Trump urges Congress to pass SAVE America Act, fully fund DHS as TSA workers go without pay
President Donald Trump is urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act (SAA) as well as restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as more than 100,000 federal employees go without pay during a prolonged funding lapse, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. Leavitt outlined the president’s dual push for sweeping election legislation and immediate action to reopen DHS, where employees have missed paychecks and travelers are facing long airport lines. The SAA would move through Congress as election legislation, while DHS funding requires a separate vote to reopen the department and resume full operations. Leavitt described the SAA as “one of the most critical pieces of legislation in our nation’s history.” “The Save America Act is overwhelmingly popular with all Americans because each provision is rooted in common sense,” she said. DHS FUNDING STALEMATE THAWS AS WHITE HOUSE SENDS DEMOCRATS ‘SERIOUS’ COUNTEROFFER According to Leavitt, the legislation includes five core provisions: requiring voters to show identification to cast a ballot, requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, ending universal mail-in ballots while maintaining exceptions for illness, disability, military service and travel, permanently banning biological males from competing in women’s sports, and banning transgender surgery for minors. On voter ID requirements, Leavitt said the proposal reflects broad public support. “Voters have to show ID to cast a ballot in an American election. Very simple,” she said. “Ninety percent of Americans, including more than 80% of Democrat voters, agree with this.” SCHUMER, DEMS HOLD FIRM ON DHS FUNDING DESPITE NOEM’S BOMBSHELL OUSTING The legislation would also require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. “The Save America Act will require all voters to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in American elections,” Leavitt said. “Again, this is popular and rooted in common sense. Only American citizens have the right to vote in American elections.” Leavitt said Trump is urging Congress to “get the job done and send this historic piece of legislation to his desk immediately for signature.” TRUMP VOWS BLOCK ON SIGNING NEW LAWS UNTIL SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSES SENATE She also pushed back on claims that the legislation could prevent married women who changed their last names from voting. “There is zero validity to these claims,” Leavitt said. “The Save America Act does not prohibit anyone from voting, with the exception of illegal aliens. “As far as married women who have changed their name, if they’re already registered to vote, they’re entirely unaffected by the Save Act,” she added. Leavitt also turned to the ongoing funding lapse at the DHS, saying the president wants Congress to move quickly to restore pay for affected workers and fully reopen the department. “President Trump wants the Department of Homeland Security — he wants TSA, he wants FEMA. He wants the brave men and women of our United States Coast Guard to receive their paychecks,” she said. More than 100,000 employees across the country have been impacted, she noted, acknowledging the strain on families. “To any American out there who is struggling without a paycheck, we know there’s more than 100,000 of you across the country,” Leavitt said. She added that the lapse is also affecting travelers nationwide. “To any American out there who is showing up to an airport and facing incredibly long wait times in lines,” she said, Trump is calling on Congress to restore funding and reopen the department. The president wants DHS “fully funded and fully reopened,” Leavitt said. DHS oversees agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Coast Guard, all of which have personnel affected by the funding lapse. Trump is pressing lawmakers to act on both fronts, with Leavitt saying the president is calling on Congress to move swiftly to deliver both measures.
