Pentagon seeks Trump approval for first US military execution in 60 years following Fort Hood mass shooting
The Pentagon is preparing to ask President Donald Trump to authorize the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of carrying out the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, a senior Department of Defense official told The Daily Caller News Foundation. If approved, it would be the first U.S. military execution in more than six decades. Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others in the attack. Hasan entered Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Center armed with a semi-automatic pistol and opened fire on fellow service members preparing for deployment. COURT THROWS OUT PLEA DEAL FOR 9/11 MASTERMIND KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, TWO OTHER TERRORISTS During his subsequent trial, Hasan admitted to the shooting and claimed it was necessary to protect the “Islamic Empire” from American forces. The Pentagon had categorized the massacre as an act of “workplace violence,” a decision that drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, victims’ families and national security experts. They argued it obscured the ideological and terrorist motivations behind the attack. In 2013, a military jury convicted Hasan and sentenced him to death. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT URGED TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY IN CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM MURDERS He has been held on death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, ever since. After years of appeals, Hasan’s final legal challenge was rejected in April 2025, clearing the way for execution. “I am 100% committed to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hasan,” Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News Digital. “This savage terrorist deserves the harshest lawful punishment for his 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. The victims and survivors deserve justice without delays.” Hasan is one of just four prisoners facing the death penalty under military jurisdiction. RETIRED FBI AGENT WARNS OF ‘ASSASSINATION CULTURE’ AFTER LEARNING KIRK SUSPECT LIVED WITH TRANS PARTNER The Army secretary has already recommended execution, and the Department of War is advancing the request. Hasan, born in Arlington, Virginia, in 1970 to Palestinian immigrant parents, served nearly 20 years in the Army before reportedly embracing radical Islamist beliefs. By the time he was stationed at Fort Hood in 2009, he had become outspoken in his opposition to U.S. military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, justifying suicide bombings as legitimate acts of war.
Harris lashes out at Biden’s team for ‘adding fuel to negative narratives’ against her: book
Former Vice President Kamala Harris offered up several criticisms of the Biden White House’s communications team in her new book, painting a picture of a staff that did little to defend her. “They had a huge comms team; they had Karine Jean-Pierre briefing in the pressroom every day,” Harris wrote in her book “107 Days”, released on Tuesday and providing detailed insight into her ill-fated presidential run. “But getting anything positive said about my work or any defense against untrue attacks was almost impossible.” Harris added that the “president’s inner circle seemed fine with it” when “unfair or inaccurate” stories about Harris circulated and that it even “seemed as if they decided I should be knocked down a little more.” OBAMA, PELOSI, OTHER TOP DEMS RESISTED INSTANT HARRIS ENDORSEMENT CITING NEED TO ‘EARN IT,’ ‘HIKING’ EXCUSE In a chapter titled “July 24: 104 days til the election,” Harris suggested that Biden’s team was not only being unhelpful, but at times had worked against her in the past. “This was total nonsense, but the White House seemed glad to let reporting about my ‘gaffe’ overwhelm the significant thaw in foreign relations I’d achieved,” Harris wrote about the White House not pushing back against media reports she had “faked a french accent” in 2021. “Worse, I often learned that the president’s staff was adding fuel to negative narratives that sprung up around me,” Harris wrote. Harris took issue in the book with Republicans who “mischaracterized” her role as the “border czar” and lamented that “no one in the White House comms team helped me to effectively push back and explain what I had really been tasked to do” or to “highlight any of the progress I had achieved.” KAMALA HARRIS SAYS SHE ‘HAD NO IDEA’ SHE ‘PULLED THE PIN ON A HAND GRENADE’ WITH ‘THE VIEW’ ANSWER ABOUT BIDEN In another part of the book, Harris wrote about how Biden began “taking on water” over the conflict between Hamas and Israel, saying that “when polls indicated that I was getting more popular, the people around him didn’t like the contrast that was emerging.” Harris also provided details about her struggles with the Biden campaign staff before and after she became the nominee, writing specifically about meetings the Biden-Harris team had during the campaign in a pavilion on the White House grounds. “These political briefings often made no sense to me,” Harris wrote. “Mike Donilon would filter the data from the polls and present the numbers in soothing terms: that the razor-thin, within-the-margin-of-error results were no cause for hair on fire; that really there was nothing to see here. Doug had wanted to stop sitting next to me because he got tired of me kicking him under the table when I asked a question and got a nonanswer.” “My chief of staff, Lorraine Voles, turned to me as we left one of these meetings and said, ‘If I ever organized that sort of dog-and-pony bullsh– for you, you’d have my head on a platter.’” Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, was also quoted in the book with some strong words for the Biden team as Harris recounted an instance where his staff gauged the couple about their loyalty to Biden on July 4th, shortly before Biden dropped out of the race. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “They hide you away for four years, give you impossible, sh– jobs, don’t correct the record when those tasks are mischaracterized, never fight back when you’re attacked, never praise your accomplishments, and now, finally, they want you out there on that balcony, standing right beside them,” Emhoff is quoted as saying. “Now, finally, they know you are an asset, and they need you to reassure the American people. And still, they have to ask if we’re loyal?” Ultimately, Harris concluded that the Biden White House was mistakenly operating using “zero-sum” thinking. “If she’s shining, he’s dimmed,” Harris wrote. “None of them grasped that if I did well, he did well. That given the concerns about his age, my visible success as his vice president was vital. It would serve as a testament to his judgment in choosing me and reassurance that if something happened, the country was in good hands. My success was important for him. His team didn’t get it.” Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment.
