‘Monsters’: Far-left candidate’s office accused of fostering toxic environment for women
FOX DIGITAL REVIEW: Progressive Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka, one of the top Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, has a record of associating with alleged abusers of women and has been accused of fostering a toxic work environment for women in his administration, a Fox News Digital review found. Baraka, who has been mayor of Newark since 2014, hired his brother, Amiri Baraka Jr., as his chief of staff. In June 2020, Sebrivious Scott, a woman who was hired through a prisoner reentry program, accused Baraka Jr. of silencing her after she raised concerns about being sexually assaulted. Scott alleged that she spoke with Baraka Jr. about being sexually assaulted by her boss and about being denied full-time employment for refusing sexual favors, Real Garden State reported. Instead of helping, Baraka Jr. allegedly informed Scott that no steps would be taken to address her complaints and said, “Don’t be coming here complaining about discrimination. You should be happy you have a job.” WATCH: NEWARK MAYOR COMPARES SELF TO BIBLICAL HERO IN WAKE OF ICE PROTEST ARREST: ‘THIS IS OUR DAVID MOMENT’ Scott further claimed that her inquiries about her full-time application were ignored by her supervisors, including Mayor Baraka. Scott claimed numerous men hired through the reentry program obtained full-time positions upon completing the program as she waited. In a 2020 Facebook post reacting to another user who posted support for Scott along with the Real Garden State article and a comment of “keep your head up cuzzo,” Scott wrote, “Cuzz I’m trying. Just need all the support I can get against these monsters. I’m not afraid.” When Fox News Digital reached out for comment, Scott said, “They actually just settled after fighting this since 2018.” However, she declined to go into details of the settlement, citing her lawyer’s advice. Baraka also hired another brother, Obalaji Jones, as a youth opportunity coordinator who was later accused of sexual assault. In 2017, Dannisha Clyburn, a former City of Newark employee, accused Jones of sexually assaulting her in 2013 and attempted sexual assault in 2015, TapInto Livingston reported. According to Clyburn, Jones called her into a dark room and inappropriately touched her without her consent at a 2013 political speech by Baraka. She further claimed that Jones attempted to assault her again by calling her into a private room during a children’s event in 2015. Clyburn, who previously served time in prison, told the outlet she had been a political supporter of Baraka but came forward because she did not want to see other women victimized. “Your brother Obalaji, he’s a whole other monster,” Clyburn posted on Facebook, addressing Baraka directly. “Your brother, you better get him out of here. He is a predator. He is a menace to our city. And if you know, you taught us best. If you see something, you say something. I learned that from you, Ras Baraka,” Clyburn said, according to Politico’s New Jersey Playbook. “So I’ve seen something, I heard something, and I’m saying something. I’m speaking for every person, every female, every male that can’t come forward and are afraid to come forward.” Former Newark Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, who ran against Baraka for mayor in 2018, accused Baraka’s administration of widespread abuse in which many women were pressured into sexual favors in exchange for jobs, according to a 2018 report from TapInto Newark. FAR-LEFT MAYOR ARRESTED AT ICE FACILITY DENIES IMPEDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, SAYS PROTEST ‘ABSOLUTELY’ EFFECTIVE Jenkins said during a council meeting, “I’m not on Team Baraka for a number of reasons, but one of the reasons is their abuse of power. I cannot believe that any of my council colleagues…that none of these women haven’t come up to you and told you what they’ve had to go through as far as having to have sex to get a job, or they’ve been abused, or they’ve been talked about, or they’ve been ridiculed.” Three years later, a lawsuit filed by a former Newark city employee said that Baraka ignored legislation directing him to appoint an independent task force to investigate claims of sexual harassment brought by Newark employees, according to Chaneyfiled Jenkins in a report from NJ.com. According to the suit, the legislation created an independent task force to investigate claims brought by Newark employees. The five-member panel was supposed to be appointed by the mayor and include a retired police officer from outside Newark, a clergy member, two members of the public and a final member to be nominated by Rutgers University. However, Baraka never appointed a member to the task force. Baraka has also associated himself with alleged abuser Kiburi Tucker, who was arraigned in 1996 in a Newark municipal court on allegations that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl, an archived version of the Star-Ledger reported. The girl’s parents filed a complaint, and Tucker was charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint and endangering the welfare of a child for holding the victim and fondling her body, according to online records reviewed by Fox News Digital. He would end up serving a four-year prison sentence