Minnesota Dem suggests studying ‘benefit of shoplifting’ in committee clash, then says it was sarcasm
A Minnesota Democrat whose retort to a Republican about potential “benefit[s] of shoplifting” during a hearing on worker misclassification defended the exchange as sarcasm gone awry. During a Minnesota House Workforce and Labor Committee hearing this week, lawmakers reviewed information on how laws governing employee and independent contractor classifications affect insurance payments and other benefits, according to local reports. State Rep. Dave Pinto, D-St. Paul, responded after a Republican lawmaker voiced concern that worker misclassification ultimately falls on the taxpayer. “It is an intriguing line of questions,” Pinto said, appearing to suggest a study on the “benefit of shoplifting and retail theft.” WATCH: WALZ, ELLISON, OMAR REFUSE TO ANSWER WHEN PRESSED ON FRAUD AFTER CONTENTIOUS FRAUD HEARING Pinto spoke of a recent presentation before another committee he sits on that sought to address solutions to organized retail theft. “And it actually had not occurred to me to ask — it probably would have been good — to make sure that they would study sort of the benefit of shoplifting, of retail theft since because perhaps people are relying on that and sort of using that maybe it’s you know assisting them in some way,” he said. Pinto went on to describe whether people involved in such activities are considered to be violating the law, and that there may be a policy question at the root of such a discussion. In comments to Fox News Digital, Pinto defended the remarks, saying he was reacting sarcastically to Rep. Isaac Schultz, R-Mille Lacs, who had posed the original question. “My comments, intended to be sarcastic, followed a line of questioning from Republican Rep. Isaac Schultz suggesting a study is needed on whether the illegal practice of worker misclassification harms consumers,” Pinto said. “As a prosecutor, of course I take retail theft and shoplifting seriously. Any insinuation to the contrary is absurd — just like Rep. Schultz’s remarks were.” NEARLY ALL SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN ST PAUL CHURCH STORMING; MLK’S NIECE SAYS HOSTILE TACTICS ‘NOT THE WAY’ Nonetheless, Pinto’s original comment was viewed thousands of times on social media and elicited responses from other lawmakers, amid ongoing scrutiny over social services fraud and other scandals in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. State Rep. Krista Knudsen, R-Lake Shore, was rendered speechless in a video response to the matter, as she put her hands to her face. “There are no benefits to shoplifting for the people that are being shoplifted from. I have no idea what else to say,” Knudsen said. “I’m shocked, actually. I don’t even know what to say. Who — I don’t know what to say — Who benefits from shoplifting? The criminals.” State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican from the Minneapolis area, appeared to cite her region’s nationally recognized scandals, saying she cannot believe the comment was made by Pinto. “[W]e are trying to prevent fraud and prevent crime in Minnesota and this has been an issue that we’ve dealt with as a legislature for many years. We finally got the organized retail theft crime in statute last session,” she said. “It’s been a long haul and that’s a tool that we need to crack down on this real problem throughout our communities around the state.” Worker misclassification has been a focus of Democrat-Farmer-Labor lawmakers in the state legislature for some time, as an effort began in 2024 to ban employers from misclassifying employees. ILLEGAL’S DRAGGING OF ICE AGENT SHOWS THE EXACT DANGER THE OFFICER WHO SHOT RENEE GOOD FEARED, EXPERT SAYS That policy was reportedly spurred by a construction worker who testified before lawmakers that he racked up major medical bills after a work-related injury, but his employer later only offered him a small amount for expenses and “told him to forget about insurance and to change his name and address, saying the bills would eventually disappear if nobody paid them,” according to a post on the House of Representatives website. The man later allegedly found out his employer was misclassifying employees in order to save on labor costs, according to the lawmakers’ page. State Rep. Emma Greenman, D-Minneapolis, authored HF4444 to ensure businesses don’t act in such a way in the future and/or misclassify employees as contractors or the like. “Our job is to ensure that Minnesota workers have the protections that we in law provide,” she said at the time.
