2028 Dem hopeful’s longtime ally exposed for deep ties to CCP officials: ‘Good friends’
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has been floated as a potential 2028 Democratic contender for president, but his longtime ally and former senior advisor on foreign trade and economic development could be a liability due to his deep ties to Chinese Communist Party officials, a Fox News Digital investigation found. Henry Yin is a longtime California businessman and political operative who Khanna has praised for his “leadership” and has called one of his “good friends” on Facebook. He was born in China, raised in Taiwan and then moved to the United States, where he has lived for several decades. However, while living in California, Yin has been a major player helping China get a foothold in California over the last several decades through multiple roles, including serving as a member of the California Commission for Economic Development and founding a consulting firm that included multiple corporate clients with ties to Chinese Communist Party officials. A 2011 profile piece revealed that Yin “made his fortune selling used computer equipment to China” and had “done business in China for more than a quarter-century.” The profile piece went on to say Yin has “good connections and a sense of [China’s] business climate” and was “leading city trade delegations to China, which have contributed to several Chinese firms — most recently software company Trunkbow International — setting up offices in the city and helping city businessmen get a foothold in China.” SWALWELL RESIGNATION COLLIDES WITH CHINA-LINKED SCANDAL AS CRITICS DEMAND FILE RELEASE “Henry has some sort of special skill-building relationships,” one businessman said in the profile piece, praising Yin. “There’s a lot more government involvement in China, and you need relationships with local government officials.” In addition to his consulting business and several overseas trips to China, Yin has allegedly attended at least 10 events hosted by United Front groups, including the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC), according to China expert Jackie Deal, the president of Long Term Strategy Group, a defense research firm. Fox News Digital has extensively reported on the CCP’s United Front and the threat it poses to U.S. institutions as the CCP gains influence in the United States. In a Sept. 2019 Facebook post, Khanna announced that Yin, who was first appointed to the California Commission for Economic Development in 2010 by then- Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and later reappointed to the position in 2015 by the succeeding Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, would “serve as my Senior Advisor on Foreign Trade and Economic Development.” “We discussed the importance of improving the US China relationship to cooperate on issues of climate change and medical research while protecting intellectual property and opening access to markets,” Khanna continued. “I was particularly touched that Henry and the group had a birthday cake for me. It was wonderful celebrating with them!” A few months later, in December of the same year, Khanna posted about Yin on Facebook again, writing, “Thank you Henry Yin for your leadership!” That same month, Yin invited Khanna to be his “honorable guest” for an event titled, “S.V. U.S.-China Trading Partners Concerned Group Dinner Meeting Agenda,” which was sponsored by Yin’s consulting firm, USA-China-Link. A review of the event’s presentations showed the attendees were slated to talk about an array of topics, including China investments, technology and business asset management, among other topics. Khanna was slated to discuss intellectual property. ELITE US COLLEGES LINKED TO CHINESE SURVEILLANCE LABS DRIVING UYGHUR ‘GENOCIDE,’ STUDY WARNS In Feb. 2020, Khanna posted another photo of himself having dinner with Yin, who he referred to as one of his “good friends.” In the post, Khanna decried that “Chinese Americans are feeling they are being stereotyped as the symbols for the coronavirus.” “This is a time to embrace our Chinese American neighbors and friends and continue to frequent Chinese-American stores, restaurants and shopping centers.” On Yin’s LinkedIn profile, which still includes the senior advisor title with Khanna’s office, he includes over a dozen slides detailing his consulting business, USA-China-Link, and showcasing his business acumen in China, which was featured in several profile pieces in Chinese state media. One of the slides says his firm “specialized in high-tech and green tech” and helped China do business in California and vice versa. Other slides show a list of his Chinese clients and a slide that called him an “Official Commerce Rep in US for the Province of Fujian, China.” Another slide shows a photo of Yin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in 2009 for the China National Day Banquet, where he calls himself a “VIP” in the caption. According to reports on the event, the banquet included several senior-level CCP officials in attendance, including then-Chinese President Hu Jintao and his successor Xi Jinping, the former third-ranking member of the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee, Wen Jiabao, among other top officials. A spokesperson for Khanna, who is a member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, told Fox News Digital earlier this year that “Henry Yin has never been employed by Rep. Khanna” and “he doesn’t serve in any role in his office or campaign.” When asked Wednesday whether his office stands by the quote, Khanna’s office did not immediately respond. Despite the previous denial, Khanna and Yin were pictured sitting beside each other earlier this year at an event. In Feb. 2026, Khanna posted a photo showing him sitting beside Yin at a political action committee meeting in Sunnyvale, California. Khanna wrote he was “honored to be back in the district, hearing directly from Chinese American community leaders.” Yin has made several trips abroad to China over the last decade, including a July trip where he led a delegation to Guangzhou to meet with Zhu Xiaojun, the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province’s deputy director, which is a CCP-controlled position. A Chinese report on the trip said the two sides collaborated on two-way trade between California and the Guangdong province. Two months before the event, Yin attended the 2026 China-California Economic
