Abbott taunts far-left AG with fiery warning over ICE extradition fight: ‘Such bad lawyers’
Minnesota’s progressive Attorney General Keith Ellison accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of turning the Lone Star State into a “sanctuary state for violent criminals” after an ICE agent charged in the shooting of a man in Minneapolis was released from a Texas jail, escalating a politically charged extradition fight between the two states. Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent charged in connection with a non-fatal January shooting in Minneapolis, was released Thursday from a south Texas jail after a federal judge denied Minnesota’s emergency request to keep him in custody and compel Abbott to sign the extradition warrant. Texas law generally limits pre-extradition detention to 90 days, and Abbott has not yet decided whether to approve Minnesota’s request. “This is not politics — this is not a game,” Ellison said in a statement after Castro’s release. “If a governor can delay extraditions and cherry-pick cases according to their political tastes, then no state will be able to hold fugitive criminals accountable.” COLORADO DA PURSUES ASSAULT CHARGE AGAINST FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICER, DHS CONDEMNS ‘POLITICAL STUNT’ Meanwhile, Ellison wrote on X that by “refusing to extradite Castro, Greg Abbott is turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals.” “You guys are such bad lawyers. You showed up unprepared, uninformed & unpersuasive. You don’t know the law & it showed,” Abbott wrote on X in response to Ellison’s post calling Texas a “sanctuary state for violent criminals.” “Minn. is the literal definition of a sanctuary state because you refuse to assist in enforcing immigration laws,” Abbott shot back. “I’ll put Minneapolis at the top of the list for future bus drop offs if we ever have a President like Joe Biden again.” Castro faces four felony counts of second-degree assault and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime – charges filed by a Minnesota state court. He is accused of firing through the front door of an occupied north Minneapolis home during an ICE operation in January, striking Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. Castro has maintained that he acted in self-defense. EXCLUSIVE: LA ICE DIRECTOR REVEALS OFFICERS FOLLOWED HOME, HARASSED AS POLICE FAIL TO HELP IN SANCTUARY CITY Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office filed the underlying state charges against Castro following an investigation by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The Trump administration initially cast the episode as an attack on an ICE officer, but ICE later placed Castro and another agent on administrative leave after its acting director said they appeared to have made “untruthful statements” about what happened. Minnesota prosecutors say surveillance video and other evidence contradict Castro’s account that he fired after being attacked with a broom and snow shovel. Federal assault charges initially filed against Sosa-Celis and another man were later dismissed after prosecutors said new evidence was “materially inconsistent” with the original allegations. WATCH: HOUSTON FACES $110M HIT AS TEXAS GOV LAYS DOWN LAW ON ‘SANCTUARY’ POLICIES Abbott has said Texas is investigating whether Castro qualifies as a fugitive subject to extradition, noting that the agent returned to Texas on federal orders rather than voluntarily fleeing Minnesota. The governor’s office praised the judge’s ruling, accusing Minnesota of trying to force a deadline on Abbott’s review. Fox News Digital asked Abbott’s office about how the governor was planning to act on Minnesota’s extradition request and for clarification on Texas’ review of Castro’s fugitive status, but did not receive a response before publication.