Fox News Poll: Unhappy with NYC’s direction, voters favor Mamdani for mayor by a wide margin
New York City voters across all demographic groups are dissatisfied with the direction of the city, and most are looking for significant change in the city’s government. That sentiment has propelled Democrat Zohran Mamdani to the lead in the mayoral race despite concerns that his proposed tax increases may chase people out of the city. A new Fox News survey of New York City registered voters finds Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s nominee and self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, leading the race by 18 percentage points with 45% support. Former New York governor and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo comes in second with 27%, Republican Party nominee Curtis Sliwa gets 11% and current mayor and independent candidate Eric Adams garners 8%. Among likely voters, the race looks largely the same: 47% Mamdani, 29% Cuomo, 11% Sliwa and 7% Adams. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN UKRAINE, SUPPORT CURRENT APPROACH IN ISRAEL The analysis below focuses on preferences and opinions among registered voters. Some of Mamdani’s best groups include very liberal voters (79%), those under age 35 (61%), women under 45 (60%), Democrats (57%), and Black and Hispanic voters (49% each). Cuomo receives strong support from Jewish voters (40%), White voters ages 45+ (37%), voters ages 65 and higher (33%) and moderates (31%). Republicans prefer Sliwa (41%), while five times as many back Cuomo (32%) as Mamdani (6%). Independents are split: 26% Mamdani, 23% Cuomo and 14% each to Adams and Sliwa. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S RATINGS ARE STRONG ON BORDER SECURITY, WEAK ON THE ECONOMY The Big Apple has problems: 62% are dissatisfied with the direction it’s headed, with at least six in 10 Democrats (61%), Republicans (70%) and independents (59%) saying they are unhappy. That frustration results in three-quarters of voters wanting either substantial (37%), dramatic (20%) or revolutionary change (18%) in how the city’s government is run. Mamdani has a significant lead among both those wanting at least substantial change and those dissatisfied with the city’s trajectory. His advantage is so considerable he also holds an edge with voters satisfied with how things are going. Mamdani supporters are more enthusiastic about voting this year (63%) and more certain they will back him (83%) compared to the other candidates. Plus, most describe their support as for him (86%) rather than against his opponents (12%). For Cuomo, 32% of his backers are enthusiastic, 65% are certain and 59% say their vote is for him rather than against his opponents (39%). Voters say the top three problems facing New York City are crime (25%), followed by the cost of living (20%) and the lack of affordable housing (17%). Crime is the No. 1 concern for Republicans (50%) and independents (29%) while for Democrats it’s divided across costs (23%), crime (19%) and housing (19%). Cuomo is narrowly favored (+12 points) among those who prioritize crime, while Mamdani has wide advantages among those citing the cost of living (+40) and housing (+41). Concerns about the high cost of living, the need for better city services and a heavy tax burden produce nuanced policy opinions. For example, seven in 10 New York City voters think raising taxes will cause a mass exodus of businesses and people that will leave the city more cash strapped. At the same time, another seven in 10 favor raising taxes on residents with an annual income greater than $1 million. There is widespread agreement on both questions among Democrats, Republicans and independents. There’s a reason Mamdani is campaigning with Bernie Sanders. New Yorkers like the Independent senator from Vermont. Sanders is the most popular individual tested on the survey (61% favorable opinion), followed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (53%), Mamdani (50%) and Cuomo (45%). Adams (29%), Sliwa (28%) and President Donald Trump (24%) are viewed positively by around one-quarter of voters. When voters are asked to say in their own words why they like or dislike the candidates, the top positives for Mamdani are liking his policies generally, feeling he cares, change/having new ideas and his focus on affordability. The main reasons given for disliking him are he’s a communist/socialist, his position on Israel, not liking his policies, lack of experience and unrealistic policies. Are Mamdani’s left-leaning economic policies a potential Achilles heel? Probably not. In a city where more than twice as many voters are registered as Democrats than Republicans, capitalism is viewed more favorably than socialism by just seven points (48% vs. 41%). Experience is the top reason voters like Cuomo, while sexual harassment allegations are the main reason he is disliked. For Adams, voters also give him the thumbs-up for experience, whereas his detractors mainly focus on allegations of corruption. For Sliwa, his main positive trait is that he’s tough on crime (a top issue for voters), but his main negative is that voters don’t think he is a serious candidate. “Mamdani is the change candidate in a change election,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll along with