Top union calls cops on itself to orchestrate ‘civil disobedience’ stunt at GOP office: source
FIRST ON FOX: Members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest and most politically active unions in the country, contacted local California police with a plan to get arrested on purpose during a scheduled protest outside the office of GOP Rep. Young Kim, Fox News Digital has learned. A source familiar told Fox News Digital that SEIU informed the Anaheim Police Department about a protest held Tuesday, in which they wanted to be arrested during a staged “civil-disobedience type of event.” The protesters planned to block the office entryway to prompt an arrest by police officers. Following conversations with law enforcement, the source said SEIU decided to go “in a different direction,” by holding a rally outside the office with “small civil disobedience toward the end,” like blocking a driver outside Kim’s office to get cited by police. “Sorry, I have no information on that,” an Anaheim Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital when reached for comment. FLORIDA PROTESTER SCREAMS AT REP. BYRON DONALDS DURING TENSE TOWN HALL When reached by Fox News Digital for comment, a spokesperson did not confirm or deny that SEIU called the cops on itself. “I’m glad our action got your attention! You may have missed the real news today, which is that the lives of people with disabilities are at stake,” the spokesperson said while including information about the “devastating effects cutting Medi-Cal would have on Rep. Kim’s constituents who live with disabilities.” ‘CHAOS AND CONFUSION’: HOW DEMOCRATS INFILTRATED ‘THUNDEROUS’ GOP TOWN HALLS About 1,000 people gathered outside Kim’s office on Tuesday in a peaceful protest where no one was arrested, ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported. At one point, roughly a dozen people blocked a driveway near the building. Police instructed them to move and when they refused they were marched to another parking lot and cited with tickets for blocking a roadway, the outlet reported. Protests outside representatives’ offices and at their town halls have erupted during President Donald Trump’s second term, as massive layoffs and spending cuts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have triggered outrage among Democrats across the country. SEIU has been at the forefront of those protests nationwide, advocating for workers’ rights and protecting Americans’ access to healthcare. The protest outside Kim’s office was about protecting Medicaid as Democrats have been sounding the alarm about potential threats to the program since Trump’s November victory. “The GOP budget would gut $880 BILLION from Medicaid – the biggest cut in U.S. history – just to hand $7 TRILLION to billionaires. This will hurt working families, seniors, kids, veterans & people with disabilities,” SEIU posted on Friday. While Democrats have said there is no way to preserve Medicaid given Trump’s ambitious tax cuts included in his “big, beautiful bill,” Republicans have maintained that Trump will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits. Kim, whom the SEIU protesters were targeting with their staged arrests, joined 12 House Republicans in a letter to House leadership opposing any budget resolution that would make cuts to Medicaid services. Her office is also shutting down the implication that congressional Republicans are hiding from their constituents. “I had a productive meeting with many of these local healthcare advocates last week and will continue to make clear to House leadership and my constituents that any budget resolution that cuts vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable citizens in our community will not receive my vote. My door is always open,” Kim told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Rep. Kim recently wrote to House leadership to make clear once again that any budget resolution that cuts vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable citizens in our community will not receive her vote. She appreciates the work of these advocates on healthcare issues. She is committed to protecting and strengthening our healthcare system, including vital Medicaid services for our most vulnerable, and has worked across the aisle to expand access to care for her constituents,” a spokesperson for Kim added in a statement. Kim’s spokesperson said the California congresswoman was “recently ranked the most effective federal lawmaker from California” and emphasized her efficiency and bipartisan leadership in Congress. Progressive protest groups organized disruptions at Republican-held town halls and local legislative offices earlier this year, effectively shutting them down. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., reported safety concerns following threats of violence. Many Republicans opted for tele-town halls as a result, citing productivity in a controlled environment. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former vice presidential candidate, has joined a growing number of Democrats hosting town halls in Republican-held congressional districts, following reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) told congressional Republicans to stop holding in-person town hall meetings after protesters began disrupting them earlier this year.