between 1997 and 2001 after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and drug possession charges. Tucker would later face more legal trouble, which led to him serving a 17-month prison sentence for wire fraud and tax evasion after racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses for personal use using resources from a childcare nonprofit started by his father. After leaving prison, Tucker told TapInto Newark that Baraka was his “best friend” and that he was “doing a hell of a job.” Tucker has remained close to Baraka, as evidenced by several Facebook posts in recent years and months. Tucker, who was reportedly business partners with Baraka’s wife for several years, has posted in support of Baraka’s gubernatorial campaign several times this month and as recently as last week. On May 9, Tucker posted several pictures of Baraka and supporters at an event, saying, “Lets go ! Post your V for
Biden’s presidential health reports showed no sign of recently revealed aggressive cancer
Former President Joe Biden‘s official health reports during his White House tenure did not show signs of aggressive prostate cancer, a Fox News Digital review of the health documents shows. Biden, who suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988 that nearly claimed his life, received clean bills of health in 2021, 2023 and 2024, according to former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor’s annual reports on the president’s state of health. Biden was scheduled to receive a physical by the end of January 2023 but delayed the evaluation due to a busy travel schedule, the White House reported at the time. The former president had a roughly 15-month period between his 2021 physical and one conducted in February 2023. Fox News Digital reviewed the three reports posted by the White House in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and found that there were no signs indicating aggressive prostate cancer was on the horizon for the 46th president — though concerns over skin cancer were a common theme throughout the three reports. ‘SMALL NODULE’ FOUND IN BIDEN’S PROSTATE DURING ROUTINE EXAM, SPOKESPERSON SAYS Biden’s White House physician released the president’s first annual health report in November 2021, declaring Biden a “healthy, vigorous” man. “President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” O’Connor wrote in the 2021 report. The report included routine screenings of Biden’s heart, eyes and teeth, as well as his occasional gastroesophageal reflux. TRUMP CALLS BIDEN’S CANCER DIAGNOSIS ‘VERY SAD’ WHILE QUESTIONING TIMELINE: ‘WASN’T INFORMED’ The report noted that Biden also underwent “routine” screenings for both colon cancer and skin cancer. Biden had multiple “localized, non-melenoma skin cancers removed” ahead of his presidency after spending a good deal of time in the sun as a youth, the report stated, but that there were “no areas suspicious for skin cancer” during the 2021 physical. The report did find that Biden was increasingly “throat clearing” and coughing during public events. O’Connor stated that Biden had long cleared his throat or coughed during speaking engagements, but such coughing or throat clearing “certainly seem more frequent and more pronounced over the last few months.” O’Connor said gastroesophageal reflux was likely the culprit behind Biden’s coughing after conducting multiple lung, oxygen and biological tests. The report also noted that Biden’s gait had become noticeably more stiff, which the doctor said required a “detailed investigation.” The stiffened gait was attributed to Biden’s wear and tear on his spine and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet, which O’Connor said could be addressed with physical therapy and exercise. O’Connor released details on Biden’s second physical as president on Feb. 16, 2023, roughly 15 months after the release of his first presidential physical. The delay between the health assessments was attributed to the president’s busy schedule. Biden was notably also diagnosed with COVID-19 in July 2022 during the interim period of his first and second physicals. Biden was reported to have mild symptoms that July and was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid. The February 2023 physical report found that Biden was in good health and “fit” to serve as president. “President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” O’Connor wrote in his 2023 health memo. OBAMA REACTS TO BIDEN CANCER DIAGNOSIS The report found that Biden’s gait had remained stiff since his last physical, though the issue had not worsened. The report overall found that his heart, lungs, eyes and teeth were all in good health. Biden underwent routine skin cancer surveillance, which found a small lesion on the president’s chest that required biopsy. The lesion was removed just a couple of weeks later without issue, a follow-up memo from O’Connor states. “As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma,” Biden’s doctor wrote in a memo after the lesion was removed. “All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of biopsy. No further treatment is required.” The 2023 physical health report also provided updates on Biden’s COVID-19 recovery, which the White House doctor said went smoothly in part due to Biden receiving the coronavirus vaccine and two booster shots before the