Sanders’ answer when asked if he will endorse socialist Hong in Wisconsin sparks instant mockery: ‘Says a lot’
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was asked if he would endorse Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) member Francesca Hong’s Wisconsin gubernatorial bid, and his response sparked immediate mockery on social media. “I don’t think so,” the Vermont socialist told “Pod Save America” host Jon Favreau when asked if he is going to endorse Hong’s campaign for governor. “I met Francesca a couple of years ago. I was in Wisconsin, and she seems very, very nice, but again this is a race I’m just not that familiar with.” Sanders added that “we have not gotten involved in many governors’ races” other than recently in Maine, where he endorsed Democrat Troy Jackson, who ultimately replaced disgraced Senate candidate Graham Platner, a candidate Sanders endorsed. Political commentators quickly chimed in on social media suggesting that Sanders not endorsing Hong shows the senator doesn’t think she can win, with many pointing to Sanders’ strident support of Platner despite all of his political baggage. AFTER PLATNER IMPLOSION, MAINE DEMOCRATS RUSH TOWARD NEW SENATE NOMINEE DESPITE FRESH WARNING SIGNS “Bernie says he’s not backing Francesca Hong because he’s focused on the Senate,” Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross posted on X. “Yet he’s endorsed in mayoral races, House races, and Troy Jackson’s failed governor race in Maine. That’s how whacky Hong is”. “Says a lot,” Politico reporter Will Steakin posted on X. “Guy with the Nazi Tattoo ‘hey everyone makes mistakes’,” conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller posted on X. “Crazy communist lady – ‘not my cup of tea sorry.’” SOCIALIST FRONTRUNNER IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER ‘CANCEL THANKSGIVING’ POST EMERGES ONLINE “This guy endorsed a guy with a natzi [sic] tat but thinks @FrancescaHongWi is not worth an endorsement……,” Jerry Ponio, legislative director for Americans for Prosperity – Wisconsin, posted on X. “Yikes.” “Well, I guess even Bernie enjoys celebrating Thanksgiving at one of his three houses,” an account ran by Hong’s likely general election opponent, Republican Tom Tiffany, posted on X. Tiffany’s post references a controversial quote from Hong that went viral on social media where she suggested canceling Thanksgiving. “Francesca Hong, who is a Socialist candidate for Governor of Wisconsin is too radical…even for Bernie Sanders,” Turning Point Action Northeast Manager Brandon Maly posted on X. Fox News Digital reached out to the Hong campaign and Sanders’ office for comment. Critics have argued that Francesca Hong’s politics are too far to the left for a swing state like Wisconsin, contending that her identification as a socialist and support for ambitious progressive policies could make her less competitive in a general election. Hong’s social media account is littered with far-left pledges like abolishing the U.S. Senate and defunding the police. Hong recently tried to walk back those positions in recent interviews ahead of Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Wisconsin Department of Administration secretary Joel Brennan, and Democratic state Sen. Kelda Roys. Polls suggest Hong is likely to comfortably win that contest, which will advance her to a race against Tiffany, the likely Republican nominee, in November.
