FBI ramps up counter-drone efforts as Patel warns of growing threats from criminals, terrorists
FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday that the Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to combat the growing threat posed by drones used by criminal networks, terrorist groups and foreign adversaries, launching a new national training program to help law enforcement detect and stop unlawful drone activity. Patel said the bureau has invested significant time and resources this year into modernizing its capabilities to counter unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). “Unmanned aircrafts are increasingly exploited by criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors — making the counter UAS program a critical area for the FBI to modernize and adapt to stay ahead of the threat,” Patel wrote on X. Patel said President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June that led to the creation of a National Counter-UAS Training Center, which the FBI operates out of its Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL SAYS BUREAU RAMPING UP AI TO COUNTER DOMESTIC, GLOBAL THREATS The FBI director said the new training center prepares law enforcement to safely detect, identify, track and mitigate unlawful drone activity when legally authorized, in compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress this year. Patel said the facility will play a key role in preparing security operations for major upcoming events in the U.S., including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. “This is an investment that will pay huge dividends for America’s national security in the years to come,” he added. TRUMP ADMIN CUTS RED TAPE ON COMMERCIAL DRONES TO COMPETE WITH CHINA’S DOMINANCE OF THE MARKET Patel’s post underscores how the FBI is making counter-drone operations a top modernization priority, framing drones as an evolving national security threat. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote on X Saturday that the “drone threat isn’t in the future, it’s in the now,” adding that the Trump administration was taking action to adapt to a “new threat ecosystem.” On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission announced it would ban new foreign-made drones due to national security concerns. The FCC added UAS and their critical components made in China and other foreign countries to its “covered list” that includes equipment determined to pose an “unacceptable risk” to U.S. national security and the safety of Americans. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
DHS official rips Kilmar Abrego Garcia for ‘making TikToks’ while agency faces gag order
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin on Saturday took aim at Kilmar Abrego Garcia for “making TikToks” while DHS remains constrained by an “activist judge.” McLaughlin was reacting to a minute-long video that appears to show Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadoran illegal immigrant who became a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, filming himself lip-syncing to a song in Spanish. “So we, at [DHS], are under gag order by an activist judge and Kilmar Abrego Garcia is making TikToks,” McLaughlin wrote. “American justice ceases to function when its arbiters silence law enforcement and give megaphones to those who oppose our legal system.” JUDGE BLOCKS ICE FROM RE-DETAINING ABREGO GARCIA — BUT SIGNALS RULING COULD COME FAST KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED AFTER JUDGE RULES TRUMP ADMIN LACKED VALID REMOVAL ORDER A court order had previously been issued by an Obama-appointed federal judge that restricts DHS and other Trump administration officials from publicly discussing Abrego Garcia’s human smuggling case. That order was later narrowed, according to The Tennessee Star. Abrego Garcia had repeatedly sought to curb public criticism from Trump administration officials, arguing the remarks threaten his right to a fair trial, Politico reported. ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED FROM JAIL, WILL RETURN TO MARYLAND TO AWAIT TRIAL Abrego Garcia’s case has drawn national attention since March, when he was deported to his home country of El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order and in what Trump officials acknowledge was an “administrative error.” Upon his return to the U.S., Abrego Garcia was immediately taken into federal custody and detained on human smuggling charges from a 2022 traffic stop. The Trump administration has claimed he is a member of MS-13, which Abrego Garcia denies. A federal judge this week canceled Abrego Garcia’s trial and scheduled a hearing to review whether prosecutors pursued the human smuggling charges vindictively, according to The Associated Press. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Monday also extended a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from immediately detaining Abrego Garcia again after failing to produce a final removal order. The ruling keeps in place an earlier order that secured his release from ICE custody. DHS and a defense attorney for Abrego Garcia did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Breanne Deppisch and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Walz slammed in wake of viral video that raises daycare funding questions: ‘Needs to be held accountable’