US removes radioactive cancer-treatment material from Central American country over ‘dirty bomb’ risk
A highly radioactive material used to treat cancer is back on U.S. soil after American officials removed it from Guatemala over concerns it could be stolen and used to create a “dirty bomb.” The cobalt-60 source had been housed inside a disused medical radiation device before U.S. and Guatemalan teams removed the radioactive component and transported it to secure storage in the United States. The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced the operation Thursday, saying it was part of a broader effort to prevent dangerous radioactive materials from falling into the hands of terrorists and other adversaries. The operation began in May, when specialists from the NNSA’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico worked with a facility in Guatemala to remove part of a U.S.-origin teletherapy machine containing cobalt-60. Guatemalan officials assisted with transportation, logistics and physical security. TRUMP SAYS US COULD ‘TAKE’ IRAN’S URANIUM AFTER STRIKES: HOW IT WOULD WORK Cobalt-60 is used in medical devices to treat cancer, but the NNSA said highly radioactive sources can pose a security threat if stolen. The agency said the material removed from Guatemala could have been used to create a radiological weapon, commonly known as a “dirty bomb.” The removal comes as the Trump administration emphasizes preventing terrorists from obtaining chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. The administration’s 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy identifies preventing terrorists from acquiring such weapons as a critical U.S. national security responsibility. “Our mission is simple: protect American citizens, secure our borders, and ensure our adversaries never get their hands on materials that could harm our country,” Matthew Napoli, deputy administrator for the NNSA’s Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, said. LIVE EXPLOSIVE DEVICE FOUND NEAR HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE IN CLEVELAND, FORCING MASS EVACUATIONS “This successful removal is a massive win for homeland security and demonstrates our positive relationship with the Guatemalan government. NNSA will do whatever it takes to defend America and keep our communities safe,” Napoli added. Guatemala’s National Centre of Radioactive Wastes and Ministry of Energy and Mines provided transportation, logistical and physical security support during the operation, according to the NNSA. “Thanks to our collaboration with NNSA and DTRA in removing high-risk radioactive material from our facility, we were able to eliminate the danger it posed to our community and country,” Mayra Villatoro, head of the Unit of Technical Laboratories at Guatemala’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, said. After the NNSA securely packaged the cobalt-60 component, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) provided secure transportation back to the U.S. “The successful repatriation of the cobalt-60 source is a product of vital U.S. Government interagency cooperation,” Robert Bridges, DTRA program manager of Nuclear Transportation & Disposition, said. “We are proud to work with NNSA to take meaningful action in their mission to eliminate radiological risk and keep America safe.” The operation is part of the NNSA Office of Radiological Security’s work with foreign governments and other partners to remove high-activity radioactive material and strengthen protections around radioactive sources.
White House silent on Iran-Oman Hormuz plan Tehran says would ban US warships
The Trump administration spent months insisting Iran did not control passage through the Strait of Hormuz. But after Iran and Oman unveiled a proposed framework that Tehran says would exclude military vessels if finalized, the White House would not say whether President Donald Trump would accept any restriction on U.S. warships under the arrangement. U.S. Central Command, meanwhile, rejected Iran’s underlying claim of authority. “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital. “The strait is an international waterway that commercial vessels continue to transit with U.S. military assistance.” IRAN FAILS TO STRIKE DEAL WITH US AS DEADLINE PASSES AND TRUMP CALLS FOR ‘WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER’ Fox News Digital asked whether Trump would accept a restriction on U.S. military vessels if the proposal becomes binding, whether American forces would be expected to comply and whether U.S. warships retain the right to operate in the strait regardless of any future arrangement. The White House did not respond. Hawkins said U.S. forces have helped nearly 1,500 vessels transit the strait since early May. The silence marks a shift after months in which the administration publicly challenged Iranian efforts to dictate passage through Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly called a proposed toll system illegal and unacceptable, while Trump threatened Oman this month if it “gets in the way” of a U.S. deal with Iran. TRUMP THREATENS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR ANY NATION AIDING IRAN The administration has also spent months applying military and economic pressure aimed at reopening the strait on U.S. terms. American forces have struck Iranian military targets, protected commercial shipping and maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while the administration expanded sanctions through its new Operation Economic Outcast campaign. Those measures have helped push some ships back through Hormuz, but traffic remains far below pre-war levels. Oil flows through the strait stood Monday at about 5 million barrels per day, down from more than 20 million barrels per day before the war, according to Reuters, which cited provisional Vortexa tracking data. Iran is now pursuing a reopening arrangement that, by its account, would preserve a measure of control over the waterway while excluding foreign military vessels. Oman and Iran announced a proposed framework Monday to reopen the strait through a joint temporary navigational corridor and a joint mine-clearing project. Their joint statement said technical talks would continue on a permanent corridor, future administration of the strait, traffic management and security services, leaving key terms unresolved. Iranian officials filled in some of those blanks Tuesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the temporary arrangement would route commercial ships entering the Persian Gulf through Iranian waters, with outbound traffic moving through Iranian and Omani waters. He said the proposal would exclude military vessels if it becomes binding. Separately, Sepah News, an outlet run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, quoted IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi as saying Iran and Oman had reached agreements on “each country’s share of the strait’s waters” and the two countries’ “share of its revenues.” Mohebbi also accused the U.S. of obstructing the talks. US CLAWS BACK KEY CONCESSION TO IRAN AFTER FRESH ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER But Oman’s public statement did not mention a military-vessel ban, transit fees or revenue sharing, and described the framework as proposed. Iranian officials also told Reuters the arrangement was not yet final. That leaves the arrangement’s most consequential question unresolved: whether Iran can use the emerging commercial shipping framework to restrict American military access to the strait — and what the Trump administration intends to do if Tehran tries.