Dem senator presses OpenAI, Anthropic for answers in AI hacking probe
Revelations of OpenAI and Anthropic artificial intelligence agents hacking third parties has drawn the “serious concern” of Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., who is now seeking answers from the two businesses incorporated as public benefit companies (PBC) in her state. In separate letters dated Thursday to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, viewed by Fox News Digital, Blunt Rochester has requested detailed timelines, model instructions, internal approvals, security logs and complete transcripts from the companies’ cyber evaluations. The member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee gave both companies until Sept. 6 to respond. AI KILL SWITCH BILL COULD SHUT DOWN ROGUE MODELS “These incidents mark the first publicly confirmed instances of a frontier AI model autonomously launching unauthorized attacks on real people and companies, underscoring the urgent need for federal oversight of frontier AI systems,” Blunt Rochester wrote to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, calling for federal testing standards, containment rules and disclosure requirements for evaluations of powerful AI systems. Her concern follows another letter Monday, as first reported by Fox News Digital, from a coalition of 15 red-state attorneys general warning Altman to preserve documents and halt certain high-risk cybersecurity tests after an experimental artificial intelligence agent allegedly escaped a controlled environment and carried out a multi-day hack into outside computer systems. One day later, the United Kingdom’s AI Security Institute (AISI) identified 19 cases in which AI agents took actions outside the authorized scope of testing. Two involved OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol, while 17 involved Anthropic’s Mythos 5. OPENAI’S SAM ALTMAN WANTS TO NEGOTIATE A 5% STAKE IN COMPANY FOR US IF COMPETITORS AGREE TO KEY PROVISION “Anthropic models’ repeated attacks on third parties with no knowledge of, or role in, Anthropic and AISI’s evaluations demonstrate an alarming pattern of malicious behavior,” Blunt Rochester’s letter to Amodei read. “Furthermore, the successful attempts by these models to gain unauthorized internet access across multiple sandbox testing environments meant to be cut off from the public internet highlight serious issues with Anthropic’s testing partnerships and procedures. READ THE AISI REPORT – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: “To be clear, ‘misunderstanding[s]’ and ‘misconfiguration[s]’ with sandbox partners are unacceptable when the stakes are this high. “We cannot wait for a more consequential incident before establishing federal testing standards, containment requirements, and disclosure obligations for frontier model evaluations. “Left unaddressed, these gaps could allow a future model, potentially one with greater capability or less oversight, to compromise critical infrastructure, financial systems, or sensitive data.” These investigations carry a distinct Delaware dimension: OpenAI and Anthropic are organized as Delaware PBCs — legal structures that allow them to operate for profit but require their directors to weigh more than shareholder returns. KARR BLUETOOTH FLAW EXPOSES 2.2M CARS TO THEFT RISK Under Delaware law, a PBC board must balance three things: its stockholders’ financial interests, the interests of people materially affected by the company’s conduct and the specific public benefit written into the company’s charter. READ THE LETTER TO OPENAI – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: “This incident marks an important moment for AI safety and we take the questions raised by the Attorneys General seriously,” OpenAI wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital after Monday’s letter from the state AGs. “We are conducting a thorough review along with external advisors and with oversight from the Safety and Security Committee of the Board of Directors. Once the review is complete, we will share a technical report with the Attorneys General and other relevant government authorities and publish our findings publicly.” Blunt Rochester wants records related to the AI agent hacking now, too. CLICKLOCK MAC MALWARE LOCKS APPS UNTIL YOU GIVE IN “I appreciate that OpenAI has published preliminary findings, is coordinating with third parties on remediation, and is reviewing its approach to model testing,” she wrote to Altman, adding to Amodei, “I appreciate Anthropic’s voluntary review of its cybersecurity evaluations and public disclosure of the findings, and I encourage other companies to follow suit. “However, these incidents demonstrate the potential risks of deploying pre-release models internally, particularly when safeguards are reduced, even when strictly for testing and evaluation,” she wrote to both CEOs. READ THE LETTER TO ANTHROPIC – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: OpenAI disclosed in July that GPT-5.6 Sol and an internal prototype escaped an internal sandbox while their normal cybersecurity restrictions were disabled. The models allegedly accessed Hugging Face’s database and other services, launched roughly 17,000 attacks, used stolen