4 Senate amendments to Trump megabill that failed — and 1 that passed
Many senators failed to get their amendments across the finish line during the chamber’s vote-a-rama on Monday, leaving the future of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” uncertain. Two key failures came from Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, with the former proposing a plan that would have boosted funding for rural hospitals and the latter calling for further cuts to Medicaid. Collins and Cornyn were far from the only lawmakers who had amendments fail, however. Here are some details on some of the unsuccessful efforts, plus one that succeeded with nearly unanimous support. AMERICANS WEIGH IN ON TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’: POLLS Collins’ amendment would have doubled funding for rural hospitals from $25 billion to $50 billion over the next 10 years, and it would have allowed a larger number of medical providers to access the funds. “Rural providers, especially our rural hospitals and nursing homes, are under great financial strain right now, with many having recently closed and others being at risk of closing,” Collins said prior to the vote. “This amendment would help keep them open and caring for those who live in rural communities.” Collins said the bill was something of an olive branch to Democrats, who had criticized the cuts to Medicaid involved in the megabill. Her amendment would also have raised tax rates for individuals who make more than $25 million per year and couples who make more than $50 million. SENATORS ENTER MARATHON VOTE-A-RAMA AS TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ DEADLINE BARRELS NEAR “They’ve complained repeatedly about the distribution in this bill, of Medicaid cuts hurting individuals, rural hospitals, and tax cuts being extended for people who are wealthy, and yet when I tried to fix both those problems, they took a very hypocritical approach,” Collins said. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., argued Collins’ amendment was merely putting a “Band-Aid on an amputation.” Cornyn was joined by Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., in pushing an amendment cutting an additional $313 billion in Medicaid funding on Monday. The trio said they were pushing to limit the growth of Medicaid, and they had been confident the adjustment would pass. All three were seen entering Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office on Monday as it became clear the amendment lacked support. The base bill already cuts some $930 billion in funding for Medicaid, leading many of the trio’s colleagues to balk at further cuts. “It just seems like we’ve taken it as far as I’m comfortable taking it,” said Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.V., regarding trims to Medicaid. Kennedy had proposed an amendment that would have allowed teachers to deduct $600 in school supplies that they pay for out of pocket each year. The proposal ultimately failed in a 46-54 vote. SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ THROUGH KEY TEST VOTE Bennet proposed an amendment that would have increased both the amount and availability of the child tax credit included in the megabill, but it failed to garner enough support. The Senate rejected Bennet’s proposal in a 22-78 vote. One amendment that did succeed was a measure that killed a provision in the bill that would have placed a 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations. The original version of the bill would have forced states to choose between enforcing AI regulations or accepting federal funding to expand broadband internet access. Sens. Edward Markey, D-Ma., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., joined Sen. Maria Cantwell in sponsoring the amendment. “The Senate came together tonight to say that we can’t just run over good state consumer protection laws,” Cantwell said Monday. “States can fight robocalls, deepfakes and provide safe autonomous vehicle laws. This also allows us to work together nationally to provide a new federal framework on Artificial Intelligence that accelerates U.S. leadership in AI while still protecting consumers.” The Senate passed the amendment in an overwhelming 99-1 vote. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., was the sole vote opposing the measure.
Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani under fire for plan to tax ‘richer and whiter neighborhoods’
Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, is facing criticism over a campaign policy document that explicitly calls for shifting the city’s tax burden onto “richer and whiter neighborhoods.” Mamdani caused a political earthquake in this week’s primary, trouncing former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a stunning upset, all but securing his place on the November ballot. Housing affordability has been a central pillar of his campaign. A policy document titled “Stop the Squeeze on NYC Homeowners” from Mamdani’s mayoral campaign website argues that the city’s current property tax system disproportionately benefits wealthy, White homeowners, particularly in Manhattan and affluent areas of Brooklyn, by allowing them to pay far less in taxes due to outdated assessment caps. CITY-RUN GROCERY STORES, DEFUNDING POLICE, SAFE INJECTION SITES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NYC’S NEXT POTENTIAL MAYOR In contrast, Black, Latino and immigrant homeowners in neighborhoods like Brownsville and Jamaica in the outer borough of Queens are overburdened and at higher risk of foreclosure. His solution? “Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods,” the proposal reads. “The property tax system is unbalanced because assessment levels are artificially capped, so homeowners in expensive neighborhoods pay less than their fair share.” The proposal would reduce the taxable portion of assessed property values citywide, and offset that by raising actual tax rates in wealthier areas. The result: lower tax bills for lower-income neighborhoods and higher ones for affluent areas — which the campaign describes as “richer and whiter.” The racial component of the policy position has come in for criticism online, with broadcaster Mark Levin sharing a New York Post story about the proposal and writing “Oh, and Mamdani is racist, too.” Political commentator Eric Daugherty also brandished it as explicitly “racist” on X, while the New York Post editorial board also slammed the proposal as “pure racism.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The campaign document also highlights racial disparities in deed theft and “tangled titles,” which are situations where someone lives in a home they believe they own — often through inheritance — but their name is not on the deed, creating legal uncertainty about ownership. The document states that predominantly Black neighborhoods face these challenges at much higher rates than White neighborhoods. To address this, Mamdani is proposing a $10 million “Tangled Title Fund” to help city residents hire lawyers and clear legal titles so they can secure full homeownership rights and benefits. REPUBLICANS USE MAMDANI BOMBSHELL VICTORY OVER CUOMO AS AMMUNITION TO BLAST DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, whose preamble discusses a way to “end white supremacy and racial oppression because its destruction is in the interest of all workers, including white workers.” Overall, the housing document frames the city’s housing inequities as structurally racist and economically unjust. The document also claims that the city’s tax lien sale system is exploitative and racist. When a homeowner falls behind on property taxes under the system, the city sells that debt to a private trust of Wall Street-backed investors, usually at a discount. instead of collecting the debt directly. “The tax lien sale has been particularly harmful to Black, brown, and working-class homeowners, leading many homeowners to lose their home to foreclosure, or forcing them to sell below market value in order to pay off their accumulating debts,” the document reads. “The city is six times more likely to sell a tax lien in a Black neighborhood than a white neighborhood. This policy is extracting wealth from Black, brown, and working-class communities and stripping New Yorkers of their homes.” Mamdani said he will end the system on his first day in office and create a new tax collection system that provides “additional opportunities” for homeowners to enter into payment plans, pay down their debt and stay in their homes. The Queens assemblyman wants to build 200,000 new publicly-subsidized affordable homes and immediately freeze rents for the city’s 2.4 million stabilized tenants. His proposals call for multi-year rent freezes and massive investment in public housing. Critics argue his proposals could worsen existing problems in the rental market, Fox News’ Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
AOC’s childhood nickname revealed amid ‘Bronx girl’ claims
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X that she was a “Bronx girl” to make a point against the president. The 35-year-old “Squad” member wrote in part on X last week: “I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully,” she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. AOC’S CONSTITUENTS WEIGH IN ON PRESIDENTIAL RUN, RECALL HER STUNNING 2018 POLITICAL UPSET Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City — when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School, from where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well-thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass,” the report states. “She was amazing,” Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I’ve been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic.” After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy” nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign, where she eventually ousted former 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley. AOC, DEMS CALLED OUT AS ‘HYPOCRITES’ FOR IMPEACHMENT TALK FOLLOWING US STRIKES ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brush with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. “I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she’s a big, tough Bronx girl,” said Slater. “To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous.” “Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie,” said Slater on “Fox & Friends First” last week. “She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team.” “She’s lying about her background, she’s lying about her upbringing,” Slater claimed. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image of her family’s home in Yorktown was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday, responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep.” “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!” Fox News’ Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