Trump helicopter’s radio warnings went unheard before close call with passenger jet, report says
Marine One’s crew made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to notify Reagan National Airport that President Donald Trump’s helicopter was preparing to depart Aug. 4 before it flew near a commercial passenger jet, according to a preliminary federal report released Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report said the crew’s first call to Reagan National’s helicopter-control frequency before departing from the Ellipse was not received. A second transmission was “broken and completely unreadable.” After failing to reach the tower, the Marine One crew tried to relay the required three-minute notification through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but that effort was unsuccessful as well, according to the report. TRUMP EYES NEW WHITE HOUSE LAWN PROJECT THAT COULD RESHAPE PRESIDENTIAL TRAVEL The missed warning meant Reagan National controllers did not receive notice that would have required them to stop departures before the presidential helicopter lifted off. Instead, Envoy Air Flight 3742, an Embraer E-170 bound for Pensacola, Florida, was cleared to take off from Runway 1 as Trump departed the White House aboard Marine One for a planned trip to Los Angeles. The passenger jet was beginning its initial climb as Marine One departed the Ellipse, about 2 miles north of the airport, the NTSB said. The FAA’s preliminary estimate found the aircraft came within about 0.82 nautical miles of one another laterally and roughly 700 feet vertically. No one was injured, neither aircraft was damaged and both flights continued without further incident. FAA PROBES JFK NEAR MISS AFTER ANOTHER RECENT CLOSE CALL FUELS SCRUTINY OF AIR TRAFFIC SAFETY The Envoy flight crew said the jet’s traffic-collision system announced, “Traffic, Traffic,” as the aircraft climbed and accelerated after takeoff. The pilots did not visually spot Marine One but said the helicopter appeared to the right and below their aircraft on the cockpit display. The system did not issue a resolution advisory, a more urgent instruction telling pilots to climb or descend to avoid another aircraft, according to the NTSB report. PILOTS ACCIDENTALLY BROADCAST ‘MEOWING’ OVER REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT FREQUENCY Marine One was eventually able to contact the tower after climbing high enough to establish reliable communications. Controllers then issued a traffic advisory, and the helicopter crew immediately reported having the Envoy jet in sight, the report said. The newly released report also shows the communications concern had been raised just days earlier. HOUSE TO VOTE ON AVIATION SAFETY BILL AFTER DEADLY DC MIDAIR CRASH On July 30, Marine Helicopter Squadron One, known as HMX-1, met with Reagan National tower staff to discuss operations in the area. During that meeting, HMX-1 told controllers that communications had been “spotty,” the NTSB said. Controllers had also raised concerns that HMX-1 crews had not always provided the required three-minute warning before takeoff. The two sides agreed that helicopter crews would use backup methods to reach the tower, including relaying the notification through another aircraft, if direct radio communication failed. NTSB REPORT DETAILS HOW CONTROLLER DECISION AND TECH FAILURES LED TO DEADLY RUNWAY COLLISION That is what Marine One’s crew attempted on Aug. 4, but the message still did not get through. FAA technicians later determined there was not adequate line-of-sight coverage between the radio transmitter-receiver site and the Ellipse, where Marine One was temporarily operating during construction at the White House. The FAA subsequently moved the radios used for the airport’s helicopter-control frequency from a nearby residential neighborhood to the top of Reagan National’s control tower, according to the report. FAA INVESTIGATES AFTER INCOMING PLANE EXECUTES GO-AROUND DUE TO AIRCRAFT LEAVING FROM INTERSECTING RUNWAY The agency later conducted radio checks with two HMX-1 aircraft operating near the Ellipse and reported no deficiencies after the equipment was moved. The FAA and NTSB began reviewing the incident earlier this month and previously characterized the event as a “momentary loss of separation.” “Based on our preliminary safety review, there was momentary loss of separation, after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another,” the FAA previously told Fox News Digital. “The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation.” While the aircraft were estimated to be less than 1.5 nautical miles apart horizontally, the NTSB said the preliminary estimate of 700 feet of vertical separation met the applicable FAA standard. In the relevant Class B airspace, the standard requires either 1.5 nautical miles of lateral separation or 500 feet of vertical separation. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO CAPTURES TENSE MOMENT TWO PLANES NEARLY COLLIDED AT BOSTON LOGAN AIRPORT The NTSB said it is continuing to review surveillance data to calculate and confirm the closest point between the two aircraft. The White House previously said Trump was never in danger. “Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the president in harm’s way,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital. The NTSB told Fox News Digital its preliminary report “is intended to present the factual information developed to date” and does not contain “analysis, conclusions, or findings related to probable cause.” “The investigation remains ongoing, and we are not providing additional comment beyond the information contained in the preliminary report,” the agency said, adding that any safety recommendations would be publicly announced and further findings would be released through its public docket and final report process. Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
Mamdani stands by DSA insider accused of stiffing landlord amid $1.4M townhome makeover
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani repeatedly declined to distance himself from embattled New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair Gustavo Gordillo, after being pressed on allegations that the DSA leader failed to pay thousands in rent on a Crown Heights apartment while his family spent a reported $1.4 million renovating the NYC townhouse where he lives—a contrast critics say is difficult to square with the anti-landlord, rent-abolitionist socialist housing agenda he helps champion. Mamdani said Sunday that people working for a “more affordable life” and a “fairer life” for New Yorkers “should be welcomed into this work.” When asked again Monday whether Gordillo should step down and whether he condemned allegations that Gordillo lied about his employment, the mayor said he welcomed anyone committed to making New York “a city that everyone can belong to.” Meanwhile, asked directly whether he condemned Gordillo’s alleged actions and lying, Mamdani ended the exchange: “Thank you very much.” Gordillo, an Ivy League graduate who as a NYC-DSA co-chair met weekly with Mamdani and his campaign manager as the group coordinated fundraising, field and communications efforts, later served on Mamdani’s Economic Development & Workforce Development transition committee, according to public reporting. He is named in a pending Brooklyn Housing Court case, in which a former landlord alleges Gordillo failed to pay $5,000 in rent on a $2,500-a-month Crown Heights apartment, while his family’s townhouse was undergoing its $1.4 million in renovations, according to the New York Post. Gordillo’s family reportedly bought the Bed-Stuy townhouse in 2019 for $935,000, while Gordillo’s father has said it is for Gordillo and his brother to live in. SOCIALIST BIGWIG BLASTS THE WEALTHY WHILE LIVING IN $1.4M BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE WITH EYEBROW-RAISING BACKSTORY “The Democratic Socialists of America have become the Double Standards of America — demanding transparency, fairness, and accountability from everyone else while ignoring serious questions about one of their own,” Rev. Kevin McCall, a Brooklyn pastor who also assists tenants in New York City Housing Authority complexes, told the New York Post. “The allegations surrounding NYC chapter co-chair Gustavo Gordillo raise troubling questions about whether he misled working-class New Yorkers about where he lived, how he obtained housing, and his labor credentials. DSA leaders and elected officials must answer these questions publicly and call for Gordillo’s resignation,” the Reverend added. NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI STRUGGLES TO DEFINE ‘WORKING CLASS’ Neither Mamdani’s office, the NYC-DSA nor Gordillo, responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. The housing case involving Gordillo remains pending and no judgment has been issued. Questions about Gordillo’s working-class credentials were also central to Monday’s exchange between Mamdani and reporters about Gordillo. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers told the New York Post that its Joint Apprentice Training Committee terminated Gordillo’s electrician apprenticeship in March after a “prolonged absence from and failure to participate in required work and classes.” FRUSTRATED BLUE-COLLAR UNION BOSSES RIP SOCIALIST POLITICIANS, WARN OF LABOR EXODUS FROM DEM PARTY The New York Post reported that Gordillo later sought and received approval for a $95,000 annual salary from NYC-DSA without disclosing the termination to members. The outlet also reported that the Bed-Stuy renovation used nonunion contractors and was hit with a city stop-work order over permit issues—prompting further criticism of a DSA leader who has cast himself as a union electrician and advocate for working people. A source close to the union, according to the New York Post, said Gordillo “didn’t have a strong work record to begin with” and took the job “just for show,” while hogging “a slot from someone who probably really needed the opportunity.”