Trump tells Putin ‘STOP’ after deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv
President Donald Trump demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin halt strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, as Washington continues its efforts to broker a peace deal. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Thursday attack on Ukraine killed at least nine and injured at least 70, including children, Ukraine said. Trump expressed hope on Easter that Russia and Ukraine could reach a deal this week, saying that once an agreement is reached, they would be able to “start to do big business with the United States of America…” On April 11, in another Truth Social post, Trump urged Russia “to get moving” toward ending the war, lamenting that “too many people are dying” in a war that he described as “senseless.” TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL Trump administration officials claimed they had productive talks with Putin, but they have yet to secure a deal that would end the war that has been raging since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Recently, several members of the administration suggested that the U.S. could end its efforts to secure a peace deal if Ukraine and Russia do not start making significant moves toward ending the war. Vice President JD Vance appeared to issue an ultimatum to Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday: make a deal or risk the U.S. walking away. “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work,” Vance told reporters. TRUMP SAYS ‘INFLAMMATORY’ ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters something similar on April 18, when he said that the president was nearing “a point where he’s going to say, well, we’re done.” Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for making an “inflammatory” statement that the U.S. president said was “very harmful” to peace efforts. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not recognize Russian control of Crimea, which was taken in 2014. Trump downplayed Zelenskyy’s red line, saying it was “not even up for discussion.” In the Truth Social post from Wednesday, Trump appeared to allude to his infamous clash with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, calling the Ukrainian leader “the man with no cards to play.” This echoed Trump’s remarks during the tense February meeting in which he said that Zelenskyy didn’t “have the cards” to make major demands in peace talks.
GOP governor hopeful pushes anti-China policy after years of Chinese investments
New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli invested in Chinese companies, including an organization that owns U.S. farmland and companies with ties to the Chinese military and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a Fox News Digital review of financial disclosures found. New Jersey state Sens. Doug Steinhardt and Michael Testa sponsored a bill in 2023 that would restrict “all ownership of agricultural land in state by foreign governments and persons.” Ciattarelli told New Jersey voters at a town hall on Thursday that he would sign the bill into law if elected. “No foreign entities should be able to buy our farmland,” Ciattarelli said. While Ciattarelli said, as governor, he would advocate in the New Jersey legislature against foreign entities owning U.S. farmland, financial disclosures from 2015, 2016 and 2021 revealed the New Jersey Republican’s investments in WH Group, a Chinese company that acquired about 146,000 acres of U.S. farmland when they bought Smithfield Foods for approximately $4.7 billion in 2013. MOVEMENT TO BAN CHINESE FARMLAND PURCHASES NEAR MILITARY BASES GAINS STEAM IN THE SENATE Ciattarelli disclosed his 2021 investments in WH Group during his second unsuccessful campaign for New Jersey governor. Ciattarelli was the Republican nominee for governor in 2021 but ultimately lost to incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., who is term-limited this year. GOP CANDIDATE RIPS BLUE STATE DIRECTIVE MEDDLING IN POLICE FORCE’S COOPERATION WITH ICE: ‘HANDCUFFED’ “I would hope that counties that have open space funds would beat foreign entities to the farmland and make sure it stays preserved as open space. Until we can sign a law into place, we should know the intentions of any foreign entity when it starts buying up our land,” Ciattarelli said Thursday. The Smithfield Foods CEO confirmed in March 2025 that WH Group, the largest pork company in the world, has seen ownership of U.S. farmland down about 40% in the past two years, from a high of about 145,000 acres to about 85,000 acres. As a businessman, Ciattarelli has a long and diverse portfolio of investments. In addition to WH Group, Ciattarelli has disclosed investments in Chinese companies that include China National Offshore Oil Corporation Limited, Ping An Insurance, China Lodging Group Limited, China Mobile Limited, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited, NetEase, Inc., and China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited. Ciattarelli’s financial disclosures filed April 3, 2025, revealed he has since divested from these Chinese companies. When reached by Fox News Digital for comment, his campaign declined to explain why he had divested. One of those companies, the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), was added in 2021 to the Entity List by the Department of Commerce, which restricts trade, for threatening national security “by helping China intimidate neighbors in the South China Sea.” In 2024, the Department of Defense identified China Mobile as one of several “Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States.” Trump signed an executive order in 2020, restricting U.S. investments that finance the “People’s Republic of China’s military-industrial complex,” which included China Mobile. The New York Times also reported in 2018 on the Chinese Communist Party’s increased control and influence at Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited. Sinopec is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and a state-owned enterprise run by the Chinese government. A campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Ciattarelli’s financial advisor manages his investment portfolio. “This is old news – literally from years-old filings that have been public for a long time,” Chris Russell, a spokesperson for Ciattarelli’s campaign, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “In fact, four years ago, one of Jack’s opponents tried to attack him on this, and it fell completely flat. That his current opponents are recycling these same lame attacks proves how desperate they are to breathe life into their dead campaigns. The truth is that, just like millions of other New Jerseyans, Jack allows his professional financial advisor to manage his investment portfolio. Voters understand how that works.” Ciattarelli launched his third consecutive Republican gubernatorial campaign in April 2024. He is a businessman and entrepreneur who held local offices on the Raritan Borough Council, the Somerset County Freeholder Board and in the New Jersey State Assembly. His Republican primary challengers include conservative media commentator Bill Spadea, State Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and a contractor from Burlington County, Justin Barbera. The New Jersey primary will be on June 10.
