EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration eyes Alcatraz reopening to house nation’s ‘worst of the worst’
EXCLUSIVE: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in California’s San Francisco Bay at the direction of President Donald Trump. The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center. “This was an idea of the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C. “He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is possible.” TRUMP PUSHES TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT PELOSI AND NEWSOM DISMISS IT AS A ‘DISTRACTION’ After Trump’s May 5 announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison, Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit “the Rock” to receive a briefing on the site and assess the 91-year-old former federal prison’s infrastructure. The visit, which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the public, was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening. Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the island’s potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and surrounding island, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex. The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. If reactivated, it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ). “So many people remember Al Capone, but this isn’t about the past. It’s about what Alcatraz could be again,” Spunt reported from the island. “They believe, along with their boss, the president, that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for.” Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally operating as a military prison in the 1850s. The name derives from “Alcatraces” after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala’s 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Bay. While its etymology has inspired debate, the Bureau of Prisons contends it most likely means “pelican” or “strange bird.” LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT COULD FACE ‘AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS’ Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum capacity of 336 inmates, plus over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the prison’s operating cost per inmate was over $10 per day, nearly double the national average, according to Bureau of Prisons data. “This is a terrific facility,” Bondi said. “It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive.” Bondi told Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders, including “violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens.” She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control. Burgum said the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use. “It’s a federal property. Its original use was a prison. We’re here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again,” he said. The island poses serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the San Francisco mainland more than a mile away, and over 1 million gallons of water per month were once ferried in. Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts. The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented migrants being released from state prisons. An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJ’s ongoing public safety mission, they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review. Not everyone is on board. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative “the stupidest yet” from Trump. The administration has not announced a timeline for a decision. Bondi and Burgum will report their findings to the president before any formal steps are taken. After its closure in 1963 due to high costs and decaying infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Department of the Interior. It is now one of the most visited national historic landmarks in the country, drawing more than 1.5 million tourists annually. That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site. Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom. Officials believe that frigid, high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This is Alcatraz,” Burgum said. “The name still means something.” The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump Interior Department moves to dismantle ‘regulatory favoritism’ for wind, solar projects
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) said Thursday it was adding “enhanced oversight” of agency decisions about new wind and solar projects in an effort to end “favoritism” of these “unreliable” and “subsidy-dependent” energy systems from the previous administration. The new directive updates review procedures that will require senior leadership at the Interior Department, including the office of the secretary, to conduct a final review of any relevant decisions, including leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, grants, consultations and biological opinions. “Today’s actions further deliver on President Trump’s promise to tackle the Green New Scam and protect the American taxpayers’ dollars,” said acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Adam Suess. “American energy dominance is driven by U.S.-based production of reliable baseload energy, not regulatory favoritism towards unreliable energy projects that are solely dependent on taxpayer subsidies and foreign-sourced equipment.” DOUG BURGUM EXPLAINS HOW WIND AND SOLAR DO NOT ‘RUN AMERICA’ A source familiar with the DOI’s new enhanced oversight directive said the agency had serious concerns the Biden administration gave preferential treatment for permitting to new wind and solar projects, which a DOI press release Thursday described as “unreliable” forms of energy. The press release argued that, with the removal of “artificial advantages,” the Trump administration is “leveling the playing field” for “dispatchable, cost-effective and secure energy sources, such as clean coal and domestic natural gas.” “These actions mark a return to commonsense permitting standards that support national security, grid stability and American job creation,” the press release says. WHAT AI’S INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR POWER MEANS FOR OUR FUTURE The actions are in alignment with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, “Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources” and other presidential directives, while also serving to implement certain provisions of the newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The “big, beautiful bill” provisions that the directive supports ask the Interior Department to eliminate right-of-way and capacity fee discounts for existing and future wind and solar projects, which the DOI said Thursday will end “years of subsidies for economically unviable energy development.” “For too long, the federal government has forced American taxpayers to subsidize expensive and unreliable energy sources like wind and solar,” Trump’s executive order says. “The proliferation of these projects displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape. “Moreover, reliance on so-called ‘green’ subsidies threatens national security by making the United States dependent on supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries. Ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts to unreliable energy sources is vital to energy dominance, national security, economic growth, and the fiscal health of the Nation.”