Soros prosecutor in danger of being removed after grieving mom’s desperate alarm: ‘Can’t believe this’
A Democratic prosecutor backed by George Soros faces a recall effort after an angel mom urged voters in her county to remove him from office “before another family pays the price.” Earlier this year, Stephanie Minter, 41, was stabbed and killed at a bus stop in Fairfax County, Virginia. An illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, Abdul Jalloh, is accused of killing her. Jalloh had a lengthy criminal record, including convictions for malicious wounding, identity theft, trespassing and assault. He also had a prior charge of forcible rape. The case comes as violent and sexual crime has increased in Fairfax County and has renewed scrutiny of Democratic Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. Descano won office with significant financial backing from the Soros family’s Justice and Public Safety PAC. So far, the recall effort led by the victim’s mother, Cheryl Minter, has collected more than 12,000 signatures. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Minter said she is calling for Descano to be removed from office because she believes “had they actually prosecuted these people, then Stephanie would still be alive.” SOROS-BACKED DA’S LAX ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POLICIES LED TO ‘PREVENTABLE’ BUS STOP STABBING MURDER: COMPLAINT Under Virginia law, organizers must gather valid signatures from registered voters equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last election, file a detailed petition alleging specific legal grounds and prove those grounds in circuit court before a judge can remove the prosecutor. In her petition, Minter pointed to Jalloh’s more than 30 arrests and criminal charges and said that “again and again, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano let him walk.” Jalloh had been arrested more than 30 times and faced dozens of charges before Minter’s killing; some cases were dropped, while others resulted in convictions and jail time. “Thirty times the system had a chance to stop him. Thirty times,” she said, adding, “I think about that every single day. This was not an unavoidable tragedy. It was the predictable consequence of decisions made by Descano.” Speaking with Fox News Digital, Minter explained, “Stephanie was my world. She was my only daughter. She was so much to me.” Minter said her grief motivated her to take action. She said her daughter’s killing opened her eyes to what she sees as a broader problem, saying Stephanie’s death is “not an isolated failure.” She believes Descano’s prosecutorial leadership is a common thread in the stories of many victims in Fairfax County. While she lost her daughter, she said it is not too late to protect other families in the county. In response, Laura Birnbaum, a spokesperson for Descano’s office, told Fox News Digital, “Our office is prosecuting Abdul Jalloh for the murder of Ms. Minter.” Birnbaum noted that Jalloh was “indicted last week and his trial is set for January 2027.” She said the office is “unable to comment further on an ongoing prosecution.” WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES Beyond Fairfax County, Minter said she has learned of “so many sanctuary states that seem to be leaning toward the same thing and releasing [criminals].” She said she hopes the Descano recall effort will send a broader message to all sanctuary and soft-on-crime politicians across the country. “This isn’t just localized,” she said of the recall effort. “It’s important for so many states and so many cities.” She called for “simple solutions” to the problem of repeat criminals across the U.S. “Either [the criminal] does his time, or he gets out of here, and he doesn’t come back,” she said. “That’s the way I look at it.” DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED BY DHS FOR ‘HUNTING DOWN’ PROPERTY OWNERS LEASING TO ICE: ‘UNHINGED’ SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Ultimately, Minter said that what motivates her to keep going is the memory of the daughter she lost. “Her heart would want this to happen,” she said. “If it happened to one of her friends or somebody she knew or even didn’t … That keeps me going enough to keep pushing forward.”