Mamdani sparks viral outrage over dinner photo with Mahmoud Khalil inside Gracie Mansion: ‘Disgraceful’
New York City’s democratic socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, sparked online backlash this week after posting a photo showing him hosting one of the most prominent anti-Israel activists for dinner inside Gracie Mansion. In a Monday night post on X, Mamdani released a photo from inside Gracie Mansion of his dinner with Khalil, who was facing deportation by the Trump administration, which labeled him a Hamas supporter. “For Mahmoud Khalil, this past year has been marked by profound hardship—and by profound courage,” Mamdani wrote in the post, which has been viewed almost three million times. “Last night, as we marked the one-year anniversary of his detention, Rama and I were honored to welcome Mahmoud, Noor, and their son Deen to Gracie Mansion to break our fast together,” Mamdani said. “Mahmoud is a New Yorker, and he belongs in New York City.” MAMDANI’S RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKE SPARKS CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH: ‘ROOTING FOR THE AYATOLLAH’ The post was quickly criticized by conservatives on social media. “Posting a celebratory photo of an anti-Israel college protester who should be deported next to your ‘non public figure’ wife, who cheered the rape and murder of Jews on 10/7, the day after two radical Muslims threw pipe bombs on your sidewalk is a hell of a choice, Mamdani,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted on X. Travis’s post referenced reports over the weekend that put Mamdani in hot water after it was revealed that his wife “liked” a variety of social media posts celebrating the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel. Mamdani responded to those reports by claiming his wife, who was pictured at the dinner smiling, is not a “public figure.” “Nothing says that the NY City Mayor condemns Islamic terrorism quite like having dinner in Gracie Mansion with those who actively promote it,” Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District Joel M. Petlin posted on X. “Just a casual dinner at Gracie with the lovely, private citizen, shy wifey whose fingers could not keep up with liking posts about the MASSACRE of Jews, and the RING LEADER & CHIEF ‘NEGOTIATOR’ of Columbia’s antisemitic encampments where Jewish students were harassed and intimidated, and where they literally glorified convicted terrorists,” New York City Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov posted on X. MAMDANI PUTTING NYPD ‘BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE’ IN MOVE THAT COULD ULTIMATELY HELP HIS GOAL: EXPERT “This is what Zohran Mamdani stands for,” journalist Neria Kraus posted on X. “Mahmoud Khalil justified October 7th. ‘We couldn’t avoid such a moment,’ he viciously explained in an interview. Well, he was invited to the people’s house of NYC, Gracie Mansion, to a celebratory dinner. This is everything you need to know.” “Syrian national Mahmoud Khalil, refers to Hamas as as ‘we’. Tonight, he dined with Zohran Mamdani in the mayor’s mansion,” UPenn student Eyal Yakoby posted on X. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that Islamists launched an IED at New Yorkers over the weekend—they feel empowered.” “After getting exposed for liking posts about Oct. 7, why waste any time before hosting a man who justifies terrorism too?” Leo Terrell, civil rights attorney and chair of the Department of Justice Taskforce on Antisemitism and senior counsel at the Justice Department, posted on X. “These people are proud!” “In NYC, terrorist sympathizers have a seat at Zohran Mamdani’s table,” The Republican Jewish Coalition posted on X. “Mahmoud Khalil should be deported, not fluffed by the Mayor of the City of New York. Disgraceful.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. Mamdani, who was widely criticized during his mayoral campaign for his comments and stances on Israel, was already under scrutiny over his reaction to an attack over the weekend involving two men accused of throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near Gracie Mansion that is being investigated as an “act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.”
Rand Paul to oversee confirmation hearing of Trump’s DHS pick who once blasted him as a ‘snake’
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a confirmation hearing ready to go, and he will have to reckon with an intraparty feud in the process. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will soon undergo the rigorous confirmation process in the Senate after being tapped by Trump to replace embattled DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He will first go through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee before heading to a full confirmation vote in the Senate. KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Homeland Security panel, wants to hold Mullin’s hearing next week. The White House formally sent over Mullin’s nomination to the Senate on Monday, according to the congressional record. “We’re shooting for a week from Wednesday if all the paperwork comes in,” Paul said. But Mullin and Paul have a personal rift that could spill out into the confirmation hearing. TEAMSTERS BOSS PRAISES MULLIN DHS NOMINATION DESPITE PAST HEATED HEARINGS In February, Mullin slammed Paul during an event with voters for his perennial votes against Republican priorities, like spending bills or other elements of Trump’s agenda, such as the “big, beautiful bill” last year. Oklahoma reporter David Arnett reported in a lengthy profile of Mullin that, during the event, the lawmaker was asked about an amendment to a spending package from Paul that he voted against. Mullin warned that Paul was “trying to kill the farm bill because he’s trying to legalize hemp for drinks in Kentucky because of tobacco industry shifts,” and then went after Paul’s voting history before taking a jab at the 2017 incident in which the Kentucky Republican was attacked by his neighbor over a lawn dispute. TRUMP’S NEW DHS PICK IS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HAWK WHO’S ‘ALL ABOUT THE MISSION’: EXPERT “I respect Bernie Sanders because he’s an open socialist, and you know that he’s a communist, so you know what you’re getting,” Mullin said. “Rand Paul’s a freaking snake. And I understand completely why his neighbor did what he did. And I told him that to his face.” That slight at Paul may come to bear during his confirmation hearing, but Mullin is expected to easily move through that first hurdle, given that most Republicans on the panel will back him, and he has the support of Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. Paul shrugged off the incident on Monday when he told reporters, “I’m going to reserve judgment now, and we’ll probably find out a lot more.” “I would suggest coming to the hearing, though,” Paul said. “I think it’ll be interesting.”
