Republicans move to cut DEI from federal contracts as Duffy cries foul on equity in Key Bridge rebuild
Republicans on the Small Business Committees face a deadline to scrap Biden-era rules requiring 10% of federal contract resources go to DEI, even as the USDOT warns Maryland over its handling of Francis Scott Key Bridge contracts. In Congress, the SBIR and STTR programs – dubbed “America’s seed fund(s)” – help small businesses apply for grants across federal agencies, in commercial and technology sectors, respectively. Ahead of the September 30 reauthorization deadline for both key programs, Sen. Joni Ernst, chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, expressed urgency to cut out DEI requirements. Ernst, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital her INNOVATE Act – for which Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, also drafted a version earlier this summer – would replace any reauthorization legislation and remove requirements for DEI considerations and direct grants based on merit, not politics. DUFFY CLASHES WITH DEMOCRATS OVER DEI FUNDING CUTS, DENIES AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS LET GO Ernst also highlighted some of what she considered the more wasteful grants awarded under the current rubric – including a $1.4 million NIH appropriation for what was entitled a “Mobile App Promoting Sexual Health for Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men.” Another healthcare-related grant she lambasted offered $283,526 for Evidence-Based Parent Training for Diverse Families – citing LGBTQ+ people whose “relationships do not fit within heterosexual…norms [and] are increasingly having children or considering” so. The Pentagon and other agencies had similar such grants approved under previous administrations, according to a source familiar. With less than a week before the program sunsets unless Congress acts, a source familiar with the talks said many Republicans back Ernst’s push to block such spending and grant rules but acknowledge the math is against them with Democrats united in opposition. BRIDGE COLLAPSE AID BECOMES ECONOMIC WEAPON IN ESCALATING TRUMP-MOORE FEUD Williams has favored a one-year extension of the current SBIR/STTR program with the clock winding down – giving time to focus on promptly reforming it without being under the gun — but offered a ringing endorsement of both chambers’ similar legislation. “I want to thank Senator Ernst for her partnership when introducing the House version of her INNOVATE Act in July, and remain in lockstep with her on ensuring contracts are awarded based on merit, not DEI,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “We must ensure there is no lapse in funding for current, deserving SBIR/STTR participants before the September 30 deadline.” Meanwhile, across the Anacostia River from the Capitol, Maryland lawmakers got an earful from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy after he learned of that state’s own rubric for similar contracts. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore faces the daunting task of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge on the Baltimore Beltway after a freighter struck and destroyed it in 2024 – but the Trump administration cried foul at the way Annapolis purportedly is considering who will do the job. Duffy wrote to Moore on Thursday thanking him for working with USDOT on the project but expressed concern that Annapolis may “intend to award contracts for the FSK Bridge project in a manner that relies on race and sex of contractors.” He warned the governor of the potential legal ramifications of doing so, citing the Civil Rights Act. On the day it collapsed, then-President Joe Biden separately promised the federal government would cover the entire estimated $1.8 billion cost to make Interstate 695 a full circle once more, while Duffy instead referenced the state – as the MDTA controlled the FSK Bridge when it collapsed. When asked about the letter, Moore provided Fox News Digital with a public response to Duffy: “We will continue to work with the Trump Administration to find ways to reduce costs and rebuild faster,” Moore said, in part. “We anticipate the price estimation process to be finalized in the coming months, and we will provide regular updates from the Maryland Department of Transportation about the project’s status.” Moore has repeatedly highlighted progress MDTA has made on the bridge, telling President Donald Trump in an exchange captured by Fox Nation at the U.S. Naval Academy – just down the street from the State House — that “we will have it done in [20]28.” “In the meantime, we will continue to pursue litigation and make substantial financial contributions by way of advance construction costs and insurance settlement dollars to keep the project moving.” Moore – who announced last week he would seek re-election instead of a potential 2028 Democratic bid – added the safety of the new FSK Bridge and “sound stewardship” of Marylanders’ tax dollars are paramount to both the Port of Baltimore and people across the country.