infection. BIDEN HEALTH SUMMARY RELEASED BY WHITE HOUSE, PRESIDENT CALLED ‘HEALTHY, ROBUST’ The report on Biden’s final physical examination as president was released Feb. 28, 2024 and again found the president in good health and able to serve as president. “President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” the most recent memo stated. Again, vital organs such as the heart and eyes received a clean bill of health, while Biden’s stiff gait did not worsen in the interim since 2023, though the doctor noted “arthritic changes” that were moderate to severe. O’Connor reported that he conducted a neurological exam and determined that no cerebral or neurological issues were compounding the president’s stiff gait. The test did support previous findings of peripheral neuropathy of the feet, the report stated. JOE BIDEN DIAGNOSED WITH ‘AGGRESSIVE FORM’ OF PROSTATE CANCER WITH METASTASIS TO THE BONE The 2024 physical additionally noted that the lesion removed from Biden’s chest the year prior needed no additional treatment, as basal cell carcinoma typically does not metastasize. The report added that Biden had been using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine when sleeping after he showed symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. The president had previously reported similar symptoms in 2008 and 2019, O’Connor stated, but that they subsided after sinus and nasal passage surgeries before his presidency. He also underwent a root canal that year with no complications. Dr. O’Connor has overseen Biden’s health since 2009 and built a close relationship with the president and
Outgoing US Capitol Police chief criticizes Trump pardons for Jan. 6 defendants
Outgoing United States Capitol Police (USCP) Chief J. Thomas Manger has sounded off on President Donald Trump’s pardons of the Jan. 6 defendants – calling the day of the sweeping pardons one of the most troubling moments of his career, according to a report. Manger, who will retire later this week, has been a vocal critic of those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and lamented Trump pardoning nearly all defendants shortly after his inauguration this year. He told WTOP “I was angry and as frustrated about that as I’ve ever been professionally.” TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS ON INAUGURATION DAY Manger told the outlet that as discouraging as that was, it made him determined to continue to make improvements. “What it made me feel like is somebody’s got to stay here and stand up for these cops,” Manger said. Manger has served as USCP chief since July 2021 and was hired to rebuild the force and implement reforms to enhance security and preparedness in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot. The more than 100 reform recommendations included expanding intelligence, training and riot-response capabilities. He has often condemned the attack, referring to it as an “insurrection” and an attack on democracy. Trump has referred to those who were imprisoned as “hostages.” “Some people in this country believe January 6 wasn’t that bad,” Manger told WTOP. “My cops know what happened on January 6. They know what happened. They were here.” Manger’s police career stretches back to 1977, when he started out as an officer with the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia. He rose to chief of department in 1998 and remained in that role until 2004. Manger became chief of police in Montgomery County, Maryland, in 2004 and held the position until his retirement in 2019. US CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF TOM MANGER UPSET COLBERT CREW WAS SPARED On July 23, 2021, he was appointed chief of the United States Capitol Police, succeeding Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman. When news broke that the Justice Department had agreed in principle to pay $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, a former Air Force veteran who was shot dead during the Capitol Riot, Manger sent a message to his department’s officers writing that he was “extremely disappointed.” “In 2021, the DOJ said that there was no evidence to show that law enforcement broke the law. After a thorough investigation, it was determined to be a justified shooting. “This settlement sends a chilling message to law enforcement officers across our nation — especially those who have a protective mission like ours,” Manger wrote, according to the Washington Post. In December 2022, the USCP were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal — the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress — for their bravery on Jan. 6, 2021. Manger accepted the honor on behalf of the department. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The USCP dates back to 1800, when the Congress moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., and a lone watchman, John Golding, was hired to protect the Capitol Building, according to USCP website. After a number of incidents in 1827 that could have been prevented with sufficient security and surveillance, then President John Quincy Adams asked that a regular Capitol Police force be established. On May 2, 1828, Congress passed an act that expanded the police regulations of the City of Washington to include the Capitol and Capitol Square. It is on this date that the USCP commemorates its founding.