Elon Musk says US is ruled by ‘Porky Pig Party’ as Trump defends his vision against former ally’s criticism
Elon Musk has not given up his criticism over what he sees as a lack of spending cuts in the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill,” insisting on his platform X on Monday “that we live in a one-party country” and threatening that if the bill passes a new “America Party” would be formed. Musk’s criticism of the Republican spending package began before he even left the Trump administration as a special government employee heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It continued following his departure, with Musk describing the bill as “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination” earlier this month. The billionaire entrepreneur has lamented that the bill could work to undo much of the work he accomplished with DOGE. “It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” Musk wrote on X Monday afternoon as the Senate continued to consider the House-passed spending bill. “Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” Musk added. ELON MUSK’S FORMER FRIEND WARNS EX-DOGE HEAD WILL DO ‘EVERYTHING’ TO DAMAGE TRUMP In a separate post on X Monday evening, Musk doubled down on his claim that the U.S. is governed by a one-party system. “They just pretend to be two parties,” he wrote, sharing a post alongside a graphic showing how much the national debt has steadily increased every year. “It’s just one uniparty in reality.” Meanwhile, the billionaire entrepreneur threatened that “if this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day.” “Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE,” Musk wrote Monday evening on X. FLASHBACK: MUSK ACCUSED TRUMP, GOP LEADERS OF NOT WANTING TO CUT SPENDING — HERE’S WHERE THEY SAID THEY WOULD Musk previously said he was “disappointed” in the spending bill because “it undermines” all the work his DOGE team was accomplishing to cut back on waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R–S.D., refuted Musk’s claim that the bill would upend all the work he did with DOGE, noting in an interview that “a lot of what Elon was working on was on the discretionary side of the budget, which [the “big, beautiful bill”] doesn’t touch.” Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought clarified in an interview with The Blaze’s Glenn Beck that the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” cannot legally include cuts to discretionary spending — the very category targeted by Musk’s DOGE initiative, he noted. The bill includes discretionary spending instructions for defense and border security, but final approval still requires passage through the congressional appropriations process. Earlier this month, after formally leaving his post in the Trump administration, Musk shared a social media post President Donald Trump posted in 2013, noting he was “embarrassed” at the time to be a Republican after the party extended the debt ceiling. Musk shared the former post and wrote: “wise words.” TRUMP CALLS ELON MUSK A ‘WONDERFUL GUY’ DESPITE INTENSE FEUD OVER ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Several days prior, Musk referred to the Trump-endorsed “big, beautiful bill” as a “disgusting abomination.” He has also previously suggested the bill would kill jobs and raise taxes on renewable energy projects not yet even underway. The feud between Musk and Trump and his supporters of the bill escalated even further after Musk sought to link Trump to the Jeffrey Epstein child sex scandal in a now-deleted post. When reached for comment about Musk’s complaints about the Trump-endorsed spending package, the White House pointed to the president’s comments over the weekend to Fox News Business. When asked on Sunday during an interview with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo about his relationship with Musk since he left the White House, the president described Musk as a “wonderful guy.” Later, Trump described some of Musk’s post–White House behavior as inappropriate. “I think he’s a wonderful guy. I haven’t spoken to him much, but I think Elon is a wonderful guy, and I know he’s going to do well always,” Trump said. “He’s a smart guy. And he actually went and campaigned with me and this and that. But he got a little bit upset, and that wasn’t appropriate.” “Why did he get upset? He just wasn’t getting what he wanted?” Bartiromo questioned. “Look, the electric vehicle mandate, the EV mandate, is a tough thing for him,” Trump explained. “I would, you know, I don’t want everybody to have an electric car. You know, I campaigned on choice — you have — choice… not everybody should have that and not everybody wants that.”
Dozens arrested at Capitol while protesting Republican tax and spending cut bill