Federal judge dumps Peter Strzok lawsuit over FBI firing for anti-Trump texts
A federal judge rejected former FBI agent Peter Strzok’s claims that his termination from the federal law enforcement agency ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution. Strzok was fired during President Donald Trump’s first term. He sent anti-Trump text messages while leading the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Trump’s campaign and Russia. DOJ SETTLES WITH FORMER FBI OFFICIALS OVER RELEASE OF ANTI-TRUMP TEXTS “At this point, only two issues remain to be resolved: did plaintiff’s termination violate the First Amendment, and did his termination violate the Fifth Amendment guarantee against the deprivation of property without due process of law?” an order signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson explained. Jackson was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama. The court found that Strzok’s “interest in expressing his opinions about political candidates on his FBI phone at that time was outweighed by the FBI’s interest in avoiding the appearance of bias in its ongoing investigations of those very people, and in protecting against the disruption of its law enforcement operations under then-Director Wray’s leadership.” TRUMP SAYS BRENNAN, COMEY ‘CROOKED AS HELL’ AMID FBI PROBE, MAY HAVE TO ‘PAY THE PRICE’ “As to Count Two, the due process claim is predicated on a misrepresentation of the facts and distortion of the chronology,” the document declares. “Once one gets past the rhetoric and considers the undisputed factual record, it becomes clear that there is no evidence to support a finding that plaintiff entered into a contract … that gave him a property interest in his tenure before the Deputy Director exercised his authority to terminate him, or that plaintiff lacked notice and an opportunity to be heard before his fate was decided,” the document notes. PATEL FOUND THOUSANDS OF SENSITIVE TRUMP–RUSSIA PROBE DOCS INSIDE ‘BURN BAGS’ IN SECRET ROOM AT FBI CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The full Memorandum Opinion has been docketed under seal,” the order notes, adding that in the court’s perspective, “nothing in the Memorandum Opinion needs to remain sealed, and therefore, the parties must inform the Court by September 30, 2025 of whether they have any objection to the Court’s unsealing the Memorandum Opinion in its entirety, and if so, specifying what portions they believe should remain under seal and why.”
Senate lawmakers clash over Trump administration’s approach to speech, censorship
Senate Republicans and Democrats alike are concerned over the Trump administration’s overtures that critics, political enemies and people engaging in hate speech will be targeted. Last week, President Donald Trump and top officials in his administration sparked a wave of criticism and concern over the fate of free speech in remarks that suggested possibly targeting people for hate speech, revoking broadcasting licenses and prosecuting political enemies. The sidelining of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from his show by ABC over comments he made related to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk further stoked fears on Capitol Hill. CNN REPORTER SAYS LIBERALS SHOULD ‘ACTIVELY ACKNOWLEDGE’ THEIR ROLE IN CANCEL CULTURE White House allies in the Senate argued that under former President Joe Biden, Democrats engaged in the same behavior. But some in the GOP believe that it may be the return of cancel culture, this time pushed by the right. “What I’ve told my Democrat friends, I said, ‘guys, this is act two of cancel culture,’” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “I mean, we are here because you made people rightfully very angry by doing the same thing, you just didn’t take it to this level.” “But if we don’t get it under control, this becomes the floor for how government overreaches, and this just becomes a more empowered, imperial president,” he continued. “And again, as a lifelong conservative, it never occurred to me, even if it was for an end that you agree with, it never occurred to me that any true conservative would consider this a justifiable means.” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., argued that Democrats had already taken censorship that far. During his tenure as Missouri attorney general, he filed a lawsuit, Missouri v. Biden, that alleged a “vast censorship enterprise” between the federal government and social media companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in the administration’s favor. CRUZ WARNS CONSERVATIVES ‘WILL REGRET’ FCC CENSORSHIP PUSH AGAINST ABC, OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS He contended that the administration officials were talking directly about violent conduct and not targeting the First Amendment. “I believe in free speech, people have a right to have their opinion, but I do think the Left has to do some self-reflection, when 85% of Democrats think President Trump is a fascist, and 55% of the Left believe that assassinating Trump would be at least somewhat justified,” he said. “I think it’s time to look in the mirror.” While Kimmel was reinstated by ABC on Monday, his dismissal still struck a chord on Capitol Hill. Some of the concern among lawmakers stemmed from Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr, who said last week: “Frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called his comments “dangerous as hell” and likened them to tactics ripped from a mob movie. Carr has since clarified his comments and panned criticisms as “distortion” and “projection” by Democrats. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration was using FCC “license revocation to pressure broadcast companies to take in effect censoring.” “What we’re seeing is in effect, the censorship that is the mark of the authoritarian regime, and that’s very different from anything in recent history, maybe in any history of the United States,” he said. SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP OF EXPLOITING CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH TO LAUNCH POLITICAL ‘WITCH HUNT’ Attorney General Pam Bondi also said last week that the administration would “go after you if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.” She has since clarified her remarks, too, and instead noted that her remarks were geared toward violent conduct and that “when you cross the line from First Amendment to a crime … we will prosecute you.” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, countered that Democratic lawmakers were being hypocritical and had “zero credibility even having a First Amendment conversation.” “This has nothing to do with silencing free speech, and the fact that the Democrats are even talking about it is literally the most laughable thing I’ve seen in D.C. since I’ve been here,” he said. And Trump weighed in on the issue last week, pushing back against the press and suggesting that government-controlled airwaves aren’t free. “They’ll take a great story, and they’ll make it bad,” he said. “See, I think that’s really illegal.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., introduced the “No Political Enemies Act” last week to counter the administration’s overtures. He told Fox News Digital: “Why would we not take the president seriously?” “He literally is using his communication channels to make clear he’s going to lock up his political enemies.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson fired back directly at Murphy in a statement, where she asked: “Where was Chris Murphy when Joe Biden was demanding Meta censor average Americans for sharing facts about COVID? Or when Joe Biden’s FBI investigated parents for expressing concerns at school board meetings.” “The Fake News Media has spent years attacking the President and lying about his tremendous record of success,” Jackson said. “As someone who actually knows what it’s like to be censored, President Trump is a strong supporter of free speech, and he is right — FCC licensed stations have long been required to follow basic standards.”
Sanders urged Harris to focus ‘on the working class, not just on abortion,’ book reveals
Left-wing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders reportedly urged then-Vice President Kamala Harris to focus on the “working class” instead of abortion as she took the mantle of the Democratic Party during the unprecedented 2024 election cycle, according to Harris’ highly anticipated book, “107 Days.” “I supported Joe because he was the strongest voice for the working class. Please focus on the working class, not just on abortion,” Sanders told Harris, according to her notes of their conversation following then-President Joe Biden dropping out of the race July 21, 2024. Sanders was among a lengthy list of top Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who initially resisted endorsing Harris immediately after Biden dropped out, instead offering her advice to focus on the working class. Harris ultimately lost all seven of the battleground states to President Donald Trump at the ballot box Nov. 4, 2024, with Democrats, media pundits and others offering a handful of reasons explaining the loss, with many pointing to how the party embraced left-wing policies such as transgender issues in children and sports versus supporting the working and middle class. BERNIE SANDERS CALLS OUT KAMALA HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN FOR BEING ‘HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY WEALTHY PEOPLE’ “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change,” Sanders posted to X in November 2024, accompanied by a press release on the election results. “And they’re right.” Other top pundits, including James Carville, have said the party “betrayed” working-class voters in favor of building a “too-cool-for-school group” that bled White male voters, while party leaders in 2025 have returned to the drawing board to map out how to attract White male votes who threw their votes to Trump. REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS ‘CAPTURED’ THE WORKING-CLASS VOTE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, SAYS FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL During the campaign cycle, Harris did focus a handful of events and speeches on abortion, and also came under fire for mocking pro-life protesters at an event in Wisconsin just hours before she skipped the Al Smith Catholic charity dinner that same day. CARVILLE SAYS DEMS ‘BETRAYED’ WORKING-CLASS VOTERS BY NOT INCLUDING THEM IN ‘TOO-COOL-FOR-SCHOOL’ COALITION The Vermont senator ultimately endorsed Harris July 27, 2024 — just days after Biden dropped out — and declared on X that “We must defeat Trump, elect VP @KamalaHarris, and create a government that works for all, not just the 1%.” Harris continued in her book that postmortem data on the election cycle found voters, most notably the youth, did not cast votes based on abortion, the war in Israel or climate change, but for economic reasons, bolstering Sanders’ initial advice that she focus her attention on the working class. “Polling revealed that many of these young voters didn’t feel they knew me. And contrary to some predictions, they did not vote primarily on reproductive rights, or Gaza, or climate change,” she wrote in her book. “They voted on their perceived economic interests. In a postelection study conducted by Tufts University, 40 percent put the economy and jobs as their top issue.” The former vice president released her highly anticipated memoir Tuesday, which will be followed by her launching of a book tour in cities across the nation, and in London, in the coming weeks. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders’ office for comment Tuesday morning but did not immediately receive a reply.