PETA applauds GOP lawmakers’ demand to halt NIH funding for ‘cruel’ overseas animal testing
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is applauding a letter sent Thursday by Republican lawmakers to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, urging the agency to stop using taxpayer dollars for experiments on animals conducted in foreign laboratories. The letter, signed by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., highlights concerns about the lack of oversight and inadequate standards in certain foreign facilities. The bipartisan Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act—led by the Republicans along with Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.—seeks to end NIH funding for animal experiments outside the U.S. and ensure taxpayer dollars are not misused for the unnecessary suffering of animals. Between 2011 and 2021, the NIH issued more than $2.2 billion in grants for controversial research in 45 countries. NAVY HALTS DOG AND CAT EXPERIMENTS AFTER PETA WRITES HEGSETH ABOUT US TAXPAYER-FUNDED ANIMAL TESTS According to the letter, the “research” included genetically altering cats to be born with deformed legs, infecting bats with diseases that were transmissible and fatal to humans, and force-feeding mice human feces. NIH CLOSES EXPERIMENTATION LABS ACCUSED OF BRUTALLY KILLING THOUSANDS OF BEAGLES FOR 40+ YEARS Nehls and Scott noted there are little to no inspections at the facilities where research is conducted or where the animals are housed, and there is inadequate auditing of foreign NIH-funded animal studies, resulting in significant gaps in oversight and accountability of how taxpayer dollars are being used. “It is deeply concerning that American taxpayer dollars have been used to fund harmful and abusive animal experiments overseas that lack the same oversight and accountability as labs here in the United States,” Nehls and Scott wrote in the letter. “…It is a waste of resources that should be allocated to more ethical and effective research practices that do not involve animals.” PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said the organization is grateful to Nehls, Scott, Titus and Booker for serving as the lead sponsors of the CARGO Act. “This effort represents a significant step in halting cruel and wasteful animal experimentation abroad, and it aligns with the Trump Administration’s broader shift toward more relevant, non-animal research methods,” Guillermo wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We are excited to continue working alongside these dedicated lawmakers to pass the CARGO Act and ensure that taxpayer money is no longer used to support pointless and unethical research.” SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICANS REQUEST BAN ON FEDERALLY FUNDED ‘TRANSGENDER ANIMAL’ EXPERIMENTS IN 2026 BUDGET The CARGO Act was introduced following a PETA investigation into Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, a discredited Colombian laboratory with a history of violating animal care standards. Caucaseco Scientific Research Center received more than $17 million in U.S. funding, and the Biden administration’s NIH encouraged additional funding, even after it was caught confining monkeys in filthy conditions, leaving them to die from infected wounds, and starving mice to the point of cannibalism, according to PETA. The PETA investigation reportedly led to multiple investigations by local authorities, the rescues of 108 monkeys and 180 mice, and the retraction of a research publication. “The letter’s request for NIH to immediately cease funding animal experiments in foreign labs is a crucial step toward protecting animals and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly,” Guillermo wrote. “PETA remains committed to advocating for legislative and policy changes that prioritize ethical, practical, and non-animal research.”
State Department says US ‘unequivocally condemns’ Israeli airstrike in Syria, calls for ‘dialogue’
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States does not support recent Israeli airstrikes on Syria and called for “dialogue” between the two Middle East powers. “The United States unequivocally condemns the violence. All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire,” Bruce announced at a State Department press briefing Thursday afternoon. WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus struck the country’s Defense Ministry headquarters and an area near the presidential palace, killing three and injuring dozens of others, according to reports. The Israeli military said it was intervening to defend the minority Druze population in southern Syria, a community that shares a border with Israel, amid armed skirmishes between local Bedouin Sunni tribes and the recently installed Syrian government. “We are acting decisively to prevent the entrenchment of hostile elements beyond the border, protect Israeli citizens and prevent harm to Druze civilians,” Eyal Zamir, chief of the Israeli Defense Forces’ general staff, said during a situational assessment at the Syrian border. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between Israel and Syria to end the “troubling and horrifying situation.” “This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made, and this is what we fully expect them to do,” he added. TRUMP’S PUSH FOR ISRAEL-SYRIA PEACE GETS MAJOR BACKING AS ACTIVIST BRINGS MESSAGE TO JERUSALEM “Thankful to all sides for their break from chaos and confusion as we attempt to navigate all parties to a more durable and peaceful solution in Syria,” U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack added. When asked Thursday what prompted the Israeli strikes and whether the U.S. suspected any foreign fighters, like ISIS, of being involved in the conflict in Syria between the Bedouins and the Druze, Bruce said there will need to be continued investigation to figure out exactly why this Israeli airstrike occurred. Rubio said Wednesday he believed Israel’s strike on the Syrian capital of Damascus was “likely” due to “a misunderstanding.” Bruce on Thursday responded to reporters’ questions about what U.S. officials meant when they said “confusion” and “misunderstanding” from Israel were what led to their involvement. “This is an ancient rivalry between the Druze and the Bedouins and violence ensued, the Syrians moving to that area to quell and stop that violence. And the Israelis, who see that occurring to the Druze community and their concerns, then entered what they assessed was something larger than what, or even not what it was at all,” Bruce said at Thursday’s briefing. “The good news is, the story is, it stopped, as within the management of that larger conflict. Again, there’s still skirmishes and other issues. … The Syrian government is going to have to lead — obviously, there will be other involvement — but lead in to this de-escalation and to the stability.”