Democrat Chris Anderson. “And, like many voters for change candidates, his supporters are enthusiastic.” Immigration and the Middle East Only 3% mention illegal immigration as the city’s No. 1 problem, and when it comes to policy options, most (67%) favor only deporting those charged with crimes but allowing others to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship. On the Middle East, more voters back the Palestinians (46%) than the Israelis (38%). That’s the opposite of results nationally. In line with Mamdani’s criticism of Israel and Cuomo’s support, those backing Mamdani side with the Palestinians by a 49-point margin, while those favoring Cuomo side with the Israelis by 16 points. More Jewish voters prefer Cuomo (40%) than Mamdani (27%) or Adams (12%). One more thing… Twice as many NYC voters say the way Republicans talk about politics is leading to an increase in violence (68%) than feel the same about Democrats (32%). Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to think their counterparts’ words lead to violence, while independents are more likely to cite Republican rhetoric as
Vance pauses North Carolina speech for boy who said he ‘skipped school’ to ask for a selfie
Vice President JD Vance spent most of his North Carolina speech Wednesday talking about public safety and backing law enforcement, but the day’s most viral moment came from a quick exchange with a young supporter in the crowd. A boy near the press area called out during a Q&A session and Vance invited him to speak. “I skipped school today,” the boy named Henry said. “I was wondering if I could get a picture with you.” Vance smiled and beckoned Henry up to the stage as the room erupted in cheers. VANCE SAYS FAR LEFT NOW DEFENDS ‘VIOLENT CRIME’ AS TRUMP SHOWS ‘POLITICAL GENIUS’ Vance answered, “Henry said ‘I skipped school. Can I have a picture with you?’ Well, I guess I got to have some excuse to skip school, so I might as well get a photo with Henry.” Henry walked to the stage in a red Trump hat and an American flag T-shirt. They shook hands and Henry pulled out his phone. Vance leaned in for the selfie as the crowd roared. The vice president gave him a quick pat on the back and returned to the microphone. Vance kept the tone easy for a beat and joked that the next request might be a reporter asking for a photo. He said he was not holding out hope for questions that easy and moved back to policy and press questions. ‘TONE-DEAF’ PROTESTERS HECKLE VANCE OUTSIDE MINNEAPOLIS CHURCH SHOOTING SITE The rest of Vance’s remarks focused on law and order and support for police. He called for keeping violent offenders behind bars and praised local officers. He later circled back to the moment as he wrapped. “Henry, I hope you got the photo you needed,” he said, drawing another round of applause. The White House’s official Rapid Response 47 account also shared the moment, which currently has over 15K likes on X. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House and the Office of the Vice President did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Ex-US attorney warns prosecutors could face many hurdles in case against Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer
A former U.S. attorney turned first-term congressman is warning prosecutors could face several hurdles in the case against Charlie Kirk’s accused killer, cautioning the trial will be anything but straightforward. Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., is a freshman House lawmaker who resigned from the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina in late 2023 to run for Congress. Looking at the case of Tyler Robinson from an outside perspective, Knott said he believed law enforcement officials were “proceeding appropriately” but noted from his past experience that high-profile cases such as this were “never as cut and dry” as they appeared to some members of the public. “In some ways, I pity the prosecution because there’s so many unique angles here,” Knott told Fox News Digital. “The hardest part about these types of cases is to begin the process with no conclusion. And that’s especially hard when you look at the Tyler Robinson case.” 58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK He anticipated there would be “many in the media” and “some, even in law enforcement” who may come to a conclusion too soon that the case is already solved. “And proceeding when this case is as public as it is, when it is as widely viewed and reviewed as it is, keeping all of that noise outside of your purview as an investigator, as a prosecutor, as a forensic analyst, as a custodian of the evidence… going forward as though the conclusion is not in hand, that’s the hardest part here,” he said. Knott pointed out that it cannot even be assumed that Robinson committed the killing until it’s decided in a court of law – stressing there were many moving parts. “We know that there was conversations with other individuals leading up to this criminal act, the killing. We know that there were lots of individuals who were surrounding the suspect,” he said. “We know that there are a lot of people who have an interest in solving this case that are not in law enforcement. I mean, go on X, go on social media. All of that can make it harder to get an objective sample of evidence, right?” Robinson