Judge sentences Feeding Our Future fraudsters who faked running child nutrition site
A judge in Minnesota sentenced two men to prison on Wednesday for running a massive pandemic fraud campaign. Ahmed Ghedi was sentenced to over five years in prison, and Abdihakim Ahmed was sentenced to four and a half years. Prosecutors say the pair helped run the fraudulent child nutrition site Feeding Our Future, which claimed to be giving food to thousands of children each day in the Twin Cities area. The pair received $7.3 million in COVID relief funds meant to help support the program. Instead, they used the money to buy a car and property, as well as share the cash with a Feeding Our Future employee. EXCLUSIVE: FBI ADDS ALLEGED COVID FRAUDSTER ACCUSED OF TAKING $5M FROM KIDS’ MEAL PROGRAM TO MOST WANTED LIST The judge also ordered the men to pay restitution, with Ahmed to pay $2,242,590 and Ghedi $2,862,451. Their sentencing comes months after the mastermind behind the Feeding Our Future scam, Amee Bock, was sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison in May. Bock ran the Feeding Our Future organization and was convicted of orchestrating $250 million in pandemic relief fraud. Prosecutors told the court the nonprofit functioned as a “cash pipeline,” relying on a web of fake distribution sites, fabricated lists of children and kickbacks. MINNESOTA MAN MARKS FBI’S FIRST ARREST FROM DOJ’S ‘MOST WANTED FRAUDSTERS’ LIST During sentencing, Bock told the federal court, “I understand I failed. I failed the public, my family, everyone.” MINNESOTA FRAUD REPORT ACCUSES STATE AG OF ‘INCOMPETENCE, WILLFUL BLINDNESS OR WORSE’ The sprawling investigation has led to the convictions of dozens of people, many hailing from the state’s large Somali community. The Feeding Our Future scheme spurred the Trump administration’s surge of federal officers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area last winter, which led to violent protests and multiple fatal federal officer-involved shootings. Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Michigan Dem AG turns on El-Sayed over terror attack response, warns of mentality that ‘bothers me a lot’
Michigan’s Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel is voicing concerns about her party’s Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, saying his response to the attempted terrorist attack on a Michigan synagogue appeared to make excuses for “domestic terrorism” as she warns about increasing anti-Israel sentiments in her party. Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general since 2019, spoke at length in an interview with The Atlantic’s David Frum about her position that she doesn’t feel safe as a Jewish person attending her own state party’s convention due in part to “an enormous amount of anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party.” Nessel specifically took issue with El-Sayed’s response to the synagogue attack in Michigan earlier this year when federal investigators say a gunman inspired and radicalized by Hezbollah crashed into the place of worship seeking to kill as many Jewish people as he could. “But, you know, the reaction to it, obviously there’s a lot of people who were quick to call this out. But, you know, I think most concerning, of course, was the statement that our nominee for U.S. Senate made, which was that ‘hurt people hurt people,’” Nessel explained. “And a lot of us perceived that as sort of making excuses for somebody who sought to murder over 100 pre-K schoolchildren. And that’s the kind of mentality that bothers me a lot.” MICHIGAN’S DEMOCRATIC AG REFUSES TO ATTEND UPCOMING CONVENTION OVER HARASSMENT CONCERNS Nessel went on to reflect on how she responded to the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre by visiting a Dearborn mosque, wearing a hijab out of respect and unequivocally condemning Islamophobia. She contrasted that response with El-Sayed’s reaction to the Temple Israel attack. “I didn’t try to get into, like, what were the motivations of the person who killed these people, and did he have mental-health issues?” Nessel said. “Did he have bad experiences with Muslims? I just condemned it unequivocally, and I think that’s what people should have done with Temple Israel. You can’t make excuses for that kind of domestic terrorism.” Nessel credited El-Sayed for his outreach to Jewish leaders in recent months but expressed the belief that he should publicly retract his comments in the aftermath of the attack. ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE REACHES DEADLIEST LEVEL SINCE 1994, NEW GLOBAL REPORT FINDS “I think privately, he will say that he regrets having made those remarks,” Nessel said. “But here we are, it’s almost the end of August, and he still has not withdrawn those statements and said, I misspoke, or, I now recognize the harm that I caused by making those statements. And it has me concerned that he really stands by them.” Nessel urged El-Sayed to acknowledge he was wrong, listen to Jewish stakeholders and publicly change course, as she said she has done when confronted with her own past ignorance. She said she has also urged him to better understand Jewish religious beliefs, pointing to his post-primary reference to “breaking bread with Jews at Passover,” when bread is intentionally not eaten during the holiday. “But I asked, could you learn a little bit more about our religion so that you understand it?” Nessel said. “Could you learn a little bit more than maybe what your bubble is telling you about the history of Israel and its relationship to the Jewish people?” “Because now, when I speak to him, there seems to be a real dearth of like, again, historical knowledge, political knowledge, and religious knowledge about all of those things. And again, I leave room for the fact that all of us have the opportunity to learn more.” Nessel made it clear that she is not planning to support the state’s Republican Senate candidate, Mike Rogers, and that she would “amputate [her] right arm” before voting for him because “keeping a Republican majority in the Senate is incredibly dangerous.” “With Abdul, I will say this: We have a lot in common in terms of our general beliefs and principles and policies,” Nessel said. “And I think it’s important to say that, and I think it’s important to underline and underscore that fact. Trust me; I have much more in common with Abdul El-Sayed than I do with Mike Rogers in terms of my personal beliefs, my political beliefs, my philosophical beliefs about what should happen in the United States, and in the United States Senate.” Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment. In March, El-Sayed released a statement in addition to his controversial video statement that Nessel took issue with, saying he was “horrified and heartbroken” to learn of the synagogue attack. “To my Jewish sisters and brothers, you have a right to worship in peace,” El-Sayed said. “You have a right to send your kids to the synagogue in the morning and know they’ll come home safely at night. And you have a right to know that your religious identity and faith practice are respected. There is no room for antisemitism in America. So today and everyday, I am standing in solidarity with all of us who value our right to pray how we choose to pray against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.” El-Sayed has faced broad criticism from Jewish groups, fellow Democrats and Republicans over his repeated attacks on Israel and AIPAC, as well as his public association with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.