Politicians took to social media Saturday to criticize Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a viral video raised questions about a Minneapolis daycare center that allegedly received millions of dollars in state funding despite appearing largely inactive. Responding to an X post highlighting allegations of Somali Medicaid fraud and voter fraud in the state, Vice President JD Vance described the situation as “a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system.” “Politicians like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich,” Vance wrote. “But it’s a zero sum game, and they’re stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans.” TRUMP CABINET OFFICIAL CALLS ON WALZ TO RESIGN OVER MASSIVE FRAUD SCANDAL IN SCATHING LETTER: ‘SHAME ON YOU’ Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., demanded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz be “held accountable.” “Folks need to be arrested and prosecuted and the Governor of Minnesota needs to be held accountable,” Lawler posted to X on Saturday. “Congress should hold a hearing immediately and start getting answers.” A 42-minute video posted to X and YouTube on Friday by independent reporter Nick Shirley shows Shirley and another man visiting several childcare centers in the blue state, including a location on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. The footage shows no visible activity at the site, which displays a misspelled sign that says “Quality Learing Center,” even though the center is reportedly supposed to account for 99 children and received roughly $4 million in state funds. HHS PROBES MINNESOTA’S USE OF BILLIONS IN FEDERAL SOCIAL SERVICE FUNDS AMID FRAUD CONCERNS: REPORT Several other high-profile figures also weighed in on Shirley’s video Saturday. Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X, “If you haven’t watched this yet. Watch it. All of it. Understand that this is what journalists are supposed to do, but no one in the mainstream media will even bother to look let alone actually publish it. This is what they’re doing to your country with your tax dollars!!!” Elon Musk shared similar concerns, accusing the “radical left” of exploiting government programs to bring in and retain immigrants to “win elections and turn America into a single-party state.” MINNESOTA SENATE CANDIDATE WEARS HIJAB IN VISIT TO SOMALI MARKET AS FRAUD SCANDAL UNFOLDS “The more you look at it, the more you will be horrified at what your tax money is doing and the fact that, if this is not reversed, your vote will mean nothing,” Musk posted to X. “The most obvious case example is the Somali voting bloc in Minnesota, a state that historically had zero Somalis, electing Ilhan Omar to the US Congress.” A day earlier, Musk posted, “Prosecute [Tim Walz].” The video went viral this week amid the burgeoning scandal enveloping the Walz administration that notably included at least $1 billion lost to alleged social services fraud largely tied to the Somali community in the Twin Cities. A portion reportedly ended up in the hands of the Somali terror group Al-Shabab. Lawler and Walz did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Affordability: The issue that boosted Trump and Republicans in 2024 deflated them in 2025
The economy, the issue that hurt Democrats in the 2024 elections, gave them a major boost in this year’s ballot box showdowns. “Look, we know what’s important right now,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin said in his speech at the DNC’s winter meeting earlier this month. “S‑‑‑ is too expensive.” One year after deep concerns over inflation helped President Donald Trump and Republicans win back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority, Democrats say their decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns this year were fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation. Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper said Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who overperformed the public opinion polls as they cruised to double-digit Election Night victories in the blue-leaning states, “stayed laser focused on the economy,” and “talked about it all day, every day.” DOUBLING DOWN: TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY ‘ABSOLUTELY GOING TO CONTINUE’ The issue also fueled one-time longshot far-left candidate Zohran Mamdani to a mayoral victory in New York City as he made cost of living the centerpiece of his campaign. Democrats say they’ll double down on the issue of affordability heading into next year’s midterm elections, as they try to win back congressional majorities from the Republicans. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) chair says Democrats will keep their focus squarely on affordability as they aim to “take back those gavels” by capturing the House majority in next year’s midterm elections. ELECTION REFLECTION: DEMOCRATS ‘FLIPPED THE SCRIPT’ ON AFFORDABILITY House Democrats need to flip just three GOP-held seats in 2026 to win back control of the chamber for the first time in four years. “We’re going to hold Republicans accountable for their policies that are hurting American families,” Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, who for a second straight election cycle is chairing the DCCC, told Fox News Digital. DelBene said she’ll keep her focus squarely on affordability as she aims to “take back those gavels.” Pointing to last year’s elections, she said, “That was their [Republicans] big message. They were going to lower costs. It has been a big broken promise, and people are feeling that, and that’s had a big impact and will continue. People want folks who are going to stand up to them for them, not just be blindly loyal to the president.” But GOP Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chair of the rival National Republican Congressional Committee, highlighted the Republican narrative, as he took aim at former President Joe Biden, telling Fox News Digital, “There are challenges out there with the economy, because Biden broke it, and House Republicans, working with President Trump, are going to fix it, and we’re working very hard to do that. “ CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL ON TRUMP AND THE ECONOMY It’s an argument that Trump has repeatedly voiced in recent weeks, as he’s