fair said in a video message this week, pushing back on the allegations and framing the investigation as politically motivated. “For 55 years, the Southern Poverty Law Center has stood as a beacon of hope, fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice to create a multiracial democracy where we can all live and thrive. We are therefore unsurprised to be the latest organization targeted by this administration.” He added that the SPLC “frequently shared what we learned from informants with local and federal law enforcement, including the FBI.” EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP-ALIGNED LEGAL GROUP FILES FOIA REQUEST FOR DC CRIME DATA, CITING ALLEGED MANIPULATION “We will vigorously defend ourselves, our staff and our work,” Fair said. Huang’s high-profile departure marked the latest leadership turmoil at the SPLC. The organization underwent a major upheaval in 2019 when it fired co-founder and chief trial counsel Morris Dees and removed him from its board, according to the SPLC, triggering a broader restructuring. That overhaul led to Huang becoming the organization’s first permanent president and CEO under a new leadership model, according to the SPLC. Huang currently serves as a senior advisor at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of civil rights organizations. Dees’ dismissal followed internal allegations of misconduct and workplace culture concerns, including claims of racial discrimination and harassment, according to multiple reports. He was not charged with any crime. Dees co-founded the SPLC in 1971 with civil rights attorney Joseph Levin Jr., while civil rights leader Julian Bond served as its first president. Fox News Digital has reached out to the SPLC and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for comment.
Loudoun County transgender substitute charged with making school threats
A substitute teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia, who reportedly identifies as female, was arrested Thursday for making threats against a high school. Loudoun County, a formerly ruby-red but now deep-blue suburb between Washington, D.C., and Winchester, has long been ground zero for transgender-related controversies, including sexual assaults on students and disputes over bathroom policies. Hadyn Dollery, 19, of Chantilly, Virginia, was arrested and charged with making “threats of bodily injury” after local sheriffs received tips through the “Safe2Talk” application that the individual was threatening to commit violence at a high school near Aldie. Dollery was later arrested, however, not on school property, and is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center in Leesburg. PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER REVEALS YEARS-LONG EFFORT TO EXPOSE ALLEGED STUDENT ABORTION SCANDAL Fox News Digital reached out to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to confirm a report that law enforcement told Washington’s ABC affiliate that Dollery identifies as female and is being housed with other men. Dollery was a “non-licensed” substitute teacher for the 2025-26 school year and is no longer on the available substitute list for the district, according to FOX’s Washington affiliate. Nineteen-year-olds may make themselves available as substitutes so long as they have a high school diploma or equivalency approved by the Virginia Department of Education, Loudoun County Public Schools told the affiliate. Dan Adams, a spokesman for LCPS, told Fox News Digital the district does not discuss personnel matters. “However, LCPS takes all threats seriously, as student and staff safety is our highest priority. In this case the substitute is no longer on our substitute list and will no longer be allowed to substitute at LCPS.” Loudoun County Dep. Chris Freck wrote in the criminal complaint that Dollery threatened several people via the Discord app in a message to a friend, according to the Loudoun Times. WISCONSIN PARENTS CLAIM SCHOOL PUNISHED DAUGHTERS FOR REFUSING TO CHANGE IN FRONT OF TRANS STUDENT The paper further reported the message or messages spoke of committing a “murder spree” at a school and that a “kill list” was identified. Fox News Digital reached out to LCPS for further comment. In 2021, Scott Smith — the father of a Loudoun County schoolgirl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a skirt-wearing, female-identifying biological male in a restroom — recounted to Fox News being tackled by police at a school board meeting where he sought to voice objections to school policies. CALIFORNIA TEEN VOWS TO KEEP FIGHTING AFTER CONFRONTING SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER TRANS ATHLETE: ‘THIS IS NOT OK’ “I am good with gay people and cross-gender people — anybody who wants to be a good American, I am good with — I went there to find out why our children were not safe,” he told “The Ingraham Angle.” “The next thing I know, another parent-activist approached my wife and started antagonizing her, and I turned around and said stop.” Smith said he tried to tell the woman how his daughter was assaulted in the restroom at Stone Bridge High School, but she persisted: “She looked me dead in the face and said, ‘That’s not what happened.’ That struck me — how do you know what happened, you don’t even know me?” Then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin told Fox News Digital at the time that Smith deserved a “universal apology” for that incident. “He stood up for his daughter’s rights and his daughter had been sexually assaulted,” Youngkin said.