credentials and exploited at least one previously unknown vulnerability. A separate test conducted by contractor Irregular allegedly allowed an OpenAI model onto the public internet because of a configuration error. The model mistook a real website for a target in a simulated hacking challenge and exploited a live security vulnerability. “AISI identified 19 instances in which an agent took unsanctioned action beyond the scope of the evaluation. Seventeen of the 19 instances involved Anthropic’s Mythos 5; two involved OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol,” Blunt Rochester wrote. The institute’s most serious findings included an agent attempting to place malicious code into a widely used open-source project on GitHub, creating fake identities to pressure a human maintainer, contacting real people and leaving public instructions that other AI systems could use to continue the operation. The maintainer rejected the code, and investigators reported finding no resulting real-world harm. PAIDWORK BREACH EXPOSES 23M USER RECORDS Blunt Rochester’s Anthropic letter separately cites three incidents in which Claude models allegedly gained unauthorized internet access and attacked three undisclosed organizations during cyber evaluations conducted with standard safeguards disabled. Two of the Anthropic models reportedly recognized that they had reached the open internet and were interacting with real targets but continued their attacks. “It is particularly concerning that Anthropic’s first identified security breach dates back to April 2026 and was not identified until three months later,” Blunt Rochester wrote to Amodei. “This is precisely the kind of emergent, autonomous behavior and offensive cyber capability that Congress, the intelligence community, and experts have repeatedly warned could outpace existing safeguards and could
Unearthed paper exposes Dem House hopeful’s ‘insane’ proposal for meeting climate goals
Manny Rutinel, Democratic candidate for Congress in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, once co-authored a paper that argued that livestock — not fossil fuels — should be more of a focus to combat global warming. “Simply put, achieving the Paris Agreement goals will be nearly impossible without ambitious policies that reform our food system,” Rutinel wrote in a 2022 paper with the Environmental Law Institute. “Despite the growing awareness of animal agriculture’s climate impact, climate policy and action have historically focused on electricity and fuel use.” EUROPE’S ‘GREEN IDEOLOGY’ CLIMATE AGENDA RISKS CRUSHING ITS INDUSTRY, ENVIRONMENT MINISTER WARNS The resurfaced paper is just the most recent resurfaced content complicating the political calculus for Rutinel as he strives to convince voters that his past rhetoric on climate and farming is not fully representative of his views now. Four years since the publication of his work, Rutinel’s election very well could depend on the heavy ranching presence in his district. Colorado’s 8th district is Colorado’s leading producer of beef cattle and dairy, accounting for 26% of the state’s output, according to Upstate Colorado Economic Development. Of its 2.5 million acres, 75% are devoted to farming and raising livestock. In recent months, Rutinel has worked to convince voters that he recognizes the industry’s importance. “Like all industry, there are bad apples, and I’ve spoken out against those bad apples that cause extreme and unnecessary animal cruelty in parts of the food industry and against the environmental cost of unsustainable food practices,” he said. “They’re good stewards of the land, they care for their animals, and they are the backbone of our economy and our communities. Colorado ranchers are my friends and neighbors, and I’ve gotten to know them,” he added. BATTLEGROUND DEMOCRAT FLIP-FLOPS ON CONVERSION THERAPY AFTER LEFT-WING BACKLASH But through advocacy in college, testimony made before local government and a climate group he started, Rutinel has pressed the case that many climate advocates have articulated in the past: that livestock contribute to global emissions as a byproduct through their digestive systems. The resurfaced paper brings a government-led approach to many of his vocalized positions. In it, Rutinel argued that ranchers and animal farmers should be incentivized through government initiatives to transition to plant-based farming with either a carrot or a stick. “Governments can require that agribusiness internalize the environmental, public health, and animal welfare costs of animal farms through regulations, mandates or taxes,” Rutinel wrote, suggesting penalties for companies to make up for their production. “But one food system policy idea has not received sufficient attention: the direct funding of farm transitions from concentrated animal feeding operations to plant-based operations,” he added. Rutinel also argued state and local governments could finance offsetting projects that would reduce emissions. “For example, a manufacturing facility in California can decrease its net emissions by purchasing offset credits that finance a reforestation project in Brazil. Offset credits can be purchased voluntarily or to exceed emission allowances within a compliance market.” To some