Jackson-Kavanaugh tensions surface in candid exchange over Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’
Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh had a dispute over the high court’s approach to its emergency docket in a rare, candid discussion during an event Monday night. Jackson, a Biden appointee, signaled that the high court’s willingness to side with President Donald Trump most of the time when it comes to the emergency docket, sometimes known as the “shadow docket,” was a “problem.” The liberal justice is one of three, and all have frequently sided against Trump in emergency decisions, which have often broken 6-3 in favor of the president. “The administration is making new policy … and then insisting the new policy take effect immediately, before the challenge is decided,” Jackson said, according to reports from The Associated Press and NBC News. “This uptick in the court’s willingness to get involved in cases on the emergency docket is a real unfortunate problem.” SUPREME COURT’S EMERGENCY DOCKET DELIVERS TRUMP STRING OF WINS AS FINAL TESTS LOOM Jackson said: “It’s not serving the court or this country well.” Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, countered that the Supreme Court’s approach to emergency requests was not unique to the Trump administration and that the high court handled the Biden administration the same way despite there being fewer interim requests under the former president. Kavanaugh said presidents “push the envelope” more with executive orders because Congress is passing less legislation. “Some are lawful, some are not,” Kavanaugh said, later adding, “None of us enjoy this.” The pair spoke in a courtroom during an annual lecture honoring the late Judge Thomas Flannery of the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., while several federal judges, including high-profile ones like Judge James Boasberg, looked on. Jackson’s criticism is not new; she has been perhaps the most vocal dissenter in emergency docket cases. In August, she lambasted the Supreme Court majority for “lawmaking” from the bench in a dissent to an emergency decision to temporarily allow the National Institutes of Health’s cancellation of about $738 million in grant money. “This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist. Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this Administration always wins,” Jackson wrote. The Trump administration has faced hundreds of lawsuits and adverse rulings in the lower courts, and the Department of Justice’s solicitor general’s office, which represents the government before the Supreme Court, often does not elevate cases to that level. JACKSON’S SCATHING DISSENT LEVELS PARTISAN CHARGE AT COLLEAGUES AFTER HIGH-PROFILE RULING Such emergency requests allow the government to bypass the lengthy court process, involving extensive briefings and oral arguments, to seek immediate relief in the face of restraining orders and injunctions in the lower courts. The Trump administration has brought about 30 emergency applications to the Supreme Court and secured victories about 80% of the time, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Through the emergency docket, the Supreme Court has greenlit Trump’s mass firings and curtailed nationwide injunctions. The high court has also cleared the way for deportations and immigration stops viewed as controversial by critics of the administration. The justices have also found that the government can, for now, discharge transgender service members from the military. But Trump has not won out all the time by taking this route. The justices required the administration to give more notice to alleged illegal immigrants being deported under the Alien Enemies Act and agreed with a lower court that the president improperly federalized the National Guard as part of his immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Gas prices surge, pinching Americans and handing the GOP a new midterm headache
President Donald Trump, who rode promises of affordability back to the White House, is now confronting Iran-driven volatility that’s undermining that message as fuel costs rise nationwide — and putting fresh pressure on Republicans heading into the midterms. With the Iran conflict rattling oil markets and raising fears of supply disruptions, gas prices are climbing again, squeezing Americans already worn down by inflation. This week, oil prices surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022 as fallout from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continued to roil global markets and investors priced in the risk of tighter supply. With oil higher, gasoline and diesel prices are rising fast. TRAVEL IS ABOUT TO GET MORE EXPENSIVE AS IRAN CONFLICT SPARKS JET FUEL