Democrat succeeds her late father in Congress as GOP House majority shrinks
Democrat Adelita Grijalva has won a special election in battleground Arizona, securing the congressional seat left vacant by her father’s death and further eroding Republicans’ razor-thin House majority. The Associated Press reports that Grijalva, a former Pima County supervisor, defeated business owner and contractor Daniel Butierez, the Republican nominee, in Tuesday’s election in southern Arizona’s 7th Congressional District. Grijalva will serve the remaining 15 months of the term of Raul Grijalva, who died in March following complications from cancer treatment. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS The younger Grijalva’s victory was anything but a surprise in the left-leaning district. Democrats enjoy a nearly two-to-one voter registration advantage over Republicans in the Hispanic-majority district, which stretches from Yuma to Tucson and includes almost the entire length of the state’s border with Mexico. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS’ 2025 ELECTION COVERAGE Republicans currently control the House 219-214, with two vacant seats remaining. Besides Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, there’s also a vacancy in Texas 18th Congressional District, a heavily Democrat-dominated district in Houston, following the March death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. The special election to fill the seat will be held on November 4, which is Election Day 2025. Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a right-leaning seat where Republican Rep. Mark Green stepped down in July to take a job in the private sector, is also currently vacant. The special election to fill the seat will be held on December 2. Grijalva, thanks in part to her family name and her support from national progressive rock stars, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, grabbed over 60% of the primary vote this summer in a five-candidate showdown. Progressive activist and social media influencer Deja Foxx came in a distant second. Grijalva, who with her victory became Arizona’s first Latina in Congress, targeted President Donald Trump as she campaigned, “In Congress, I commit to fight Trump’s cruel agenda, like the Big Ugly Bill that took away coverage from nearly 383,000 Arizonans and 142,000 children,” Grijalva pledged in a social media post, as she took aim at Trump, congressional Republicans, and their sweeping domestic policy measure that they named the One Big Beautiful Bill. Grijalva had also said that if she won, she would immediately sign a discharge petition by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The petition, which is currently just one vote shy of passing, calls on the GOP-controlled House to vote to urge the Justice Department to release the files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Butierez, as he campaigned, had been promoting himself as the change candidate in a district controlled by Democrats since the seat was created over two decades ago. “This is your chance to actually get a Representative who will represent everyone. If you vote we win, if you don’t only the radicals will have representation,” he wrote on X. Butierez, who as the 2024 GOP congressional nominee lost to the elder Grijalva while Trump narrowly carried the southwestern battleground state at the top of the ballot, easily won this summer’s Republican primary in the special election. While Trump carried Arizona last year after losing it in 2020, 2024 Democratic presidential nominee and then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by 23 points. Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin, in a statement after the race was called, said that “Rep.-elect Grijalva won a hard-fought race. Now, Arizonans will have a fighter in their corner who will stand up to Trump on behalf of families who want to see real leadership in Washington.”