onlookers who have cast doubt on Rutinel’s positions in the past, the statements appear to confirm that his position is further left on energy than many Democrats pushing aggressive climate initiatives through legislation like the Green New Deal. “You have to be legitimately insane to look at the Green New Deal and think it doesn’t go far enough. Meatless Manny’s vision to ban ranching would not only lead to catastrophic job losses in Colorado but also cause a beef shortage across America,” Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. HOUSE REPUBLICANS SPLINTER OVER PESTICIDE PROVISION IN FARM BILL AS MAHA MOVEMENT FLEXES ITS MUSCLE Rutinel’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he continues to believe that climate reform must, on some level, mean change for farming industries. Having cleared the Democratic primary, Rutinel will face off against Rep. Gabe Evans in the state’s Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Fetterman answers whether he’ll cross the aisle to confirm Trump AG nominee Todd Blanche
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said Wednesday he would not vote for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to officially take over the role leading the Department of Justice. During a Wednesday appearance on comedian Jon Stewart’s podcast, Fetterman was pressed on Democrats’ failure to use the Senate filibuster to block President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees. The senator responded by claiming he would not vote for Blanche, who is Trump’s choice for attorney general. “Many of them I didn’t vote for,” Fetterman said, referring to Trump’s Cabinet nominees. JOHN FETTERMAN MAKES IT ‘VERY CLEAR’ THAT HE’S ‘NOT GOING TO BE A REPUBLICAN’ DESPITE DEM BACKLASH “And if you’re going to bring up Blanche, I’m not going to vote for him as well. There are some that I would vote for, and then there are many that I haven’t because I just don’t believe that’s the right person for the job overall. I really try to call balls and strikes,” he told Stewart. Fetterman has been one of the Democratic senators most supportive of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, voting “yea” to confirm half of his nominees, according to a Fox News Digital review. He was the only Democrat to support Trump’s previous choice for attorney general, Pam Bondi. He also helped push Markwayne Mullin, the newest Homeland Security secretary, over the line, casting the decisive vote to advance Mullin out of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, 8-7. Fetterman was again the only Democrat to vote for Mullin’s confirmation, joining the 53 Senate Republicans to confirm Mullin in a 54-37 vote. Despite Fetterman supporting Trump’s previous pick to head the Department of Justice, it appears the president will not be able to count on his vote this time around. TRUMP AG PICK TODD BLANCHE FACES SENATE TEST IN FIRST MAJOR CONFIRMATION FIGHT SINCE GRAHAM’S DEATH Bondi won her nomination from the Senate in a 54-46 vote. Todd Blanche will likely have at least two fewer votes than that tally, as Fetterman joins Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in publicly expressing opposition to Blanche. “Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation,” Collins said Tuesday. Collins notably voted to confirm Blanche as the assistant attorney general in March. Two other potential GOP holdouts – Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, – are still undecided, according to The Hill. A pair of Republicans who had previously opposed Blanche’s nomination – Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. – flipped to “yeas” after Blanche agreed to stop pursuing a planned anti-weaponization fund. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate on a strict party line vote, 12-10. Fox News Digital contacted the White House, the DOJ and Fetterman for further comment.
Trump told donors ‘we need to elect JD,’ source confirms, as he weighs Vance or Rubio in 2028
President Donald Trump has publicly been coy about whether he might back Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio to succeed him in the White House, but private comments to donors suggest he might be leaning toward the man he already picked as his running mate in 2024. “At the end of the day, we need to elect JD,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with donors roughly two weeks ago, a source with knowledge of the comments, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, confirmed to Fox News Digital. The news was first reported by The Washington Post. While Vance remains the clear hypothetical frontrunner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has narrowed the gap in national polls and surveys conducted in key early voting presidential primary states, as well as in Republican straw polls, ahead of a race that is not expected to begin in earnest until after this autumn’s midterm elections. VANCE, CRUZ, HEAD TO IOWA ON 2026 MISSIONS AS 2028 GOP RACE TO SUCCEED TRUMP HEATS UP While Post sources say the remark is not evidence Trump has made a choice between his VP or Rubio, a man he has handed many hats in his administration, it is a rare and previously unreported lean of his long-term thinking. Trump made just one reference to Vance in his donor speech in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, hailing “the war on fraud led by our great Vice President JD Vance: He’s doing a great job.