Democrats spent thousands in campaign funds to visit illegal Kilmar Abrego Garcia: report
Despite some claiming they spent money out of their own pockets, several Democrats spent thousands in campaign funds to visit illegal alien and alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, according to reporting by the New York Post. Democrats rallied around Abrego Garcia after they claimed he was wrongly deported by the Trump administration to his home country of El Salvador in March. Several Democrats, including representatives Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.; Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Maxine Dexter, D-Ore.; and Glenn Ivey, D-Md., flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s return. The New York Post reported that Frost, Garcia, Ansari and Dexter, all of whom made a joint trip to San Salvador to pressure the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia April 21, paid for the trip through campaign funding, despite all except Garcia claiming they paid out of pocket. TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES ‘SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES’ FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS The New York Post wrote that Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show Frost’s campaign reported spending $1,362 on Salvadoran-Colombian airline Avianca May 8, about a week after his trip to visit Abrego Garcia. Dexter’s campaign similarly reportedly spent $1,315 on travel with Taca Airlines April 18, despite the representative saying he had self-funded the trip. Despite telling a local news outlet she had used her own money for the trip, Ansari’s campaign reported in FEC filings that the congresswoman spent $2,616 on travel with Salvadoran airline Avianca the same month she flew to visit Abrego Garcia. Meanwhile, California Democrat Garcia’s office confirmed he spent $1,982 on another Salvadoran airline, Taca International Airlines, in April, and an additional $502 for “event space rental” at the Hilton San Salvador, the outlet reported. FEDS CHARGE 3 MORE MEN IN MARYLAND MS-13 RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING MURDER: ‘REIGN OF TERROR’ Ivey, who attempted to visit Abrego Garcia in late May, spent $291 in campaign funds, according to the Post report. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., the first Democrat to make the trip and who remained an outspoken voice on Abrego Garcia’s behalf, notably did not report any campaign spending for Salvadoran air travel or lodging in mid-April, when he made his trip. Abrego Garcia, who was returned to the U.S. in June, faces charges of human smuggling and conspiracy. MEXICAN WOMAN IN US ILLEGALLY CHARGED WITH FAKING HER OWN ICE ‘KIDNAPPING’ According to an indictment, Abrego Garcia played a “significant role” in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Attorney General Pam Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the U.S. According to police and court records shared with Fox News Digital, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Hyattsville in October 2019, at which point he was identified by the Prince George’s County [Maryland] Police Gang Unit as a member of MS-13.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Chat Reveals Cozy Ties Between Judges, Liberal Activists
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need – Two Republicans vote against Trump’s $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding – AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC EXCLUSIVE: An environmental advocacy group accused of trying to manipulate judges organized a years-long, nationwide online forum with jurists to promote favorable info and litigation updates regarding climate issues – until the email-styled group chat was abruptly made private, Fox News Digital found. The Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) was founded in 2018 by a left-wing environmental nonprofit, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and pitches itself as a “first-of-its-kind effort” that “provides judges with authoritative, objective, and trusted education on climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the ways climate science is arising in the law.” But critics, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, say CJP is funded by China and left-wing activists for one purpose… READ MORE. NO MORE GAMES: Trump signs fentanyl bill into law, earning praise from state attorneys general REIGN OF TERROR: Trump’s Treasury Department targets dangerous Venezuelan prison gang with sanctions on 6 top leaders ‘DEAR GOD’: Democrats storm out of vote on controversial Trump nominee ‘DEEPLY INAPPROPRIATE’: Exclusive: Army secretary vows ‘grievous error’ targeting pro-life groups will never happen again ‘POLITICAL RETRIBUTION’: Civil rights group declares ‘state of emergency,’ pointing at Trump admin NOT BACKING DOWN: Powell shares what it would take for him to leave the Fed, book reveals EUROPE PAYS UP: Trump’s NATO deal to arm Ukraine wins over GOP skeptics