Would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh’s daughter screams and runs from courthouse after guilty verdict read
The daughter of 59-year-old Ryan Routh, who was convicted on Tuesday of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, stormed out of the courtroom after the verdict, cursing at the press and making threats. The drama came after Routh was found guilty of all charges against him, and seemingly tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen several times before four U.S. Marshals restrained him. His daughter, Sara Routh, stood up in the courtroom and started cursing in front of the jury. BONDI PRAISES RYAN ROUTH VERDICT, SAYS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WAS AN ‘AFFRONT TO OUR VERY NATION ITSELF’ “Don’t do anything. I will get you out,” Sara Routh said. “What the f—. F—. He didn’t hurt anybody. This is not fair. This is all rigged — you guys are a–holes.” She stormed out of the building, telling the media to “go away” and “get the f— out of my face.” JURORS BEGIN DELIBERATIONS IN TRUMP GOLF COURSE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT TRIAL Ryan Routh, who represented himself, was convicted of five criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun charges. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. As Ryan Routh departed in a black SUV, Sara Routh chased after it, repeatedly shouting, “I love you.” PROSECUTORS PRESENT FINAL WITNESS TYING RYAN ROUTH TO TRUMP’S GOLF CLUB AND GUN PURCHASE Sara Routh and her brother, Adam Routh, walked to their car, as she continued to berate the press. One reporter asked, “Is your dad OK?” to which she replied, “He’s better be or everybody’s f–king dead… You can all go to hell. It’s all y’all’s fault. F–king lies. Spreading lies about my f—ing father.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Adam Routh, who appeared to remain calm during the meltdown, ushered his sister into the car. As the media crowded the vehicle, he pointed and asked reporters to move out of the way, before driving off. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Jamie Joseph and Heather Lacy contributed to this report.
Trump and Zelenskyy signal stronger ties after UN meeting: ‘Better relations than before’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News anchor Bret Baier in an exclusive interview with “Special Report” that his relationship with President Donald Trump has grown closer, with more frequent communication and stronger alignment on how to handle the ongoing war with Russia. Asked directly by Baier if his ties with Trump had improved, Zelenskyy said, “I think we have better relations than before. It’s good that we have often [had] phone calls and meetings, and the fact that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was lying to President Trump so many times also made a difference between us.” Zelenskyy also said the intelligence shared between Kyiv and Washington is now more closely aligned, which he described as important for making decisions on the battlefield. ZELENSKYY ACCUSES TRUMP OF GIVING PUTIN ‘WHAT HE WANTED’ AT ALASKA SUMMIT During the program, Baier read part of a Truth Social message in which Trump said Ukraine, with European and NATO backing, could win back all its territory. Zelenskyy admitted the outlook surprised him but called it encouraging. “President Trump was more positive in it, and he showed that he wants to support Ukraine to the very end,” Zelenskyy said. “I was very positive about signals from the side that Trump and America will be with us to the end of the war.” Zelenskyy said Trump understands the need for stronger measures against Moscow. He called for pressure directly on Russia’s energy sector and banking system and said more sanctions are expected from the U.S. BACK FROM ALASKA, TRUMP STARTS WEEK WITH CRUCIAL FOREIGN POLICY TALKS OVER UKRAINE WAR He added that Trump’s position has shifted to territorial concessions. “I think he understands for today that we can’t just swap territories. It’s not fair,” Zelenskyy said. The interview marked Zelenskyy’s clearest signal yet that he believes Trump’s administration is committed to Ukraine’s defense. The Ukrainian leader said he wants the conflict to an end as quickly as possible, while cautioning that Putin remains unwilling to negotiate in good faith. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “As I said, we are ready for peace, but we have to be in strong position,” Zelenskyy told Baier. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Duffy torches Buttigieg-Biden for rail safety ‘backlog,’ says safety funds sat idle for years