pointed fingers at his predecessor for the persistent high costs. “When I took office last January, I inherited a mess, and very simply, I’m fixing it,” Trump said this month. But a recent Fox News national poll was full of apparent warning signs for Trump and the GOP. Three-quarters of voters questioned in the survey viewed the economy negatively, and large numbers of respondents, including Republicans, said their costs for groceries, utilities, healthcare and housing have gone up this year. The poll indicated that voters blame the president, with nearly twice as many pointing fingers at Trump than former President Joe Biden, when asked who is responsible for the current economy. And Trump’s approval rating when it comes to the economy has dropped to record lows in surveys by Fox News and other organizations. While Trump has repeatedly described the Democrats’ focus on affordability as a “hoax,” he has also become more engaged in combating high prices in recent weeks, as the president has scaled back some of his tariffs and pledged to lower high food prices. And Trump this month made stops in two key battlegrounds — Pennsylvania and North Carolina — to tout his efforts to combat high prices. Trump was buoyed this past week by better than expected government reports on inflation and economic growth, and Republicans see better days ahead when it comes to the issue of affordability. Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, the Trump-backed Republican Senate candidate in next year’s race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, told Fox News Digital “we’re seeing signs already that the economy is starting to tick up and is starting to take hold as the President’s policies are getting in place.” Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Fox News Digital, “2026 is a year of affordability, and the great news is President Trump has been producing time and time again.” Pointing to the tax cut provisions in the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy measure signed into law this past summer by Trump, Scott said “2026 is shaping up to be the year where Donald Trump’s activities, his actions, the legislation we’ve passed, shows up for the American voter. And consumers all across the country will see a more affordable economy because of President Trump and the Senate majority and the House majority in the hands of the Republican Party.” But Martin and the Democrats see it differently. The DNC chair accuses Republicans of not inheriting a “mess — they manufactured it. They took the economy and drove it straight into a ditch. They took certainty and swapped it for chaos.” And Martin predicts Trump and Republicans headed for a ballot box disaster. “Donald Trump has lost the economy, is losing his mind, and is going to lose the midterms,” Martin charged.
2025 shockers: The biggest moments that rocked the campaign trail
It was an off-year when it comes to elections, but 2025 was on fire on the campaign trail as next year’s looming midterm showdowns took shape. While it was never expected to match the intensity of the tumultuous 2024 battles for the White House and Congress, this year’s off-year elections grabbed outsize national attention and served as a key barometer leading up to the 2026 midterm contests for the House and Senate majorities. Here are five of the biggest moments that shaped the campaign trail. Aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterms, President Donald Trump in June first floated the idea of rare but not unheard of mid-decade congressional redistricting. HERE ARE THE NEXT BATTLEGROUNDS IN REDISTRICTING FIGHT The mission was simple: redraw congressional district maps in red states to pad the GOP’s razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Trump’s first target: Texas. A month later, when asked by reporters about his plan to add Republican-leaning House seats across the country, the president said, “Texas will be the biggest one. And that’ll be five.” The push by Trump and his political team triggered a high-stakes redistricting showdown with Democrats to shape the 2026 midterm landscape in the fight for the House majority. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called a special session of the GOP-dominated state legislature to pass the new map. But Democratic state lawmakers, who broke quorum for two weeks as they fled Texas in a bid to delay the passage of the redistricting bill, energized Democrats across the country. Among those leading the fight against Trump’s redistricting was Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature. That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter the move by Texas to redraw their maps. The fight quickly spread beyond Texas and California. Right-tilting Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS Republicans are looking to GOP-controlled Florida, where early redistricting moves are underway in Tallahassee. A new map could possibly produce up to five more right-leaning seats. But conservative Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP legislative leaders don’t see eye to eye on how to move forward. “We must keep the Majority at all costs,” Trump wrote on social media this month. In blows to Republicans, a Utah district judge this month rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. And Republicans in Indiana’s Senate defied Trump, shooting down a redistricting bill that had passed the state House. But Trump scored a big victory when the conservative majority on the Supreme Court greenlighted Texas’ new map. Other states that might step into the redistricting war are Democratic-dominated Illinois and Maryland and two red states with Democratic governors, Kentucky and Kansas. Virginia Democrats were cruising toward convincing victories in the commonwealth’s statewide elections when a scandal sent shock waves