Reporter’s Notebook: Spring cleaning resignations rock House as ethics storm builds
It’s time for spring cleaning. Specifically, House spring cleaning. As in the House of Representatives. Former Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., resigned last week amid allegations of sexual harassment — and even sexual assault in the case of Swalwell. An aide with whom Gonzales had an affair set herself on fire and died. HOUSE DEMS DEFY JEFFRIES, VOTE TO REBUKE PROGRESSIVE OVER CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION MOVE Former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., resigned this week moments before the House Ethics Committee was slated to recommend expulsion as the panel found she violated 25 House rules. The Florida Democrat faces trial next winter for allegedly bilking FEMA out of $5 million in pandemic relief — and then funneling it to her campaign. “She was put in an absolutely terrible position by the Ethics Committee. This was not a fair process,” argued Cherfilus-McCormick’s attorney William Barzee. “But she was left with no choice (but to resign).” Barzee asserted that the ethics panel shouldn’t prescribe punishment for his client until her separate criminal trial is complete. The House used to sit out on launching ethics inquiries for members facing criminal charges. INDICTED DEMOCRAT SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK FACES RARE HOUSE ETHICS HEARING However, that changed in late 2023 when the House voted to expel former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., after he was accused of a host of fraud allegations — including his contrivance of his life story in order to win election. The House voted to expel Santos before his criminal trial where he was later convicted and jailed. He was sentenced to 87 months but released after only serving three after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence. But kicking out Santos before his conviction in court established a new House precedent. “It was setting a standard that we’re going to have and keep and it’s going to apply to every Member from now on,” said Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. LEARNING CURVE: THE NEW PLAYERS IN CONGRESS “Just because one person before (Cherfilus-McCormick) experienced this, it doesn’t make it right. We’re on a very slippery slope here with what we’re doing,” said Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio. Let’s say the Ethics Committee recommended expulsion and then the House voted to expel Cherfilus-McCormick — that could have helped prejudice a jury against the former Congresswoman. That may be the very reason she stepped down just before the Ethics Committee acted. “I made a joke that my level of tolerance was at $6 million for stealing from the public,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “What will happen is we’ll clean up our act up here for a little while, and then the dirt bags are going to dirt bag.” Cherfilus-McCormick was the third House Member to resign in an eight-day stretch. “Why are we in this period now? Are there just more unethical people or is there something else going on?” yours truly asked Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va. “I don’t think we have more unethical people. We’ve had unethical people everywhere in our society for a long time,” replied Beyer. As they say, we absolutely have representative government in the United States. Congress mirrors America. Questions now swirl about Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and whether he should step aside — or even face expulsion. He’s accused of domestic violence and campaign finance abuses. INDICTED DEMOCRAT SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK TO RESIGN FROM CONGRESS AMID EXPULSION THREAT “If he had done things, similar to what the other two (Swalwell and Gonzales) did, then he shouldn’t be here,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. “If you treat women that poorly, you have no business being here. Just matter of fact, you need to get your a** whooped.” For the record, an “a** whooping” is not among the three historic forms of discipline in the House. Sanctions are typically reprimand, censure and expulsion. Mills contends he’s not going anywhere. “I do not plan to resign,” said Mills. “I’ve never been indicted for anything. I’ve never been found guilty of any open cases that involve criminal or civil cases.” But one Republican believes the House should possibly take action against Mills. “I mean, who hasn’t denied allegations?” asked Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. “You had three resignations. The swamp is kind of draining itself right now.” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has threatened to trigger an expulsion resolution for Mills — but hasn’t forced the issue yet. In retaliation, Mills drafted an expulsion measure for Mace. “This is a woman who continues to try and go after and attack people because she thinks it’s good for clickbait on social media and for the simple concept of sensationalizing something that she can fundraise off of,” charged Mills of Mace. “If, by her own definition, that you only need to be alleged or accused of something, and or investigated, then by her admission, she herself should be expelled.” NANCY MACE CALLS ON CONGRESS TO RELEASE SEXUAL HARASSMENT RECORDS, WANTS AN ‘AVALANCHE OF RESIGNATIONS’ House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., seems exasperated by the chatter about resignations and expulsions. “I’ve talked about this ad nauseam. We’re going to allow due process to play out here,” said Johnson. “That’s all I’m going to say about it.” But some lawmakers believe that the current House ethics process demands changes. “It should be sped up,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., of the Mills inquiry. “It seems like that’s been taking a long time. I think that’s a long for the American people. Why is an investigation taking two years?” “Candidly, (investigations) should be taking days and weeks. Not months and years,” said Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md. Republicans are now focusing on someone else. “I want (Rep.) Ilhan Omar to resign next when she’s admitted to lying on her financial disclosure form,” said Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., of the Minnesota Democrat. “Cory (Mills) denies all the charges against him. She’s admitted to lying on a financial disclosure. That’s a much bigger deal.” “Make no mistake, if Ilhan Omar is discovered to have been involved