U.S. Capitol Police arrested dozens of demonstrators inside the Capitol rotunda and outside Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as members of the Senate continued to debate President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” The Associated Press said demonstrators were protesting the Republican tax and spending cut bill at two different sites. One of the sites was the Capitol Rotunda, and the other was at an intersection near the U.S. Capitol Building. U.S. Capitol Police told the AP those arrested face charges such as crowding, obstructing and incommoding. CAPITOL POLICE ARREST MAN WHO DISRUPTED SENATE DEBATE ON TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’: ‘YOU PEOPLE ARE AWFUL’ Fox News Digital has reached out to U.S. Capitol Police for additional information about the arrests. Images of the protests inside the rotunda showed demonstrators holding signs that read, “cuts to SNAP are policy murder.” One man participating in the demonstration had a shirt which read, “Poor People’s Campaign.” ABOUT 60 PEOPLE ARRESTED AFTER VETERANS’ ANTI-ICE DEMONSTRATION IN WASHINGTON, DC, POLICE SAY Outside the Capitol, some of the demonstrators carried black wooden coffins with red signs that read, “178,000 People In Florida Will Lose Medicaid,” “This Coffin Represents Policy Murder,” and “574,000 People in Florida Will Lose SNAP.” Other coffins had signs representing similar numbers, but in states like West Virginia, Illinois and Kentucky. WATCH: LEFTIST PROTESTERS FLOOD CAPITOL HILL OFFICE BUILDING AS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL’ BUDGET BILL VOTE LOOMS Several people who were demonstrating wore religious attire as well. One of the groups at the protests was called Repairers of the Breach. In a statement obtained by the AP, the organization claimed to have led the effort, adding that the demonstration continues a tradition of nonviolent actions at the Capitol, confronting unjust policies and calling the nation to higher ground. The protests come as Republican lawmakers sprint to meet a July 4 deadline to pass a massive piece of legislation to advance Trump’s agenda. The budget reconciliation bill, if passed, will advance the president’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. The legislation is currently in the hands of the Senate. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Video surfaces of Mamdani using slogan rooted in communist revolutionary language
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate and self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism over remarks made at a Young Democratic Socialists of America conference, where he urged attendees not to compromise on goals like “seizing the means of production.” During the appearance — which was part of a 2021 YDSA winter conference — Mamdani, then newly elected to the New York State Assembly, lamented that many socialist principles remain outside the political mainstream. “Right now, if we’re talking about the cancellation of student debt, if we’re talking about Medicare for all, you know, these are issues which have the groundswell of popular support across this country,” Mamdani says in a video to conference goers. “But then there are also other issues that we firmly believe in, whether it’s BDS or whether it is the end goal of seizing the means of production, where we do not have the same level of support at this very moment.” NEW YORK MAYORAL HOPEFUL ZOHRAN MAMDANI SLAMS CAPITALISM ON CNN, CITES MLK TO DEFEND SOCIALISM Mamdani went on to say that it was “critical” for people not to compromise on these less popular ideas, despite publicly asserting this week he is “not a communist.” “It’s critical, the way that we organize, the way that we set up our — you know, set up our work and our priorities, that we do not leave any one issue for the other, that we do not meet a moment and only look at what people are ready for, but that we are doing both of these things in tandem,” Mamdani continues in his conference address. “Because it is critical for us to both meet people where they’re at and to also organize for what is correct and for what is right, and to ensure that, over time, we can bring people to that issue.” On Monday, the video of Mamdani speaking at the 2021 YDSA conference began making the rounds on social media. EX-NYC MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO SAYS THERE’S ‘A LOT OF EXAGGERATION’ OVER MAMDANI FEARS “Mamdani’s socialism nomenclature is no joke or aspiration,” billionaire Bill Ackman said in response to the video as it began appearing on social media. “It is the business plan of a movement that he is leading and, for now, winning. Don’t rely on my summary. Listen to him speak his own words.” “Mamdani smiles like a crocodile as he says his end goal is to elect more socialists and seize the means of production,” President Donald Trump’s crypto and artificial intelligence czar added in response to the video. “Democrats have become the party of the Luigi Left, Tesla Terrorism, and Crocodile Communists.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for a response to these criticisms but did not receive a response in time for publication. Last week, Trump personally criticized Mamdani, who upset former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the NYC mayoral primary earlier this month, as a “100% communist lunatic.” “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line,” Trump wrote. “We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous.” Trump doubled down on the communist claim this week in an interview with Fox Business, adding that, if elected, Mamdani better “behave” or risk his city losing federal funding. In response to Trump’s criticism of being a “communist,” Mamdani directly refuted the claim to NBC News over the weekend. “No, I am not,” Mamdani responded when asked point-blank by NBC’s Kristen Welker. “I have already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am, ultimately, because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for. And I’m fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed. “When we talk about my politics, you know, I call myself a Democratic socialist in many ways inspired by the words of Dr. [Martin Luther] King from decades ago, who said, ‘Call it democracy, call it Democratic-Socialism, there has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God’s children in this country.”