BITTERSWEET 16: UK government to lower voting age to 16 before next national election despite strong conservative opposition ‘UNACCEPTABLE’: Pope demands ceasefire after Gaza’s Catholic church is hit in apparent Israeli strike BYPASSING TERROR: Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need KREMLIN IRE RISES: Russia threatens West with ‘preemptive strikes’ as NATO looks to deliver Patriots ‘as quickly as possible’ POWER PLAY: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy names new prime minister for first time since Russia’s war began MILITARY PIVOT: Calls for Trump to dislodge Iran-backed Houthis as terrorist movement continues attacks on commercial ships THUMBS DOWN: Democrats hit rock bottom as American voters turn away in record numbers from liberal agenda: poll ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED: Bipartisan House resolution condemns phrase that’s created firestorm for Zohran Mamdani SHOWSTOPPER: Cornyn says he’s spoken to Trump about a potential endorsement: ‘If he endorsed me, the race would be over’ NAMING NAMES: Karine Jean-Pierre, more top Biden aides to appear in House cover-up probe MOVING ON: Senate panel advances Trump’s former defense attorney Emil Bove toward federal appeals court position ‘SUSTAINED PATTERN’: Timeline of ‘scam artist’ Adam Schiff’s mortgage fraud allegations stretching back years BUDGET BATTLE LINES: SCOOP: House fiscal hawks warily accept Senate’s $9B Trump spending cuts package BROADCAST BRAWL: Two Republicans vote against Trump’s $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding ‘SQUAD’ GOALS: AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC ‘IT IS DISTURBING’: Mamdani sparks firestorm with resurfaced comment on abolishing private property: ‘He’s a communist’ ‘CRAZED RHETORIC’: ICE mask debate heats up as doxxing and agent assaults surge ‘I’M AN IMMIGRANT’: Trump’s immigration crackdown in LA ignites ‘same emotional notes’ for Dems, top local GOP leader says ‘ROCK BOTTOM’: Trump Jr. rips ‘communist’ Mamdani with dire prediction about NYC if he wins mayoral race DIRTY DISTRICTS: Big government, big problems: Public corruption highest in places with large bureaucracies, report says TRUTH COMES OUT: Mamdani sparks social media frenzy with viral clip discussing what happens if he runs out of money FLYER RELIEF: Noem teases ‘next big announcement’ that may change airport security rule ‘FISCAL WATCHDOG’: DeSantis taps Florida’s ‘most conservative senator’ for state CFO LINGERING QUESTIONS: Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide but ‘likely’ had help, former lawyer claims VETERAN TAKES FLIGHT: SCOOP: Former CIA officer, Air Force veteran launches GOP campaign for Dem-held Ohio district Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
DHS cancels $18.5 million in Biden-era grants designated to fund LGBTQ and DEI programs
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday the cancellation of $18.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants for the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3). The grants were designated by the Biden administration to provide taxpayer funds to various organizations that DHS says are “ideologically driven programs” promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQ agendas. “These cancellations reflect DHS’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and national security,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT ‘DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING’ AGENTS: DHS “By eliminating wasteful and ideologically driven programs, we are redirecting resources to initiatives that uphold American values, respect the rule of law and effectively combat terrorism and violence.” Some of the cuts include $851,836 to the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which DHS refers to as a DEI organization, and $209,407 to the Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders group, which DHS says promotes radical gender ideology learning to K-12 students while targeting kids as young as kindergarten. CP3, which replaced the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention in 2021, was originally designed to be a division within DHS with a mission of strengthening the nation’s ability to prevent targeted violence and terrorism through being guided by public health principles. KRISTI NOEM CLASHES WITH NBC ANCHOR OVER ‘INHUMANE’ CONDITIONS AT ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ IN TESTY EXCHANGE However, the Biden administration, which once touted its commitment to DEI principles, directed the grants toward the controversial organizations. This is not the first time DHS has made major spending cuts to radical programs. Last month, Fox News Digital reported the agency uncovered and killed $1.5 million in additional Biden-era taxpayer-funded grants that went toward similar organizations. The DOGE-like approach will allow DHS to divert taxpayer funds within the agency, and a spokesperson said the money “will be redirected to efforts that actually protect the American people.”
