Trump directs military to strike new deals with coal-fired power plants: ‘Going to be buying a lot of coal’
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing the Department of War (DOW) to work directly with coal-fired power plants on new long-term power purchasing agreements, arguing the move would ensure “more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power.” “That’s why I’m also pleased to announce that, in just a moment, I will sign an executive order that directs the Department of War to work directly with coal plants on the new power purchasing agreements, ensuring that we have more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power,” Trump said. “And we’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now, and it’s going to be less expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many, many years.” The executive order, “Strengthening United States National Defense with America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet,” states, “The United States must ensure that our electric grid … remains resilient and reliable, and not reliant on intermittent energy sources,” calling the grid “the foundation of our national defense as well as our economic stability.” TRUMP ADMIN TO REPEAL OBAMA-ERA GREENHOUSE GAS FINDING IN LARGE-SCALE DEREGULATION It adds, “It is the policy of the United States that coal is essential to our national and economic security.” Under a section titled “Power Purchase Agreements with Federal Installations,” the order states that the Secretary of War, “in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall seek to procure power from the United States coal generation fleet by approving long-term Power Purchase Agreements … with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve DOW installations or other mission-critical facilities.” Speaking at the White House and flanked by members of his Cabinet, coal workers and GOP lawmakers, Trump framed coal as vital to defense and industrial production. BIDEN’S GREEN ENERGY FIASCO, NOT TRUMP’S REFORMS, IS JACKING UP YOUR ELECTRIC BILL “Coal is also critical to our national security,” he said. “Vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence.” He also pointed to winter storms as evidence of coal’s reliability. “More than 200 million Americans across 35 states were impacted by the storm, and the only reason most were able to take a hot shower was thanks to the power provided by the most reliable, dependable of, and really dependable form of energy that we have,” Trump said. “And that’s clean, beautiful coal.” Trump contrasted his approach with the prior administration. “On day one of this administration, I ended the war on coal,” Trump said. “We terminated the green new scam, and we withdrew from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord.” He also criticized wind energy. TRUMP TO HOST ‘CLEAN BEAUTIFUL COAL’ EVENT, CALLS IT AMERICA’S MOST RELIABLE ENERGY “I’m not a big fan of those crazy windmills that are all made in China,” Trump said. “You know, they’re made in China but not used by China.” Trump said the Tennessee Valley Authority was “taking action to save two major coal plants,” mentioning the Cumberland Fossil Plant and the Kingston Fossil Plant. “These two plants were slated for termination,” Trump said, “but we’re going to save over 450 jobs by keeping them going and going strong.” Trump said he was “directing the Department of Energy to issue funds” to coal plants in several states. “In addition, I’m directing the Department of Energy to issue funds to coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky to keep them online and keep those plants open,” Trump said. On permitting, Trump said, “In one year of Trump, we’ve already approved over 70 permits for very big, very powerful mines that are going to be with us for many, many years to come.” Trump said coal production and generation had increased during his tenure. “Since I took office, coal production is up by nearly 4 million tons a month after falling for decades,” he said. “Coal power generation is up by nearly 15% in my first year.” Later in the event, Peabody Energy CEO Jim Grech presented Trump with an award. “Sir. Just to show our appreciation,” Grech said. “The trophy says the undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal.” Trump closed by returning to what he described as American energy dominance. “America is now the No. 1 energy producer in the world,” he said. “We are by far No. 1.” The Department of War did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Only one House Dem voted in favor of voter ID, proof of citizenship in US elections
The House of Representatives passed a massive election integrity overhaul bill on Wednesday despite opposition from the vast majority of Democrats. The House passed Rep. Chip Roy’s SAVE America Act, legislation that’s aimed at keeping non-citizens from voting in U.S. federal elections. All but one House Democrat — Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas — voted against the bill. It passed 218 to 213. It is an updated version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, also led by Roy, R-Texas, which passed the House in April 2025 but was never taken up in the Senate. Whereas the SAVE Act would create a new federal proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and impose requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal elections. MURKOWSKI BREAKS WITH GOP ON VOTER ID, SAYS PUSH ‘IS NOT HOW WE BUILD TRUST’ It would also require information-sharing between state election officials and federal authorities in verifying citizenship on current voter rolls and enable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pursue