is facing multiple state charges in Utah, including aggravated murder. Officials there have said they plan to seek the death penalty. The 22-year-old is accused of killing Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and conservative activist, while he spoke at a college campus event in Utah earlier this month. Kirk was shot in the neck and was soon declared dead. In addition to the public pressure on prosecutors, Knott noted there would be “intense scrutiny” on people surrounding Robinson. “Whenever that type of scrutiny is levied on somebody, whether it’s his former classmates, his colleague, his friends, his social circles, his family – what you want is just sort of a firsthand account with no inferences whatsoever,” Knott said. HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “You don’t want them to conclude anything. You want them to describe, you want them to recount. And when you have all of this publicity and the sensational posture of this case, it makes it very hard to objectively be a witness.” And if Robinson does not plead guilty, Knott predicted a full-throated attempt at defense from his lawyers. “If Mr. Robinson is in fact guilty of the charges that are brought against him, there is going to be an extreme defense if he does not plead. And whenever there’s an extremely vigorous defense, it’s never straightforward,” he said. “A win for the defense may be defeating one of the aggravated murder charges, or it might be to defeat the death penalty – whatever it may be. There is never a straight path when a defense comes forward like Mr. Robinson would probably have. And that’s assuming he doesn’t cooperate…he just walls up and says, ‘You’ve got to prove this and we’re going to fight you every step of the way.’” Knott said he would anticipate a host of challenges from the defense team, as well as a bid to evoke some kind of sympathy for their client. “What I anticipate is, every search warrant is going to be challenged. Every type of digital evidence is going to be challenged. The admissibility of the most damning evidence will be challenged. The seating of the jury will be challenged. Everything will be resisted,” he said. “And so I don’t anticipate that there will be a very easy path forward.”
GOP senator blasts Schumer, Dems as ‘forcing’ shutdown while demanding price tag report
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to know the exact cost of a partial government shutdown as GOP and Democratic leaders are at an impasse to keep the government open. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide a detailed report on the sprawling impact that a partial government shutdown could have, including payments throughout the federal government and the possible broader economic impact. The House GOP passed its short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), last week, but the bill was later blocked by Senate Democrats. For now, Republicans and Democrats in the upper chamber are at odds on a plan to keep the government open. And the deadline to fund the government by Sept. 30 is fast approaching. TOP HOUSE DEM FIRES BACK AT TRUMP’S ‘UNHINGED’ SHUTDOWN REMARKS AMID COLLAPSE OF GOV FUNDING TALKS Ernst, who chairs the Senate DOGE Caucus named after tech-billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, laid the fault of a potential shutdown on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in her letter to CBO Director Phillip Swagel. “The same politicians who whined and complained about the Department of Government Efficiency laying off unnecessary bureaucrats just a few months ago are now forcing a government-wide shutdown themselves to expose who is and isn’t an essential employee,” she wrote. Ernst requested a sweeping economic operational impact analysis from the agency, including how a shutdown could affect back pay costs for furloughed non-essential employees, military pay, congressional pay and the broader economic impact that the government closing could have on the private sector. TRUMP CANCELS MEETING WITH SCHUMER, JEFFRIES OVER ‘RIDICULOUS DEMANDS’ AS FUNDING DEADLINE LOOMS Specifically, she wanted to know how businesses could be impacted by a temporary stoppage of government services, like loans, permits and certifications, and how companies and businesses could recoup losses after a shutdown ended. She also wanted information on lost efficiencies in the government and the costs that could accrue from unfulfilled procurements or allowing contracts to lapse, and whether the burden of keeping national parks open would fall onto the states or if they’d be shuttered, too. The CBO did provide an analysis of the cost of the last time the government shuttered in 2019, when Schumer and President Donald Trump were at odds on providing funding to construct a wall at the southern border. That 35-day shutdown was the longest in U.S. history, and no funding for a border wall was granted. The report, published in January 2019, found that the shutdown saw roughly $18 billion in federal spending delayed, which led to a dip in that year’s first quarter gross domestic product of $8 billion. The report noted roughly $3 billion of that would not be recovered. THUNE SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘COLD-BLOODED PARTISAN’ TACTICS AS FUNDING DEADLINE NEARS