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Vance’s office for comment Thursday morning. Rubio, who as a senator from Florida was one of more than a dozen GOP contenders who ran and lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential primary, came in a close second to Vance earlier this year in the closely watched 2028 Republican presidential nomination straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The latest surveys and straw poll results are fuel for intrigue over what some in the Republican Party see as a budding rivalry between Rubio and Vance, who describe each other as friends. “The president runs this administration: He is the very top of the administration; he makes orders,” Vance told “The Ingraham Angle” in an exclusive sit down Wednesday night. “We, of course, have debates and conversations about what exactly we should do, but when the president of the United States makes a decision, we’re unified in this administration in carrying out that mission.” Despite Vance having won the 2024 running mate sweepstakes, Trump has also lavishly praised Rubio for his work in peacemaking efforts in Venezuela, Cuba and the Middle East, while simultaneously serving as national security advisor among his many leadership roles in the administration. The president earlier this year declared that Rubio would go down as “the greatest secretary of state in history.” Trump has also promoted a Vance-Rubio ticket as “unstoppable” — stopping short of explicitly saying who should be at the top of the ticket. Trump did say last year that Vance is “most likely” his heir, because “in all fairness, he’s the vice president.” NEW POLL COMPLICATES VANCE’S STATUS AS TRUMP’S LIKELY 2028 HEIR APPARENT Trump joked at the White House Correspondents Dinner last month – rescheduled after dodging another assassination attempt earlier this spring – he would be running for president for a fourth in a troll to his critics, donning a Trump 2028 While Vance has demurred when questioned about 2028, he has built a political team of advisors who, if he runs as expected, would quickly build out a presidential campaign. Rubio, who is crisscrossing the globe, does not have a similar group of political aides, and Rubio has said he will back Vance if the vice president launches a 2028 campaign. Notably, Vance is the RNC’s finance chair, ostensibly giving him the keys to the cash vault of more than $128 million cash on hand, according to the June Federal Elections Commission filing. “Vice President Vance has been a fundraising powerhouse for the RNC, supercharging our war chest as we head into the midterms,” RNC Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital in a statement. “He’s held record-breaking events across the country and brought new and longtime donors together with his ability to connect every corner of the America First movement. “As we prepare to protect and expand our Republican majorities, Vice President Vance will be a driving force behind the resources, energy, and momentum needed to win.” Republican sources confirmed to Fox News earlier this year that a group of GOP donors supporting the secretary of state is quietly exploring ways to boost Rubio’s political profile, which has not sat well with some in the president’s political orbit. VANCE CONFRONTED ABOUT 2028 AMBITIONS AFTER TRUMP TEASES ‘DREAM TEAM’ RUBIO TICKET “Vice President Vance is the future of the Republican Party, and Marco Rubio is one of his closest friends in the administration,” an operative in Trump’s political orbit told Fox News Digital earlier this year. “The divisive stories from some donors trying to cause chaos are not helpful,” the operative, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, emphasized. Trump more recently questioned White House staff about the two possible contenders during a flight aboard Marine One, according to the Post. Although one adviser told the newspaper that Trump has privately settled on Vance as the Republican heir apparent, six other advisers and allies said they were not convinced that the president had made up his mind. Those advisers noted that Trump sometimes gives different signals to different audiences and could change his position before the 2028 campaign begins. His aides also broadly expect him to delay any formal endorsement, in part to avoid diminishing his own influence during the remainder of his presidency. DEMOCRATS BUILD MIDTERM MOMENTUM, BUT REPUBLICANS STILL IN DRIVER’S SEAT IN SENATE MAJORITY BATTLE The dynamic resembles Trump’s 2024 search for a running mate, when Vance and Rubio were among the finalists. Advisers
Fauci held in contempt as COVID cellphone lands in hands of Senate investigators