Mamdani ignites online firestorm after mourning death of inmate charged in grisly murder: ‘WTF are we doing?’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew ire from conservatives on Tuesday for mourning the death of a man who was awaiting trial on murder charges. “I am deeply saddened by the death of a New Yorker in City custody at a jail on Rikers Island early this morning,” Mamdani posted on X. Clarence Woodward, the man Mamdani was referencing, was arrested in 2024 and charged with murder, manslaughter and assault in connection with an unprovoked meat cleaver attack at a Bronx laundromat. At the time, Woodward had 27 prior arrests and had received parole just a month prior to the alleged killing. Woodward had pleaded not guilty to the charges and had not been convicted. “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones as they grieve this loss. We do not yet know the cause of death, but we do know that too many New Yorkers have died on Rikers Island. The Department of Correction and its oversight partners will investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. Our administration is fully committed to the critical work of creating better conditions in our city’s jail system and closing Rikers Island as quickly as possible.” WOKE LANGUAGE OVERHAUL WOULD STRIP THE WORD ‘INMATE’ FROM NEW YORK CITY’S ENTIRE JAIL RULEBOOK As of Thursday morning, Mamdani’s post has been viewed over 3.2 million times, with the majority of comments expressing outrage over Mamdani offering condolences to the inmate. “I wonder if he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the murder this guy committed,” New York City Councilwoman Vicky Paladino wrote. “Can’t find a tweet about that one.” “He’s sad that someone who murdered an innocent American with a meat cleaver is dead,” conservative commentator Eyal Yakoby posted. “What are we even doing?” DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS SEIZE THE MOMENT WITH EXTREME, ANTI-AMERICAN VIEWS THAT BADLY TARNISH THE PARTY “Commie Mamdani is ‘deeply saddened’ that a guy who murdered a guy with a meat cleaver had a medical emergency in jail,” failed Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt said in response to the post. “We cannot have leaders who weep for murderers. WTF are we doing?” “A father of two was hacked to death with a meat cleaver after his killer was repeatedly paroled,” GOP strategist and attorney Mehek Cooke posted on X. “And you think the real villain is the jail?” The criticism comes weeks after Mamdani faced similar backlash for visiting Rikers Island, where he spoke with inmates during a World Cup semifinal watch party in July. While conservatives on social media were unhappy with Mamdani’s statement, officials and community activists have long raised concerns about the conditions on Rikers Island. Many, for instance, point out that many of the individuals being held there are awaiting trial and thus entitled to a presumption of innocence. “Our people are dying while under the custody of the Department of Corrections from medical neglect, physical abuse and unsafe conditions,” one community activist said in June 2025 about Rikers Island. “People shouldn’t keep dying in the same facility while awaiting a fair trial,” the chief research editor of Rolling Stone magazine wrote on X. DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE CALLED FOR MASS RELEASE OF CRIMINALS DURING PRISON ABOLITION WEBINAR New York City has been legally committed since 2019 to closing Rikers and replacing it with four smaller borough-based jails, a plan Mamdani has pledged to accelerate. Critics argue the move would leave the city with fewer jail cells and make it more difficult to tackle crime. “On the same day Mamdani was mourning a murderer who had a medical emergency in jail, another murderer was out taking more innocent lives after NYC leftists cut him loose early despite at least a dozen prior arrests and a history of violent crime,” Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts posted, referencing a parolee police were seeking in connection with two deadly robberies in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Mamdani’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
House GOP subpoenas doctor behind ‘Have My Baby in Miami’ birth tourism business