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is slamming the Biden administration, especially former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, for leaving behind an “unprecedented backlog” of critical infrastructure safety improvements across the country. A spokesperson for Buttigieg, who is a rumored 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, dismissed the DOT’s criticisms as “nonsense.” This week, Duffy announced that his department is obligating four grants, totaling $42 million, to improve safety on Florida’s Brightline high speed railway, which runs from Miami to Orlando. According to the department, the grants were announced and touted under Buttigieg’s leadership, but the Biden administration never actually delivered on obligating those funds. The DOT said the Trump administration inherited a backlog of over 3,200 grants that were announced but never obligated by Buttigieg-Biden. The department said that this has “delayed critical investments in communities across the country.” DUFFY EXPANDS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TRAINING PROGRAM TO FIGHT NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE In Florida, the oldest grant now being obligated by the Trump administration was first announced three years ago in 2022. The department said that “after much fanfare, their administration failed to do any of the work to actually process and deliver these funds to Brightline or project sponsors in Florida.” DOT said these unfulfilled grants were to help install safety fencing, grade crossing upgrades and a trespassing alert system. The grants included $24.9 million for a trespassing and intrusion mitigation project, $15.4 million for a Broward County sealed corridor project, $1.6 million for a trespassing identification and classification system and a $150,000 grant for Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to support overtime costs for enforcement of pedestrian trespassing at hot spots. “Under Secretary Duffy’s direction, the Department of Transportation is working diligently to accelerate the distribution of these long-overdue funds and address core infrastructure projects,” said DOT. In the statement, Duffy called the unfulfilled safety grants “the latest consequence of the unprecedented Biden-Buttigieg backlog.” One of the defining moments of Buttigieg’s tenure as transportation secretary involved a major train wreck that released toxic materials in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023. While Buttigieg was criticized for his handling of the crisis, he placed the blame on the Trump administration for reversing a rail regulation because of a law passed by Congress in 2015. “Their failure to execute on these rail grants – some of which stretch back years — put Brightline’s three million annual passengers and Florida communities in unnecessary danger,” said Duffy. “Under President Trump’s leadership, America is building again. We are delivering critical resources in record time to enhance safety on our railways, roads, and bridges.” BUTTIGIEG ‘GOT NOTHING DONE,’ DUFFY DECLARES: ‘PETE APPEARS UNBURDENED BY NO LONGER BEING A CABINET SECRETARY’ In response, Chris Meagher, a spokesman for Buttigieg, dismissed the DOT’s criticisms as “more of the same nonsense we’ve heard from them in the past.” “We invested in more projects than any administration in the past, and more than 22,000 projects were completed during Pete’s time in office,” Meagher told Fox News Digital. He said that during Buttigieg’s tenure, the DOT announced more than $390 billion of funding for more than 78,000 projects, more than 22,000 of which were completed, including 445 rail projects, over 200,000 miles of roadway repairs and improvements, over 12,300 projects to build, repair and modernize bridges, and other projects. He noted that “some of those projects take time to get done right.” “As with any change in Administration, it then becomes the job of the incoming Administration to finish the job, which is nothing new,” said Meagher. “What is new is that the current officeholder complains about it instead of just getting the job done.” BIDEN’S STAFF WANTED A COGNITIVE TEST TAKEN AFTER 2024 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE A spokesperson for the Trump DOT, meanwhile, told Fox News Digital that while Buttigieg and Biden “talked a big game,” their backlog “speaks volumes.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “They didn’t do the hard work to actually get critical infrastructure dollars out the door. Instead, they spent their time wasting billions on DEI programs and worrying about whether the term cockpit was offensive,” said the spokesperson. “The contrast here couldn’t be more clear,” the spokesperson went on. “In less than a year, Secretary Duffy has moved quickly to get clear the backlog and invest in real infrastructure projects like these rail grants. Brightline riders and Florida communities will be safer because of it.”