Mexican woman in US illegally charged with faking her own ICE ‘kidnapping’
A Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles was charged with orchestrating her own fake ICE “kidnapping” to generate sympathy and solicit donations, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, a resident of South Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the DOJ said. Calderon had been living in the U.S. based on a federal law enforcement parole that expired in 2023. She is in federal custody after she allegedly faked her kidnapping. This comes after local outlet KTLA reported on a news conference held by Calderon’s “loved ones and attorneys,” who claimed she had been “kidnapped” by uniformed men in unmarked cars June 25. TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES ‘SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES’ FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS The outlet reported that a woman identified as an attorney named Stephano Medina claimed Calderon was cornered in a Jack in the Box parking lot in Los Angeles by men who did not identify themselves but were possibly bounty hunters. Medina claimed Calderon was taken to the border and presented to an “ICE staffer,” who demanded she sign self-deportation paperwork. Medina said that when Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, she was taken to a warehouse until she agreed to sign the document. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the criminal complaint against Calderon, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Calderon and others “planned a hoax kidnapping” for their benefit, “including their own pecuniary gain.” The affidavit said that Calderon’s daughter set up a GoFundMe page to raise $4,500 after her mother was “taken by masked men in an unmarked vehicle.” ICE MASK DEBATE HEATS UP AS DOXXING AND AGENT ASSAULTS SURGE The daughter filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department, which notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of Calderon’s supposed kidnapping. HSI determined Calderon was not in DHS custody and, out of concern for her safety, the agency launched its own investigation to find her. During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number. According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderon’s alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger. The affidavit states that “when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story,” Calderon and others lied to federal agents and “attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts” by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement. FEDS CHARGE 3 MORE MEN IN MARYLAND MS-13 RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING MURDER: ‘REIGN OF TERROR’ According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others. She is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges. Commenting on the charges, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli thanked HSI and “all federal agents facing unprecedented levels of assaults” for “providing cool heads and professionalism during these difficult times.” Essayli said “dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.” ILLEGAL MIGRANT ENTERS PLEA IN CRASH THAT KILLED BOY ONE DAY BEFORE HIS 12TH BIRTHDAY HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang also decried the scheme, saying, “My office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community,” Wang added. “The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement redirected resources to recover the defendant. “We want to assure the public that allegations of criminal activity will be thoroughly investigated by HSI and our law enforcement partners and that those who engage in fraud and deception will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The White House also chimed in on the development. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that “the Fake News is so desperate to believe any anti-ICE narrative that they refuse to actually check the facts and instead just echo the lies they’re fed.” “The truth has come out: this was nothing more than another Fake News Hoax,” she added. “Any outlet that participated in this hoax should be ashamed and apologize to their viewers for lying to them. Trust in the media is at an all time low and this is the perfect example why.”
Karine Jean-Pierre, more top Biden aides to appear in House cover-up probe
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is expected to sit down with House Oversight Committee investigators behind closed doors in September, Fox News Digital has learned. A House Oversight Committee aide told Fox News Digital that she’s one of four high-profile former Biden officials who have scheduled interviews with the panel. Also expected to appear in the coming weeks are Ian Sams, former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor in the White House Counsel’s Office; Andrew Bates, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Deputy Press Secretary; and Jeff Zients, former White House Chief of Staff, the aide said. Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating allegations that Biden’s former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president’s full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back against those claims. In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Biden affirmed he “made every decision” on his own. This story is breaking and will be updated.