Is the VOA, DOA? With Kari Lake in charge of things, it might be
The VOA is perhaps DOA. At least that’s the interpretation of Kari Lake. Lake ran unsuccessfully for governor of Arizona in 2022. She ran for the Senate in 2024 and lost. So President Trump appointed Lake to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media. KARI LAKE DECLARES US AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA ‘ROTTEN TO THE CORE,’ SETS 2026 SHUTDOWN GOAL: ‘A BOONDOGGLE’ The worst thing in broadcasting is dead air. And that may be the goal of Lake – a former Arizona TV news anchor. “It’s really like a rotten piece of fish,” said Lake before a recent House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. “And it’s best to just scrap the whole thing and start over.” She plans to edit the influence of VOA and other government media such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcast Networks. “We need to modernize. I don’t think doing 1990s television is effective anymore,” said Lake. The hearing marked the first time Lake testified before lawmakers since President Trump tapped her for the position. She told lawmakers that Chinese spies infiltrated the VOA’s Mandarin service. And Russian spooks nearly made the payroll at Radio Free Europe. “This is not the voice of America. This is the voice of America’s enemies,” said Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. Democrats say curbing VOA silences the U.S. from transmitting news and truthful information into enemy territory. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., was apoplectic at the Trump Administration’s plans to cancel many of the government’s radio and TV broadcasts abroad. “My God. It’s the worst and most stupid thing that we could do in foreign affairs,” fumed Sherman. “That’s our soft power. That’s our effort to bring freedom of information and hopefully democracy to the entire world. That’s how we explain ourselves in dozens of different languages. And for them to gut it? In terms of our influence in the world, Voice of America and its sister broadcasters is more important than an aircraft carrier.” EXCLUSIVE: KARI LAKE SAYS VOA’S PERSIAN NEWS SERVICE ‘RISING TO THE OCCASION’ AMID IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT Sherman reiterated his concerns about diminishing soft power at the hearing, adding that changes to the VOA lineup may appeal to a special audience abroad. “I think Putin would be very happy,” said Sherman about the Russian leader. “Bombs are powerful. Truth is more powerful.” But it’s not just Democrats who fret about the static on the government airwaves. Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., says unwinding Radio Free Asia cedes power to China and North Korea. “We have let go of journalists that have spent decades building their credibility and trust with our audiences,” said Kim. “Without reporting from the outside world through VOA and (Radio Free Asia), most North Korean civilians only see the United States as the bad guy.” Kim feared the U.S. couldn’t “win in the information domain.” Lake recently canned 639 Global Media employees. She says her orders come from the top. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, asked what sort of “review” she did to pare back VOA and other services. “What we’ve reviewed was an executive order March 14th by the man who’s in charge of the executive branch. Hs name is Donald Trump,” said Lake. APPEALS COURT BACKS VOA OVERHAUL KARI LAKE SAYS WILL ‘MODERNIZE’ AGENCY: ‘HUGE VICTORY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP’ She then held up a photo of the president and showed it to lawmakers facing her on the dais. Democrats contend that’s exactly the problem as the president and Lake try to redesign American government broadcasters. “I see why Mr. Trump put you in this position. He doesn’t want a free press,” scolded Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Penn. “You are a propaganda machine for the Trump Administration.” Democrats piled on. “I’m also concerned about your ability to promote American democracy given your background backing dictators,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. Other Democrats highlighted Lake’s controversial political history and how she questioned the results of both races. “You have been sanctioned twice for providing false information to courts. Isn’t that true? Yes or no?,” asked Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., the former mayor of Phoenix. “I was brave enough to fight our shoddy elections. And the courts have not caught up,” fired back Lake. TRUMP ORDERS THE DISMANTLING OF GOVERNMENT-FUNDED, ‘PROPAGANDA’-PEDDLING MEDIA OUTLET “The American people cannot believe a word you say,” said Stanton. “You lost, fair and square. Instead of conceding, you embarrassed yourself and our state by lying again and again for years, blaming everything under the sun for your loss except for your own toxic politics. You lie about that election to this very day.” After Lake’s dual political losses, Stanton had a request of Lake. “Will you do us all a favor and run it back and run again?” he asked. Lake encountered more friendly questioning from Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich. He asked about potential messages U.S. Global Media could broadcast around the world. “What do you think some of the most important stories and tenants about America that need to be told that haven’t been getting told?” asked Huizenga. “I think that just the history of this country and what this country is about. Our freedoms. Our liberties. Our Bill of Rights,” stated Lake. “Maybe the founding of our country?” suggested Huizenga. “The founding of our country and especially this year with 250 years,” responded Lake, noting that July 4, 2025, is the semi-quincentennial of the U.S. “That would seem to me a pretty big story to tell,” added Huizenga. A BIG, BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND ON THE HILL: ‘EVERYBODY HAVING FUN YET?’ Congress commissioned VOA during the Cold War to beam news behind the Iron Curtain. But today, Republicans question its necessity. Especially when people now get news from their phone. “Goddangit, it’s not very efficient,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “It’s a relic,” declared Lake. “Yes ma’am. It’s a Cold War relic,” agreed Burchett. VOA fired dozens of staff in its Persian division. But restored some