Senate Republicans moved to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress in their pursuit of forcing the former architect of the nation’s COVID-19 response to go on record about his actions leading up to and during the pandemic. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted on sharp party lines to charge Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the president, with contempt after he refused to answer questions from both sides of the aisle over fear of self-incrimination. The move follows Fauci’s decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times during his hearing last week, which prompted the panel’s chair, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to vow that he would face “repercussions” for not testifying, or at least how Paul envisioned. FAUCI’S HHS IPHONE TURNED OVER TO SENATE INVESTIGATORS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS Typically, once a contempt resolution passes by committee, it heads to the Senate floor for a full vote. However, Paul’s resolution allows that step to be skipped altogether and allows him to send the referral directly to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. But Paul wants the Department of Justice (DOJ) involved as soon as possible. There’s also the question whether Fauci’s pardon from former President Joe Biden protected him during the hearing, which Paul hopes to find answers to. “It’s a good legal discussion, and we will make those legal points to DOJ in sending the referral over,” Paul told Fox News Digital ahead of the hearing. RAND PAUL PREDICTS FAUCI CONTEMPT VOTE WILL PASS, VOWS SWIFT DOJ REFERRAL It’s another chapter in the feud between Paul and Fauci that has extended over the last several years since the onset of the pandemic. Paul has accused the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director of funding “risky” research that led to an alleged lab leak of the COVID-19 virus in China and has demanded that he end up behind bars. And in the background, a copy of Fauci’s pandemic-era cellphone is now in the possession of Senate Republican investigators. Fox News Digital confirmed that the Robert F. Kennedy Jr.-led Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent over a copy of the phone to the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FAUCI’S HEARING: PAUL BOOTS LAWYER, MORENO ERUPTS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS That committee falls under the umbrella of Paul’s Homeland Security panel, which also received a trove of over 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before last week’s hearing. It is unclear if Johnson and Paul have access to the information on the phone. Meanwhile, across the marble expanse of the Capitol, Republican investigators in the House are cooking up their own probe into Fauci. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., previously signaled that he was not done with Fauci, either. After the longtime public health official pleaded the Fifth Amendment during his Senate hearing, Comer questioned the validity of his preemptive pardon granted by President Joe Biden. He also said his committee would be questioning Fauci further, though he did not elaborate. “If former President Biden’s blanket autopen pardon is valid, then Dr. Fauci has no right to refuse to answer questions,” Comer said, noting his committee had done extensive work probing the autopen pardons. “Based on the release of Dr. Fauci’s diary, which should have been provided to the House Oversight Committee last Congress…we’ll be asking Dr. Fauci whether he stands by his previous testimony to our Committee.”
US pauses government operations in cartel-ridden Mexican state
The U.S. State Department said a “threat against American interests” forced the United States to suspend all of its government activities in a Mexican state where visitors face a risk of violence “from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations.” The warning from the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico about the state of Michoacan, which is located west of Mexico City, includes a halt to the inspections of avocados required for their export, according to The Associated Press. “Due to a threat against American interests, U.S. government activities in Michoacan State have been suspended as of August 5,” the message read. “Reminder that the U.S. travel advisory designates Michoacan as a Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ area.” While the U.S. Embassy did not specify the nature of the threat in its security alert, Michoacan Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said on social media that a temporary halt to avocado inspections was intended to safeguard workers following recent arrests linked to alleged extortion, the AP reported. 5 MEXICAN CARTEL BOSSES CHARGED IN WEAPONS, DRUG TRAFFICKING, TIMESHARE FRAUD SCHEMES, DOJ SAYS The western state of Michoacan is the leading exporter of avocados to the U.S. and has a high level of organized crime activity with at least four cartels — designated as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration — operating in the region. Besides trafficking drugs, cartels also make money through extortion, including in the avocado industry. The State Department warns Americans to “exercise increased caution” throughout Mexico due to “terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.” For Michoacan state, it said, “There is a risk of violence in the state from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations.” Michoacan State Security Secretary Antonio Cruz told the AP that one of the arrests