It also found that federal workers who received delayed payments and private businesses were the hardest hit. “Some of those private-sector entities will never recoup that lost income,” the report stated. It remains unclear whether Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Schumer can strike a deal. After Trump canceled a planned meeting Tuesday with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., both Democrats blamed the president for the looming shutdown. However, Democrats’ asking price for a short-term funding extension is too high for Republicans. They want permanent extensions to Affordable Care Act subsidies, a full repeal of the “big, beautiful bill’s” health care title, which includes the $50 billion rural hospital fund, and a clawback of the canceled funding for NPR and PBS. “Once again, Donald Trump has shown the American people he is not up to the job,” Schumer said. “It’s a very simple job: sit down and negotiate with the Democratic leaders and come to an agreement, but he just ain’t up to it. He runs away before the negotiations even begin.”
Conservatives rally around ‘revival’ message after Kirk’s murder, slam Dems for violent George Floyd riots
Conservatives are rallying around a message of “revival” in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with two commentators telling Fox News Digital that the right’s response to Kirk’s death stands in stark contrast to how the left reacted to the deaths of George Floyd, Michael Brown, and other high-profile cases involving police. “After Charlie’s assassination, we didn’t see violence. We didn’t see rioting,” Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika told a packed arena gathered to celebrate her late husband’s life in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday. “We didn’t see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country,” she continued. “We saw revival.” In the wake of Kirk’s assassination, conservatives on social media have pointed out the contrast between the conservative response to the Kirk assassination and the response from Democrats in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and other controversial political events. CHARLIE KIRK HONORED BY 90K IN ONE OF THE LARGEST MEMORIALS FOR A PRIVATE CITIZEN Floyd’s death in 2020 set off a chain reaction of violent protests causing at least hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in cities like Minneapolis, Portland and Seattle, many of which were egged on by elected Democrats preaching a message of defunding the police. What was left after the violent 2020 summer was a massive increase in the number of murders, dealing a disproportionate blow to Black Americans, Fox News Digital previously reported. “Let’s be blunt: when Charlie Kirk was assassinated, conservatives didn’t riot, loot or torch cities,” RNC surrogate and attorney Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital. “As Erika said we gathered, we prayed and we embraced revival. That’s the difference between the Right and the Left – and it’s clear as day. Conservatives don’t respond with destruction, because our movement is fueled by faith, not rage.” “Contrast that with the left’s response to George Floyd in 2020: riots tore through cities, billions in damage, businesses burned and neighborhoods never recovered. From Baltimore to Portland, ‘justice’ is weaponized as a twisted justification for violence.” CHARLIE KIRK’S BOLD LEGACY LIVES ON AND WILL SHAPE AMERICA FOR YEARS TO COME Brilyn Hollyhand, a 19-year-old political commentator who was a friend of Kirk’s, told Fox News Digital that when he received the text that his mentor had been assassinated, “my first thought wasn’t to go burn down a Wendy’s or loot a CVS.” “My first thought was prayer. Prayer for his soul, his family and his team,” Hollyhand said. “Then, during the stages of grief, when I grew frustrated that my friend was murdered just for his political beliefs, I didn’t dye my hair blue, get a nose ring and grab a bullhorn – I wanted to do something effective with that frustration.” Hollyhand says he will be partnering with TPUSA, the organization Kirk founded, to speak on 10 campuses this upcoming semester in an effort to “continue Charlie’s legacy of championing civil discourse.” Cooke called it “profoundly significant” that conservatives “chose peace in the face of tragedy” and that “our actions spoke louder than their riots.” Since Kirk’s death, conservatives have held vigils across the country and put up memorials, some of them vandalized by Kirk’s opponents, honoring the political commentator and rejecting calls for violence. Over the past few years since the Floyd riots, liberal activists have taken to the streets on several occasions to oppose Republican policies, including earlier this year when violent protests erupted in Los Angeles in response to President Trump sending in federal resources to carry out his immigration agenda and deport illegal immigrants. Those riots, which several elected Democrats referred to as “peaceful,” will cost taxpayers at least $32 million, Fox News Digital previously reporte CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect charged in Charlie Kirk’s murder, was much like the other young men that her husband encountered, Erika Kirk said at the memorial service. Charlie Kirk “wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she told the massive crowd at State Farm Stadium. “Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That young man… I forgive him,” Erika Kirk said, drawing a standing ovation. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report
