Age-old seniority question divides Democrats as Biden returns to national spotlight
Former President Joe Biden is easing back into the public eye, as he delivered his first speech since leaving office last month and sat for his first post-presidency interviews. The 82-year-old former party leader reflected on the Democrats’ November losses and discussed the future of the party on “The View” Thursday morning. While the Biden administration relentlessly defended the first octogenarian president’s mental acuity throughout his one and only term, his disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump and his subsequent suspension of his re-election campaign revealed a different reality. “The only reason I got out of the race was because I didn’t want to have a divided Democratic Party,” Biden maintained to the hosts of “The View.” However, as Democrats grapple with the fallout of losing the White House, Senate and failing to regain the House in November, the age-old seniority question has returned to the fold of the Democratic Party, as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the 35-year-old progressive making waves as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said she will not seek the top Democrat position on the House Oversight Committee. DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR GETS ULTIMATUM: STAY NEUTRAL IN PRIMARIES OR STEP DOWN FROM PARTY LEADERSHIP “It’s actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe I’ll be staying put at Energy and Commerce,” Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital in a statement first reported by NBC. WATCH: AOC LEAVES DOOR OPEN FOR 2028 PRESIDENTIAL BID AS CAMPAIGN BUZZ SOARS Ocasio-Cortez lost her House Oversight bid to 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., late last year. Connolly announced last month his plan to step back as ranking member of the Oversight Committee after just four months on the job, due to a resurgence of esophageal cancer, adding that it would be his final term in Congress. Connolly’s decision opened the door for Ocasio-Cortez to consider another attempt to lead the committee, which is best positioned to investigate the Trump administration if Democrats manage to regain the House in 2026. Ocasio-Cortez, citing the Democratic Party’s “underlying dynamics” that prioritize seniority in party leadership, renewed a conversation started by Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg’s plan to primary challenge older incumbent Democrats. Hogg’s Super PAC, Leaders We Deserve, announced a plan last month to spend $20 million to help elect younger Democrats in deep-blue districts, which the 25-year-old party leader said are “asleep at the wheel.” The unprecedented move was ridiculed by many, including veteran Democrat strategist James Carville, who called it “the most insane thing I ever heard.” “Aren’t we supposed to run against Republicans?” Carville asked in an interview with CNN. While the two Democrats seemed to bury the hatchet in a recent and rare joint interview on “The Tara Palmeri Show,” Hogg’s move prompted DNC Chair Ken Martin to announce a neutrality pledge for DNC officials and an ultimatum for the young progressive – either resign as vice chair or forego his involvement in Leaders We Deserve, his group leading the multimillion-dollar plight to challenge senior Democrats. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, one of several younger Democrats leading the resistance to Trump’s second term and a name floated as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that “we have to have a whole rebrand of the Democratic Party with a coherent platform and a future-oriented platform, and many leaders need to do that, new leaders, not the old guard. And I hope to be part of that.” Ocasio-Cortez’s decision not to seek a House Oversight leadership position comes as rumors about her 2028 presidential or 2026 senatorial ambitions swirl following a viral campaign-style video, filmed on the road with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. Those rumors followed the progressive Democrat’s record-breaking fundraising haul, one of the biggest ever for a House lawmaker, raising $9.6 million in the past three months. A Siena College poll also found Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s favorability is down, at 39% among New York state voters questioned in the poll, which was conducted April 14-16. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez’s favorability soared to 47%. The longtime senator from New York faced pushback from the Democratic Party in March for supporting the Trump-backed Republican budget bill that averted a government shutdown and stirred up outrage among congressional Democrats who planned to boycott the bill. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Trump pulls his nomination for DC US attorney, says he’ll reveal new pick soon
The White House will unveil a new nominee to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, following resistance to the Trump administration’s current pick, according to President Donald Trump. Trump previously nominated Ed Martin, a former defense attorney who represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, for the role. Martin has taken on the responsibilities of the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., since January. However, the Senate has held up confirming Martin, amid concerns from lawmakers. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced Tuesday he wouldn’t endorse Martin. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also has opposed Martin’s nomination. Specifically, Durbin said Martin provided several false statements to the Senate Judiciary Committee. On Thursday, Trump suggested he would put forward another candidate who would receive broader backing than Martin. “He wasn’t getting the support from people that I thought,” Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday. “You know, he’s done a very good job. Crime is down 25% in DC during this period of time … I can only lift that little phone so many times of the day. But we have somebody else.” “I have to be straight. I was disappointed,” Trump said. “A lot of people were disappointed. But that’s the way it works. Sometimes, you know, that’s the way it works. And he wasn’t rejected, but we felt it would be very — it would be hard. And we have somebody else that will be announcing over the next two days who’s going to be great.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. This is a breaking story that will be updated. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Patriot Act repeal bill puts controversial law in the crosshairs: ‘Let’s end the abuse!’