GOP mail-in voting proposal could impact millions of Americans ahead of midterms
FIRST ON FOX: The nationwide battle over how and when Americans can vote has hit Capitol Hill, with two allies of President Donald Trump unveiling a new proposal they say will help restore confidence in U.S. elections. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., plans to introduce legislation on Thursday mandating that absentee and mail-in ballots are received by the relevant officials by the end of the day on Election Day. A corresponding bill is being led in the Senate by Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla. “This is something that we’ve done in Florida for many years, and it’s a really effective way of making sure that elections stay organized and that we have timely election results,” Lee told Fox News Digital. SUPREME COURT RULES ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY Lee is Florida’s former top elections official, having served as its secretary of state from 2019 until May 2022. “Florida is proof-positive that this works, that it does not deny any voter the right to vote. Our job as elected officials or as elections officials throughout the states is just to make sure that voters know the deadlines, that they know the rules and tell them your ballot has to be received,” Lee said. “They can do that just as easy as they can get it postmarked by Election Day.” TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS It follows an executive order Trump issued in March 2025 essentially setting an Election Day deadline for when mail-in ballots can be received. If passed, the legislation could have a significant impact on millions of Americans, nearly a third of whom vote by mail. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESTRICTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS However, the topic of mail-in ballots has been a political lightning rod that’s divided the GOP. Republicans in states where voting by mail is popular have expressed concern about changing the current system ahead of November. But Lee argued her bill does not curb people’s ability to vote by mail. REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP’S TOP ELECTION PRIORITY ‘DEAD’ IN SENATE AS GOP FRACTURES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS “One thing that’s important to understand about this bill is that it doesn’t limit voting by mail. It simply says that for states who allow mail voting, ballots must be received by Election Day,” she said. “So it still keeps all of those options that states have chosen to implement on the table for them. It just creates a different deadline.” Moody told Fox News Digital of the bill, “The Ballots by Election Day Act is a simple fix to rebuild trust in elections. The fact that some states allow ballots to pour in for days after an election is absurd. Passing our Ballots by Election Day Act would deliver results before bed.” Meanwhile, a separate Trump order making significant changes to the mail-in voting system is currently at the center of a dramatic legal battle between the White House and over 20 states. That order would create new hurdles for the U.S. Postal Service and other agencies to verify proof of citizenship before delivering ballots, as well as mandate the use of specific stationery denoting federal election mail. Supporters of the rule have argued it’s key to enhancing voter confidence in elections, while opponents have said it would do the opposite by sowing chaos in the current system.
Trump’s Army secretary hunt takes shape as insiders float potential picks
The hunt is on for the next secretary of the Army after Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House, opening a key leadership vacancy atop the nation’s largest military branch. Driscoll said Wednesday will be his “last full day” serving as Army secretary, adding that serving in the role under President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been “the honor of a lifetime.” The next Army secretary will inherit a service undergoing a major transformation, with questions over readiness and the Army’s role as the conflict with Iran continues. ARMY CUTS HELICOPTERS, PUSHES ‘AMAZON FOR WAR’ AS DRONE COMBAT RESHAPES MILITARY Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal could serve as acting secretary once Driscoll’s departure is finalized. A former special operations officer and defense industry executive, Obadal has also taken on a more public-facing role, including speaking at conferences. In the Trump administration, deputy officials have repeatedly stepped into top leadership roles after resignations or firings— including then-Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao becoming acting Navy secretary after John Phelan’s departure this year. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman and a senior adviser to Hegseth, has emerged as one potential candidate, according to sources. PENTAGON FIRES BACK AFTER MARK KELLY ACCUSES PETE HEGSETH OF TARGETING WOMEN AND BLACK MILITARY OFFICERS “A lot of people inside [Office of the Secretary of War] want to see Sean Parnell become the next Secretary of the Army because they’ve worked alongside him and know what he brings to the table,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital. Parnell, who serves as assistant to the secretary of War for Public Affairs, is a former United States Army captain whose platoon killed over 350 enemy fighters at the height of the Afghan War. He unsuccessfully ran for the House in 2020 before launching a 2021 campaign for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, earning Trump’s endorsement. He later suspended his campaign amid domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Laurie Snell, which he denied. HEGSETH TURNS TABLES ON DEMS AS SPARKS FLY DURING HEARING CLASH: ‘I PUT THIS ON YOU’ The senior administration official said Parnell understands the Pentagon and the problems inside from military experience paired with his work at the highest levels of the institution. “He also understands the importance of working alongside General LeNeve, who has been carrying an enormous load to keep the Army moving, and giving the Army Staff the leadership and support they need to get it back on track,” the official said, referring to the acting Army chief of staff. A senior Pentagon official told Fox News Digital Parnell has “proven time and time again” that he is loyal to the president, citing that Parnell was present at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot. After the president was removed from the rally, Parnell stayed behind to help others get out, the senior Pentagon official said. Parnell returned with Trump to Butler three months after the assassination attempt. “Their relationship goes back many, many, years at this point, and it’s not just with the president. It’s also very senior members of the White House that are with the President every single day,” said the senior Pentagon official. REPUBLICANS DEFY JOHNSON TO ADVANCE DEMOCRAT-BACKED UKRAINE AID A third senior administration official told Fox News Digital that “Sean Parnell is 100% focused on the job he was appointed to by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.” Florida Rep. Brian Mast may also be under consideration, a source with knowledge told Fox News Digital. The Trump-endorsed candidate serves as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and previously served in the Army for 12 years. Driscoll’s exit comes after reportedly butting heads with Hegseth over concerns with the administration about the Army’s transformation and readiness, including his belief that Hegseth had hindered those efforts, Fox News Digital previously reported. Parnell defended Hegseth’s leadership and said the department remains united behind his vision. “Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War and, at President Trump’s direction, has ushered in a new era of Peace Through Strength. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs,” Parnell told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way.” “The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first,” he added. Democrats and some Republican lawmakers unloaded on Trump and Hegseth over the changes in the Department of War. North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Hegseth is “creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks” while ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed of Rhode Island said, “Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished and competence is secondary to personal allegiance.” Navy Secretary John Phelan was ousted in April after reportedly clashing with Hegseth over shipbuilding and management. FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP TO OPEN DIRECT LINE WITH MILITARY FAMILIES IN GROUND-UP READINESS PUSH The White House directed Fox News Digital to DOW when asked for comment. Fox News Digital reached out to Parnell, Mast, the Army and DOW for comment.
Gloria Steinem, feminist writer and activist, dead at 92
Feminist writer and activist Gloria Steinem has died at the age of 92, according to a statement posted on her Instagram page Thursday. “Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her,” the message read. “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end.” “Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor,” the statement continued. The statement said Steinem “spent her recent years doing the two things she loved most: being in community with others and writing.” FLASHBACK: GLORIA STEINEM, NOBEL LAUREATES ARRIVE IN NORTH KOREA FOR PEACE MARCH ACROSS DEMILITARIZED ZONE “Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain. Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle,” it added. Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934, Steinem was a “founder of New York and Ms. magazines, and is the author of An Unexpected Life, The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off, My Life on the Road, Moving Beyond Words, Revolution from Within, and Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, in addition to many collections and essays,” a biography on her website said. “She co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Free to Be Foundation, and the Women’s Media Center in the United States. As links to other countries, she helped found Equality Now, Donor Direct Action, and Direct Impact Africa,” it added. “Among many tributes and honors for her activism, in 2013 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and in 2019, she received the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum,” the biography continued, noting that “Gloria’s home is the heart of Gloria’s Foundation and has become renowned as a magnetic and life-changing center for feminist and activist thinkers from around the world.” Steinem “helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, a pioneering national information center that specialized in nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group that continues to work to advance the numbers of pro-equality women in elected and appointed office at a national and state level.” CELEBRITY ACTIVISTS WHO HAVE MADE A GLOBAL IMPACT “She also co-founded the Women’s Media Center in 2004. She was president and co-founder of Voters for Choice, a pro-choice political action committee for twenty-five years, then with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund when it merged with VFC for the 2004 elections,” her website said. Steinem married businessman and animal rights activist David Bale in September 2000. Bale, the father of actor Christian Bale, died three years later from primary brain lymphoma. Steinem began her career as a journalist, notably one who reported, in 1963, on degrading conditions in Hugh Hefner’s Playboy empire, an undercover assignment she came to later regret, according to The Associated Press. She credited a meeting six years later, where women spoke out boldly in favor of abortion rights, with changing her career path. “That speak-out was the beginning of activism for me,” Steinem, who had undergone a secret illegal abortion herself at age 22, told the AP in an email in 2022, reflecting on the reversal of Roe v Wade. “Either our control over our own bodies is equal, regardless of sex or race, or we’re not living in a democracy.” Well into her 80s, Steinem was traveling the globe and speaking out on issues of importance to her. These included everything from genital mutilation to Korean reconciliation, but it was equality for women that took precedence. “Being a feminist means that you see the world as whole instead of half,” she once said. “It shouldn’t need a name, and one day it won’t.” In 2020, her life was the subject of a feature film, “The Glorias, A Life on The Road,” based on her 2015 memoir and starring Julianne Moore. And at 91, she collaborated on a picture book with Liberian peace activist and Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee aimed at inspiring young people to change the world. “Rise, Girl, Rise: Our Sister-Friend Journey. Together for All” was published in February 2026. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FAA seeks permanent airspace restrictions near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago as expert warns rules are ‘not good enough’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed permanent flight rules around President Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, to secure the airspace near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate amid heightened concerns over unauthorized aircraft and rogue drones — moves that some say are insufficient to deter dedicated adversaries. The regulatory action was initiated at the request of the U.S. Secret Service, in the “interest of national security,” the agency confirmed to Fox News Digital. “At the request of the U.S. Secret Service in the interest of national security, the FAA is proposing Special Air Traffic Rules for the airspace near Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT),” an FAA spokesperson said. NORAD FIGHTER JETS INTERCEPT 2 AIRCRAFT NEAR TRUMP’S GOLF CLUB, 3RD PLANE DELAYS HIS NJ DEPARTURE Under the proposed mandate, a Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) would be established. Aircraft flying below 2,000 feet within one nautical mile of the designated zone would be required to obtain explicit clearance, maintain two-way contact with air traffic control, and continuously transmit an assigned transponder code. Arriving and departing aircraft would also need to meet strict security criteria before entering the airspace. TRUMP HAS BECOME AMERICA’S MOST TARGETED LEADER, FACING THREATS EVERY FEW MONTHS The heightened precautions follow multiple threats against Trump, including a June plot where five suspects attempted to coordinate an ambush using explosive-laden drones aimed at targeting him and other high-profile officials during the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. However, drone experts argue that regulatory boundaries are “not good enough.” AMERICA’S POWER GRID, FOOD SUPPLY AND MORE ARE UNDER THREAT FROM DRONES “When you look at what happened in Butler [Pennsylvania] it was discovered later on that the shooter had done very basic surveillance with a drone — a Chinese drone that you could buy off Amazon — before he conducted the attack against the president,” Brett Velicovich, a former U.S. Army special operations intelligence analyst and drone expert, told Fox News Digital. Velicovich emphasized that government agencies must move faster to adopt active interdiction capabilities rather than relying solely on airspace designations. “We’re going to have to have more counter-drone systems in place because it is not good enough simply for the FAA to send a message saying this area is a no-drone zone,” he added. “When you’re a bad actor, that doesn’t matter.” The FAA proposal remains open for public comment through Oct. 2. The White House deferred questions regarding the security framework to the U.S. Secret Service, which did not immediately provide additional comment.