up and down the ballot. SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones instantly went into crisis mode after controversial texts were first reported by the National Review in early October. Jones acknowledged and apologized for texts he sent in 2022, when he compared then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, adding that if he were given two bullets, he would use both against the GOP lawmaker to shoot him in the head. Jones faced a chorus of calls from Republicans to drop out of the race. And the GOP leveraged the explosive revelations up the ballot, forcing the Democratic Party nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, back on defense in a campaign where she was seen as the frontrunner against Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Earle-Sears didn’t waste an opportunity to link Spanberger to Jones. And during October’s chaotic and only gubernatorial debate, where Earle-Sears repeatedly interrupted Spanberger, the GOP gubernatorial nominee called on her Democratic rival to tell Jones to end his attorney general bid. “The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent,” Spanberger said at the debate. But she neither affirmed nor pulled back her support of Jones. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2025 ELECTIONS While the scandal grabbed national headlines, in the end it didn’t slow down the Democrats. Spanberger crushed Earle-Sears by 15 points. Democrats won the separate election for lieutenant governor by 11 points, and Jones even pulled off a 6-point victory over Republican incumbent Jason Miyares. Just eight days into Trump’s second term in the White House, demoralized Democrats had something to cheer about. Democrat Mike Zimmer defeated Republican Katie Whittington in a special state Senate election in Iowa, flipping a Republican-controlled vacant seat in a district that Trump had carried by 21 points less than three months earlier. Zimmer’s victory triggered a wave of Democrats overperforming in special elections and regularly scheduled off-year ballot box contests. Among the most high profile was the victory by the Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s high-stakes and expensive state Supreme Court showdown. With inflation, the issue that severely wounded them in the 2024 elections, persisting, Democrats were laser focused on affordability, and the wins kept coming. In November’s regularly scheduled elections, they won the nation’s only two gubernatorial showdowns — in New Jersey and Virginia — by double digits. And they scored major victories in less high-profile contests from coast to coast. The year ended with Democrats winning a mayoral election in Miami, Florida, for the first time in
Most shocking examples of Chinese espionage uncovered by the US this year: ‘Just the tip of the iceberg’
This year has had no shortage of alarming Chinese espionage efforts targeting the United States that were uncovered by government officials. 2025 saw the conviction of a former active-duty military member accused of selling Navy secrets to Chinese intelligence, the arrests of Chinese nationals accused of trying to recruit active-duty service members as intelligence assets and smuggle dangerous toxins into the United States, the disruption of a Chinese “Hacker-for-Hire” ecosystem, and more. “President Trump is not afraid of the Chinese,” Gatestone Institute senior Fellow Gordon Chang said on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” following a new arms sale to Taiwan. However, Chang lamented that Trump was ambivalent to the “information war” with China, noting that “the Chinese are able to tar him and tell the rest of the world that Trump is afraid of the Chinese … but when you look at the reality, President Trump is going after China across the board,” Chang argued. EX-TRUMP DHS OFFICIAL SOUNDS ALARM OVER NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT WITHIN CRITICAL US INDUSTRY One of the alarming Chinese espionage headlines to hit the news this year was an effort by several Chinese nationals to smuggle a pathogen described by the government as a “potential agroterrorism weapon” into the United States in 2024. A complaint against the suspects was unsealed by federal officials this year, leading the case to make headlines nationwide. One of those individuals complicit in the case, Yunqing Jian, 33, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a researcher employed at the University of Michigan, was allegedly receiving money from the Chinese government for her work on the pathogen the suspects were trying to smuggle. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, who worked at a Chinese university conducting research on that same pathogen, initially lied but then admitted to smuggling it through the Detroit airport so it could be taken to the University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend worked. Jian eventually pleaded guilty. She was later sentenced to time served and then deported back to China. Her boyfriend was immediately deported to China when he was caught at the Detroit airport trying to bring the toxin into the United States. Just this month, a separate Chinese researcher from Indiana University was also accused by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of trying to smuggle a dangerous toxin into the country, this time Escherichia coli (E. coli). The FBI identified the smuggling suspect as post-doctoral researcher Youhuang Xiang, who also allegedly made false statements to law enforcement. FCC, STATE AGS TO JOIN FORCES IN CRACKDOWN ON CHINA-LINKED COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Federal officials have disrupted Chinese intelligence efforts to recruit assets in the United States this year as well, according to Justice Department communications. In July, federal officials disrupted a “Clandestine PRC Ministry of State Security Intelligence Network” that was operating in the United States and was attempting to bribe active-duty soldiers with thousands in cash to work for them as assets. The following month, in a separate case, a federal jury convicted former Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, who was caught trying to sell military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000. Hacking was a big part of Chinese espionage efforts in 2025 too. A major Chinese-linked hacking threat referred to as “Salt Typhoon” was reported this year to have launched an attack compromising at least 200 American companies as part of its broader efforts that have included gaining access to law enforcement wiretapping mechanisms and information on members of Congress, according to the top cyber chief at the FBI. Critical infrastructure manufacturers like AT&T, Verizon, Charter Communications, and others have reportedly been exposed by the group, which was first uncovered publicly in 2024 but whose efforts have dated back several years. Earlier this year, in March, the Department of Justice also announced that federal officials had disrupted a “Hacker-for-Hire Ecosystem” operating out of China at the direction of Chinese intelligence officers as well. These malicious actors worked for private companies and as contractors in China, which was intended to hack and steal information in a way that would obscure the Chinese government’s involvement, the DOJ said. China’s increasing acquisition of farmland in the United States has been of growing concern during 2025 as well, with Chinese-linked entities buying up land near military bases, including a trailer park near Missouri’s Whiteman Air Force Base. “From smuggling crop-killing pathogens and E. Coli into the United States, to conspicuously purchasing a trailer park that shares a fence with America’s entire B-2 bomber fleet and selling ‘green’ tech devices that spread kill switches across our electrical grid, Communist China seeks to harm the American homeland,” Michael Lucci, a China-hawk and the founder of State Armor Action, a conservative group with a mission to develop and enact state-level solutions to global security threats such as those emanating from China. “Furthermore, these events are just the tip of the iceberg,” Lucci continued. “Lawmakers across the country must accelerate action to shield Americans from CCP influence, espionage, and sabotage. Communist China treats the United States as an enemy, and it is past time we recognize the CCP party-state always and everywhere chooses conflict with the United States.”
‘Perception vs. reality’: Trump’s economy picks up speed — but voters aren’t buying it yet
Economic momentum is building under President Donald Trump, but translating those gains into political advantage will require sharper messaging, economist Stephen Moore said, as voters remain skeptical despite improving indicators. “There’s a perception, and there’s reality,” explained Moore in an interview with Fox News Digital. “The reality is what the numbers show — that median family income is up by about $1,200 this year, adjusted for inflation. We’re seeing real increases in wealth. Anyone investing in the stock market — not just rich people, but about 160 million Americans — has retirement savings in stocks.” WHITE HOUSE TEASES MAJOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PLAN AS PRICES SQUEEZE AMERICANS Still, Moore, a former Trump adviser and co-founder of a free-market advocacy organization, Unleash Prosperity, acknowledged that rising costs in everyday life continue to shape how many Americans view the economy. “People tend to focus on the things that are rising in price, and I understand that,” Moore said. “But there are also areas where costs have fallen, including gasoline, airline tickets and some everyday items.” That disconnect between economic data and how voters feel about the economy poses a political challenge for Trump, who returned to the White House promising affordability but is now confronting doubts over whether that pledge is being met. A Fox News national survey found that 76% of voters rate the economy negatively, up from 67% in July and 70% at the end of former President Joe Biden’s term. The poll showed voters are more likely to blame Trump than Biden for current economic conditions, with three times as many saying Trump’s policies have hurt them personally. The sentiment has fueled Democratic messaging focused on affordability, which has resonated in recent state and local elections. THE SOCIALIST EXPERIMENT COMES TO NYC: MAMDANI’S VISION FOR A MORE AFFORDABLE CITY That disconnect, Moore said, isn’t just about prices — it’s also about tone. “I think people want empathy from the president,” Moore said. “People in the middle and working class want to know that this president understands the struggles of working 40 hours a week and still having a hard time meeting their bills.” To close that gap, Moore compared Trump’s current challenge to Ronald Reagan’s early presidency, which followed economic difficulties after Jimmy Carter — a dynamic he said mirrors the aftermath of the Biden administration. “Trump should use an old line from Ronald Reagan, because Reagan’s first 18 months in office were very tough. We had a very bad economy as a residual effect from Jimmy Carter. And Reagan told the American people, stay the course, these policies are going to work and they’re going to make America better off.” Moore said recent data suggest the recovery is accelerating, and that momentum is likely to continue. “In the last couple of months, the economy has really sped up,” Moore said. “At 4.3% growth, that’s a very high rate, and the recovery is well in progress. It’s been a very prosperous first year and I expect 2026 to bring very strong continued economic growth.”