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has introduced a one-page bill to repeal the controversial Patriot Act, which was passed on the heels of the horrific Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The text of the measure, dubbed the “American Privacy Restoration Act,” reads, “The USA PATRIOT Act … is repealed, and each provision of law amended by such Act is amended to read as such provision read on October 25, 2001.” “For over two decades, rogue actors within our U.S. intelligence agencies have used the Patriot Act to create the most sophisticated, unaccountable surveillance apparatus in the Western world,” Luna said, according to a press release. ANNA PAULINA LUNA RESIGNS FROM HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS, SAYS ‘MUTUAL RESPECT’ WAS ‘SHATTERED’ “My legislation will strip the deep state of these tools and protect every American’s fourth amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. It’s past time to rein in our intelligence agencies and restore the right to privacy. Anyone trying to convince you otherwise is using ‘security’ as an excuse to erode your freedom.” In a post on X, Luna thanked Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., for cosponsoring the bill. REAL ID ‘UNNECESSARY IN KEEPING US SAFE,’ GOP LAWMAKER SAYS AS DEADLINE LOOMS “Let’s end the abuse!” she declared in the post. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has previously pushed bills involving repealing the Patriot Act, pointed out in a post on X last week that just three Republicans voted against passing it in October 2001 — one of them was former Rep. Ron Paul, the father of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. LONE REPUBLICAN BECOMES ONLY LAWMAKER TO VOTE AGAINST CRACKDOWN ON HUMAN ORGAN TRAFFICKING CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Abuse of the PATRIOT Act over time revealed they were justified. Imagine the pressure they were under just one month after 9/11. I’m sure they were called every name in the book,” Massie wrote.
Trump targets Iranian oil with sanctions, increasing pressure on Islamic Republic to make deal on nukes
The Trump administration on Thursday targeted Iranian oil with a new slate of sanctions – a move that increases pressure on the Islamic Republic amid talks between U.S. and Iranian officials to make a deal to prevent nuclear proliferation, Fox News Digital has learned. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control increased pressure on Iran’s export of oil Thursday, designating the “teapot” refinery Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co., Ltd., and three port terminal operators in Shandong province, China, for their role in purchasing or facilitating the delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil. VANCE PREVIEWS US-IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS, SAYS TRUMP ‘OPEN’ TO SITTING DOWN WITH RUSSIANS, CHINESE IN FUTURE The “teapot” refineries purchase the majority of Iranian crude oil exports, according to the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department on Thursday is also imposing sanctions on several companies, vessels and captains they say are responsible for facilitating Iranian oil shipments as part of Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet.” The companies and vessels are all China-based. “As part of President Trump’s broad and aggressive maximum pressure campaign, Treasury today is targeting another teapot refinery that imported Iranian oil,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “The United States remains resolved to intensify pressure on all elements of Iran’s oil supply chain to prevent the regime from generating revenue to further its destabilizing agenda.” The sanctions come following President Donald Trump’s executive order, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors – as well as another executive order targeting those that provide support to the National Iranian Oil Company. Thursday’s sanctions are the latest round targeting Iranian oil sales since the president, in early February, issued a national security memorandum that instituted a campaign of “maximum economic pressure on Iran.” As for Iran’s “shadow fleet,” Tehran relies on obscure ship management companies to manage its fleet of tankers that “mask” Iran’s petroleum shipments to China using ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned vessels. The Treasury Department on Thursday took action to increase pressure on that “shadow fleet” of actors by designating ships as “blocked property.” Any