Pro-Ukraine Republican agrees with Trump on ‘CRAZY’ Putin, urges ‘Secondary sanctions & arms support NOW’
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., called Russian President Vladimir Putin “crazy,” expressing support for Ukraine and advocating for “Secondary sanctions & arms support NOW.” “I agree with President Trump, war criminal Putin is crazy. The civilized world will not sit by for Putin’s imperial tantrum at the cost of more children’s lives. Secondary sanctions & arms support NOW. Grateful to stand with Ukraine as they continue to repel this unprovoked INVASION and work for peace in their homeland,” Wilson wrote on X on Monday. President Donald Trump asserted in a Sunday night Truth Social post that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY!” and is “needlessly killing” many people. GERMANY’S CHANCELLOR ENDS WEAPONS RANGE LIMITS FOR UKRAINE DESPITE RUSSIAN NUCLEAR THREATS Trump, who has been aiming to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the post as well, declaring, “Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop.” In a Monday night post on X, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, urged President Trump to act. “I’ve had enuf of Putin killing innocent ppl. Pres Trump Take action AT LEAST SANCTIONS,” Grassley said in the post. GOP LAWMAKER BLASTS ‘DUMB’ TRUMP COMMENT ON ZELENSKYY DESPITE ‘PERFECT’ CRITICISM OF PUTIN A massive bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators is supporting a proposed sanctions measure. Grassley is an original cosponsor on the Senate measure and Wilson is an original cosponsor on the House edition. Zelenskyy is also advocating for sanctions. RUSSIA, UKRAINE SWAP HUNDREDS OF PRISONERS HOURS AFTER MOSCOW LAUNCHES MASSIVE AERIAL ASSAULT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “New and strong sanctions against Russia — from the United States, from Europe, and from all those around the world who seek peace — will serve as a guaranteed means of forcing Russia not only to cease fire, but also to show respect,” Zelenskyy declared Monday in a post on X.
Tennessee rep says Nashville mayor’s ICE policies amount to ‘aiding and abetting illegal immigration’
A Republican lawmaker from Tennessee is calling for a federal investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s handling of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, adding he will not back down. Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said in a post on X that with support from the House Judiciary Committee, he is formally requesting all documents and communications from O’Connell’s office pertaining to his alleged protection of illegal immigrants. Specifically, Ogles is requesting documents related to “the amendment of Executive Order 30,” which he referred to as “an outrageous directive requiring Nashville employees and first responders to report all communication with federal immigration authorities directly to the mayor.” Ogles also said he is requesting any internal discussions or documents concerning ICE enforcement actions in Nashville or Davidson County and all correspondence involving Metro employees and affiliated nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) pertaining to the arrests or detention of criminal illegal aliens within the city or county. HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT Along with his post, Ogles shared a video of his announcement. “We’ve heard it: the individuals that the mayor is standing with are murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, sexual predators, child traffickers…the list goes on,” he said. “Which is why I will always stand on the rule of law and with ICE. And I don’t just stand with ICE; I’ll stand in front of ICE because we the people have had enough. “I choose my community, my state and my family over this type of nonsense, which is why, due to the remarks of Freddie O’Connell and the potential for aiding and abetting illegal immigration, the Homeland Security and the Judiciary Committees will be conducting an investigation into the mayor of Nashville, his conduct and whether or not federal dollars have been used in criminal enterprise,” Ogles continued. “I will not back down. I will not relent, and I will always stand with law enforcement. I want my community, and I want my country back.” DHS FIRES BACK AT BLUE-CITY MAYOR UNHAPPY ABOUT ICE OPERATION, PROVIDES RAP SHEETS FOR THOSE CHARGED Ogles’ announcement comes 10 days after he sent a letter urging for an investigation into O’Connell, whom the Trump administration has accused of supporting “pro-illegal policies.” O’Connell’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter. Earlier this month, ICE agents working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol arrested nearly 200 people who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said were illegal immigrants – many of them criminals with gang affiliations or other sordid pasts. ICE CRACKS DOWN ON DC-AREA BUSINESSES, NEARLY 200 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED A DHS news release targeted O’Connell by name over comments he made in early May. “What’s clear today is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm.” After the arrests, O’Connell signed an executive order aimed at tracking peoples’ interactions with federal immigration authorities, according to WSMV4. O’Connell also wrote a letter to the city about the ICE arrests. “Our top priority is keeping people safe, and we’re deeply concerned that what appear to be federal actions are making