The primary is over; now come the primetime mistakes
There’s a reason football great Deion Sanders was known as “Primetime.” Sanders epitomized his sobriquet with electric performances on “Monday Night Football” and in the playoffs. But not every political candidate is ready for primetime. The roadside is littered with political failures from both sides. Candidates are better suited for late-night public access in the suburbs. Consider for a moment someone else who also wasn’t bad in primetime: former football star Herschel Walker. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. But when Walker ran for the Senate in Georgia in 2024, his political acumen could barely qualify him for a political practice squad. UNEARTHED INTERVIEW REVEALS EL-SAYED’S SHARIA ‘OBLIGATION’: ‘NOT BECAUSE OF FEAR’ This year, Democrats trotted out political novice Graham Platner to try to defeat 30-year veteran Sen. Susan Collins, R-Man. But his Nazi-era tattoo and allegations of rape and sexual abuse revealed that Platner was more downtrodden than Down East. So, how will some of this year’s political hopefuls fare? Platner would have been the Democrats’ most controversial candidate of the 2026 Senate election cycle. But Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has eclipsed Platner. El-Sayed is progressive. He holds extreme views and previously associated closely with left-wing influencer Hasan Piker. During an appearance on Fox, El-Sayed compared Sharia law to canon law in the Catholic Church, pitched ditching the Second Amendment and somehow wound up discussing private parts. El-Sayed’s performance scored headlines. But he also created headaches for Democrats. The party needs to hold the Michigan seat to flip the Senate. And El-Sayed is exactly what Republicans were looking for. Since El-Sayed captured the Democratic nomination to face former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., Republicans hope to use him to nationalize the midterms. They want to portray El-Sayed as “what’s wrong” with the Democratic Party and why he’s not aligned with mainstream voters. The GOP believes that message will trickle down to other Democratic candidates around the country. In other words, could El-Sayed’s echo undercut Democratic candidates beyond the Wolverine State? When campaigning, El-Sayed promoted polished policy positions. “You deserve good health care,” said El-Sayed. “You deserve protections at your job.” But when asked on Fox about boys playing sports with girls and sex changes for kids, his rhetoric devolved to this: “Circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling. So, you really want to bring that up? I just think you guys are really selective about how you guys want to talk about things,” El-Sayed told Fox’s Jesse Watters. Political consultants on both sides of the aisle will likely agree. If a candidate finds himself on national television using euphemisms for private parts and not discussing the war in Iran or the cost of groceries, something is wrong. El-Sayed also backs Medicare-for-all and slavery reparations. “I just think it’s past time to have that conversation. That shouldn’t be a crazy thing,” said El-Sayed. Republicans are clamoring to hear more from El-Sayed. “It’s common sense versus communist crazy. And don’t believe my word. Listen to what El-Sayed says,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told Fox Business. DEMOCRATS WHO ‘NEVER VOTED REPUBLICAN’ BACK ROGERS OVER EL-SAYED IN RAZOR-CLOSE RACE El-Sayed’s association with Piker worries Democrats because Piker espouses antisemitic views. “Those comments were dangerous, malicious and antisemitic and shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone in the public square,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said. But now El-Sayed is distancing himself from Piker. “I got so much exposure and empowerment from the Jewish community,” said El-Sayed at a rally. “Jewish people are a light unto the world.” But not everyone is buying it. “His response was pathetic, and it did not answer the call,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in the House, said on Fox. “This is not a guy who any of us should embrace.” In fact, the campaign of Rogers went as far as to say that El-Sayed was making the case for their candidate. President Trump recently escalated the trade war with Canada. He renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” El-Sayed vanquished moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in the primary. With all of this tumult, one wonders if Democrats would feel better wrestling with the president over trade with Stevens as their nominee versus El-Sayed. That said, politics is a funny thing. This doesn’t mean that El-Sayed is unelectable. Progressives throb with energy inside the Democratic Party right now. Someone like El-Sayed could actually bolster turnout among the left. This could work to the Democrats’ advantage if Republicans stay home because they’re disappointed in President Trump. Or, as House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu, D-Calif., told voters this week, “Just go fu—– vote.” On the Republican side of the aisle, few had heard of Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., until brother Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died unexpectedly. Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster quickly appointed Darline to her brother’s seat and cajoled her to run for the full term. Darline Graham was a political neophyte. And despite President Trump tapping her for the permanent gig, it was far from clear that she was ready for primetime. During a debate in the GOP primary runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Graham stumbled when asked about U.S. interests regarding Taiwan. “I’m not that informed on national security,” said Graham. “But I do support the military.” Of course, foreign policy was her brother’s forte. He died just after jetting back to Washington after meetings in Turkey and Ukraine. But Darline Graham used the gaffe to pivot. She claimed that voters are more concerned with kitchen table issues. “You know how many (people) brought up Taiwan or national security?” Graham said when stumping. “Not one. They’re talking about the rising cost of health care and affordability.” A reporter pressed Graham for details about harnessing inflation. “Is there something from you, affirmatively (could do like) a piece of legislation, to help drive down the cost of goods?” a scribe asked. “We’ll see when I get there,” Graham replied. Well, Graham is already “here.” She’s been in