violation of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. or foreign persons, the Treasury Department said. The imposition of sanctions comes as the United States and Iran prepare for a fourth round of nuclear talks. U.S. and Iranian officials are set for the next round of talks to take place in Oman in the coming days. TRUMP TEASES ‘VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE’S ‘ON EDGE OF MY SEAT’ Trump is scheduled to travel to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Vice President JD Vance recently previewed the next round of talks, saying Wednesday the U.S. was negotiating toward a “complete cessation” of Tehran’s nuclear program. The Trump administration has said the flawed 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear feal, did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb, with Vance adding that the agreement had “incredibly weak” enforcement regarding inspections. Vance said he didn’t believe it “actually served the function of preventing the Iranians from getting on the pathway to nuclear weapons.” Vance also said the Trump administration believes that there were some elements of the Iranian nuclear program that were actually “preserved” under the JCPOA. “Yes, there weren’t nuclear weapons. Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said, arguing the deal “allowed Iran to sort of stay on this glide path toward a nuclear weapon if they flip the switch and press go.” “We think that there is a deal here that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy,” Vance said ahead of the talks. “That would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they can get a nuclear weapon. And that’s what we’re negotiating toward. And as the president has said, that’s Option A.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP If Option A is “very good for the Iranian people,” Vance said, then Option B “is very bad.” “It’s very bad for everybody,” Vance said. “And it’s not what we want, but it’s better than Option C, which is Iran getting a nuclear weapon. That is what is completely off the table for the American administration. No ifs, ands or buts.” As for Trump, he said during a recent interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would only accept “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump signals China ‘very much’ interested in securing trade deal ahead of Switzerland negotiations
China is eager to hash out a trade deal with the U.S., according to President Donald Trump. Trump’s remarks come as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is poised to launch trade negotiations with China in Switzerland Saturday amid a steep tariff battle between Washington and Beijing. “Scott’s going to be going to Switzerland, meeting with China,” Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House. “And you know, they very much want to make a deal. We can all play games. Who made the first call, who didn’t make them? It doesn’t matter. Only matters what happens in that room. But I will tell you that China very much wants to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out.” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday he wants a “fair” trade deal with China, claiming discussions with Beijing were in the works on multiple issues. Trump has voiced support for tariffs for decades. The White House has called for tariffs to address the nation’s 2024 record $1.2 trillion trade deficit, and said the tariffs will bring back U.S. manufacturing jobs. Bessent cautioned in April that the tariffs could cost China up to 10 million jobs, and said that it’s incumbent upon Beijing to remove current tariffs on U.S. imports. “I think that over time we will see that the Chinese tariffs are unsustainable for China. I’ve seen some very large numbers over the past few days that show if these numbers stay on, Chinese could lose 10 million jobs very quickly,” Bessent told reporters at the White House April 29. “And even if there is a drop in the tariffs that they could lose 5 million jobs.” “So remember that we are the deficit country,” Bessent said. “They sell almost five times more goods to us than we sell to them. So the onus will be on them to take off these tariffs. They’re unsustainable for them.” Bessent also told lawmakers Tuesday that the U.S. has launched discussions with various countries, and indicated that major trade deals could be announced “as early as this week.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
One-man Cabinet: Marco Rubio went from rival to Trump’s point man, but can he handle it?