immigration cases if non-citizens were found to be listed as eligible to vote. Democrats have attacked the bill as tantamount to voter suppression, while Republicans argue that it’s necessary after the influx of millions of illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. during the four years of the Biden administration. “If we want to rebuild confidence again in American elections, we need to pass the SAVE Act,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “What better way to eliminate that distrust than to make sure that whoever votes in an American citizen who is truly eligible to vote?” House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., accused Republicans of trying to make it harder for women to vote. She argued that the legislation would make it more difficult for married women to cast ballots if their surname is different from their maiden name on their birth certificate. “Republicans aren’t worried about non-citizens voting. They’re afraid of actual American citizens voting. Why? Because they’re losing among women,” Clark said during debate on the House floor. “This is a minefield of red tape that you have put in front of women and American citizens and their right to vote.” REPUBLICANS, TRUMP RUN INTO SENATE ROADBLOCK ON VOTER ID BILL But House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., emphasized that it was about keeping illegal immigrants from voting in U.S. elections. “This really is about feeding the narrative that Democrats want illegally from all over the world to come here to support them,” Hern said of Democrats’ opposition. Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, “The American people did not give Republicans a mandate to make excuses. They gave us one to deliver wins, and the SAVE America Act is exactly that. Every single Democrat who voted no today proved they would rather let illegal aliens tip the scales in our national elections than protect your vote.” If implemented, the bill could see new requirements imposed on voters in this year’s November midterm elections. But it would have to pass the Senate, where current rules dictate that at least several Democrats are needed to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster.
6 House Republicans defy Trump on key agenda item in Dem-pushed vote
The House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday aimed at reversing President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada after several Republicans joined Democrats for a rare rebuke of the GOP commander in chief. Democrats successfully got a vote on a measure to reverse Trump’s national emergency at the northern border using a mechanism for forcing votes over the objections of House majority leadership called a privileged resolution. The six Republicans who voted in favor of the measure are Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, voted with the majority of Republicans on the matter. It passed 219-211. TRUMP’S TARIFFS COULD BE UNDONE BY ONE CONSERVATIVE DOCTRINE: ‘LIFE OR DEATH’ As the vote was on the verge of succeeding, Trump issued a warning to Republicans who defied him. “Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!” Trump posted on Truth Social. Kiley told Fox News Digital when asked for a response to Trump, “This was a resolution regarding the emergency declared by the president over fentanyl from Canada. Congress has an obligation under the National Emergencies Act to evaluate every six months if the emergency still exists. Canada has now significantly cracked down on fentanyl, so there’s no basis to extend the emergency another six months.” Meanwhile Hurd told Fox News Digital that his constituents were “directly affected by these policies.” “Today’s vote is grounded first and foremost in the Constitution. Article I gives Congress the authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and to levy tariffs. Over time, Congress has delegated limited authority to the Executive Branch, particularly in matters involving national emergencies. But those delegations were never intended to serve as a permanent vehicle for sweeping, long-term trade policy,” he also said. “If we normalize broad emergency trade powers today, we should expect that a future president—of either party—will rely on the same authority in ways many of us would strongly oppose. Institutional consistency matters. The Constitution does not shift depending on who occupies the White House. My responsibility is to defend the separation of powers regardless of political convenience.” Trump signed an executive order in February 2025, enacting an additional 25% tariff on most goods from Canada and Mexico. Energy from Canada was subject to an additional 15% tariff. At the time, the White House said it was punishment for those countries’ unwillingness to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the U.S. Opponents of Trump’s tariff strategy have criticized his moves against Canada in particular, arguing it was unjustly harming one of the U.S.’s closest allies and trading partners to the detriment of Americans themselves. TRUMP’S SIGNATURE TARIFFS HANG ON KEY QUESTION ABOUT CONGRESS’ POWER BEFORE SUPREME COURT “In the last year, tariffs have cost American families nearly $1,700. And that cost is expected to increase in 2026,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., who is leading the legislation, said during debate Wednesday. “And since these tariffs were imposed, U.S. exports to Canada have fallen by more than 21%. When I go home, my constituents aren’t telling me that they have an extra $1,700 to spare. They’re asking me to lower grocery prices, lower the price of healthcare and make life more affordable. “Canada is our friend. Canada is our ally. Canadians have fought alongside Americans, whether it was in World War II or the war in Afghanistan, where 165 Canadians gave their lives after our country was attacked. There is no national emergency, there is no national security threat underpinning these threats.” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., argued the text of the resolution itself would end a national emergency related to fentanyl. “The gentleman over here, 5,000 people per year die in his state alone from fentanyl,” Mast said of Meeks. “So, if he wants to beg the question of who’s going to pay the price of him trying to end an emergency, that actually, for the first time, has Canada dealing with fentanyl because of the pressure being put on them — who’s going to pay the price? It’s going to be 5,000 more of his state’s residents. That’s who’s going to pay the price.” SUPREME COURT TARIFF RULING HAS TRUMP ADMIN, US BUSINESSES BRACING FOR IMPACT He said the resolution was “not a debate about tariffs” but rather Democrats trying to “ignore that there is a fentanyl crisis.” The resolution was filed by Democrats months ago but was put on hold by an active measure by House GOP leaders that blocked the House from reversing Trump’s emergency declarations. The president has used emergency declarations to bypass Congress on the subject of tariffs, a move that has drawn mixed reviews from Capitol Hill. But that measure expired last month, and House GOP leaders’ bid to extend it through July 31 crashed and burned Tuesday night when three Republicans joined Democrats to oppose it. “It is time for Congress to make its voice heard on tariffs,” Bacon, one of the Republicans who voted in opposition to the Trump policy Tuesday and Wednesday, told Fox News Digital. The legislation now heads to the Senate, which has voted in the past to restrict Trump’s tariff authority. Even if it succeeds there, however, it’s likely to be vetoed the president.
DHS unloads on anti-ICE Dems after man arrested with manifesto, ‘disturbing’ alleged plot to kill agents
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security is speaking out against immigration rhetoric from Democrats and launching an investigation after a U.S. citizen in Oregon was arrested and found with a manifesto stating his plans to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Last week, the St. Helens Police Department north of Portland arrested an 18-year-old during a traffic stop after he was found with knives and materials used to manufacture Molotov cocktails, according to police, Fox 12 Oregon reported. The individual, Rayden Coleman, is also alleged to have authored a manifesto outlining a plan to kill ICE agents at a Portland ICE office in an attack using Molotov cocktails and a gun. Additionally, Coleman reportedly told investigators about his plan and that he planned to pick up an AR-15 the next day from a licensed dealer to carry out the attack. He also reportedly admitted making statements about beheading ICE agents. “Every day there are more assaults, more vehicle-ramming attacks, more attempts to kill our officers,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “Now, we have an American citizen planning to kill ICE officers with Molotov cocktails and gun them down. It’s disturbing. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN SPARKS ONLINE OUTRAGE OVER ‘DERANGED’ QUESTION TO ICE DIRECTOR ABOUT ‘GOING TO HELL’ “Sanctuary politicians comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police and slave patrols have real-world consequences. The men and women of ICE and CBP are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, they just want to go home to their families at night. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must end.” The DHS statement comes the day after several House Democrats railed against ICE during a hearing with acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, comparing ICE agents to Nazis and the Gestapo as they slammed the Trump administration over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two anti-ICE activists killed while opposing federal immigration authorities. ICE REVEALS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ARRESTS IN JUST ONE DAY AFTER ROUNDING UP ‘THUGS’ CONVICTED OF VILE CRIMES DHS says there is an ongoing investigation into the Oregon arrest with ICE Homeland Security Investigations and that Coleman is facing state charges on six counts of manufacturing a destructive device and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. Coleman is being held in the Columbia County jail, and his bail is listed at $400,000. ICE officers are facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, according to DHS, along with an 8,000% increase in death threats. As Democrats rally against ICE across the country, Congress has until Friday at midnight to fund DHS. Democrats are threatening to shut down the government if their demands for ICE reforms are not met, and, as days go by, the odds of doing so are becoming increasingly slim. “I think they (Democrats) are using families as political weapons,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem exclusively told Fox News Digital last week. “And this is a little bit different, because when it’s the whole government that they shut down, they’re not necessarily just attacking security. “This feels like a direct attack on the security of our country, our homeland. And it’s almost as though they’ve gotten so extreme, they don’t care if we’re out there on the front lines keeping our country safe from terrorists, keeping our country safe from murderers and rapists.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
