California launches redistricting fight to ‘nullify’ Texas GOP plan, with Dems poised to gain 5 seats
As the controversy surrounding Texas’s redistricting efforts still rages, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday that the Golden State will move forward with a plan for a special election in early November to place its own redistricting plan on a ballot measure before voters. Newsom said the move was a counterpunch to Texas and was being done in a transparent fashion, but would also likely see Democrats pick up five seats if the measure is adopted. The plan would allow Democrats to temporarily bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission and adopt a new congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. “We are talking about emergency measures to respond to what’s happening in Texas and we will nullify what happens in Texas,” Newsom said at a Friday press conference flanked by several California lawmakers and some Texas Democrats who fled their state. STEVE HILTON: WHY I’M LAUNCHING A LEGAL WAR AGAINST CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS’ UNCONSTITUTIONAL POWER GRAB “We’ll pick up five seats with the consent of the people. And that’s the difference between the approach we’re taking and the approach they’re taking,” Newsom continued. “We’re doing it on a temporary basis. We’re doing it in a fully transparent way and we’re doing it by asking the people of the state of California for their consent and support.” California would be the first Democratic-led state to actively begin the process of passing new congressional district lines ahead of the 2026 midterms in response to Texas’s redistricting push. Newsom said Democrats have until Aug. 22 to get the measure on the ballot and he railed against President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in justifying the move. “Greg Abbott, who doesn’t have the courage, doesn’t have the backbone, doesn’t have a conscience of the consequences of his actions… is dialing now for new seats,” Newsom said Friday, referring to the Texas governor’s push for a mid-decade redistricting map and a call with President Trump. “[Trump’s] agenda is failing. His presidency has failed. He knows the headwinds in a midterm. He’s dialing for seats now.” ‘ALL-OUT WAR’: FLEEING TEXAS DEMS SIDE WITH NEWSOM AS REDISTRICTING STANDOFF CONTINUES: ‘FIRE WITH FIRE’ Texas Republicans, encouraged by the Trump administration, are pursuing a congressional map aimed at adding up to five GOP-leaning districts, prompting fierce backlash and counteraction. Texas Democrats have fled the Lone Star State to Democrat-stronghold states to break quorum and halt the vote. The Texas House requires a quorum of two-thirds of members present to conduct official business and state lawmakers have reported they plan to be absent from the state until the end of August, when the special session ends. Texas Democrats argue that their state’s redistricting plan is unconstitutional and nakedly partisan. Pelosi defended the Texas walkout, calling it “self-defense for our democracy.” She said Democrats will not let Trump “pave over” free and fair elections in the country. Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows signed arrest warrants for the absent Democrats on Monday, following the state House approving of such warrants and Gov. Greg Abbott calling on the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the “delinquent Texas House Democrats.” The arrest warrants are largely viewed as symbolic as they only apply to those within state lines. California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Democrat, said maps would be available to view next week. “Once these maps are released, voters will have the opportunity to digest these maps, review them for weeks and months leading to this election,” he said. Fox News’ Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Local entrepreneur sounds alarm on local leaders over viral street attack: ‘Democrat monopoly’
CINCINNATI, OHIO – Southwest Ohio residents are expressing outrage at local leadership after a viral street fight in their backyard that captured the nation’s attention. One resident, a local political activist, told Fox News Digital a “Democrat monopoly” is partially to blame. The Saturday night violence in downtown Cincinnati on July 26, which left a woman knocked unconscious on the street at the hands of a male assailant, was the result of a city that wasn’t “prepared” due to political ideology, Price Hill native Adam Koehler told Fox News Digital. He added that the response to the fight was “not leadership.” “Leadership comes out and says, ‘Hey, we’ve got a problem. Here’s my solution to fix it,’” Koehler said. “But instead, they want to be cowardly and hide the fact that crime is actually happening.” Cincinnati’s mayor and other local officials have faced heated criticism in recent days over the perception they are not taking crime seriously. One elected Democrat, Councilwoman Victoria Parks, posted on social media saying that the victims of the fight “begged for that beatdown.” CINCINNATI MAN WHO LOST EYE IN UNSOLVED RANDOM BEATING SAYS CRIME ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ AFTER BRUTAL VIRAL ASSAULT “This is a Democrat monopoly they’ve got here,” Koehler, an entrepreneur and former candidate for Hamilton County commissioner, told