In a surprising twist of fate, Marco Rubio has gone from bitter presidential rival to President Donald Trump’s go-to guy. At the start of the new administration, current and former officials speculated Rubio would be one of the first Cabinet officials shown the door, as his America First credentials were called into question given his previously hawkish foreign policy views. Instead, Rubio has only continued to find favor with the president – so much so that he now holds an unprecedented four different roles within the administration. “When I have a problem, I call up Marco. He gets it solved,” Trump quipped earlier this month. TRUMP TO TAP NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN 6 MONTHS; CALLS WALTZ MOVE ‘UPGRADE’ First, Rubio glided into the secretary of state role with a 99-0 Senate confirmation. Then, Trump and his team dismantled USAID and merged it under Rubio’s State Department leadership, naming him acting director. The secretary was subsequently tapped to lead the National Archives in an acting capacity, and as of last week, he’s also replaced Mike Waltz as acting national security advisor. “This is an expression of trust,” said Andrew Tabler, a former senior official at State and the National Security Council (NSC). “It’s a sign that the president likes Secretary Rubio, despite the odds.” Trump has suggested the interim arrangement could last up to six months, and while that may be an expression of the president’s confidence in Rubio, some are questioning whether one person can effectively juggle four high-profile roles. “Marco Rubio is very talented but no one can do that,” said Joel Rubin, former senior State Department official. Henry Kissinger was the last person to serve as both secretary of state and national security advisor, holding both roles for over two years from 1975 to 1977. But that was half a century ago, and threats facing the nation have only multiplied. MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK Rubin, who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, called the workload “not fair to the individual, not fair to the taxpayer, and not fair to President Trump, who needs strong, independent advice from a national security advisor.” “The president has assembled an incredibly talented team that is fully committed to putting America and Americans first,” a senior State Department official said in response to an inquiry on Rubio’s many duties. “Secretary Rubio looks forward to serving as his interim national security advisor while ensuring the mission-critical work at the State Department continues uninterrupted.” The national security advisor is traditionally the president’s closest aide on matters of war, peace and global crisis – physically located near the Oval Office and ready to brief the president at any moment. That proximity is hard to maintain when the same person is flying overseas for diplomatic missions. “If he has to fly off to Pakistan to stop a nuclear war, then the president’s national security advisor, who usually is sitting right next to him, is not there.” The reshuffling follows a broader shake-up inside the National Security Council, which lost Waltz, deputy advisor Alex Wong, and a number of staffers in early April. That thinning of personnel, several sources said, has only compounded the stakes. “There are major national security issues in three different theaters. Europe, Middle East and Asia. One’s a hot war, one is a half-hot war, and it’s really getting tense in Asia,” said one former NSC official. “The president’s national security team needs to be filled out, and many people at State and DOD still need to be confirmed.” TRUMP TO TAP NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN 6 MONTHS; CALLS WALTZ MOVE ‘UPGRADE’ National security advisor “is one of the president’s closest relationships,” said Michael Allen, former special assistant to the president and senior director at NSC. “The national security advisor needs to be near the president all the time. Or at least able to brief the president all the time. So this is more duties for Rubio and they’re already short-handed.” Still, Allen said the president’s personal comfort with his top national security aide may outweigh structural concerns – for now. “If the president feels like he needs Rubio there, then this is a good solution,” Allen said. “At least for the short to medium term.” Yet others say Rubio’s promotion might be more symbolic than operational, particularly in a White House where influence doesn’t always match job titles. “I think it’s not, ‘Can Marco Rubio do four jobs?’ It’s, ‘Is he allowed to do his one job – which is Secretary of State?’” said Mark Feierstein, a former senior official at USAID. “Foreign counterparts may see him as pleasant in meetings, but they don’t necessarily believe he can deliver.” Feierstein pointed to the dismantling of USAID, the rise of informal advisors like Stephen Miller, and the proliferation of special envoys like Steve Witkoff who bypass Rubio entirely. “You’ve got loads of people who report directly to Trump or others. So now it’s just chaos,” he said. Even Rubio’s ideological positioning raises questions. A staunch foreign policy hawk during his time in the Senate, Rubio has in recent months presided over a foreign policy apparatus that includes outreach to Russia and dramatic State Department budget cuts – moves he may once have opposed. “He’s decided to accommodate,” Feierstein said. But Rubio’s ability to meet voters where they are – and serve as the president’s happy warrior – may be the key to his longevity. Sparring with voices like Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance on foreign policy would only cause further headaches for the president. Tabler, for his part, remained optimistic. “Rubio is energetic, he knows the issues. He’s been working on foreign policy for years,” he said. “It’s a positive sign. But how long one person can do that job – and under what circumstances – is up to him.”