McConnell released from hospital after health scare, to work from home as key DHS vote looms
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been discharged from the hospital and will work from home this week on the advice of his doctors, according to his spokesman. “Senator McConnell was discharged from the hospital [Tuesday] and is grateful for the outstanding care he received. He is feeling better and will be working from home this week on the advice of his doctors,” spokesman David Popp said in a statement. His absence this week comes as lawmakers face a Friday deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Senate leaders are discussing a short-term continuing resolution to avoid a partial shutdown while negotiations continue. McConnell, 83, was hospitalized last week after experiencing flu-like symptoms. His office said at the time that he had checked himself into a local hospital “in an abundance of caution” after feeling ill over the weekend. PRO-REPARATIONS PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT WHO WANTS ICE ABOLISHED MOUNTS LONGSHOT SENATE BID TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL “In an abundance of caution, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, Senator McConnell checked himself into a local hospital for evaluation last night,” a spokesperson said Feb. 3. “His prognosis is positive, and he is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving. He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business.” McConnell has experienced several health scares in recent years, including falls at the Capitol. Last October, McConnell stumbled and fell while walking down a hallway in the Capitol. He was helped up and continued walking. SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL SEEN ON VIDEO FALLING INSIDE SENATE BUILDING Nearly one year ago, he fell on a set of stairs while exiting the Senate chamber. McConnell previously announced that he will not seek re-election in 2026, and plans to retire at the end of his current term, which runs through Jan. 3, 2027. He has served in the Senate for decades, including as Senate majority leader during President Donald Trump’s first administration. McConnell is a survivor of childhood polio. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this story.
‘Seditious Six’ Democrat lawmakers probed by Trump threaten legal battle
The six Democrats who urged U.S. service members to “refuse illegal orders” are threatening a legal battle with President Donald Trump over what they see as a “weaponization” of the Department of Justice (DOJ). On Wednesday, four House Democrats — Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; and Chris Deluzio, D-Pa. — hinted they had prepared for a case of their own after they escaped an indictment Tuesday evening. “Yesterday, the Trump Department of Justice tried and failed to indict us on criminal charges based on a video that we filmed last year simply reminding our fellow service members to follow the law and the Constitution,” Crow said. “They failed, and they will always fail. REPUBLICAN COMBAT VETERANS URGE TROOPS TO ‘STAND STRONG’ AFTER DEMOCRATS’ ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ MESSAGE “We are taking names,” Crow said. “We are creating lists. My lawyers just sent a letter today to the Department of Justice, putting them on notice that there will be costs.” Crow did not expand on what kind of suit he would pursue. The “Seditious Six,” as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called the group of military veteran Democrats, posted a video to social media in November 2025 urging service members to ignore commands that violated the Constitution. “Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home,” they urged. “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.” In response, the Department of Justice launched a probe of the group, weighing whether their calls had amounted to sedition. After those charges fell flat Tuesday, Democrats in the Senate who had also participated in the video similarly blasted the DOJ’s probe. WASHINGTON DEMOCRAT SAYS HE BELIEVES TRUMP ISSUED ILLEGAL ORDERS TO THE MILITARY “This is outrageous,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. “I want to be clear about something. This is not a good news story. This is a story about how Donald Trump and his cronies are trying to break our system in order to silence anyone who lawfully speaks out against them.” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who also appeared in the video, echoed Kelly’s framing. “The president has used our justice system to weaponize (it) against his perceived enemies,” Slotkin said. “I think that we’ve come to a really sad moment in America, where the paradigm of leadership has become completely reversed in 2026. Instead of looking to our elected leaders, like the president, as setting an example, it is now up to individual citizens in their private capacity to uphold the values of democracy, free speech, liberty, justice.” When asked how he would distinguish between political prosecution and a good-faith effort to uphold the law, Crow pointed to past statements from the administration but declined to offer a litmus test for future cases. “I’ve learned to take Donald Trump’s words and to listen to him,” Crow said. “He actually came right out and said what he thought about this and said this is because he wants to silence political opposition. So, let’s actually just listen to what the man says.” DEM CONGRESSMAN PRESSED ON WHAT TRUMP ORDERS ‘SPECIFICALLY’ WERE ILLEGAL Trump has accused the six lawmakers of being “traitors” who engaged in “sedition at the highest level” and “should be in jail.” He even suggested they should be executed over the video, although he later retracted that comment. Crow declined to answer questions about when he would press his legal strategy and hinted that it might depend on what Trump does next. “So, that’s actually a ball that’s in the Trump administration’s court,” Crow said. “We’ve been very clear about our position and that it needs to stop. If it doesn’t stop, then we’ll take all necessary actions.” The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tillis rips ‘political lawfare’ and praises grand jury after Dems avoid charges in ‘illegal orders’ case