Blue state creates six-figure role for trans inmate services amid budget shortfalls
The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) hired a gender-affirming care coordinator last month, and the job will pay between $78,000 and $115,000 annually. The job includes oversight of a program for “managing and monitoring needs and safety risks of transgender, intersex and non-binary adults in custody,” according to the listing. The position also chairs a multidisciplinary team focused on their individualized needs. The role, which comes as the DOC is projected to have a $55 million deficit in 2026, continues gender-related initiatives spearheaded by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a longtime champion of the trans community, as she pursues re-election to a second term. It also highlights the logistical difficulties associated with trans prisoners. BIOLOGICAL MALE KILLER HOUSED IN OREGON WOMEN’S PRISON WINS HIGH-DOLLAR LEGAL SETTLEMENT IN SEX ABUSE SUIT After a 2023 review of Oregon’s only women-only prison, the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Kotek said her administration would look for ways to address what the report called delayed care for its cisgender and trans inmates. “Transgender residents [are] being denied or delayed access to needed care, including hormone replacement therapy. This creates significant medical and mental health issues for some residents, including gender dysphoria,” the report stated. The report included one example of a transgender resident at the Coffee Creek who said her request for continuing her hormone blocker treatment had gone unheeded. “I had been accessing prescriptions at the county. I did not get it when I got here. … I sent several [requests], but they kept bumping me to different places. Now I’ve gotten my period twice. It’s been terrorizing and humiliating,” the resident, a biological woman, said. Kotek promised to address issues raised by the report. “In the wake of national, systemic shortcomings in meeting the needs of women who are incarcerated, I am resolved to confront these issues head-on,” Kotek said in a press release. FORMER TOP OREGON GOP OFFICIAL SECURES NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR AS REPUBLICANS TARGET BLUE-STATE PICKUP “The GIPA report was sobering to read. It is incumbent on Oregon’s corrections system to ensure that the use of carceral settings yield the best possible public safety outcomes and sets people up for successful re-entry.” As a part of the response, her office created the Advisory Panel on Gender Responsive Practices in Corrections. In turn, the panel recommended training staff who make decisions about housing and medical and behavioral care for the needs of transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse inmates. The panel did not specifically recommend the gender-affirming care coordinator position. The role is similar to a position that would have been established through SB 1120, a failed bill. Among other provisions, that law would have created a role tasked to “provide coordination of efforts and training across staff and adults in custody on best practices for supporting transgender, nonbinary or gender-diverse adults in custody.” The hire clashes with Kotek’s instruction to agencies to reduce spending. In 2025, when Republicans in Washington, D.C., passed tax cuts through President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” Oregon’s tax picture also changed. The state’s tax code mirrors many of the definitions of taxable income used by the federal government. When those definitions shrank, so did Oregon’s revenue, leaving the state with a negative general fund balance of $373.7 million, according to state reports. “This is not what we had planned for, but it is what we must do. I am asking you to leave no stone unturned to save tax-payer dollars. This challenge is not unique to Oregon, but how we respond will be. Our resilience, teamwork and determination have carried us through hard times before. They will again,” Kotek wrote in a letter to state department heads. Like other departments, the DOC was also affected, reporting a projected $55 million deficit. To remedy this, the department was instructed to slow operational spending, prepare for operational cost reductions and suspend non-essential out-of-state travel. Even so, Kotek has highlighted trans care as a priority, strongly advocating for a government-led approach to expanding access to trans procedures, calling them part of “health care.” “I want to be very clear. Gender-affirming care is health care. Period, end of story,” Kotek said at a bill signing in 2023 after the legislature passed a reproductive and gender-affirming care package. She has also pushed back against attempts from the Trump administration to limit federal funding for hospitals that provide transgender procedures to minors. TRUMP DIRECTS CMS ADMINISTRATOR MEHMET OZ TO END MEDICAID GENDER TRANSITION FUNDING FOR MINORS “The Trump administration cannot change the rules and restrict funding to hospitals and doctors who provide gender-affirming care to young people. Gender-affirming care is recognized by major medical organizations and plays an important role in helping young people stay safe, healthy and supported for who they are,” Kotek said in a video release. Kotek’s office did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the new position and additional details about its duties.