Senate panel advances Trump’s former defense attorney Emil Bove toward federal appeals court position
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to advance President Donald Trump‘s former defense attorney Emil Bove to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, clearing his nomination out of the committee to the full Senate for a vote. The narrow vote came after roughly an hour of sharp debate from Democrats on the panel, who stormed out of the committee room shortly before the vote was held. Sens. Cory Booker, D-NJ, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-NY, had unsuccessfully urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa to allow for more time to consider Bove’s nomination, citing concerns made by a former Justice Department attorney and whistleblower, Erez Reuveni. The lack of candor prompted Whitehouse to declare, “there’s something rotten in Denmark,” invoking Shakespeare and Booker, moments later, to unsuccessfully appeal to Grassley’s “decency and decorum.” “Debating the nomination, putting things on the record — Dear God, that’s what we are here for,” Booker erupted. “What are you afraid of?” TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY In the end, their appeal was unsuccessful, and Booker joined Democrats on the panel in walking out of the room before the vote was held. The narrow confirmation vote from Republicans on the panel advances Bove’s nomination to the full Senate for a vote. It comes as Bove, a hard-charging former federal prosecutor whom Trump installed earlier this year as a senior official at the Justice Department, faces fresh scrutiny over his role in the administration. In recent weeks, a group of former federal judges and several Democrats on the committee have urged senators to reject his nomination. If confirmed by the Senate, he would serve a lifetime appointment on the federal bench, which has jurisdiction in the districts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Grassley rejected a request Tuesday afternoon from Democrats on the panel to hold a second round of hearings on Bove’s nomination, noting that, under the Democrat majority, the panel rejected at least four such requests made by Republicans. “Many times during the last Administration, then-chairman Durbin said ‘there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans on this committee and another set of rules for Democrats,’” Grassley said. “I agree with this statement and intend to adhere to the precedent of then-Chairman Durbin.” Grassley added that Bove had participated in a lengthy confirmation hearing last month, testifying under oath about whistleblower allegations made by a former Justice Department attorney. Bove said under oath at the time, “I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order.” Grassley also noted that Bove provided members of the panel with 165 pages of written responses to their questions. “Following a comprehensive review of the additional documents that you published following the hearing and discussed in the media, I do not believe that they substantiate any misconduct by Mr. Bove,” Grassley said, outlining plans to move forward with the vote as planned. HAWLEY URGES DHS SECRETARY NOEM TO DECLASSIFY ALL TRUMP BUTLER RALLY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT DOCUMENTS “I am not anybody’s henchman,” Bove told the committee at his confirmation hearing last month. “I’m not an enforcer. I’m a lawyer from a small town, who never expected to be in an arena like this.” Bove, who spent nearly 10 years as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, previously represented Trump as his personal attorney in two criminal cases following his first term as president. As a prosecutor and at the Justice Department, he has earned a reputation for his fierce — and at times, aggressive — leadership style. One longtime defense lawyer who crossed paths with Bove in New York told Fox News Digital the nominee was an arrogant “bully” and browbeat people. At the Justice Department, Bove has also emerged as the man behind some of the administration’s most contentious actions, including the decision to drop federal corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, prompting some officials to resign rather than carry out his marching orders. TRUMP FACES JUDGE BOASBERG OVER MIGRANT DEPORTATION FLIGHTS DEFYING COURT ORDER These allegations were detailed in part by an explosive whistleblower report last month from former Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni, who also detailed Bove’s role in ousting some federal prosecutors involved in the investigations into the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot, and his alleged role in ordering department officials to ignore court orders with regard to the Alien Enemies Act According to Reuveni, Bove “explicitly plotted to violate court orders” and directed law enforcement officers “to engage in illegal acts,” among other things. Reuveni, a 15-year DOJ veteran who was fired after struggling to defend the Trump administration’s deportations in a U.S. court case in Maryland, said in the whistleblower complaint that Bove shocked longtime career officials handling immigration cases by telling them they would “need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you’ and ignore any such court order.” The report prompted new concerns from former judges, including a group of more than 75 former federal and state judges, who urged lawmakers Tuesday to reject Bove’s nomination — citing what they described in a letter as his “egregious record” at the Justice Department, according to the allegations from Reuveni. “These are not actions of someone committed to equal justice under the law,” the group said in a letter. “Rather, they reflect a troubling pattern of abusing prosecutorial discretion to shield political allies.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has worked closely with Bove for years, told Fox News Digital in an interview ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last month that Bove is a “freaking brilliant lawyer,” and described his nomination to the appellate court as a “no-brainer.” Blanche described his colleague as the “most gentle, empathetic, great person that anybody could ever work with.”