A Senate Republican known for breaking with the Trump administration praised a grand jury’s decision not to indict several congressional Democrats who urged service members to refuse what they described as “illegal orders.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., applauded a Washington, D.C., grand jury’s decision to reject an indictment against six congressional Democrats who last year called on service members to refuse what they characterized as illegal orders under the Trump administration. “Political lawfare waged by either side undermines America’s criminal justice system, which is the gold standard of the world,” Tillis said in a post on X. “Thankfully in this instance, a jury saw the attempted indictments for what they really were. Political lawfare is not normal, not acceptable, and needs to stop.” GRAND JURY REJECTS DOJ EFFORT TO INDICT DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS WHO URGED MILITARY TO DEFY ILLEGAL ORDERS It’s not the first time Tillis has bucked the administration. He has placed holds on future Homeland Security nominees, pledged to block President Donald Trump’s pick to replace outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and has been a vocal critic of the president’s advisors, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in the nation’s capital, sought to bring criminal charges against Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., along with Reps. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., Jason Crow, D-Colo., Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. The group of Democrats — all of whom previously served in the military or as intelligence officers — last year said service members could “refuse illegal orders” and “must refuse illegal orders,” arguing that troops are not required to carry out commands they believe violate the Constitution. DEM SENATOR SAYS SHE’S UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OVER ‘UNLAWFUL ORDERS’ VIDEO Service members are obligated to follow lawful orders from their superiors, but they may refuse orders deemed illegal, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the military justice system enacted in 1951. Their video prompted Trump to accuse the group of seditious behavior “PUNISHABLE BY DEATH” in a fiery Truth Social post. GRAHAM DEMANDS DEMOCRATS EXPLAIN ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ MESSAGE TO TROOPS After the grand jury declined to indict them, the lawmakers praised the decision. “Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him,” Kelly said in a statement. “The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.” Slotkin added that no matter what comes next from the administration in its pursuit of legal recourse, “tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law.” Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from Pirro’s office for comment.
Pelosi endorses JFK’s grandson in Democratic House primary
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., endorsed Jack Schlossberg — the grandson of the late President John F. Kennedy — who is running for Congress in New York’s 12th Congressional District. “This moment calls for leaders who understand the stakes and how to deliver for the people they serve. Jack Schlossberg is that kind of leader— a candidate for Congress we are all excited about, and someone I am proud to endorse,” Pelosi said in part of a lengthy statement that Schlossberg posted on X. “Jack possesses a unique ability to navigate the digital and the classical political worlds in ways that can get things done for people — and hold President Trump accountable. Those skills are critical right now, and they are also quite rare,” she asserted. JFK’S GRANDSON JACK SCHLOSSBERG DOUBLES DOWN ON ATTACKS AGAINST RFK JR, WARNS OF ‘DANGEROUS’ AGENDA Schlossberg lavished praise on Pelosi when sharing her statement of the endorsement. “Speaker Pelosi is a national hero and master legislator — I’m proud to have her support. She’s the backbone of the Democratic Party — no one understands Congress like she does,” he noted in the post on X. CAMELOT OR CRINGE?: MEET JFK’S GRANDSON TURNED CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE FOR THE SCROLLING GENERATION “I sat down with her, told her about our campaign and policy plans for NY12. She believes we can win,” he added. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., currently represents the district but announced last year that he will not seek re-election. Pelosi also announced last year that she will not run for re-election. NANCY PELOSI SWIPES AT TRUMP, ACCUSING HIM OF CROWNING HIMSELF AS ‘KING’ Some of the other candidates running in the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District include state Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, as well as George Conway, the ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway, who served as senior counselor to the president during much of President Donald Trump’s first term.