SEE IT: 2-year-old steals show at White House as Trump spotlights ‘miracle cure’ for deaf boy
During an event at the White House on Thursday, President Donald Trump highlighted a 2-year-old boy, Travis Smith, who was born deaf but can now hear after taking a “miracle cure.” The child can now “hear his mom, Sierra, say, ‘I love you,’” the president said, inviting the mother to speak. “Regeneron works miracles,” the woman said, referring to the company behind the treatment. MICHAEL AND SUSAN DELL SURPASS $1 BILLION IN DONATIONS BACKING AI-DRIVEN HOSPITAL PROJECT “He didn’t know his name. He couldn’t hear me tell him how much I love him. And now with Regeneron and this amazing surgery, he can listen to music. And he loves it. And he loves to dance,” she said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given accelerated approval for Regeneron’s Otarmeni gene therapy product, the company said in a statement. PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY MAY BE COMING TO YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE AS QUESTIONS SWIRL The company indicated that the treatment will be made available for free in the U.S. “Regeneron will provide Otarmeni at no cost to clinically eligible individuals in the U.S. This may not necessarily reflect out-of-pocket costs for administration of this free therapy, which would be outside of the control of Regeneron; individuals should consult with their healthcare provider and/or insurance provider,” the company said. Administering the treatment involves surgery, according to the company. “The surgical procedure to administer Otarmeni uses an approach similar to cochlear implantation and allows use in young infants,” the statement said. “Otarmeni should be administered by a surgeon experienced in intracochlear surgery and trained in the Otarmeni administration process and should only be administered using the provided Administration Kit for use with Otarmeni.” TRUMP ADMIN LOOSENS REGULATIONS ON STATE-LICENSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA Trump noted during the White House event that Regeneron has “agreed to offer their prescription medications at heavily discounted most favored nation prices.” “With this announcement, 17 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, representing 80% of the branded drug market, have now agreed to sell their drugs to American patients at the lowest prices anywhere in the world,” he said.
Blue state residents ‘fleeing in droves’ after ‘insane’ progressive takeover, says top state attorney
A top state attorney in Democrat-controlled Maryland says he has had enough and is throwing in the towel after saying the Old Line State has suffered an “insane” “ultra-progressive” takeover. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Haven Shoemaker, state attorney for Maryland’s Carroll County, said that after decades in public service, he is “sick to death” of the policies that “emanate” from the state capital in Annapolis. He said he is especially disgusted with Maryland’s “sanctuary” policies and the high taxes he said are being levied in part to pay for more services for illegal immigrants. “Maryland has become California on the Chesapeake,” said Shoemaker. “It only gets worse. It’s not getting better. And at some point, I just had to make a personal decision that it’s time to throw in the towel and head for what I believe are greener pastures.” Shoemaker is not the only one. He said that he sees Marylanders giving up on the state “all the time.” “The State of Maryland has one of the worst outward migration numbers of any state in the country right now,” he said. “So, I don’t know who’s going to be the last to foot the bill for the profligate spending that Annapolis likes to engage in, but it’s not going to be me, I can tell you that.” MARYLAND DEMS MOCKED FOR PRIORITIZING TAMPONS IN MEN’S BATHROOMS AMID STATE DEFICIT: ‘NONSENSE’ Moore’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions. Fox News Digital also reached out to Maryland House Speaker Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk and Senate President Bill Ferguson for comment. Born in Baltimore in the 1960s, Shoemaker spent three decades in local and state politics before taking the job as Carroll County’s top prosecutor in 2023. His career in public service includes seven years as mayor of Hampstead, Maryland, four years as a Carroll County commissioner and nine years in the Maryland House of Delegates. He rose to the role of House Minority Whip for the Maryland Republican Party. Despite years deeply involved in state politics, Shoemaker said his decision to abandon Maryland has been a long time coming. “I’ve been contemplating this move for a while, but the linchpin for me was this most recent legislative session where they essentially made Maryland a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants,” he told Fox News Digital. Earlier this year, the Maryland General Assembly passed an emergency measure to ban local and state law enforcement agencies from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through what is known as the 287(g) program. Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, whose name has been floated as a possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, signed the bill into law. While emphasizing that law enforcement would continue cooperating with ICE on deporting individuals who “pose a risk to public safety,” Moore lauded the bill, saying, “We will not allow untrained, unqualified and unaccountable agents to deputize our brave local law enforcement officers,” according to WYPR. While signing the measure, Moore stressed his view that “Maryland is a community of immigrants,” saying, “It is not our weakness, it’s our strength.” FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LINKED TO MS-13 INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN MARYLAND PARK Shoemaker, meanwhile, said that Maryland’s sanctuary-style policies are “just part of the problem.” “In addition to that, their tax policy here is horrendous,” he said. He pointed to how state leaders raised taxes in Maryland last year by $1.6 billion. The tax raise was passed by the State Assembly and approved by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore as part of a $67 billion state budget in 2025. The raise was part of a plan to address roughly a $3.3 billion budget deficit. Maryland’s budget is relatively large compared to other states, despite the state ranking 18th in population and 42nd in land size. Shoemaker said that state leaders are “already looking at a structural deficit going into next year’s budget of another billion and a half or so.” He asserted the “handwriting is on the wall” that “Maryland politicians are beholden to their ultra-progressive base.” In the end, Shoemaker said that he has finally decided to escape to the South and head for North Carolina. “A lot of taxpayers from across the State of Maryland are fleeing in droves,” he said. He added a warning to Moore and other Maryland leaders: “If you want to staunch the bleeding that’s occurring, maybe you should rethink your policies.”
Trump admin steps up next phase of effort to protect children’s health
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration is stepping up its response to childhood lead exposure, launching new EPA public-education tools while pressing states to use previously awarded lead-mitigation funds that had gone unused, Fox News Digital learned. “There’s no safe level of lead exposure, and it’s well documented that children are more susceptible to the risks of lead. We’ve made a lot of progress over the decades in reducing childhood exposure to lead, but there’s still more work to do,” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview. The EPA is revamping its website and launching a new story map tool aimed at making critical information on the risks of lead exposure easier for the public to access. The move comes as the agency shifts funding toward higher-impact efforts and steps up pressure on states to address contamination risks. RFK JR DEFENDS TRUMP MOVE TO PROTECT PESTICIDE HE TIED TO ‘CHRONIC DISEASE EPIDEMIC’ Lead can be commonly found in paint, household dust, drinking water, air, and soil. The new tools will provide information to the public on current regulations for prevention. “We’re also enforcing our rules when it comes to the lead renovation and painting rule. This comes up when you’ve got older homes, 1978 and older. Those are the ones that are more likely to have lead in the home, in the paint,” said Fotouhi. “When those homes are being renovated, it’s critical that folks are following our standards for ensuring the safety of any children that are occupying that home during that renovation.” OBAMA-ERA GREENHOUSE GAS RULES GONE AS EPA’S ZELDIN SIGNS ‘SINGLE LARGEST DEREGULATORY ACTION’ IN HISTORY The agency announced $3 billion in new funding for states to reduce lead in drinking water while also reallocating $1.1 billion in unused funding. Fotouhi explained to Fox News Digital that previous federal dollars to protect against lead poisoning and replace service lines sat unused in a handful of states. “We’ve really focused on is making sure that states that received lead funding in the past are putting that money to good use,” said Fotouhi. “We encountered a number of situations where states had received funding from EPA to replace lead service lines but had not taken and spent those funds to do that work.” There are 4 million lead service lines carrying drinking water to homes, according to a 2025 EPA report. The EPA’s broader push to prevent lead poisoning also included $26 million for states and territories last year to address lead in drinking water at schools and child-care facilities, underscoring the administration’s focus on children’s exposure risks. READ: DR OZ PUTS ALL 50 GOVERNORS ON NOTICE OVER BILLIONS LOST TO MEDICAID FRAUD A committee of senior leaders was reestablished in 2025 across the agency’s program offices and 10 regions as part of EPA’s agency-wide effort to reduce children’s exposure to lead. “This is federal, this is precious federal grant funding. Designed specifically to reduce human health risk from lead exposure, and the states need to be doing their job here and putting that funding to good use,” said Fotouhi. The administration has cast children’s health as a cross-agency priority, with HHS helping drive that push through the White House’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, which has focused in part on childhood chronic disease and environmental toxins.