CRUNCH The national average gas price climbed to $3.53 per gallon, up 59 cents over the past week, according to GasBuddy. Diesel prices also jumped, with the national average up 97 cents to $4.72 per gallon. With control of Congress at stake, uneven gas price spikes are becoming a new midterm flashpoint, especially in hard-hit battleground states. The steepest week-over-week increases were in Indiana (up 58 cents), Florida (up 57 cents), Michigan (up 55 cents), Ohio (up 54 cents), and California (up 51 cents). The lowest average prices were in Kansas ($2.90), Oklahoma ($2.95) and Arkansas ($2.98), while the highest were in California ($5.14), Washington ($4.58), and Hawaii ($4.33) — a regional divide that could sharpen midterm attacks over energy costs and inflation. THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT That kind of pocketbook pressure is exactly what Democrats have been eager to exploit. Last fall, Democrats leaned heavily on affordability themes in state and local elections, and it paid off. In places like Virginia, New York and New Jersey, where voters have been squeezed by high housing costs and utility bills, Democratic candidates seized on Trump’s early economic moves, including his trade policy, to argue that his policies were worsening the affordability crisis rather than easing it. They promised to rein in energy costs, expand affordable housing and protect middle-class wages, a message that resonated with voters. BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS A RARE LOOK AT DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN With the ongoing conflict driving gasoline prices higher, the White House is weighing steps to protect shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and keep prices from climbing further. That waterway is critical to global energy supply. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman, carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and about one-fifth of the global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). When conflict flares in the region, even the threat of disruption can rattle markets because so much of the world’s energy moves through that single corridor. Asked about the risk of disruptions, Trump said Monday evening he would keep the route open and threatened retaliation if Iran tried to interfere. “I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply. And if Iran does anything to do that, they’ll get hit at a much, much harder level,” Trump said during a press conference in Florida. “In the long run, oil supplies will be dramatically more secure without the threat of Iranian ships, drones, missiles,” he added.
Trump appoints Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika to Air Force Academy Board of Visitors
President Donald Trump appointed Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to serve on the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors. Kirk, who serves as CEO and board chair of Turning Point USA, is listed among those appointed by the president on the academy’s website. “The Board inquires into the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters relating to the Academy which the Board decides to consider,” the site explains. ARIZONA GOVERNOR VETOES CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL LICENSE PLATE, SPARKING GOP OUTRAGE: ‘THIS BILL FALLS SHORT’ Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September, had been tapped by Trump to serve on the board last year. “President Trump made the perfect choice in appointing Erika Kirk to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “Charlie Kirk served proudly on the Board, inspiring not only the next generation of servicemembers, but millions around the world with his bold Christian faith, defense of the truth, and deep love of country. Erika Kirk will continue his legacy, and will be a fearless advocate for the most elite airpower force in the history of the world whose warriors keep our Nation safe, strong, and free,” Wales added. ‘WE ARE NOT AFRAID’: ERIKA KIRK VOWS TPUSA WILL CONTINUE CAMPUS DEBATES NATIONWIDE “I applaud President Trump for appointing Erika Kirk to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors,” Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “I encouraged this appointment as Erika is the right person to fill Charlie’s place on the Board and continue his work of inspiring the next generation of service members and advancing the Academy. I look forward to working alongside her to carry on Charlie’s legacy,” Pfluger added. Pfluger, a graduate of the academy, is the board’s chair. ERIKA KIRK OPENS UP ABOUT ‘GUT-WRENCHING’ GRIEF AFTER HER HUSBAND’S KILLING AND HOW FAITH SUSTAINED HER Fox News Digital reached out to Turning Point USA on Tuesday.