Fox News Digital. “So, I mean they can just pretty much do whatever they want. And a lot of that kind of rhetoric is excused, right? It’s, you know, past injustices and you know now I feel like I can say whatever I want and it’s excused. And luckily there are some city council members that denounced the words that Victoria Parks said, which is great, but you’ve got other people that just want to stoke the flames.” Holly, the woman brutally knocked out and bruised in the attack, told Fox News this week she is yet to receive a phone call from the mayor or top officials “just apologizing for what happened and for letting these thugs and criminals run the streets when they should have been in jail to begin with.” Koehler told Fox News Digital that Democrats running the city “have an agenda” and “want to look a certain way” and “ignore the problem.” “It’s a lot of these ideologies that come out of the universities, right?” Koehler said. “Every generation thinks they figured something out about crime and they’re soft-hearted people, they wanted to do things, but, you know, policies like what Giuliani did in New York, those kind of things work.” CINCINNATI POLICE CHIEF SAYS OUT OF 100 PEOPLE WATCHING AND RECORDING VIOLENT ATTACK, ONLY 1 CALLED 911 Koehler, who was speaking to Fox News Digital outside a GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy town hall event on Cincinnati’s west side, said figures like Ramaswamy, Sen. Bernie Moreno, and Ohio native VP JD Vance are reasons to be optimistic about addressing the crime spike downtown. “Those guys got power,” Koehler said. “I mean you start throwing the DOJ down here and start investigating some of the things that are happening, why wasn’t there more police there?” Koehler added, “I mean there’s a lot of grifting that goes on whenever you have a one-party monopoly in any city. Obviously, you’re gonna have corruption. And it’s just, it’s festered here, and it’s culminated in what you see.” Moreno said this week he is introducing “Holly’s Act,” a move aimed at ending what he calls the justice system’s revolving door for repeat offenders. “Let’s be honest, because a lot of times you guys are qualifying this as a brawl,” Moreno told reporters. “This was attempted murder of an innocent woman. And that person had a rap sheet a mile long. Nobody who has that rap sheet should be walking the streets of any Ohio city free.” Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
Lone Star State rivals for US Senate compete to wrangle runaway Democrats
A super PAC supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s 2026 primary challenge against longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn is showcasing the MAGA firebrand’s efforts in the Lone Star State’s high-stakes redistricting battle. It’s the latest example of how the redistricting showdown in Texas is shaping what is likely to be one of the most bruising and expensive Senate races in next year’s midterm elections. A digital spot by Lone Star Liberty PAC includes a compilation of cable news reports, and it highlights Paxton’s efforts to track down Democratic Texas lawmakers who fled the state to prevent the Republican-dominated legislature from voting on new GOP-crafted congressional maps in the red state that would create five more right-leaning congressional districts. It includes a clip of Paxton pushing “to remove some of these legislators from office” and conservative media figures praising the attorney general’s moves. If also includes a photo of Paxton standing next to President Donald Trump, who remains neutral to date in the GOP primary battle. TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL PAXTON INVESTIGATING BETO O’ROURKE The Republican push in Texas, which comes at Trump’s urging, is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to keep control of its razor-thin House majority in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats stormed back to grab the House majority in the 2018 midterms. SEN. CORNYN SUCCESSFUL IN URGING FBI TO TRACK DOWN FLEEING TEXAS DEMOCRATIC STATE LAWMAKERS While the redistricting battle has spread to states across the country as Democratic governors in blue states and GOP governors in red states move toward rare mid-decade gerrymandering pushes of their own, the dispute in Texas is taking center stage in the GOP Senate primary. Texas-based veteran Republican strategist Tyler Norris told Fox News Cornyn and Paxton “are using every tool at their disposal to prove that they’re both dedicated to helping the Trump administration gain more seats in Congress for 2026.” Cornyn spotlighted his urgent letter asking the FBI for help in tracking down the Democratic state lawmakers who fled Texas. The senator’s move resulted in the FBI approving his request to locate the AWOL lawmakers. “I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,” Cornyn said in a statement. “We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities.” But it remains unclear whether the FBI could actually return the lawmakers to Texas. Paxton is also looking into whether two political action committees aligned with former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas may have violated state laws by assisting the state lawmakers who fled. “Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto bribe will be held accountable,” Paxton said this