Vance’s mom fires back at El-Sayed over second family jabs: ‘Probably punch him’
Vice President JD Vance’s mom, Beverly Vance Aikins, says she’d like to clock Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed after his repeated attacks on the second family. “I’d probably punch the guy if I ever seen him, and then that would get me in trouble. So, I’ll just go with the flow,” Aikins told Outkick and Fox News host Tomi Lahren when asked how she felt about El-Sayed’s crude comments. Aikins sat down with Lahren for a wide-ranging interview about her triumph over opioid addiction, Netflix’s “Hillbilly Elegy” and her son’s rise to the vice presidency. She made the comments after El-Sayed has repeatedly taken aim at Vance and his family. VANCE’S DECADE-OLD ‘GREAT REGRETS’ RESURFACES AS EL-SAYED’S JAB AT SECOND LADY COMES BACK TO BITE HIM Lahren asked Aikins if she laughs off comments like El-Sayed’s or if she gets mad. “I mean, it makes me mad, honestly, because he doesn’t know JD, and he doesn’t know, you know, what type of person he is, and I do. But, in the long run. I’m not going to do anything about it. … I’d probably punch the guy if I ever seen him, and then that would get me in trouble,” Aikins said in jest. “So, I’ll just go with the flow.” El-Sayed made comments about second lady Usha Vance and the Vance children during an April appearance on “The Allen Analysis Show,” clips of which have recently resurfaced. “I think they’re jealous, honestly. I mean, JD is 42 years old. He’s handsome. He’s the vice president of the United States,” Aikins said. SWING-STATE DEM CANDIDATE’S ‘DISGUSTING’ COMMENTS ABOUT JD, USHA VANCE’S ‘BROWN CHILDREN’ SPARKS OUTRAGE “He’s got a beautiful wife, four beautiful children, and jealousy is the only thing I can think of,” she added. “I mean, he can take all the shots he wants. It’s going to go, you know, it’s going to get no merit from any of us.” El-Sayed suggested in April that the vice president’s political views are at odds with his own children’s biracial background. “JD Vance has brown kids who he thinks are less American than everyone else. Like, that’s wild to look at your own kids and be like you don’t actually belong as much in this country that I brought you into,” said El-Sayed. “Bro, it must break you every time you hug your own kids.” The Michigan socialist said he hopes Vance’s kids grow up to “undo” the vice president’s politics. SECOND LADY USHA VANCE FIRES BACK AT POINTED JAB FROM DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINEE ABDUL EL-SAYED He also appeared to call for the second lady to leave her husband, saying, “Usha get out … you’ve still got time.” El-Sayed more recently launched the attack after JD Vance slammed him for his stated adherence to Sharia law during a rally in Ohio, suggesting the practice would be completely alien to his grandfather, whom he calls his “Papaw.” VANCE UNLOADS ON EL-SAYED OVER SHARIA REMARKS: ‘THAT’S NOT MY GRANDPA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY’ “So, do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no,” El-Sayed said, seemingly in reference to the second lady’s Indian ethnicity. The vice president addressed El-Sayed’s more recent remarks while rallying for GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers in Michigan. “I actually think that the people of Michigan think it’s kind of weird when you talk about another guy’s wife,” Vance said. “But whatever you want to talk about, Abdul, keep my wife’s name the hell out of your mouth, because she’s way out of your league,” he later added in the speech. Fox News Digital reached out to the office of the vice president and El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.
Sheriff suing Maryland says sanctuary laws ignore lessons of 9/11: ‘Stupidity at its best’
A Maryland sheriff leading 17 of the Old Line State’s 24 counties in a lawsuit challenging Annapolis’ sanctuary city policy told Congress the lessons of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks are being forgotten as the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary. Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of Harford County — where local women Rachel Morin and Kayla Hamilton were murdered by illegal immigrants in 2023 and 2022, respectively — is leading the suit and echoed concerns about the consequences of mandated limits on cooperation and communication between local and federal law enforcement. “There’s just many things that [Annapolis’] legislature has done over the past eight years or so, unfortunately, rang into that bell. But when you pass legislation in a world post-9/11 – in 9/11 we learned that we need to communicate with … all federal partners to keep our community safe,” Gahler said when questioned by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, as to why he called Maryland’s sanctuary laws as “pro-criminal.” 9/11 TAUGHT US DEADLY LESSONS. 25 YEARS LATER, WE NEED A NEW MODEL TO PREVENT ATTACKS “Yet, we in our state see fit to pass legislation to say we can’t communicate with this law enforcement or that law enforcement,” Gahler added. “It’s stupidity at its best.” Gahler also told lawmakers that Maryland’s law has changed what his deputies can do when federal immigration authorities want to take custody of someone being released from local detention. He said the restrictions can require deputies to release people they believe could pose a danger rather than hold them for federal authorities. SANCTUARY COUNTY REFUSED 615 ICE TRANSFER REQUESTS, TURNED OVER JUST 11 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, RECORDS SHOW Seated behind Gahler were several of the other plaintiff-sheriffs in the suit against the Moore administration. Gov. Wes Moore, who is locked in a gubernatorial rematch with former Del. Dan Cox, R-Frederick, signed Maryland’s ban on 287(g) agreements earlier this year while allowing a broader bill to become law without his signature. State Sen. Clarence Lam, D-Elkridge, authored the bill, called the Community Trust Act, which prohibits “Agents of State,” law enforcement and corrections officials from questioning immigration status, detaining suspects to investigate citizenship or immigration status, or detaining them because police believe they committed a civil immigration violation. The new law also bans law enforcement from notifying federal immigration authorities that a detainee is in their custody unless required by a court order, rather than just an ICE detainer. Gahler said it is not a burden on his job to honor detainers, contrary to Democrats who have considered whether working with ICE takes away resources from local communities. DHS UNLOADS ON ‘SANCTUARY CALAMITY’ VIRGINIA AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME RELEASED: ‘SICKO’ He answered in the affirmative when asked by Gill whether illegal immigrants who become “petty criminals” should be removed rather than limiting enforcement to cases involving more serious crimes. “That’s 100% what I believe,” Gahler said. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Moore has said the Community Trust Act advances important goals by keeping law enforcement focused on crime reduction, according to Ocean City’s NPR affiliate, while citing logistical concerns that should be addressed through executive action or during the 2027 legislative session. Meanwhile, Gahler and the other sheriffs suing the state argue the Community Trust Act prevents them from pursuing those goals in cases involving people sought by federal immigration authorities.