that harder,” O’Connell wrote. “Overnight, we understand that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents detained people during enforcement actions in Middle Tennessee. As we learn more, I want to be clear: No [Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD)] personnel were involved in last night’s enforcement action.” BLUE CITY MAYOR SAYS ICE ARRESTS OF DANGEROUS CRIMINALS ARE NOT ‘FOCUSED ON MAKING US SAFER’ He added that the city’s police department does not have federal immigration authority, nor are its members trained to conduct immigration enforcement. O’Connell also said the police department lacks access to federal immigration databases. “This type of federal enforcement action is not focused on making us safer and leaves people in our community fearing any interaction with law enforcement when there is a crime occurring,” he added. “We will be seeking the names of those detained.” DHS said the Nashville operation resulted in the arrests of a convicted child sex predator, an alleged member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, an individual convicted of aggravated assault and multiple illegal aliens on drug charges. “The Nashville Mayor should want these criminal illegal aliens off American streets,” DHS posted on X. “Attacks and demonization of our brave law enforcement is wrong. ICE officers are now facing a 413% increase in assaults. President Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement, the American people voted for it, and DHS is delivering.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Texas governor makes it ‘crystal clear’ only U.S. citizens can vote in state elections
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation on Monday which he said makes it “crystal clear” that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in elections in his state. “I just signed off on a joint resolution to make it crystal clear under the Texas Constitution that if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, you are not allowed to vote in Texas,” the governor said in a video posted to X. Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell, a Republican, introduced Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 37 in January, and in the resolution, he proposed a constitutional amendment clarifying that voters in Texas elections must be citizens of the U.S. Prior to the resolution, the constitution prohibited people who are under the age of 18, along with those who were determined mentally incompetent by a court or who were convicted of a felony, from voting in elections. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS: ‘AN HONOR TO SIGN THIS ONE’ But the amendment proposes adding a line to the classes of people who “shall not be allowed to vote” in Texas, which reads, “persons who are not citizens of the United States.” Birdwell’s joint resolution was approved by the state senate in April, then by the state house in May. Abbott signed the joint resolution on Monday, but it still has one more step. In fact, Texas citizens will have the final say in November on whether the state constitution can be ratified to include the requirement in the state constitution. TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON VOTING BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGE AMID FLURRY OF LEGAL SETBACKS Fox News Digital has reached out to Abbott’s and Birdwell’s offices for comment. Last month, a federal judge blocked an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that would require documentary proof of citizenship before being allowed to register to vote. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia handed down the order in response to lawsuits filed by three separate groups of plaintiffs over five different provisions in a March 25 Trump executive order relating to election integrity. While Kollar-Kotelly dismissed requests to block three of the provisions, requests to block two other provisions pertaining to a proof of citizenship requirement for voters were granted. JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ELECTION ORDER DESPITE OVERWHELMING AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR VOTER ID The first blocked provision sought to compel the Election Assistance Commission to amend standardized national voter registration forms to require documentary proof of citizenship. The second sought to require federal agencies offering voter registration to people on public assistance to “assess” the individual’s citizenship status before doing so. “Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States — not the President — with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would affect many of the changes the President purports to order,” Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton-appointee, wrote in her order. “No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order.” Meanwhile, 25 states, including Texas, are considering some form of proof-of-citizenship legislation, according to the Voting Rights Lab, which is tracking such legislation. In total, 15 state constitutions have explicit prohibitions against non-citizen voting. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Sens Cruz, Lujan introduce bill to expedite permits for international bridges and ports of entry