week during a news conference. O’Rourke came close to ousting Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2018 midterms before running unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. He lost to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the state’s 2022 gubernatorial contest, and is considering jumping into the 2026 Senate race in Texas. He’s been visible in his support for the fleeing Texas Democrats. And O’Rourke has pushed back against Paxton. “The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats,” O’Rourke argued in a social media post Wednesday. “Let’s stop these thugs before they steal our country.” But Paxton scored a victory over O’Rourke on Friday, as a Texas county judge granted him a temporary restraining order to prevent O’Rourke and his political groups from funding the state lawmakers who left Texas. Texas state Sen. James Talarico, who is also moving toward entering the Senate race, is among the Democrats who fled to Illinois to prevent the legislature from voting on the redistricting plan. Since arriving in Illinois, Talarico has sat for a couple dozen interviews with media outlets across the country. The only major Democrat who’s already announced his candidacy in the Senate race, former Rep. Colin Allred, is also supportive of the fleeing lawmakers. But Allred, who is making his second straight bid for the Senate in Texas, has not been in the media spotlight to the degree of Talarico or O’Rourke.
Fetterman joins fiscal hawks to sound alarm as national debt nears staggering $37T
The U.S. national debt is rapidly approaching $37 trillion with no signs of slowing down as President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is projected to raise budget deficits by $2.4 trillion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) dynamic analysis. Senators from both parties sounded the alarm on the staggering debt crisis in interviews with Fox News Digital on Capitol Hill. “I’m very, very deeply concerned about that,” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said. “I think that’s gonna be part of the next big crisis, where we are gonna have to confront our national debt because it wasn’t that long ago that a trillion was unthinkable, and now that there’s 40 trillion approaching in our debt, we really have to address it, honestly.” Trump signed his “one big beautiful bill” by Congress’ self-imposed July 4 deadline. It includes the fulfillment of Trump’s key campaign promises through the reconciliation process, including tax cuts and reforms to immigration, energy and Medicaid. MAGA COUNTRY VOTERS SOUND ALARM OVER ‘RIDICULOUS’ NATIONAL DEBT AMID DEBATE OVER TRUMP-BACKED BILL But conservative fiscal hawks, including Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted no and regularly sports a national debt clock badge, threatened to derail its passage as they spoke out against its contribution to the national debt. DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED BUDGET OFFICE WRONGLY ANALYZED TRUMP’S BIG BILL, MISSED RECORD SAVINGS, WHITE HOUSE SAYS Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., a Trump ally and advocate for the bill, told Fox News Digital, “The time for tough conversations is now.” She said the United States must continue to look for waste, fraud and abuse—a nod to former Trump-ally turned online foe, Elon Musk, who spearheaded efforts to cut government spending via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier this year, before a well-documented fallout between Trump. “When you think of things like Social Security and Medicare, people say that they could be insolvent within the next eight years,” arguing that interest on the U.S. debt and mandatory spending on programs, like Medicaid, are taking up a big portion of the pie. “We’ve got to make sure that we are more responsible with taxpayer dollars,” Britt added. Meanwhile, freshman Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, described the U.S. debt crisis as a “moral failing that we leave this country to our kids and grandkids with this kind of level of debt.” “$37 trillion of debt is unimaginable, right? We’ve got to balance our budget. We need to do it right now. If we don’t do it, what’s going to happen is interest [rates] are going to go up. Inflation is not going to be under control. It’s real simple,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., agreed, “We need to focus on spending, spending, spending. I’ve been beating this drum really since I got here, but particularly with this administration, since January 1st, trying to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level spending.” While Republicans have led the charge on eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government spending, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said the number one priority should be reversing “all these massive tax breaks of billionaires and millionaires in America.” Trump’s megabill included an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), as well as new tax breaks on tipped wages and overtime. Markey added, “We can save trillions and trillions of dollars that are going to be wasted in our country by giving these massive taxpayers by the trillions to the wealthiest. We also have to re-examine our defense budget. We actually don’t need a whole new generation of nuclear weapons.”
Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from funding Texas Dems who fled to stop GOP redistricting vote
A Texas judge ruled Friday against Beto O’Rourke and his nonprofit in a case brought by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused them of illegally raising funds to support Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to block GOP redistricting legislation. Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey handed down a temporary restraining order Friday evening against O’Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate, and his group, Powered by People, over alleged “unlawful fundraising practices” tied to efforts to support Texas Democrats who fled the state — including funding air travel, lodging, logistics and daily fines. “Defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law],” Fahey wrote in her Friday evening ruling. “Consumer have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law.” BETO O’ROURKE ASKED POINT BLANK WHY HE’S HELPING DEMS FLEE TEXAS RATHER THAN HELPING TEXANS Fahey’s order bars O’Rourke or his group from continuing to fundraise or provide financial support to the fleeing Texas Democrats. The ruling came only hours after Paxton’s office filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke. Fahey is a Republican, and she was appointed by GOP Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott in 2019. In response to the ruling, O’Rourke put out a statement arguing that Paxton is trying to shut down his nonprofit “because our volunteers fight for voting rights and free elections,” which he called “the kind of work that threatens the hold that Paxton, Trump, and Abbott have on power in Texas.” GEORGE SOROS, BETO O’ROURKE BEHIND FUNDING FOR DEMS FLEEING TEXAS OVER GOP CONGRESSIONAL MAP “They want to make examples out of those who fight so that others won’t,” O’Rourke added. “Now Paxton’s filed a restraining order to try to take us out of the fight. He wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization. He wants to stop us from fighting Trump’s attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power. But I’m not going anywhere. I plan on speaking at our rally to stop the power grab in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon.” “Cry more, lib,” Paxton said in response to O’Rourke’s statement. “You lost in court because you’re breaking the law and deceiving Texans. We absolutely will make an example out of law breakers.” In addition to Powered By People, Paxton also launched an investigation into the Texas Majority PAC, which has also been accused of being a major funder of the fleeing Texas Democrats. Meanwhile, O’Rourke filed his own lawsuit against Paxton in El Paso district court on Friday, The Texas Tribune reported. O’Rourke has accused Paxton of launching a “fishing expedition” and asked a judge to block Paxton’s investigation into his nonprofit’s practices.