Republicans fail to ease one of Trump’s greatest fears as Supreme Court measure collapses
House Democrats are nuking Republicans’ effort to assuage one of President Donald Trump’s biggest concerns about the future of the federal government. A vote on a constitutional amendment to cap the number of Supreme Court justices failed on Wednesday afternoon after the vast majority of Democrats voted against it. Trump has warned for months that he believes Democrats would seek to expand the Supreme Court if they took back control of Congress, something affirmed by top progressives, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. House GOP leaders sought to head that off with a proposed amendment led by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., that would mandate that just nine justices can sit on the high court. KAMALA HARRIS BACKS MAJOR CHANGES TO THE SUPREME COURT, ELECTORAL COLLEGE AHEAD OF POSSIBLE 2028 CAMPAIGN Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., opted to fast-track the legislation past multiple procedural hurdles in exchange for raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority to two-thirds, a maneuver known as “suspending the rules.” But it failed to clinch that number, even though the majority of House lawmakers supported the amendment. The U.S. Constitution allows Congress to set the number of seats on the Supreme Court bench, which is currently occupied by eight justices and one chief justice. However, the Constitution itself does not dictate how many justices can exist. Republicans argued that changing that could make it much harder for a Democrat-led government to pack the court in the future to stack judicial odds in its favor. CARVILLE TELLS DEMS TO QUIETLY PREPARE POWER GRAB WITH DC, PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD AND SUPREME COURT PACKING “Here’s the question every American should ask: If a sitting majority can change the size of the Supreme Court the moment it dislikes rulings, what happens to the next time the other side is in power?” Biggs asked Wednesday. “Once you go down that road, the court stops being an independent check on government power. It becomes another political institution controlled by whoever happens to hold the majority.” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., among the progressives calling to increase the number of justices to 13, argued that Congress has changed the number of Supreme Court justices multiple times throughout history and dismissed the current tally as arbitrary. “MAGA’s proposal is to strip Congress of all authority in the matter, to freeze it and cement it permanently in the constitutional architecture for all time with the suddenly magic number nine,” Raskin said. “It’s another partisan power grab by MAGA, our colleagues, who fear for the results of the November election as their policies have brought us nothing but war, inflation, corruption, lawlessness and a $40 trillion debt — one quarter of it’s supplied by this presidential administration. So, the MAGA party wants to cement into place a profoundly partisan and lopsided … court that was gerrymandered and engineered by Mitch McConnell.” HARRIS LABELED ‘INSTITUTIONAL ARSONIST’ FOR PLAN TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM SCOTUS AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE He was referring to former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his critical role in helping secure the current conservative majority on the high court. Progressives have argued that expanding the court to 13 would mean there is one justice for every federal circuit court. Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., attacked the left’s push as an effort to seize political power. “For decades, we have heard calls from those unhappy with the ideological balance of the Supreme Court to pack the court. The alarming rise of such calls should worry all of us, because their objective is not to uphold ethical principles or even to protect individual rights, but rather to consolidate power and intimidate the court,” Harris said. Later, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., said locking the number at nine would only extend the current conservative majority’s power. “I think it would be a grave mistake to dictate how many justices should sit on the Supreme Court in perpetuity, and thereby lock in for a generation or more a right-wing majority, which is engaged in an unprecedented assault on Supreme Court norms and our constitutional order for the past several years,” Scanlon said.