Travelers weigh in on REAL ID rollout after 2005 law finally takes effect: ‘I think it’s important’
Many travelers preparing for their flights at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport told Fox News Digital that the government effectively notified Americans about the REAL ID law that took effect on May 7, with many adding that the new requirement bolsters safety. “I think they did a great job of letting people know… and I think it’s important, because we need to make sure that everyone’s got correct identification,” said one man who spoke to Fox News Digital from the terminal. “I think that the government did a really good job of informing the public that it’s needed. I see it everywhere,” another man said. The REAL ID laws took effect on May 7, though the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced ahead of Wednesday that Americans who lack the new ID will still be able to travel but would face additional screening. REAL ID is a federally-compliant driver’s license or other identification that meets higher standards than state-issued driver’s licenses. REAL ID DEADLINE COMES AND GOES – AIRPORTS REPORT BUSINESS AS USUAL Only legal U.S. citizens or residents can obtain a REAL ID. Valid U.S. passports can also still be used instead of a REAL ID for domestic air travel, the DHS explains on its website. “I think the government did a great job preparing for folks, and especially in the state of Georgia. They’ve had this in process for a long time,” said another traveler. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to heighten security requirements for driver’s licenses in response to the attacks on 9/11. Though some states began complying with the law more than a decade ago, enforcement in all states had been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic, DMV backlogs, as well as some states, such as South Carolina, initially refusing to comply. DO WE EVEN NEED THIS? LAWMAKERS GET REAL ABOUT REAL ID MANDATE STARTING TODAY “We’ve been doing it since, gosh … since 2013. Trying to get everybody aboard, and this is the last year for them to get on board,” one woman said. “I think it’s important to protect our airports one another and our federal buildings with higher security,” another woman said. AIR TRAVELERS WITHOUT REAL ID TO FACE EXTRA SCREENING BUT WILL BE ALLOWED TO FLY FOR NOW, DHS SAYS By contrast, another traveler said the roll-out could have been smoother. “They could have rolled this out a little smoothly there and allowed people to get more prepared, even though, you know, to say it’s been in the works for a couple of years, but I travel quite often, and I didn’t know,” she said.
House votes to make Trump Gulf of America name change permanent
The House of Representatives voted 211-206 to make President Donald Trump‘s name change for the Gulf of America permanent on Friday morning. No Democrats voted for the bill, as was expected. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., was the only Republican to vote against the bill. The legislation was led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a vocal ally of Trump’s in Congress. “This is such an important thing to do for the American people. The American people deserve pride in their country, and they deserve pride in the waters that we own, that we protect with our military and our Coast Guard and all of the businesses that prosper along these waters,” Greene said during debate on the bill. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL “But Democrats today are outraged. They’re outraged because they love the cartels more than any other people in the world, more than the American people.” Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, panned the legislation as a waste of time. “Republicans think this juvenile legislation is the best use of this House’s time. This is the only work we’re doing today, folks,” Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in his rebuttal to Greene. “What a sick joke this is. Republicans worry about 400-year-old words on a map. I worry about families and every community in America that’s struggling to get by.” MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE The vast majority of Republicans supported the bill, with several arguing the name change would help boost tourism and a sense of patriotism in the region. However, earlier this week, Fox News Digital was told that several GOP lawmakers privately expressed frustration at what they saw as a largely symbolic bill taking up their time instead of more meaningful legislation to move Trump’s agenda along. “I’ve heard criticisms from all corners of the conference. Conservatives to pragmatic ones,” Bacon told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “It seems sophomoric. The United States is bigger and better than this.” One conservative GOP lawmaker vented to Fox News Digital, “125 other [executive orders], this is the one we pick.” Greene hit back at the detractors, however, in response to Fox News Digital’s report. “Some of my Republican colleagues don’t want to vote for my Gulf of America Act, which is one of President Trump’s favorite executive orders. They say they would rather vote on ‘more serious EOs.’ Boys are you ready to vote to criminalize sex changes on kids?? Because I have that bill on that EO too,” she wrote on X. The legislation will now be sent to the Senate, where it must reach a 60-vote threshold – with Democratic support – before it can hit the president’s desk.