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is subpoenaing a doctor allegedly behind a sprawling birth tourism scheme based in Florida. It comes as Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, is setting his sights on a new target after his crackdown on the Smithsonian Institution made headlines and thrust fresh scrutiny onto its teaching of American history. Gill’s task force on investigating institutional abuses, which is part of the House Oversight Committee, is now gearing up for a hearing on the practice of birth tourism — something the White House sounded the alarm on just this month. As part of the hearing, Comer sent a subpoena to Dr. Wladimir Lorentz of Have My Baby in Miami, a South Florida business that’s aimed at helping foreigners give birth in the United States. The hearing is expected to take place Sept. 1. Comer accused Lorentz of refusing to voluntarily appear via his attorney, and in a letter sent with the subpoena on Tuesday, Comer said Lorentz’s attorney argued he could not speak with the committee due to a pending criminal probe being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. “As the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of a company doing business as ‘Have My Baby in Miami,’ your knowledge regarding the company’s marketing practices and direct observations relevant to the birth tourism industry is vital to the immediate investigation,” Comer’s subpoena letter read. SEN ERIC SCHMITT SEEKS TO END BIRTH TOURISM, REVOKE CITIZENSHIP FOR BABIES OF FOREIGN DIPLOMATS “Furthermore, given the national security concerns raised by birth tourism, delaying the hearing or deferring your testimony to some unknown date in the (potentially far) future would be an extraordinary action that would curtail the Committee’s ability to glean valuable information that will inform its oversight and further its legislative goals.” Meanwhile, Gill echoed Comer’s concerns over national security. BIRTH TOURISM FIGHT SHIFTS TO US ‘TROPICAL MATERNITY WARD’ WITH HISTORY OF CHINESE EXPLOITATION “A growing industry is openly marketing American citizenship to foreign nationals who travel here for the express purpose of giving birth on U.S. soil. This abuse of our immigration system also raises serious national security concerns, particularly given the number of birth tourists traveling from adversarial nations like China and Russia,” the House GOP firebrand said. His panel’s Sept. 1 hearing is also expected to feature testimony from Dr. Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies. The medical director and owner of a company called International Maternity Services, Dr. Julio César Novoa, was also invited. TEXAS GOV ABBOTT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON ‘BIRTH TOURISM,’ SAYS US CITIZENSHIP NOT FOR SALE Gill’s new task force, which was founded this year, has largely focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across various sectors of American life. He’s held hearings on whether the Smithsonian’s teaching of U.S. history involved overly ideological and political leanings, and whether DEI plays a role in running the American Bar Association (ABA). Birth tourism is the colloquial term for the general practice of foreign nationals coming to the U.S. on temporary visas for the purpose of having a child who then automatically becomes an American citizen. President Donald Trump targeted birth tourism in a recent executive order after the Supreme Court struck down his efforts to curb birthright citizenship writ large. He also signed an order banning specific categories, such as children born to foreign government workers, from automatically getting U.S. citizenship. Have My Baby in Miami is just one company that appears to make it more accessible for foreigners to give birth in the U.S. Its website and social media pages appeared to be disabled as of Thursday. But a YouTube page that appears to be associated with the business states, “Many people have questions about how to have a child in the United States, and we can help clarify how to deliver in Miami, how to live in the United States during your pregnancy, how to have a baby in the United States, how much it costs to deliver in the United States and how to go through pregnancy in the United States.” “Children who are born in the United States, with rare exceptions, have US citizenship,” the summary states. An October 2025 article by Local 10 in Florida appears to have obtained information from the now-deleted pages, including that the company reportedly touted that it helped deliver 2,000 babies. It’s not yet clear if Lorentz will appear. But defying a congressional subpoena could risk criminal charges. Fox News Digital reached out to his lawyer for comment.