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has put forth legislation amending the International Bridge Act of 1972 that would expedite the presidential permitting process for all international bridges and land ports of entry. The bipartisan bill from Cruz and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., will expand on legislation previously written by Cruz and passed into law that streamlined permits for international bridges in Eagle Pass, Laredo and Brownsville. The new bill will streamline all permits for international bridges and ports of entry for Mexico and Canada. TED CRUZ MOCKS ‘CRAZY TOWN’ DEMS, AS MARYLAND SENATOR GETS DEFENSIVE ABOUT ADVOCACY FOR ALLEGED MS-13 MEMBER In a news release, Cruz discussed how this new bill has been a top priority for him. “This bill builds on and expands our success in securing presidential permits for four major international bridge projects in South Texas by streamlining the approval process for all future international bridges along the Texas–Mexico border,” Cruz said in a news release. Cruz strongly urged his colleagues “to pass this bill so it can be sent to the President for signature.” BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL TARGETS BORDER HUMAN, DRUG TRAFFICKING WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY Lujan said in a news release that he was proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that would deliver real investments to New Mexico. “Ports of entry and international bridges are vital to the economic success of our border communities, supporting trade, business, and tourism,” Lujan said. “Yet, new border crossings are too often held up by the presidential permit process.” Dr. Victor Treviño, Mayor of the City of Laredo, thanked both senators for putting this bipartisan bill together that strengthens the northern and southern border. “This bill marks a critical step toward modernizing the development and expansion of cross-border infrastructure by bringing much-needed efficiency and predictability to the presidential permitting process—an essential reform for communities like Laredo, which continues to be on the front lines of international commerce as the #1 Port of Entry in the United States,” Trevino said in a news release. Trevino also urged Congress to pass this bill so that President Donald Trump can sign it. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The bill also includes a bar on future administrations from considering environmental documents, including documents created as part of the National Environmental Policy Act. Fox News Digital has reached out to Cruz’s office for comment.
Remembering Rep. Charlie Rangel — and a voicemail I’ll never forget
I didn’t recognize the “917” New York number that called me. But there was no question about who phoned after they left a message. The caller on the voicemail was utterly unmistakable. They didn’t say their name. They didn’t have to. “Chad, you’re the only one who missed me,” croaked the voice. FORMER NY DEMOCRATIC REP CHARLIE RANGEL DEAD AT 94 It carried the sleekness of a stone crusher working over basalt in a West Virginia quarry. The voicemail was from the late Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. And he was essentially calling to assure me that he wasn’t dead. After all, I was apparently the only member of the congressional press corps who noticed that the New York Democrat hadn’t voted nor been anywhere near the U.S. Capitol in several weeks. There was no article in Roll Call. Nothing in Politico. No statement from his office. Rangel just wasn’t around. So I called and wound up speaking to his communications director Hannah Kim and chief of staff George Henry. I inquired if Rangel was all right. They assured me he was. But they didn’t quite give me the full story. That was for Rangel to do. And then Rangel himself called — from his sickbed — so I could hear his signature jackhammer-chopping-through-the-asphalt-of-Manhattan voice to prove to this reporter he was still among the living. “I wanted you to hear it from me,” said Rangel. EX-REP. CHARLIE RANGEL, 94, QUESTIONS WHETHER BIDEN BELONGS IN NURSING HOME, NOT WHITE HOUSE It was 2012. Rangel was out because of a back injury and a viral infection, which made it difficult for him to stand for long periods of time. From 2008 through late 2010, I dogged Rangel through the halls of Congress on a daily basis as the veteran congressman grappled with an ethics scandal. The ethics case culminated in the House censuring Rangel, permanently smudging his record as a war hero, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. First elected to the House in 1970, Rangel’s star had dimmed after the ethics scandal. But in 2012, any information about an elderly, legendary congressman like Rangel was newsworthy. So, as a reporter on the Capitol Hill beat, I appreciated the phone call as he described the excruciating pain that beset him. It’s possible the Ethics Committee investigation and censure by the House were more agonizing for Rangel than the back problem. Rangel was so confident that he didn’t violate House rules that he referred himself to the Ethics Committee. Rangel started to feel the ethics heat in 2008. He used his position as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee to solicit funds for a school in his name at City College of New York. He failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes or rental income on a villa he owned in the Dominican Republic. A rent-controlled apartment in Harlem doubled as a campaign office. He improperly parked his broken-down, 1972 silver Mercedes-Benz in the garage of the Rayburn House Office Building. The House prohibits lawmakers from using the garage for storage. The Benz lacked plates, wasn’t registered and apparently