Retired judges criticize Trump admin over arrest of Milwaukee County judge: ‘Embarrassing spectacle’
A coalition of more than 150 former judges joined together in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing the Trump administration of perpetrating “attacks” against the judiciary. “We are former state and federal judges who join together to condemn the Trump Administration’s attacks on the judiciary, including its recent arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan in her courthouse,” the letter begins. Dugan allegedly escorted a wanted illegal immigrant “out of the courtroom through the ‘jury door,’ which leads to a nonpublic area of the courthouse,” according to an affidavit, which notes that authorities at the courthouse to arrest the wanted individual were still ultimately able to apprehend him. MILWAUKEE JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN ‘TEMPORARILY RELIEVED OF HER OFFICIAL DUTIES’ BY WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT “This latest action is yet another attempt to intimidate and threaten the judiciary after a series of rulings by judges appointed by presidents of both parties holding the Trump Administration accountable for its countless violations of the Constitution and laws of the United States,” the former judges declared in their letter. They asserted that the Justice Department “at your direction decided to create an embarrassing spectacle that included the FBI’s arrest and handcuffing of Judge Dugan and the Director of the FBI, Kash Patel, posting a photo of the perp walk on X.” The letter links to an April X post that features a photo and declares, “No one is above the law.” FBI ARRESTS WISCONSIN JUDGE, ALLEGING SHE OBSTRUCTED ARREST OF ILLEGAL ALIEN Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. President Donald Trump‘s second-term agenda has been bogged down by judicial roadblocks, and the president has been outspoken in registering his complaints with the judiciary. PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCES MULTIPLE JUDICIAL NOMINEES, ACCUSES COURT SYSTEM OF BLOCKING HIM FROM DOING HIS JOB “Our Court System is not letting me do the job I was Elected to do. Activist judges must let the Trump Administration deport murderers, and other criminals who have come into our Country illegally, WITHOUT DELAY!!!” he declared in a Wednesday Truth Social post.
From floppy disks to flight delays: Top lawmaker warns US air system is due for a reboot
A leading lawmaker from the nation’s most interconnected air travel state warned that outdated technology – like “floppy disks” – and ongoing air traffic control (ATC) crises at key hubs are compounding the need to overhaul the U.S. air travel system. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who also sits on the Aviation subcommittee on the Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee, spoke to Fox News Digital exclusively on Wednesday as the crisis mounted, most recently in the Philadelphia ATC sector; specifically at Newark-Liberty International Airport. The Last Frontier has the least miles of roads per capita and hundreds of communities where air travel is the only relatively realistic or reliable mode. Sullivan said that it is not only in his state’s interest to see such an overhaul, but that – just as the Philadelphia sector has seen issues as of late – the Anchorage air traffic control hub itself controls individual flight patterns almost anywhere between Chicago and Tokyo. ALASKA SENATOR LITERALLY TEARS UP BIDEN’S ENERGY ORDERS, BOOSTS WH EFFORTS TO LEVERAGE ARCTIC LNG ASIA TRADE “We help the entire country when people are traveling from the Lower 48 over to Asia,” he said. “What we need to do is we need to preemptively address challenges before they become tragedies,” said Sullivan, who spoke out similarly at a commerce hearing with NTSB and FAA officials earlier this year. He also cited a February passenger airliner crash in his own state, when a plane went down on Norton Sound’s sea ice after leaving Unalakleet for Nome, killing 10. “What happens, unfortunately, is too often tragedy is what inspires and motivates reform,” he said, adding that the Department of Transportation should and likely will, under Secretary Sean Duffy, pivot to “predict[ing] and preempt[ing].” On a recent tour of the Anchorage center, he spoke to FAA workers and saw how they, like other sectors, rely on 20th-century floppy disks and “strips of paper that are like post-it notes.” AK CAN BE ‘CURE TO THE NATION’S ILLS’ WITH HELP FROM TRUMP ADMIN: GOV DUNLEAVY “What we don’t want, unfortunately – it’s happened – is have a big crash and tragedy as the thing that inspires change,” he said, placing the blame most recently on the Biden administration, in part, for appearing to prioritize diversity over substantive reforms at USDOT. “I watched this: Hiring people for the FAA in terms of air traffic controllers is competitive. It requires real schooling. It requires high performance. And the Biden team came in, and I guess in the name of diversity… they started taking people off the street literally with no background in any of this. We’ve got to get back to the rigorous FAA standards,” he said. He said he spoke with Duffy on Tuesday and predicted “a really big comprehensive reform program” in the weeks and months to come. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We have the safest aviation system in the world, but that doesn’t happen through magic. That happens through diligence, through upgrading our technology.” While not directly addressing the situation in Newark, Sullivan praised the Trump administration’s “outstanding” response to the Unalakleet crash and predicted the Department of Transportation would handle the Newark-Liberty incident in a similarly effective manner. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has defended his tenure, writing on X that “we put safety first, drove down close calls, grew [ATC] and had zero commercial airline fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”