Nuclear threats from North Korea loom quietly behind wars in Gaza and Ukraine at UNGA
While Israel’s war in Gaza and Russia’s war in Ukraine are dominating headlines at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), quiet but urgent concerns about North Korea and its nuclear program are being discussed behind closed doors. It’s an issue that is being “continuously brought up,” according to a senior State Department official. It was a particular concern in Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meetings with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts and in President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. And while the lead-up to two Trump-Kim summits dominated the president’s first term, no such meeting is on the books for his second term, according to the official. Trump will travel to South Korea in October, but he currently has no plans to stop at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Our policy remains a complete denuclearization of North Korea,” the official said. Kim has said he’s only open to talks if the U.S. drops the denuclearization demand. TRUMP TOUTS KIM JONG UN RELATIONSHIP AMID SOUTH KOREA SUMMIT “If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearizing us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States,” Kim was quoted as saying by state news agency KCNA. Trump has also signaled an intent to sit down with Russian and Chinese leaders to come to an agreement on scaling back nuclear weapons arsenals. It’s a top priority for the administration, according to the official, but the ball is in China’s court to start being honest about its nuclear arsenal. “The first thing that would need to happen is for the Chinese to acknowledge and be more transparent about its own programs, in order to understand what direction within the discussion, what objectives, could be obtained.” The Defense Department has assessed that China has around 600 nuclear warheads as of mid-2024, but is rapidly increasing its supplies and may have over 1,000 by 2030. WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO ‘ROCKET MAN’ AND NORTH KOREA’S THREATS OVER DENUCLEARIZATION Open source estimates place North Korea’s arsenal at about 50 warheads, with fissile material for 70–90 warheads total. The official also confirmed that reviews of the AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-U.S.) submarine pact are under way across all partner governments, with updates expected this fall. Those talks, along with the October summits President Trump plans to attend in Asia, are expected to set the tone for the next phase of U.S. engagement in the region. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP With North Korea showing no sign of returning to talks and China stonewalling on transparency, U.S. officials say the administration is leaning on allies and doubling down on deterrence.
Hegseth, Noem on board with ‘vital step’ to create Coast Guard secretary amid Trump’s drug smuggling crackdown
EXCLUSIVE: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem are both on board with establishing a secretary of the Coast Guard, Fox News Digital has learned. The Coast Guard is the only military service that falls under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security and does not have a top civilian secretary leading the service — unlike the Navy, Army and Air Force. However, momentum is building — both within the administration and on Capitol Hill — to reform the Coast Guard and revamp its standards so that it better aligns with the armed services that fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of War. As a result, Hegseth said that establishing a service secretary would facilitate the Coast Guard’s ability to “support the full spectrum of national security operations,” according to a Thursday letter Fox News Digital obtained from Hegseth to Noem. PETE HEGSETH MAKES HOMELAND SECURITY TOP MISSION IN FIRST INTERVIEW AS SECRETARY OF WARse “I view the creation of a Secretary of the Coast Guard as a vital step toward strengthening strategic integration and alignment between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of War,” Hegseth said in the letter. “Furthermore, a Secretary of the Coast Guard would reinforce civilian oversight of the military, a foundational principle of our Constitution,” Hegseth said. “A dedicated Service Secretary would promote appropriate executive accountability and policy guidance for the Coast Guard’s critical mission set, provide clear leadership and advocacy, and ensure that the Service is effectively advancing the priorities of the Secretary of Homeland Security and the President of the United States.” Noem said a secretary for the Coast Guard will allow it to better conduct joint operations with other services. For example, the Coast Guard is teaming up with the U.S. Navy as part of Operation Pacific Viper, which seeks to counter the influx of illegal drugs to the U.S. as part of President Donald Trump’s larger