mentioned by the governor was of “El Poncho,” the alias of Alfonso Fernández Magallón, leader of a local cartel operating in the avocado-growing region around Los Reyes. SINALOA CARTEL BOSS ‘EL MAYO’ SENTENCED TO LIFE, ORDERED TO PAY $15B IN DRUG TRAFFICKING PROFITS U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson welcomed the arrest, which came over the weekend. The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward. Cruz said his department was unaware of any direct incidents involving the avocado inspectors. However, 300 security personnel were deployed to the Los Reyes area as a preventive measure. The governor said the priority was to “ensure the security conditions necessary for these operations to resume normally,” as has happened in the past. In 2025, Mexico sold $3.65 billion worth of avocados to the United States, and in the first four months of this year, those exports rose by 35% compared to the same period in the previous year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sends inspectors into Mexico to monitor plantations and packing houses to ensure that exported produce is free of pests. Threats and violence against the inspectors have caused the U.S. to suspend inspections in the past. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump blasts Democratic socialist candidate as ‘full of s—‘ and Dems are skipping socialism ‘for communism’
President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed Wednesday, singling out the progressive candidate as “full of s—” while arguing Democrats are embracing communism. The remarks came hours after El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democrat Senate primary, winning by less than one percentage point after The Associated Press called the race early Wednesday. He will face Republican Mike Rogers in November for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters. Trump devoted several minutes of his Las Vegas speech to attacking democratic socialist candidates, arguing they are advancing communist ideas and calling communism “the greatest threat” facing the United States. SOCIALIST SURGE: FAR-LEFT DEMOCRATS TEST NATIONAL PLAYBOOK AFTER BLUE-CITY PRIMARY SHOCKS “These people are dangerous and frankly, they are lunatics. They’re crazy, and we can’t let them get into office,” Trump said. “Communism is the greatest threat to our country in its history, including even World War One, World War Two, Pearl Harbor, 9/11. I think it’s the greatest threat.” The White House later amplified that portion of Trump’s remarks on social media, posting simply: “Communism is the greatest threat to our country.” Trump mocked what he said communist policies would mean for Americans. “Would you like a free house? We’ll take one from your neighbor. Would you like free rent? We’ll take it from whoever. We’ll take your building away from the landlord,” Trump said. “What they don’t say, and what Republicans should say, is that at the end of the year, you’ll have nothing but death, squalor, poverty. You’ll have a life of hell.” LIZ PEEK: MICHIGAN CAN STOP THE SOCIALIST FEVER RAGE — OR WATCH IT SWALLOW THE SENATE The president pointed to Venezuela as an example of what he said happens when communist policies take hold. “Look at Venezuela, where it was such a rich country 20 years ago,” Trump said. “Every time this has happened, you go through squalor … filth, crime, death, destruction, embarrassment. You lose your home. You lose your apartment.” Trump then singled out El-Sayed by name, drawing one of the loudest reactions of the night. “When I watch Abdul, he’s full of s—,” Trump said. 2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN El-Sayed’s victory gives Democrats a progressive nominee in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races. Backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., El-Sayed campaigned on Medicare for All, getting money out of politics and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. He has described himself as a capitalist and has distanced himself from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), though Republicans have frequently tied him to the broader democratic socialist movement. Trump later returned to a familiar theme from the second term of his presidency. “If you remember, during my State of the Union speech, I made a very strong statement. I said that America will never be a socialist country,” Trump said. “I was right.” The president argued Democrats now want to move beyond socialism. TRUMP HAILS AMERICA AS ‘MOST EXCEPTIONAL NATION EVER TO EXIST’ IN MOUNT RUSHMORE SPEECH “What I didn’t say is what they’re trying to do. They want to skip socialism. They want to go right down to the bottom of the barrel. That’s communism,” Trump said. “They want it to be a communist country. We’re not letting them have it as a communist country, not even for a minute.” Trump closed by vowing to defeat what he called the Democrat Party’s leftward movement. “Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America once and for all,” Trump said. “It’s defeated. It’s going to go down. It always goes down.” The White House and El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Kiera McDonald, and Robert Schmad contributed to this reporting.