Fox News Poll: 6 in 10 are proud of US today – the most in more than a decade
The largest number of voters since 2011 say they are proud of the country, according to a new Fox News national survey. Fifty-eight percent say they are proud of the country. That’s up 13 percentage points since June 2024 and the highest since 2011 when a record 69% were proud. By contrast, 41% are not proud. The survey was completed before recent events in the Middle East, including U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and President Donald Trump brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS THINK IRAN POSES A REAL THREAT TO US SECURITY, BUT SPLIT ON ISRAEL’S STRIKE The increase comes from an overwhelming majority of Republicans (85%) now being proud compared to last summer (36%). That makes Republicans 30 points prouder of the country today than Democrats were a year ago (55% of Democrats in 2024). In 2011, majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents were proud. The new survey shows 36% of Democrats are proud (61% not proud) while Independents held relatively steady with roughly 4 in 10 expressing pride. FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC PESSIMISM ABATES SLIGHTLY AS VOTERS REFLECT ON THE ECONOMY “Although pride in the U.S.A. seems like it should be above partisan wrangling, that’s only partially borne out by the data,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The reality is the out-party has become saltier in recent years when asked about the ‘land of the free.’ Democrats today (and Republicans last year) aren’t willing to express pride so long as the other side controls the White House.” Majorities across most groups are proud, especially MAGA supporters (92%), Republican men (88%), and White evangelical Christians (80%). A lack of pride is highest among women with a college degree (51% not proud), voters under age 30 (57%), and Democrats (61%). A 68% majority of voters also agrees the U.S. is the best country in the world to live in (30% disagree). While that’s roughly where sentiment has been for the last four years, it doesn’t match the 8 in 10 who felt the same in 2015 (83%) and 2011 (84%) when the question was first asked. In 2011, 89% of Republicans, 84% of Democrats, and 73% of Independents thought living in America was the best. For Republicans, that number held steady at 90% today, but has decreased by 34 points among Democrats (50%), and by 13 points among Independents (60%). Overall, one-third trust the federal government compared to nearly two-thirds who distrust it. The only time more voters trusted than distrusted the government was in 2002 (54% vs. 36%), and that was also the first time the question was asked on a Fox News survey. Most Democrats (73%) and Independents (80%) distrust the government, while Republicans are split (47% trust, 48% don’t trust). Even as more are proud of the country, more than 8 in 10 (85% extremely or very) are concerned about the future of the country, the highest in a list of eight concerns, albeit by one point. Almost as many say inflation is a huge concern (84%), followed by government spending (80%), Iran getting a nuclear bomb (78%), antisemitism (69%), illegal immigration (67%), domestic use of U.S. military troops (66%), and protests in U.S. cities (63%). The future of the country is the top issue for Democrats and Independents (90% each concerned). For Republicans, it comes in fourth at 79% behind illegal immigration, Iran getting a nuclear bomb, and government spending. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted June 13-16, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (149) and cellphones (566) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (288). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.
Rep Dusty Johnson launches bid for South Dakota governor
South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson, the state’s sole member of the House, has announced a run for governor. Johnson is chair of the House GOP’s Main Street Caucus and a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He has served in Congress since 2019, following a job as vice president at a South Dakota-based engineering and consulting firm. Prior to his role as an executive, Johnson also worked as South Dakota Public Utilities commissioner from 2005 to 2011, during which he was appointed chief of staff to former Gov. Dennis Daugaard. The announcement, deemed by local media as a “formality” after Johnson was already rumored to run, came Monday at a campaign event and was paired with a video the representative shared on social media. KEY HOUSE GOP MODERATE DON BACON WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION “I’s been such an honor to work for you in Congress. We rolled up our sleeves and got things moving in the right direction, cutting trillions in wasteful spending, standing with President Trump to secure our border and finally getting tough on China,” Johnson said. “Those were important fights to build a better country for our kids, but their future doesn’t begin in some far away place. It begins here, at home, in South Dakota. That’s why we need to hit the gas and give them a clear path to a bright future.” TRUMP REACTS TO TILLIS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION, SENDS WARNING TO ‘COST CUTTING REPUBLICANS’ Following the announcement, criticism began popping up online that Johnson has not adequately supported President Donald Trump, and claims he is a “never-Trumper” are “lies of the desperate.” “Here are the facts,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “Donald Trump has had me down to Mar-a-Lago. I’ve gone to the Super Bowl with President Trump. I donated $10,000 to his re-election campaign years ago. He endorsed me in my 2020 race. I was his state campaign chairman for his re-elect.” Johnson added that he is someone who has “a long-standing, multi-year history of being a partner” with Trump. Johnson also said he has proven to be a “key ally” of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., noting he was one of the members of Congress who “helped deliver the votes to get him elected speaker.” On the fight in the Senate over the Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Johnson said he supports the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives and expressed optimism it will get passed by the Senate by the GOP’s self-imposed July 4 deadline.