hadn’t been driven in about four years. A Falls Church, Virginia, towing company lugged the car out of the garage on Sept. 19, 2008. Video of the tow-truck hauling away the Mercedes-Benz from Rayburn would have made a juicy story the next morning on TV. But Rangel caught a break. Sort of. VIRGINIA DEMOCRATIC REP GERRY CONNOLLY DEAD AT 75 Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., summoned then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to Capitol Hill that night. The U.S. economy teetered on the verge of an epic financial collapse. By nightfall, it was clear just how bad the nation’s economy was. Everyone temporarily forgot about Rangel. In fact, the inoperable Benz may have been in better shape than some American car companies at that moment. But the House Ethics Committee was investigating Rangel. An inquiry started in 2009 and culminated in his censure on the House floor in 2010. The House voted 333-79 to discipline Rangel. A somber Rangel presented himself in the well of the House chamber, hands folded in front of him as though he were about to receive Communion. Pelosi doled out her admonition from the dais and lightly rapped the gavel. “He violated the public trust,” said then-Ethics Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. It was the first censure of a House member in 27 years. Years later, I half-jokingly told Rangel that he could blame me for his problems with the Ethics Committee. As stated earlier, it was Rangel who believed his actions were beyond reproach. So he sent himself before the Ethics Committee to review his conduct. I entered the Capitol one morning in 2008 and discovered his longtime aide, Emile Milne, wandering the basement. I asked Milne what he was looking for. He waived an overstuffed envelope at me. “The Ethics Committee,” said Milne. DEMOCRATS’ BOILING POT: A LOOK AT THEIR 2026 GAME PLAN This was the actual “self-referral” to the Ethics Committee. And Milne was the courier of a dossier Rangel would use to defend himself. I knew exactly where the Ethics Committee was located in those days in the Capitol catacombs. So I escorted Milne to the door. As I said, I told Rangel he could blame all of his problems on me. Between 2008 and 2010, I staked out Rangel somewhere at the Capitol nearly every day. The day Pelosi summoned him to her office. The day Pelosi removed him as Ways and Means Committee chairman. The day he spoke at length on the House floor to defend himself against the allegations after the ethics panel formalized its inquiry. One night, a scrum of reporters caught Rangel in the hallway off the House floor and pelted him with a barrage of questions. Rangel briefly answered. Then deflected. He then decided he had enough as scribes fired questions at him with the speed
Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he will pardon a former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs within his department. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Scott Howard Jenkins, 53, of Culpeper, Virginia, was supposed to report to jail Tuesday but “instead will have a wonderful and productive life.” Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, was convicted last year of one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He was sentenced in March to 10 years in prison. JD VANCE SPELLS OUT WHAT TRUMP’S PROCESS TO ‘RECTIFY’ ‘UNFAIR’ JAN 6 PROSECUTIONS COULD LOOK LIKE In his post, Trump said the former sheriff and his wife have been “dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden” Justice Department. “In fact, during his trial, when Sheriff Jenkins tried to offer exculpatory evidence to support himself, the Biden Judge, Robert Ballou, refused to allow it, shut him down, and then went on a tirade,” Trump wrote. “As we have seen, in Federal, City, and State Courts, Radical Left or Liberal Judges allow into evidence what they feel like, not what is mandated under the Constitution and Rules of Evidence.” “This Sheriff is a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice, and doesn’t deserve to spend a single day in jail,” he added. “He is a wonderful person, who was persecuted by the Radical Left ‘monsters,’ and ‘left for dead.’ This is why I, as President of the United States, see fit to end his unfair sentence, and grant Sheriff Jenkins a FULL and Unconditional Pardon.” HOW MY JAN. 6 CLIENTS WERE ROBBED OF FAIRNESS IN DC BENCH TRIALS Federal prosecutors alleged Jenkins accepted cash bribes and bribes in the form of campaign contributions from co-defendants Rick Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner and James Metcalf, as well as at least five others, including two FBI undercover agents. In exchange, Jenkins appointed the people paying the bribes as auxiliary deputy sheriffs, a sworn law-enforcement position, and issued them official Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office badges and credentials, authorities said. None of the payers were trained or vetted and did not render any legitimate services to the sheriff’s office, prosecutors said. In April, Jenkins said he hoped that Trump would intervene in his case. “I truly believe if I could get an hour of time with someone in the administration and lay out some facts with my attorney and I really believe if they could hear the other side which I couldn’t get in front of the jury — I believe wholeheartedly in the president,” he said during a webinar hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. “I believe if he heard the information, I know he would help if he knew my story.”