Federal judge acknowledges Supreme Court ruling clearing path for Trump to end Haiti TPS
President Donald Trump on Wednesday notched a major immigration victory after a federal judge acknowledged that the court order blocking the administration from ending temporary protected status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitians is no longer in effect after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Mullin v. Doe. The ruling marks the culmination of a yearslong legal battle over the Biden administration’s expansion of Haiti’s TPS designation and delivers a significant immigration victory for Trump, who repeatedly campaigned on ending the Biden administration’s expanded TPS protections for Haitians. The issue became a centerpiece of the 2024 election after Trump and running mate JD Vance blamed the Biden administration’s Haiti TPS policies for the influx of Haitian migrants into Springfield, Ohio, where residents raised concerns about traffic safety, strained public services and cultural clashes. BLUE STATE LEADERS ERUPT AFTER SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ENDING TPS PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIANS, SYRIANS The controversy later exploded onto the national stage after Trump referenced residents’ claims that migrants were taking ducks and geese from parks and eating household pets. The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by publication time. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes wrote Wednesday that her earlier order staying the Department of Homeland Security‘s (DHS) termination of Haiti’s TPS designation “is no longer in effect” after the Supreme Court’s decision and the D.C. Circuit’s subsequent mandate. While the underlying lawsuit will continue, the administration is no longer barred by the injunction from moving forward with ending TPS protections for an estimated 330,000 to 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S. The remaining litigation centers on whether the administration acted with unconstitutional racial animus in terminating the designation. LIBERAL COURT STUNS WITH RULING THAT HANDS TRUMP MAJOR IMMIGRATION WIN The Supreme Court ruled in June that the TPS statute bars judicial review of the administration’s non-constitutional decisions to terminate TPS designations and found the plaintiffs’ equal protection challenge was unlikely to succeed. The court reversed the lower courts and remanded the case for further proceedings. DHS General Counsel James Percival pushed back on reports suggesting Wednesday’s order itself ended Haiti’s TPS designation, arguing the protections effectively expired when the Supreme Court’s mandate was issued July 27 and that Reyes’ order merely acknowledged that legal reality. “Haiti TPS ended when the Supreme Court mandate issued on July 27,” Percival wrote on X. “I will give Judge Reyes kudos though for taking the L with grace and not doing something bonkers like many of her colleagues.” Haiti first received TPS after the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake, but the designation remained in place for 16 years through multiple administrations. The Biden administration later expanded and extended protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians already living in the U.S. MORE THAN 100 HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS WITH VIOLENT OFFENSE AND SEX CRIME CONVICTIONS DEPORTED: DHS After reviewing conditions in Haiti, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem determined the country no longer met the statutory requirements for TPS and announced the administration’s decision to terminate the designation, arguing the humanitarian program had been extended well beyond its intended temporary purpose. The move triggered the legal challenge that ultimately reached the Supreme Court. After the SCOTUS decision, the DHS announced Haiti’s TPS designation would be terminated, effective July 27, and that employment authorization documents issued under the designation were no longer valid. The department instructed employers to reverify the work authorization of affected employees. The State Department maintains a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti because of widespread gang violence, kidnappings and civil unrest. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Fauci’s HHS iPhone turned over to Senate investigators as contempt vote looms
Fox News Digital has confirmed that a key investigative panel in the Senate has obtained Dr. Anthony Fauci’s pandemic-era cellphone. The cellphone was transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. A spokesperson for the senator told Fox News Digital the subcommittee “obtained a copy of Dr. Fauci’s iPhone that was used during his time at HHS.” Whether the panel has access to the phone remains unclear. RAND PAUL SEEKS CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER FAUCI INVOKES FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES The committee’s procurement of the phone, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes as the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee readies to decide whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. It also follows the HHS’ move to dump over 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary to the panel just days before the blockbuster hearing. The hearing, slated for Thursday morning, comes after the panel’s chair, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., subpoenaed Fauci to testify on his alleged role in funding “risky” gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 virus originated. A source close to Paul’s office told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker is also in possession of the phone. Last week’s testimony was meant to serve as the climatic duel between Fauci and Paul, who has demanded Fauci be thrown into prison for his role in the nation’s pandemic policy and alleged lies to Congress. But it didn’t turn out that way. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FAUCI’S HEARING: PAUL BOOTS LAWYER, MORENO ERUPTS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS Fauci, on advice from his lawyers, opted to plead the Fifth Amendment out of concern about self-incrimination before a panel that he charged was designed to ensnare him. “Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions,” Fauci said. What ensued was Republicans on the panel peppering Fauci with questions probing his involvement in an alleged lab leak that led to the virus’ rapid spread to what day of the week it was. Democrats charged that his decision to activate his constitutional rights was the right call given Paul and his colleagues’ determination to catch him in a lie. WATCH: RAND PAUL SAYS THERE’S ONE THING AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM FAUCI And it culminated in Paul vowing that Fauci would face consequences for declining to comment and questioning whether his pardon from former President Joe Biden could protect him. “I think there’s another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon, and that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity,” Paul said at the time. Fox News Digital did not immediately receive comment from HHS on Fauci’s pandemic-era iPhone.