Mexican cartel drones breach US airspace, are disabled by War Department, Duffy says
Drones operated by Mexican drug cartels breached American airspace and were soon disabled by the U.S. military, the Trump administration announced Wednesday. The breach took place near El Paso International Airport in Texas, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily close the airport late Tuesday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the breach and lifted the airspace restriction on Wednesday. “The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion,” Duffy announced in a statement on X, referring to the Department of War. “The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” “The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming,” he added. CARTEL DRONES POSE ‘DANGEROUS’ DRUG TRAFFICKING RISK IN BORDER STATE, OFFICIAL WARNS He did not say how many drones were involved or what specifically was done to disable them. The FAA’s initial announcement had said the El Paso airport would be closed for a period of 10 days, which would have been unprecedented for a U.S. city. The FAA had cited “special security reasons” for the initial closure. El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 people and larger when including the surrounding metro area, is a hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring city of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. The brief closure did not include Mexican airspace. US MILITARY STRIKES NARCO-TERRORIST VESSELS IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC DRUG TRAFFICKING OPERATION Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, had urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning. There was no advance notice given to her office, the city of El Paso or airport operations, she said. “The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community,” Escobar said. “From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.” The incident came the same day that the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a warning about a “fake memo circulating online and through media outlets announcing temporary 10-day road closures in the El Paso area.” “This is a fake memo, and DPS is NOT closing the major highways – or any roads – in or out of the area over the next 10 days,” DPS said in a statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bondi faces grilling in House Judiciary Committee hearing over Epstein files, weaponization allegations
Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to testify Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee, where lawmakers are expected to confront her over the Department of Justice’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case files, numerous high-profile, politically charged indictments and broader structural changes at the department. The hearing, beginning at 10 a.m., marks Bondi’s first appearance before the House panel since taking the helm of the DOJ. While some Republicans are likely to praise Bondi for shifting the department’s focus to street crime, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, Democrats and other Republicans have signaled they will grill her on the department’s attempts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law that required the DOJ to publish all unclassified files related to Epstein’s case. LAPSED EPSTEIN DEADLINE UNDERSCORES CHALLENGE OF REVIEWING TROVES OF FILES IN 30 DAYS Republicans on the committee may highlight the DOJ’s efforts to combat transnational drug trafficking and the opioid epidemic, as well as violent crime and immigration, which the Trump administration has made clear are its top priorities. In the most prominent of the drug cases brought during Bondi’s tenure, the DOJ brought a superseding indictment against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, alleging narco-terrorism conspiracy and firearms charges. After his stunning capture last month, Maduro and his wife were brought to the Southern District of New York and are being detained there as they await trial. Bondi could be forced to address upheaval in the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, where a weeks-long surge in immigration enforcement has bogged down the federal court there and led to an exodus of prosecutors. TOP MINNESOTA FEDERAL PROSECUTORS OFFICIALLY TERMINATED AFTER DISPUTE OVER DOJ SHOOTING PROBE Several recent controversial judicial developments are also likely to surface during the hearing, as the administration has faced hundreds of adverse rulings in the lower courts, including from some Trump-appointed judges. Federal judges in Minnesota have put a spotlight on what they view as legal problems with the way the administration has detained alleged illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, other judges have rejected several of Trump’s choices to lead the country’s 94 U.S. attorney’s offices. A federal judge ruled, for instance, that the interim appointment of Lindsey Halligan, who was leading the U.S. attorney’s office in Eastern Virginia, was unlawful. The move derailed the DOJ’s high-profile indictments of FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading a judge to toss out the cases. The DOJ is now appealing them.