Trump honors fallen American heroes, praises God in Memorial Day address: ‘Great, great warriors’
President Donald Trump honored fallen American heroes and praised God during a Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Monday, vowing to “fix” the republic founded nearly 250 years ago. “We gathered today to honor the incredible service members who rest in glory in this cemetery and burial grounds around the world, and in a thousand lonely places known only to God in every hour of peril and every moment of crisis,” Trump said. “American warriors have left behind the blessings of home and family to answer their nation’s call. They’ve offered all that they had within them and given their last breaths to each and every one of us, that we might live safe and breathe free. “This morning we pay tribute to their immortal deeds. We share in the sorrow of their beloved families, and as one nation, we give thanks for the ultimate gift they have so selflessly given to all of us, these warriors. And that’s what they are as great, great warriors picked up their mantle of duty and service, knowing that to live for others meant always that they might die for others.” TRUMP FIRES OFF MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE TARGETING ‘SCUM’ WHO SOUGHT TO ‘DESTROY’ THE US The president said Memorial Day 2025 “is especially significant as we commemorate 250 years since the first American Patriots fell on the field of battle two and a half centuries ago.” “At Lexington Green, Concord Bridge, Bunker Hill, brave minutemen and humble farm boys became the first to give their lives for a nation that did not yet have a name,” Trump said. “Those young men could never have known what their sacrifice would mean to us, but we certainly know what we owe to them. Their valor gave us the freest, greatest and most noble republic ever to exist on the face of the earth.” He added: “A republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years. That was a hard four years we went through. Who would let that happen? People pouring through our borders unchecked. People doing things that are indescribable and not for today to discuss, but the republic, that is now doing so very well. We’re doing so very well right now, considering the circumstances, and we’ll do record-setting better with time. “We will do better than we’ve ever done as a nation, better than ever before. I promise you that.” Trump recognized the surviving family members in attendance of several fallen soldiers who he mentioned by name, including veterans who died in the line of duty in Vietnam, Iraq and Syria. TRUMP ACCUSES HARVARD OF BEING ‘VERY SLOW’ TO TURN OVER FOREIGN STUDENT INFO In remembering their stories, the president also promised a “big, big celebration” next year commemorating the 250th anniversary of the nation and thanked God that he would be in office to celebrate the significant milestone. “These extraordinary American heroes and their immense and ultimate sacrifices. They offer only the faintest glimpse at the infinite grace we have received from all who laid down their lives for America over the past 250 years. We’re going to have a big, big celebration. As you know, 250 years,” Trump said. “In some ways, I’m glad I missed that second term where it was because I wouldn’t be president for that,” he added, drawing some laughter. “Most important of all, in addition, we have the World Cup and we have the Olympics. Can you imagine? I missed that four years. And now look what I have. I have everything amazing. The way things work out.” “God did that. I believe that too. He did that,” Trump said, crediting divine intervention after he lost re-election in 2020 and later was reelected in 2024. “In any corner of this cemetery, at any resting place for our war dead, anywhere on Earth, you’ll find untold stories of equal heroism, heroism and heartbreak, unmatched patriotism and devotion, and acts of selflessness and courage so enormous they defy comprehension,” Trump said. “We salute them in their eternal and everlasting glory. And we continue our relentless pursuit of America’s destiny as we make our nation stronger, prouder, freer and greater than ever before. “May God bless our fallen heroes. May God bless our Gold Star families, and may God bless the United States of America.”