Trump administration demands $1B settlement from UCLA over campus antisemitism claims
The Trump administration is seeking $1 billion from UCLA to settle discrimination and antisemitism allegations in exchange for restoring more than half a billion dollars in frozen grant funding to the university. The proposed agreement sent to the school Friday requires UCLA to pay the federal government $1 billion over multiple installments, along with establishing a $172 million claims fund for alleged victims of violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The Trump administration has already suspended $584 million in federal grants from UCLA after the Justice Department announced it found the school violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. TRUMP CONGRATULATES IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL AFTER $50M DEAL TO RESTORE FEDERAL FUNDING: ‘WOKE IS OFFICIALLY DEAD’ In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, UC President James Milliken said the university system had received the document with the offer and was reviewing it. “Earlier this week, we offered to engage in good-faith dialogue with the (Justice) Department to protect the university and its critical research mission,” Milliken said. “As a public university, we are stewards of taxpayer resources, and a payment of this scale would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system as well as inflict great harm on our students and all Californians. “Americans across this great nation rely on the vital work of UCLA and the UC system for technologies and medical therapies that save lives, grow the U.S. economy and protect our national security.” “Demanding $1 billion from a publicly-funded, leading research institution is a misuse of tax dollars that will hurt the University’s mission of serving students and the public,” he said in a statement. “UCLA, and the larger UC system, has taken meaningful steps to make it clear that combatting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students, faculty, and community members on campus is a top priority.” “They have been committed to increasing security, strengthening policies against hate, and engaging directly with Jewish voices to better inform their approach,” he added. “If the Administration’s mission is truly to protect the Jewish community, they would be supporting that work – not hamstringing it with these outlandish demands that would only take away needed resources and services for students and faculty.” UCLA PAYS BIG SETTLEMENT OVER ‘JEW EXCLUSION ZONE’ DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS FROM STUDENTS California state Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat whose district encompasses UCLA, said the Trump administration’s demand is “harming the engines of American power, innovation, and, indeed, greatness.” The move came a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized settlements between Columbia and Brown universities, both Ivy League schools, and the Trump administration. “We’re not Brown, we’re not Columbia, and I’m not going to be governor if we act like that,” Newsom said while speaking in San Francisco. “Period. Full stop, I will fight like hell to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Columbia will pay more than $220 million to resolve multiple federal civil rights investigations, including $21 million to settle claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel. Brown will shell out $50 million over a decade to state workforce development organizations as part of a deal struck with the U.S. government. In July, UCLA agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Jewish students and faculty members over the school’s handling of anti-Israel protests, including allowing protesters to ban Jews from a part of the campus known as a “Jew Exclusion Zone.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The lawsuit was brought last year by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which accused UCLA of “aiding and abetting” an antisemitic culture, including “segregating Jewish students and preventing them from accessing the heart of campus.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Walz under fire for axe murderer’s release
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -US appeals court blocks Trump contempt proceedings ordered by Boasberg -Inside NASA’s fast-track plans for lunar nuclear power and new space stations to outpace global rivals –Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer called ‘highly unusual’ by former federal prison official EXCLUSIVE: The highest-ranking Minnesotan in Congress is blasting Gov. Tim Walz after a man who murdered his family as a teenager was released from prison. “Once again, Tim Walz proves why he is one of the worst governors in the country,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. “Not only do his soft-on-crime policies rob victims of the justice they deserve, but they also put the safety of every Minnesotan at risk. Being a self-proclaimed knucklehead doesn’t excuse the chaos he has caused with his dangerous, far-left agenda.” Emmer, as the GOP whip, is the No. 3 House Republican leader…READ MORE. CARTEL TAKEDOWN: Trump approves military action against Latin American cartels classified as terrorist organizations IN CUFFS: Kash Patel slams ‘corrupt’ sanctuary sheriff indicted for cannabis company extortion PARTY HOPPER: EXCLUSIVE: Duncan says Trump’s attacks justify his switch from GOP to Democratic Party: ‘He’s making my case for me’ ‘REAL CONSEQUENCES’: Noem, in Illinois, calls out Gov. Pritzker, Chicago’s mayor over their handling of criminal illegal immigrants GLOBAL DEPORT LINKS: List of countries taking in illegal immigrant deportees grows with latest African partners SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: US, UK ‘disagree’ on Gaza plan but ‘share’ same goal Vance says ahead of Lammy meeting PATRIOTISM UPROAR: Cuban-born congressman calls for ‘Squad’ member’s removal over ‘Guatemalan before American’ remark HEATED BATTLE: Former Democratic advisor says party’s rhetoric on redistricting is getting ‘a little out of control’ PACS UNDER PROBE: Texas AG investigates Beto O’Rourke PAC over support for quorum-breaking lawmakers JOB RUNNING: Party of ‘crazies’: Dems comply with outrageous redistricting stunts due to primary threats, state rep says ON THE RUN: Texas asks Illinois court to enforce arrest warrants for Democratic lawmakers BREAKING POINT: Chicago’s budget shortfall puts spotlight on Mamdani’s ‘socialism’ agenda for New York City CASH CLASH: Georgia attorney general sues GOP opponent in governor’s race over campaign financing PUBLIC SCHOOL CRISIS: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker lambasted for new ‘disastrous policy’ requiring mental health screenings for kids Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
WATCH: GOP senators divided over whether Epstein documents are a distraction or a needed reckoning
Republican senators offered a range of responses when pressed on how the Trump administration has been handling the Epstein files controversy, with some calling it a distraction and others arguing the American people are “entitled” to answers. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the “first phase” of declassified files related to Jeffrey Epstein Feb. 27, noting the move was following through on President Donald Trump’s commitment to “lifting the veil” on Epstein and his co-conspirator’s actions. Bondi also said the same month she was in possession of an Epstein “client list.” However, the February declassification contained mostly information and files that had already been publicly available, and the Justice Department subsequently indicated that no “client list” exists. Since then, a series of events, including a clash between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Attorney General Bondi, have led to mounting pressure on the Trump administration to release more files. ‘NOT GOING AWAY’: INSIDE THE EPSTEIN DRAMA THAT’S THROWN HOUSE GOP INTO CHAOS “This is factual. Epstein trafficked a lot of young women, some of whom were minors. The American people are entitled to know who — if anyone — he trafficked these young women to, besides himself, and why they weren’t prosecuted,” John Kennedy, R-La., said. “Now that’s a very simple question that’s at the bottom of all of this. The Department of Justice is going to have to answer that question to the satisfaction of the American people.” TABLES TURN AS HOUSE GOP BLASTS DEMS FOR SUDDENLY DEMANDING EPSTEIN TRANSPARENCY FROM TRUMP ADMIN Kennedy’s call for transparency comes after the president described the Epstein situation as a “hoax” while blasting Democrats and other “weaklings” who continue to buy into it. “Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bull—-,’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last month amid mounting reports of internal division within the administration over its handling of the Epstein case When asked about how the Trump administration was handling the Epstein furor, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he thought the situation was being used by Democrats to create a “distraction” from the ongoing investigations into former President Biden and others, like the probe related to Biden’s use of an autopen tool to sign important documents and the investigation into whether Obama-era officials manufactured evidence to accuse Trump of Russian collusion. “Look what’s being investigated right now through the Biden administration. … So, what are they going to talk about now?” Mullin asked. “This is nothing but a distraction from the actual facts that is coming out about the Biden administration. Of course, the Democrats say, ‘Well, we’re just about transparency.’ Well, where was the transparency the last four years?” Democrats have suggested Trump could be implicated in the files, but Mullin said that if such a circumstance were true, the information would have been leaked by the Biden administration. Mullin’s counterpart in the Senate, Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford took more of a middle ground in his response about how the administration has been handling the Epstein files. “The challenge is there are people that are victims that are in it, and there are folks that are not criminals that are in it as well,” Lankford said. “And the challenge the Department of Justice has is you’ve got a girl that was 14, 16 years old and was abused. Well, now she’s, let’s say 26 or 30, married and has children. “Maybe her family knows about this, maybe they don’t. I don’t know the situation, but we gotta figure out a way to be able to protect those folks that are genuine victims on all this as well as getting out as much information as you possibly can.” For Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the debate about the Epstein files was not something she was interested in talking about when approached by Fox News Digital. “I’m going,” Collins responded when pressed on the matter outside the Capitol complex.