Multibillion-dollar healthcare fraud scheme included giving people ‘unnecessary’ skin grafts: DOJ
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced sweeping charges Monday against more than 300 defendants, alleging they misled patients into paying for, and sometimes receiving, medical care that they did not need. In turn, DOJ Criminal Division chief Matthew Galeotti said, the defendants also attempted to swindle Medicare and other taxpayer-funded and private health insurance programs out of about $14.6 billion. The announcement marked the “largest coordinated healthcare fraud takedown in the history of the Department of Justice,” Galeotti said during a press conference. In a press release, the DOJ said 29 of the defendants were charged with alleged involvement with transnational criminal organizations and submitting over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs. FEDS BUST ARMENIAN FRAUD RING ACCUSED OF STEALING $30M IN COVID, SMALL BUSINESS LOANS Another 74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases with allegedly illegally distributing 15 million prescription pill opioids and other controlled substances. For instance, five of the defendants at a Texas pharmacy are accused of unlawfully distributing over 3 million opioid pills, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and carisoprodol, which were later trafficked by drug dealers on the streets. The DOJ said 49 defendants were charged with submitting over $1.17 billion in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare, while an additional 170 defendants were charged with various other fraudulent schemes amounting to $1.84 billion in claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits and unnecessary treatments, sometimes for kickbacks and bribes. “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” 5.4 MILLION PATIENT RECORDS EXPOSED IN HEALTHCARE DATA BREACH One set of charges included, for example, an indictment against three defendants in Arizona who allegedly conspired to purchase and give elderly Medicare recipients skin grafts known as “amniotic wound allografts.” The defendants allegedly reaped millions of dollars from the practice. One of the defendants, a nurse practitioner, applied the grafts to patients even though they were “medically unreasonable and unnecessary,” the indictment said. The nurse allegedly applied them to terminally ill patients in hospice, including some who were days away from dying. While that specific medical practice is typically non-invasive, Galeotti noted it was part of a $1 billion healthcare fraud scheme that stripped patients of “dignity and peace” in their final days. TEXAS DOCTOR SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IN ONE OF THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT’ CASES OF PATIENT HARM “That conduct is exactly as callous and disturbing as it sounds,” Galeotti said. “Patients and their families trusted these providers with their lives. Instead of receiving care, they became victims of elaborate criminal schemes.” One DOJ official said in response to a question from Fox News Digital that skin grafts were an “emerging area” of healthcare fraud, “especially given the significant amount of money that they can bill for sometimes in excess of $1,000 a square centimeter.” The healthcare fraud cases, all of which were shared publicly online, spanned the country and globe. Defendants included medical supply company owners and medical professionals, including 25 doctors. TEXAS DOCTOR SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IN ONE OF THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT’ CASES OF PATIENT HARM An FBI official announced at the press conference that one scheme, called “Operation Gold Rush,” resulted in at least 20 members of a transnational criminal organization, including defendants based in Russia, being charged as part of a $10 billion Medicare and money laundering operation that centered on catheters. The group behind the scheme, authorities said, used foreign straw owners to secretly buy dozens of medical supply companies before using stolen identities and confidential health data to create and file false $10.6 billion in claims with Medicare. The DOJ said 19 defendants were arrested for their involvement in the scheme, 12 of whom have been arrested. Of the 12, four were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement. Seven of the defendants were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border. The DOJ Criminal Division’s healthcare fraud unit led the effort. Galeotti said Monday the DOJ also launched a “fusion center” in which it would join forces with other agencies to consolidate healthcare data as part of its investigations into fraud. Galeotti and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, also used the press conference to make a plea for more tips. “We need your help, the American people,” Oz said. “Why? Over half of the whistleblower tips that we get are for healthcare fraud and over half of the fraud against our government is in healthcare.”