effort to crack down on drug cartels. Ultimately, Noem vowed she would work with Hegseth, Trump and members of Congress to create the position. “The Coast Guard is the tip of the spear in the fight to protect our Homeland,” Noem said in a statement, obtained by Fox News Digital. “Every day, they are taking down drug smugglers, going toe-to-toe with our adversaries in the Arctic and the Pacific, and saving lives. Having a Secretary of the Coast Guard will be essential for President Trump’s mandate to rebuild the Service into the finest maritime fighting force in the world.” COAST GUARD OVERHAUL TAKES OFF AMID TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION, NARCOTICS CRACKDOWN Efforts to install a secretary of the Coast Guard are also picking up steam on Capitol Hill. For example, Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., spearheaded a provision included in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, which the House passed in July, to create a Coast Guard secretary as well. Installing a secretary of the service will “streamline some of this red tape that we’ve seen over the years that’s slowed progress down” because he or she will report directly to the White House and Congress — eliminating multiple layers of bureaucracy, according to Ezell. “This person is going to be instrumental in getting things done,” Ezell told Fox News Digital in July. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard unveiled its new Force Design 2028 plan to reform the maritime service’s organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology in April. Organizational changes in the plan include installing a secretary for the service. HEGSETH VOWS TO RESTORE WARRIOR MENTALITY AND RAISE STANDARDS IN SWEEPING MILITARY TRANSFORMATION Additionally, the initiative seeks to build up the Coast Guard’s force, which currently consists of roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, and identify which specialties need reinforcement to expand training. The blueprint also calls for a series of changes to better align the Coast Guard with the Department of Defense’s standards for physical fitness, body composition and grooming. Historically, the Coast Guard has not enforced fitness standards unless personnel are attached to boat crews of law enforcement teams — a departure from the other military services. However, the Coast Guard announced in September that it is rolling out a mandatory, service-wide fitness test in 2026. The Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 comes in response to the Trump administration’s efforts to tackle illegal immigration and drug smuggling, a DHS official familiar with the plan told Fox News Digital in April. “We’ve been making changes practically daily in the service to really keep moving forward,” the official told Fox News Digital in April. “The goal of 2028 is that the transformation of the service will be complete by 2028.”
Trump’s $100K H-1B visa overhaul could hit tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft hardest
The Trump administration unveiled a proposal on Wednesday to change how H-1B visas are awarded, a program that has become a cornerstone of the tech industry by allowing U.S. companies to hire highly skilled workers from abroad, including software engineers and data scientists. Issued by the Department of Homeland Security, H-1B visas are temporary work permits that have become a vital pathway for U.S. tech companies to recruit global talent. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S $100K ONE-TIME FEE FOR NEW H-1B VISA APPLICATIONS SPARKS RAGING DEBATE The proposal is designed to nudge employers toward offering higher salaries or reserving H-1B petitions for jobs that require advanced skills. The rule change, formally published in the Federal Register, comes just days after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data from 2024 through mid-2025, Amazon obtained 19,301 H-1B visas, more than any other major tech company. Microsoft secured 9,914 workers through the H-1B program, while Apple brought in 8,075 employees. Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and HCLTech may be headquartered in India, but each has a substantial U.S. presence that allows them to compete directly for H-1B visas. JD VANCE CALLS OUT BIG TECH FOR FIRING AMERICANS WHILE HIRING CHEAP FOREIGN H-1B VISA REPLACEMENTS Cognizant, by contrast, is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, though it originated as part of an Indian company and continues to maintain deep ties to India’s tech sector. Together, these firms illustrate how Indian outsourcing and consulting giants dominate a significant share of H-1B visa approvals alongside major U.S. tech companies. Microsoft declined to comment. The rest of the companies listed in the bar chart did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Since June, the top seven recipients of H-1B visas have all been tech companies, with JPMorgan Chase, Walmart and Deloitte rounding out the top 10. The $100,000 fee — a one-time charge applying only to new H-1B petitions — will take effect in the next annual lottery, the system the U.S. government uses to select applications once the annual visa cap is reached. The annual cap for H-1B petitions is 85,000, a limit the USCIS said it reached in July.