New Jersey police union makes red shift with Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli endorsement
The New Jersey State Fraternal Order of Police (NJ FOP) endorsed gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli Tuesday, marking a red shift on law enforcement issues in the Garden State. Ciattarelli, a former State Assembly member endorsed by President Donald Trump, reacted to the endorsement on X, noting he was “honored” to have the faith, trust and confidence of the organization’s leadership. “As Governor, I will do everything in my power to support law enforcement – and their families. Working in close partnership, we can and will make communities all across New Jersey safe,” he wrote in a post. “In a number of ways, the job of law enforcement has never been more difficult, which is why recruitment, retention and morale is down. We can change all that by restoring respect for authority, law and order and, most of all, the men and women in blue who are trained and dedicated professionals very much committed to serving and protecting.” TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS The NJ FOP does not always endorse a gubernatorial candidate. Its most recent endorsement before the Ciattarelli nod was handed to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2016. Murphy, who led consistently in the polls, won the race in 2017. “Law enforcement needs the support of our political leadership,” Ciattarelli wrote in the post. “As Governor, they will have it from me, the Attorney General, and my entire administration.” GIANNO CALDWELL MULLS SENATE BID AS CHICAGOANS ARE ‘BEGGING FOR CHANGE’ ON CRIME WOES The 63-year-old business owner first ran for governor in 2017, finishing runner-up in the Republican primary. In 2021, he secured the GOP nomination but fell short of ousting Murphy in a near upset. Ciattarelli vowed that, on his first day of office, he will repeal the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which restricts local police from working closely with federal immigration authorities. While he promised to direct the attorney general to withdraw lawsuits brought against the Trump administration, he said his allegiance is with New Jerseyans. In response to recent surveys predicting he is falling behind Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., Ciattarelli told affiliate FOX 5 New York, “This is the same polling that had me down double digits with two weeks to go last time. We’ve got it as a dead heat, as does my opponent.”
‘PURE EVIL’: ICE targeting illegal charged with strangling infant
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is targeting an illegal alien who is charged with strangling his infant sister with a power cord, leaving the baby in critical condition. In a statement Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had lodged a detainer against Alvaro Mejia-Ayala, a 21-year-old Salvadoran national, after he was arrested for strangulation of an infant by police in Leesburg, Virginia. According to the Leesburg Police Department, police responded to a report of an infant not breathing on the morning of Sept. 17. The department said it discovered the baby had been the victim of an assault and that Mejia-Ayala had fled on foot. Local Fox affiliate Fox 5 reported that the infant was found unresponsive with a white charging cable around her neck. TRUMP OFFICIALS SLAM BLUE STATE GOVERNOR FOR IGNORING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE ‘RIOTERS’ DISRUPTING OPERATION With the assistance of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the department tracked down Mejia-Ayala. He is now in custody and is being charged with strangulation. According to DHS, the baby is in critical condition. A spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital that Mejia-Ayala entered the U.S. as part of a family unit from El Salvador during the Obama administration in 2016. The spokesperson said that on Oct. 17, 2024, the Biden administration dismissed Mejia-Ayala’s immigration case, allowing him to illegally remain in the U.S. indefinitely. DHS also said that Mejia-Ayala was previously arrested by police for reckless driving in 2024, but he was released “before ICE could even lodge a detainer.” DHS REJECTS NBC REPORT CLAIMING ICE USED 5-YEAR-OLD AUTISTIC GIRL AS BAIT TO ARREST FATHER The Virginia General District Court online database says that Mejia-Ayala pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving in February 2024. The database also lists several other charges against Mejia-Ayala, including driving without a license in 2023 and failure to display license plates in 2024 and 2025. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented on the case, saying that “ICE lodged an immigration detainer to ensure this heinous criminal is not released on U.S. streets.” “What kind of sick monster strangles a defenseless, innocent baby girl with a charging cord? This barbarism has no place in the U.S.,” said McLaughlin. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.” In a separate message posted to X, McLaughlin wrote, “Pray for this precious baby girl. May God cover her and protect her.” MISSING NY GIRL FOUND IN ILLINOIS AMONG ILLEGAL MIGRANTS In another X post, Homeland Security called Mejia-Ayala a “monster” and the case an example of “PURE EVIL.” “This criminal illegal alien STRANGLED AN INFANT with a charging cable,” DHS wrote, adding, “President Trump and @Sec_Noem will not allow this barbarism in America.” A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Obama spokespeople but did not receive a response by the time of publication.