Iran war, 11 days in: US controls skies, oil surges and the region braces for what’s next
One week into the war with Iran, U.S. officials say American and Israeli forces are moving toward “complete control” of Iranian airspace — clearing the way for deeper strikes, a broader target list and a conflict that appears to be expanding rather than winding down. In briefings this week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine described what they called near-uncontested airspace over key corridors, a shift that allows sustained bombing operations deep inside Iran. “We are winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives,” Hegseth said in a press briefing Tuesday morning. AFTER THE STRIKES, HOW WOULD THE US SECURE IRAN’S ENRICHED URANIUM? Caine said U.S. forces have now struck more than 5,000 targets in the first 10 days of operations, including dozens of deeply buried missile launchers hit with 2,000-pound penetrating bombs. The message from Washington is one of overwhelming military advantage. But the broader picture, rising oil prices, expanding drone warfare, strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure, and regional spillover touching NATO territory, suggests a conflict that is growing in scope even as U.S. officials project confidence in its trajectory. Amid the intensifying conflict, Iran’s Assembly of Experts has selected Mojtaba Khamenei — son of the recently deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — as the country’s new supreme leader, consolidating authority within the clerical establishment and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at a pivotal moment. The succession, only the second since the 1979 revolution, signals continuity rather than recalibration in Iran’s posture. Mojtaba Khamenei had long been viewed as a potential successor and is closely aligned with hard-line factions inside Iran’s security apparatus. President Donald Trump criticized the selection, saying the leadership change would not alter U.S. objectives and suggesting it reflects the same entrenched power structure Washington has sought to weaken. The administration has made clear that military operations will continue regardless of who occupies the supreme leader’s office. Rather than opening a diplomatic off-ramp, the transition appears to reinforce the likelihood of a prolonged confrontation. Hegseth said Tuesday that the U.S. and Israel had achieved “total air dominance” over Iran and were “winning decisively with brutal efficiency.” “That doesn’t mean they won’t be able to project,” Hegseth said. “It doesn’t mean our air defenders still don’t have to defend. They do. But that is strong evidence of degradation.” “Most of their higher-end surface-to-air missile systems are not factors at this point in time,” Caine said. “Fighters are moving deeper with relative impunity,” he added, noting there is “always some risk.” Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the U.S. military’s Central Command, also reported that Iranian ballistic missile launches had dropped by roughly 90% from the opening days of the conflict, while drone attacks had fallen by more than 80%, attributing the decline to sustained strikes on launchers and infrastructure. Still, officials have cautioned that air superiority does not mean every threat can be stopped. Iranian missiles and drones continue to be launched, and some have required interception across the region. Hegseth said the campaign is transitioning from expensive standoff weapons like Tomahawk cruise missiles to 500-, 1,000- and 2,000-pound precision gravity bombs — a shift he said reflects confidence that Iranian surface-to-air missile systems have been suppressed in key areas. He described the U.S. stockpile of such bombs as “nearly unlimited” and warned that Washington’s timeline “is ours and ours alone to control.” The emphasis on gravity bombs is more than rhetorical. It signals a move toward sustained, high-tempo operations designed not only to hit active threats, but to degrade Iran’s ability to regenerate its missile force. US SIGNALS READINESS TO ESCORT TANKERS THROUGH HORMUZ AS TRAFFIC THINS, BUT NO MISSION HAS BEEN LAUNCHED Even as missile launches decline, unmanned systems remain central to the war. Iran has leaned heavily on drones — including Shahed-style loitering munitions — to strike energy facilities, pressure U.S. bases and disrupt shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. Compared to ballistic missiles, drones are cheaper and easier to deploy in volume, allowing Tehran to sustain pressure despite losses elsewhere. In response, the United States has deployed a Ukraine-tested counter-drone interceptor system to the region. Ukrainian specialists, drawing on experience defending against Iranian-designed drones used in the Russia-Ukraine war, are assisting in strengthening base protection. The drone fight underscores a key dynamic: while U.S. forces may dominate the skies, lower-cost unmanned systems can still impose risk and strain air defenses. The Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and major liquefied natural gas shipments transit — has become one of the most consequential flash points of the war. Drone attacks and Iranian threats have sharply reduced commercial traffic, driving up insurance costs and forcing some vessels to reroute. Oil prices have climbed above $100 per barrel amid fears that disruptions could persist. Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities, and Iran’s retaliatory targeting of regional energy infrastructure, signal that energy assets are now active targets. Reports of strikes affecting water and desalination plants further suggest the war is expanding beyond strictly military sites. If instability on Hormuz stretches for weeks, analysts warn global energy markets could tighten quickly, translating into higher gasoline prices and renewed inflation pressure in the United States. Trump warned Monday that Iran will be hit “20 times harder” than it already has if it threatens ships in the Strait. The war has edged closer to NATO territory. Two Iranian ballistic missiles were intercepted near Turkish airspace, raising the risk of broader alliance involvement. Iran has also struck Azerbaijan, drawing sharp condemnation from Baku and angering Turkey, Azerbaijan’s closest ally. Notably, Iran has not seen a unified regional bloc mobilize in its defense, highlighting its relative diplomatic isolation even as it escalates militarily. Despite Hegseth’s assertion that certain offensive munitions are plentiful, sustaining air and missile defense operations is resource-intensive, and inventories of high-end interceptors were already under strain before the conflict began. Iran has attempted to degrade radar systems tied to platforms such as THAAD and Patriot
Longtime House Dem swats down attack ad from millennial challenger: ‘I trust the voters’
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., pushed back against accusations of having been in office too long ahead of a primary race against challenger Evan Turnage and amid broader conversations in the Democratic Party on age and leadership. Turnage, 33, needled Thompson’s extensive tenure in Congress, noting in a campaign ad that the incumbent had served in office for the vast majority of his life. “We live in the poorest district in the poorest state in the country. That was true when I was one when our congressman was first elected. It’s true today,” Turnage said. “If our congressman’s 33 years in office had helped build up this district, built health and wealth in this district, there would be no need for change.” GABBARD BLASTS DEMOCRAT BENNIE THOMPSON FOR CALLING NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTING AN ‘UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT’ Thompson, 78, fired back on Monday. “Elections are about giving people a choice, and I respect that process,” Thompson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I have always run my campaigns by focusing on the needs of the people of Mississippi’s Second Congressional District and the work we’ve done together.” FIVE SLEEPER RACES THAT COULD UPEND 2026 – FROM PENNSYLVANIA’S ALLEGHENIES TO NEW MEXICO Turnage’s focus on Thompson’s tenure comes as several senior Democrats have announced that 2026 will be their last year in office. Among them, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her second in command, Steny Hoyer, D-Md., have both announced they will not pursue another term come the November midterm elections. Other notable departures include Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. ‘PEOPLE ARE SICK OF THE SAME OLD THING’: MAXINE WATERS FACES PRIMARY FROM DEMOCRAT 34 YEARS HER JUNIOR Among that group, their average age is 81 years old. Although the crowd of resignations also includes members who have given up their seats to pursue a higher office, Capitol Hill has seen a historic number of departures in the 119th Congress — the highest rate since 2018. But Thompson, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, doesn’t intend to join them. If Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in the midterms, Thompson would likely find himself the chairman of Homeland Security. “There is always more to be done, and I remain committed to continuing that progress. Ultimately, I trust the voters of the district to look at the record and make the choice they believe is best for their communities,” Thompson said.