Tiny Pacific nation to take up to 75 deportees as Trump administration accelerates mass removals
Palau has struck a deal with the U.S. to accept up to 75 deportees from the U.S. in exchange for $7.5 million in foreign aid. The agreement will allow “third-country nationals” who have never been charged with a crime to live and work in the Pacific nation, which has a population of about 18,000 people, according to announcements Wednesday from President Surangel Whipps Jr.’s office and the U.S. Embassy in Koror. “The United States deeply appreciates Palau’s cooperation in enforcing U.S. immigration laws, which remains a top priority for the Trump administration,” the U.S. Embassy in Koror said in a statement. “In this regard, the United States granted $7.5 million to address the needs of relevant Palau public services.” HOW A TINY AFRICAN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY CAN PLAY A ‘VITAL ROLE’ IN US NATIONAL SECURITY: EXPERT The agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding, with Palau citing labor shortages as a key motivation. “Palau and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding allowing up to 75 third country nationals, who have never been charged with a crime, to live and work in Palau, helping address local labor shortages in needed occupations,” Whipps’ office said in a statement. EXCLUSIVE: 17,500 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED UNDER LAKEN RILEY ACT IN TRUMP’S SECOND TERM The Trump administration will also provide $6 million to support Palau’s struggling civil service pension plan system and $2 million for new law enforcement initiatives, according to Whipps’ office. Palau, a former filming location for the long-running reality TV series “Survivor,” has long been a recipient of U.S. support and relies heavily on foreign aid, according to the New York Post. CROCKETT ACCUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OF DISHONESTY OVER BORDER ENCOUNTER NUMBERS Under a deal brokered during the Biden administration, Washington committed $889 million in aid over 20 years, according to the State Department. As the Trump administration ramps up mass deportations, many countries have agreed to take illegal immigrants, including Uganda, Rwanda, Eswatini, South Sudan, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Misspelled learning center, no children inside: Emmer presses Walz over Minnesota daycare tied to $4M
The third-ranking leader in the House of Representatives, who also happens to hail from Minnesota, demanded answers from Gov. Tim Walz after a YouTuber tried to confront employees of an alleged daycare center that had misspelled signage and no signs of activity outside but reportedly received $4 million in state funds. The video went viral this week amid the burgeoning scandal enveloping the Walz administration that notably included at least $1 billion lost to alleged social services fraud largely tied to the Somali community in the Twin Cities. A portion reportedly ended up in the hands of the Somali terror group Al-Shabab. Responding to the video, Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Twin Cities suburbs and St. Cloud, lashed out at the governor. “4 million dollars of hard-earned tax dollars going to an education center that can’t even spell learning correctly. Care to explain this one, Tim Walz?” he wrote on X. HHS PROBES MINNESOTA’S USE OF BILLIONS IN FEDERAL SOCIAL SERVICE FUNDS AMID FRAUD CONCERNS: REPORT The Quality Learning Center also recently made news for collecting 95 violations from the state human services agency between 2019 and 2023, according to St. Paul’s ABC affiliate. Such violations range from failure to keep hazardous items away from kids to the daycare not having any records for more than a dozen listed children, according to the outlet. Documentation reviewed by Fox News Digital showed the site’s current license does not expire until the end of 2026. MINNESOTA SENATE CANDIDATE WEARS HIJAB IN VISIT TO SOMALI MARKET AS FRAUD SCANDAL UNFOLDS This week, YouTuber Nick Shirley and another man approached a building labeled the Quality Learing Center (sic) on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, with Shirley noting that “Learning” was spelled incorrectly on the daycare’s sign outside. Almost immediately, a woman appears and repeatedly yells — ostensibly to anyone inside the building — “Don’t open up. It’s ICE.” Shirley asked the woman whether she thought he or the other man were immigration agents and identified himself as an online commentator. COMER WARNS ‘WALLS ARE CAVING IN’ ON TIM WALZ AS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WIDENS The man held up a paper that appeared to show $1.9 million had been disbursed to the center in fiscal