Over a dozen Dems demand Trump admin protect Iranians living in the US
More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers have signed onto a letter urging President Donald Trump’s administration to protect Iranians living in the U.S. who could not safely return to Iran. “We write to urge the Trump administration to immediately institute protections for Iranian nationals currently in the United States who cannot return home safely,” the letter states. “The Administration must not forcibly return Iranian families in the United States to Iran — where they face the dual threat of the regime’s humanitarian abuses and dangers a resumption of the war poses — and should therefore pause deportation flights and designate Iranians for temporary protection, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED),” it continues. US-IRAN CEASEFIRE DEAL HANGS IN THE BALANCE AS ISRAEL, LEBANON SLATED FOR RARE WASHINGTON TALKS The letter accuses the Trump administration of launching “attacks on Iran unlawfully, without the constitutionally required congressional authorization, plunging millions of innocent civilians into a state of insecurity, with the human cost of the conflict mounting daily.” “Having initiated the current war with Iran, the Trump administration bears a moral and humanitarian responsibility to provide Iranian nationals with an immediate shield from removal,” the message asserts. “The Administration should also provide assistance to Iranians in the United States while they are unable to return home, by resuming the processing of immigration benefits and expediting the issuance of work authorization documents,” the letter states. ONCE TRUMP-ALIGNED PODCASTS ARE WARNING HE’S LOSING HIS COALITION OVER BROKEN PROMISES The April 23 letter is directed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow. The letter is signed by Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, Sen. Alex Padilla of California, Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Sen. Adam Schiff of California, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, and Reps. Dan Goldman of New York, Hank Johnson of Georgia, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Dave Min of California, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Brad Sherman of California, Lateefah Simon of California, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington D.C. FOX NEWS POLL: MODEST BOOST IN SUPPORT FOR IRAN CONFLICT, BUT CONCERNS PERSIST Fox News Digital reached out to the White House to request comment on Friday. Rubio has yanked the lawful permanent resident status of multiple individuals with ties to the Iranian regime. For example, the State Department announced earlier this month that “the niece and grand niece of deceased Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani were arrested by federal agents following Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s termination of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.” “Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As identified by both press reporting and her own social media commentary, Soleimani Afshar is an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran,” the department noted in the April 4 notice.
Democrat Beyer blasts GOP plan to counter Virginia redistricting by eliminating his seat
A Republican lawmaker is proposing to return Arlington and Alexandria to Washington, D.C., a move aimed at countering Democrats’ newly strengthened grip on Virginia’s congressional map following this week’s redistricting vote. The “Make D.C. Square Again Act” from Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., comes after voters approved Virginia’s new Democratic-backed map positioning the party to expand its congressional seat advantage by linking blue Northern Virginia suburbs with more rural districts — a shift Republicans warn could dilute GOP strength statewide. Rep. Donald Beyer, D-Va., on Thursday lambasted McCormick’s plan to finish what lawmakers in the 1860s started and return the heavily Democratic district to the District. “Rich McCormick’s bill is an embarrassing legislative tantrum,” Beyer told Fox News Digital. SOROS-LINKED DARK MONEY NETWORK FUELS VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING PUSH BACKED BY NATIONAL DEMOCRATS “It is also unconstitutional, and a stupid waste of time. Republicans upset about the passage of Virginia’s redistricting referendum should stop whining, as they have no one to blame but themselves.” McCormick’s bill called the 1846 retrocession “unconstitutional” and restore the District of Columbia’s original 100-square-mile boundary. He lamented the redistricting vote and noted that Sen. Benjamin Wade, R-Ohio, originally sparked the retrocession movement with legislation in 1866. An 1836 effort by Sen. William Preston, a Whig from South Carolina, to cede the entirety of Washington, D.C., to Maryland also failed. Alexandria County — now Arlington County and the city of Alexandria — retroceded from the District of Columbia to Virginia amid alleged economic inequities with then-Georgetown County, D.C., political mismanagement and tensions over Alexandria’s then-booming slave trade, as the North, including Washington, D.C., opposed the practice. All that remains of Washington, D.C., on the Virginia side of the Potomac River is Columbia Island, also known as Lady Bird Johnson Island, which remains with the District of Columbia due to an arcane law regarding the river’s high-water mark. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and William Taft also voiced support for Wade’s mission, but de-retrocession routinely died in the Senate in the several times it was tried. NEWSOM TURNS VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING VICTORY INTO WARNING SHOT FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION “Restore to the District of Columbia the portion of its territory taken away by the retrocession,” Taft demanded in his 1912 State of the Union. McCormick argued that “absent the vote of DC bureaucrats,” the other 90% of Virginia’s geographic voice would remain intact with a “substantial Republican majority.” He said 250,000 votes in Arlington and Alexandria — which Beyer’s district comprises along with parts of southern Fairfax — should rightly belong to Washington, D.C. Beyer said that Virginia’s voice opposing President Donald Trump was rightly heard in Tuesday’s election and that Republicans like McCormick are trying to instead “permanently deprive hundreds of thousands of my constituents of their right to vote in federal elections.” “Their contempt for voters is breathtaking,” Beyer said. Beyer added that Americans want Congress to focus on economic issues and halting Trump’s Iran War but are instead faced with Republicans “humiliating themselves” to curry the president’s favor. “Voters will remember,” he said. In a response to Fox News Digital, McCormick shared a meme of a Google Map with Beyer’s portrait bordered by the District of Columbia. “On the bright side, you can run for mayor now, Don Beyer.” Former assistant U.S. Attorney and Heritage Foundation fellow Zack Smith noted to Fox News Digital that Taft later became Chief Justice of the U.S. and had legally analyzed retrocession to be “problematic” “This questionable action should not be used as justification for radically transforming the boundaries and the status of the District of Columbia by simple legislation,” Smith wrote in a recent law review article. Smith argued that Maryland’s consent should have been efforted in order to create Arlington and Alexandria, citing colonial law regarding Maryland having land carved from itself for the District – and not for the eventual formation of a piece of another state. “Since Maryland donated the land for the purpose of creating the seat of the federal government, Maryland must consent to its use for another purpose,” Smith wrote. JEFFRIES DEFENDS VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING AS ‘TEMPORARY MEASURE’ TO STOP TRUMP FROM TRYING TO ‘RIG’ MIDTERMS In a statement on the bill, McCormick argued that the Constitution is indeed on his side. He said the Enclave Clause puts D.C.’s boundaries in Congress’ hands and gives no authority to retrocede territory back to the states. “The Make DC Square Act restores the District of Columbia as the Founders envisioned it,” he said. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger rebuked the idea of giving Arlington and Alexandria back: “Inflation is skyrocketing, gas is close to $4, and Virginia families are feeling squeezed by high prices because of the reckless policies coming out of Washington. Republicans in Congress should be focused on contending with the high costs and economic chaos created by President Trump,” the spokesperson said. Not all Virginia lawmakers agreed with Beyer, including Del. Wren Williams of Patrick County in the southern part of the commonwealth. Williams, who is also an attorney, told Fox News Digital he “fully supports this act.” “If we’re going to claim we support the constitution while our federal capital remains split over separate jurisdictions, how are we any better than those who allow millions of illegal aliens to flow across our borders as enemies to our nation?” he asked. “We need to resolve the inconsistency. We gave that land to the district, and there are no takebacks.” GOP-LED COUNTIES PUSH BACK AGAINST DEMOCRAT’S REDISTRICTING CHARGE, TESTING VIRGINIA’S CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITS Williams said returning Arlington and Alexandria to Washington would begin a necessary “healing process” in Virginia to correct a longstanding divide, which other Republicans have lamented has left southside Virginia without a full voice in Richmond. The Washington-based government-transparency group The Oversight Project has also focused at times on the Arlington boundary dispute. Mike Howell, an attorney and the organization’s president, told Fox News Digital that “aggressive actions” need to be undertaken to return the District of Columbia to its proper confines. He called