‘Serious concerns’: GOP sounds alarm on taxpayer funds going to ‘high risk’ universities vulnerable to CCP
FIRST ON FOX: The House Select Committee on China is calling on the National Science Foundation (NSF) to pause a $67 million research security initiative, citing concerns that the universities leading the effort have engaged in problematic collaborations with Chinese military-linked institutions. In a Tuesday letter to NSF Interim Director Brian Stone obtained by Fox News Digital, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, a Republican from Michigan, urged the agency to suspend funding for the “Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem” (SECURE) initiative and conduct a comprehensive review of the participating institutions. Moolenaar’s concern, expressed in the letter, is that several of those participating institutions, including Texas A&M University and the University of Washington, receive tens of millions from the grant despite ties to the CCP that the committee finds concerning. “The program is intended to develop tools, data infrastructure, and analytic capabilities for assessing research-security risks,” Moolenaar wrote. “Faculty from UW and TAMU – the same institutions now charged with designing systems and processes to protect taxpayer-funded research – have been collaborating with People’s Republic of China (PRC) defense research and industrial base entities, many of which are on various U.S. government national security entity lists, as detailed in this letter.” NEW REPORT SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘STAGGERING’ AMOUNT OF FOREIGN MONEY POURING INTO US UNIVERSITIES The committee alleges the University of Washington collaborated on research with Chinese institutions tied to the CCP’s military and defense sector, including entities on U.S. government watchlists. The committee cited joint publications with PLA-linked organizations, China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and universities known as the “Seven Sons of National Defense,” involving work in AI, advanced materials and other dual-use technologies. The letter describes the university’s ties as “high-risk research relationships with PRC military- and defense-linked institutions.” The University of Washington is designated to be awarded $50 million from the grant. Additionally, the note claims that Texas A&M partnered with Chinese defense-affiliated institutions, including the PLA’s National University of Defense Technology and Harbin Institute of Technology. They argue these collaborations, some involving federally funded research, raise national security concerns and could conflict with U.S. research security and export control laws. Texas A&M is designated to be awarded $17 million from the grant. HOUSE REPUBLICANS SOUND ALARM OVER CCP-LINKED FAKE RESEARCH THREATENING US TAXPAYER-FUNDED SCIENCE “Institutions entrusted with U.S. taxpayer dollars to safeguard the nation’s research enterprise should not simultaneously enable foreign adversaries to access and exploit sensitive research and taxpayer-funded scientific advances,” Moolenaar wrote. “These joint research projects detailed above raise serious concerns about allocating taxpayer dollars for research security initiatives to institutions like TAMU and UW—institutions with documented and ongoing failures in safeguarding U.S. research from PRC defense entities,” Moolenaar said, adding that it is “troubling that U.S. institutions that collaborate with China’s defense research and industrial base, its nuclear weapons programs, its mass surveillance infrastructure, and institutions on U.S. government national security lists are being entrusted to co-lead the development of national research security frameworks.” Moolenaar’s letter urges NSF to assess whether the institutions are complying with a range of federal requirements, including National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, and U.S. export control laws. Moolenaar also raised concerns about potential violations of the Wolf Amendment, an appropriations restriction in effect since 2012 that prohibits NASA from engaging in bilateral cooperation with the Chinese government or Chinese government-affiliated organizations in NASA-funded research without specific certification. Moolenaar’s letter concludes with four requests for NSF to respond to by March 31. First, the congressman asks if NSF will pause its SECURE contract funding to conduct a “full review” and also requests that NSF provide the committee with the results of that review. The letter also requests that NSF “provide the award and contract details for the SECURE Initiative” and asks whether NSF believes that “it is appropriate for universities to use U.S. taxpayer funds to conduct research in collaboration with known Chinese defense research and industrial base entities or entities implicated in human rights violations?” “Will NSF update its terms and conditions to expressly prohibit the use of award funds to conduct research with, or for the benefit of, any entity that appears on a publicly available U.S. government entity list?” the last question in the letter asks. “If not, please explain why.” Fox News Digital reached out to Texas A&M University for comment, as well as Stanford University, who is mentioned in the letter as being a participant in the program. “NSF will respond directly to the Committee’s letter,” an NSF spokesperson told Fox News Digital. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a University of Washington spokesperson said, “SECURE is a dynamic program that is not prescriptive but can assist universities of all sizes and other research entities to address research security concerns. The University of Washington takes research security and integrity very seriously. The UW directs significant effort and resources toward being leaders in research security and integrity, and goes above and beyond SECURE’s guidance and recommendations. Given the evolving landscape, we are regularly reviewing our guidelines and protocols.” Fox News Digital has extensively reported on rising concerns about the CCP’s attempts to infiltrate the education system in the United States, including a sweeping report last year warning that America’s top universities have been quietly partnering with Chinese artificial intelligence labs deeply embedded in Beijing’s surveillance and security state and in some cases co-authoring thousands of papers with entities tied to oppressive efforts against Uyghur Muslims.