year 2025, adding that the total disbursement to the center that he had recorded was $4 million. “Go away. You’re not welcome here. Shame on you,” the woman told Shirley. It remained unclear whether the woman had any association with the center. “Are you in favor of $1.9 million going illegally/fraudulently to this business that [is called] ‘Quality Learning Center’ but can’t spell ‘learning’ right on the door?” MAGNITUDE ‘CANNOT BE OVERSTATED’: FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD MAY BE MORE THAN $9B A document on the Minnesota Department of Human Services website showed the center is supposed to account for 99 children, a figure also mentioned in the video by Shirley. “There’s no one here,” he said. “This is a prime example of the billions of dollars in fraud happening right now in Minnesota. This is one of the hundreds of ‘daycares’ receiving millions of dollars from the government. This daycare (that can’t even spell learning right) received $1,900,000 in tax-exempt funding from CCAP in 2025. This is just one of the thousands of fraudulent businesses operating in Minnesota.” MINNESOTA MAYORS SAY CONSTITUENTS ‘SCARED’ AS FRAUD CRISIS LEAVES QUESTIONS UNANSWERED X commentator Greg Price shared the video, writing that if people try to “knock on the doors of Somali-owned daycares that have received millions of tax dollars from the Minnesota government, liberal white women will accuse you of being ICE.” U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson has said that when investigations of the overall CCAP and Minnesota state programs are complete, the fraud could exceed $1 billion. The Treasury Department is also investigating, with Secretary Scott Bessent remaining vocal in public statements on the matter. The most notable recipient was a supposed child nutrition effort called Feeding Our Future, while other recipients of CCAP (Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program) funding have drawn scrutiny in recent days. Fox News Digital reached out to the number listed for the daycare in state government documents, but an automated message said the call could not be completed as dialed. Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Walz and the top prosecutor in Minnesota, Attorney General Keith Ellison. Fox News Digital also reached out to U.S. DHS for any comment on critics of the Minnesota investigation appearing to attribute ICE employment as a proxy to people they believe could cause undue trouble in public.
Trump suggests he’ll call final shots on peace deal ahead of Zelenskyy meeting: ‘We’ll see what he’s got’
President Donald Trump said he will call the final shots on a peace deal to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy preparing to unveil a new peace plan when the two meet Sunday. “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico Friday. “So we’ll see what he’s got.” Zelenskyy told reporters Friday he will meet with Trump Sunday in Florida and will share a 20-point peace proposal for the president to review. Additionally, Zelenskyy said the meeting will likely focus on security guarantees for Ukraine, adding it was unclear if “territorial issues will be discussed.” MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE “The 20-point plan that we worked on is 90% ready. Our task (is) to make sure that everything is 100% ready. It is not easy, and no one says that it will be 100% right away, but nevertheless we must bring the desired result closer with each such meeting, each such conversation,” Zelenskyy told reporters Friday. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital to confirm the meeting. Trump voiced optimism about the meeting with Zelenskyy and future conversations with Putin. “I think it’s going to go good with him. I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin,” Trump told Politico. Trump also said that he expects to speak with Putin “soon.” US OFFICIALS TOUT PROGRESS IN TALKS TO REACH ‘LASTING AND DURABLE PEACE’ BETWEEN UKRAINE, RUSSIA Trump said in November he would not meet with Zelenskyy again — or Putin — unless a deal to end the war was in its final stages. Zelenskyy has indicated progress is being made and touted that he had a “a very good conversation” with Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff Thursday. Specifically, Zelenskyy said, talks focused on ending the war and efforts to ensure lasting peace in the region. Trump has met with Zelenskyy multiple times since taking office in January, including in February when Zelenskyy sparred openly with Trump and Vance in the Oval Office over engaging in diplomacy with Russia to end the conflict. Additionally, Trump met with Putin in Alaska in August. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.