Federal agencies directed to delete employee COVID vaccination records and exemption requests
In a sweeping move aimed at rolling back pandemic-era mandates, the Trump administration on Friday directed all federal agencies to erase any records related to employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status, prior mandate noncompliance or exemption requests. The guidance, issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), was a response to recent litigation and is part of a broader push to reverse what officials have described as “harmful pandemic-era policies” imposed under the Biden administration. “Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement. “That should never have happened. Thanks to President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, we’re making sure the excesses of that era do not have lingering effects on federal workers.” TRUMP ADMIN ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION ACROSS FEDERAL WORKFORCE Former President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14043 in September 2021, directing federal agencies to require COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of federal employment. After the controversial demand, numerous lawsuits were filed by federal employees, unions and states alleging the mandate violated constitutional rights and federal labor laws. EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP ADMIN STRENGTHENS RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS IN FEDERAL WORKFORCE A federal appeals court blocked enforcement of the order in 2022m and Biden repealed the mandate in May 2023, prompting OPM officials to issue a memorandum to human resources directors stating that “agencies should review their job postings … to ensure that none list compliance with the now revoked Executive Order 14043 as a qualification requirement.” The memo also reminded agencies that the executive order could no longer be enforced. SUPREME COURT LETS TRUMP’S ‘WRECKING BALL’ FEDERAL JOB CUTS PROCEED WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES In a memo to heads and acting heads of departments and agencies Friday, Kupor announced that, effective immediately, agencies are barred from using a person’s vaccine history or exemption requests in any employment-related decision, including hiring, promotion, discipline or termination. Unless an employee affirmatively opts out within 90 days, all vaccine-related information must be permanently removed from both physical and electronic personnel files. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Agencies must certify compliance with the memo by Sept. 8, according to the memo. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Crockett blames race for ‘diva’ label, says attacks prove she’s ‘arrived’
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett fired back at a report that she has created a “toxic” work environment in her office due to her “diva” behavior by explaining that it means she’s “arrived” – and suggesting that race is a factor in the criticism. “Listen, goodness, I know that I have arrived, honey,” Crockett said after laughing in response to a question on CBS News about a New York Post report on Thursday where several former unnamed staffers accused her of terrorizing those who work with her, including by berating them. “That is the way that I see this,” the Texas Democrat continued. “Because as Beyonce says, if they’re not talking about you, then obviously you must not be doing anything.” The New York Post report also alleged that being talked about has been Crockett’s top goal since being elected to Congress in 2023. PRESIDENT TRUMP HITS BACK AT JASMINE CROCKETT, CALLS HER ‘A VERY LOW IQ PERSON’ “The staff is really just an island unto itself, because she doesn’t care about the local issues happening in her district,” a source told the outlet. “She’s more focused on, ‘Get me on “The View,” ‘Get me on this late-night talk show.’” Crockett went on in the CBS News interview to explain that her skin color played a role in the story. REP. JASMINE CROCKETT CALLS TRUMP A ‘PIECE OF S—‘ DURING LIBERAL RALLY “This is just more slander, more nonsense, more lies,” Crockett said. “You and I were joking before we got on camera about all the scrutiny that comes with being not only woman, but being young, and being a black woman. Yeah, there’s a lot of scrutiny that comes my way, and it comes my way from all different angles.” Crockett then went on to reiterate her belief that when people “start talking about you, that’s when you know you are obviously getting under their skin.” “So I am not going to give up. There is a song I like to quote once in awhile. It says, ‘Your hate is my motivation, so keep hatin’.’ All it does is motivate me to continue to do what I do, which is to be loud and proud on behalf of the American people.” The New York Post report on Crockett, arguably the most prominent critic of President Donald Trump in Congress, alleged that the congresswoman once berated a staffer to the point of tears and said that she would make staffers drive her short distances in a rented Escalade or similar vehicle rather than the usual practice of using staffer vehicles. Crockett regularly goes viral for her criticisms of Trump and has called him a “piece of s***” and an “enemy to the United States.” The congresswoman is also known for blasting Trump during committee hearings in speeches that often get noticed on social media. Earlier this year, The Atlantic reported that Crockett’s lock screen on her phone is a picture of herself and said that when she learned the outlet had reached out to her colleagues for comment on the profile piece they were working on, she tried “shutting down” the story. “She is laying around her apartment, won’t come into the office, and is really just indifferent to staff and will scream at them,” a former aide told The New York Post about Crockett in Thursday’s story. “She is never in the office and is very disengaged. She does her bulls— that goes viral, and then freaks out over the most random things.”