Fetterman calls for bombing Iranian nuclear facilities: ‘Waste that s—‘
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is continuing to advocate for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program. “Waste that s—,” the lawmaker declared to the Washington Free Beacon. “You’re never going to be able to negotiate with that kind of regime that has been destabilizing the region for decades already, and now we have an incredible window, I believe, to do that, to strike and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.” “Years ago, I completely understood why Trump withdrew from the Obama deal. Today, I can’t understand why Trump would negotiate with this diseased regime. The negotiations should be comprised of 30,000-pound bombs and the IDF,” Fetterman noted, according to the outlet. The IDF is the Israel Defense Forces. US CONFIRMS THIRD ROUND OF NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN AFTER ‘VERY GOOD PROGRESS’ Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office to request a comment from the senator on Thursday morning but did not receive a response by the time of publication. The lawmaker, who is a staunch supporter of Israel, had already been calling for the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program. Fetterman declared last week in a post on X, “The only purpose of Iran’s nuclear program is to create weapons. We can’t allow that or negotiate with this regime. Provide our comprehensive military support and whatever else Israel requires to destroy Iran’s capabilities.” NUCLEAR WATCHDOG URGES ‘TRUST BUT VERIFY’ THAT IRAN ENGAGES IN GOOD-FAITH NEGOTIATIONS President Donald Trump noted earlier this week that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I’ve just spoken to Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, relative to numerous subjects including Trade, Iran, etc. The call went very well – We are on the same side of every issue,” Trump said in a Tuesday post on Truth Social. JOHN FETTERMAN AND LINDSEY GRAHAM ADVOCATE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM Fetterman declared in part of an X post in January, “Whatever remains of Iran’s nuclear program needs to be destroyed and I fully support efforts to do so.”
Federal judge gives DOJ another week in Abrego Garcia deportation case
A federal judge on Wednesday gave the Justice Department another week to provide information on its efforts to return deported illegal migrant and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis granted the Justice Department a seven-day stay until April 30 to provide testimony and documents related to a case which has drawn a sharp wedge between Democrats and Republicans. Drew Ensign, a deputy assistant attorney general, filed a sealed motion requesting the stay, with lawyers for Abrego Garcia filing a response in opposition to the government’s motion to halt the order. It was under seal in the Maryland federal court. Xinis didn’t explain her legal reasoning but wrote that it was made “with the agreement of the parties.” WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BLUNTLY SHOWS WHERE PARTIES STAND ON IMMIGRATION AMID ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION The administration was also seeking relief from having to file daily updates, but Xinis’ stay did not make any changes to that requirement. The Wednesday evening order came just one day after Xinis blasted the administration’s lawyers in a written filing for ignoring her orders in refusing to provide the daily status updates on the case, saying that they had been acting in “bad faith” by obstructing the legal process. “That ends now,” said Xinis, who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama. “For weeks, defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this Court’s orders,” Xinis wrote in an eight-page order. “Defendants have known, at least since last week, that this court requires specific legal and factual showings to support any claim of privilege. Yet they have continued to rely on boilerplate assertions.” She gave the administration until 6 p.m. Wednesday to provide daily status updates. The U.S. has claimed that much of the information is protected because it involves state secrets, government deliberations and attorney client privilege. But Xinis has rejected the argument and demanded that the Trump administration provide specific justifications for each claim of privileged information. Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported last month by the Trump administration, which says he is an MS-13 gang member who also violently beat his wife. President Donald Trump has declared MS-13 a terrorist organization and is looking to deport all members of the violent gang. Trump displayed a picture of Abrego Garcia’s hand last week, showing what the president said were gang tattoos. Abrego Garcia was also pulled over on Dec. 1, 2022, by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper and was suspected of participating in human smuggling as he had eight individuals in the SUV with no luggage. Abrego Garcia has never been charged with a crime. Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys deny that he is a member of the gang, was deported to the El Salvadoran megaprison “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) last month, and officials acknowledged in court his deportation was an administrative error. However, now some top Trump officials say he was correctly removed and contend he’s a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. He had been living in Maryland with his wife and children. The Justice Department unveiled documents last week detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, made where she accused him of beating her. DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS WAS PULLED OVER DRIVING CAR BELONGING TO HUMAN SMUGGLER Both a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his release and return to the U.S. for proper deportation proceedings. Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was issued a deportation order in 2019. Two previous judges found he was likely affiliated with MS-13. One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang. This is called a withholding order. The Supreme Court acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador and that the removal to El Salvador was “therefore illegal.” The court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said last week that when Trump declared the violent gang a terrorist organization, Abrego Garcia was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Abrego Garcia would not be allowed back into the U.S. unless El Salvador were to decide otherwise. “He is not coming back to our country.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The case has made national headlines and drawn a wedge between Democrats and Republicans. Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., flew to El Salvador last week to meet with Abrego Garcia in an attempt to spur his return to the U.S. Van Hollen’s trip, which he said was paid for by the taxpayers, was followed by another group of Democratic lawmakers traveling to the Central American nation to advocate for his return. That party included Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Maxine Dexter of Oregon. Fox News’ Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Alex Soros fumes at left-wing climate group over ‘Palestine’ obsession: ‘What the hell’
Alex Soros, the son of notorious billionaire George Soros and chair of the Open Society Foundations, took aim at a left-wing climate group, saying: “All they do is talk about Palestine.” In an interview with New York Magazine in which he detailed his plans to fund efforts to foil the Trump administration’s agenda, Soros expressed his frustration with the leftist environmentalist group “Sunrise Movement,” which is heavily funded by Soros-backed organizations. “What the hell did they do, by the way?” Soros, who is Jewish, complained. “We gave them money, and now all they do is talk about Palestine. It’s ridiculous.” During the 2020 election season, Sunrise Movement, whose website says it wants to “force the government to end the era of fossil fuel elites,” received nearly a third of its funding from the Soros-backed Democracy PAC and Sixteen-Thirty Fund, totaling $750,000. MUSK CLAIMS GEORGE SOROS, LINKEDIN CO-FOUNDER REID HOFFMAN ARE FUNDING ‘PROTESTS’ AGAINST TESLA Shortly after receiving these funds, Sunrise stepped into a massive controversy sparked by its Washington, D.C., chapter posting an antisemitic statement in which it vowed to boycott any events co-sponsored by “Zionist” Jewish groups. In an October 2021 statement on “future coalition spaces with Zionist organizations,” Sunrise DC said it was declining to participate in a D.C. statehood rally specifically because of the inclusion of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, the National Council of Jewish Women and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, which it said “are all in alignment with and in support of Zionism and the State of Israel.” Sunrise DC called Israel a “colonial project” that “treats all Palestinians, as well as Black and brown Jewish-Israelis, as second-class citizens.” The group went on to ask the event organizers to remove the Jewish groups from participation, saying that the D.C. statehood movement is “incompatible with Zionism.” The statement was quickly slammed as blatantly antisemitic. FORMER BIDEN OFFICIAL ‘PLEASED’ TRUMP ADMIN TACKLING ANTISEMITISM One user named Blake Flayton, a Jewish podcaster, called out the group, commenting, “You are intentionally pushing Jewish people outside of your movement.” “You are associating Jews in the United States with the actions of Israel,” added Flayton. “This is antisemitic. You are antisemites.” In a follow-up post published several days later, Sunrise DC apologized for singling out the three Jewish organizations while not mentioning other groups associated with the event “with similar positions.” The group doubled down on its stance against Zionism, calling it an “ideology that has led to Palestinians being violently pushed out of their homes since 1948.” The group said it was “committed to learning and growing as we continue to stand against Zionism, antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, and all other forms of oppression.” ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS BREAK RECORD FOR 4TH STRAIGHT YEAR, ADL FINDS This post was also widely panned as antisemitic, with one user named Joel Petlin commenting that Sunrise was “trying to get out of a hole they dug for themselves by digging it deeper.” “*We apologize for singling out 3 Jewish organizations when we should’ve singled out everyone who doesn’t hate Israel* is not actually an apology. It’s just doubling down on Antisemitism,” said Petlin. This past October, Sunrise Movement published a long Instagram post railing against Israel, saying, “Climate justice means freedom for Palestinians.” “Why? Because Israel’s ongoing oppression of Palestinians means they will suffer some of the most devastating impacts of climate change, and Israel’s constant bombing harms the climate, ultimately harming us all,” Sunrise Movement continued. “While committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the Israeli military – which is backed and armed by the US – has released more carbon emissions than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations combined. Democrats and left-wing leaders have long called criticisms of George Soros, who is a Hungarian-born Jew, antisemitic attacks. However, the Soros family’s funding of progressive anti-Israel agitators across the country, including those who mobilized at New York City’s Columbia University, has raised eyebrows as well. Fox News Digital previously reported on Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs and social equality, Amichai Chikli, saying that Alex is a mirror image of his father’s anti-Israel agenda. CAIR PANELIST ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF USING AI AND ANTISEMITISM AGAINST FREE SPEECH When asked if Alex will continue to fund anti-Israel entities that bash the Jewish state, Chikli said it “looks like the son is a replica of his father. We have no expectation that his son will be a big Zionist.” Chikli noted that the Soros foundation “gives money to radical small Palestinian organizations in Israel that describe Israel as a colonial state and a moral sin.” Fox News Digital reached out to Open Society Foundations and the Sunrise Movement for comment, but neither responded in time for publication. Benjamin Weinthal and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Harvard’s endowment holds $7 million per student, still receives $550M from govt annually: report
FIRST ON FOX: Amid Harvard’s battle with the Trump administration, which has already pulled billions in federal funding from the university and floated taking even more, fiscal watchdog OpenTheBooks decided to take a peek at how much money the top-tier Ivy League school actually stands to lose. Harvard has received at least $4.4 billion in federal funding through grants, contracts, sub-grants and subcontracts since the first Trump administration in 2017, the watchdog found through open-source analysis of government spending records and other publicly available data. Meanwhile, based on these numbers, Harvard collected more in federal grants and contracts than they stood to gain through tuition, room and board in any given year. OpenTheBooks also unearthed that Harvard’s $53.2 billion endowment has grown by $14 billion, or $2 billion annually, since 2018. In total, the top-tier Ivy League school has more than $7 million per undergraduate student, the watchdog’s report indicated. TRUMP FROZE FUNDING FOR HARVARD. MONEY TO THESE UNIVERSITIES MAY ALSO BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK The analysis of Harvard’s finances from OpenTheBooks comes as the institution is suing the Trump administration over the freezing of its federal funds. After refusing to comply with President Trump’s executive directives on antisemitism, DEI, viewpoint diversity and more, the Trump administration pulled $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year government contracts. The Trump administration has indicated the potential for further cuts as well if the school does not fold to the president’s demands, and is also considering stripping Harvard’s tax-exempt status. TRUMP SIGNS EDUCATION-FOCUSED EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON AI, SCHOOL DISCIPLINE, ACCREDITATION, FOREIGN GIFTS AND MORE Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump administration sets up a fight over higher education autonomy, with the university alleging in its suits against multiple federal agencies that the Trump administration’s demands infringe on the school’s right to educate and learn free of government coercion. Harvard University did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on this story. “America’s university system is still the envy of the world and maintaining that advantage is a matter of national security,” OpenTheBooks CEO John Hart told Fox News Digital. “Harvard can lead the way in that process by rejecting totalitarian progressive fundamentalism and reviving America’s commitment to classical liberalism, true free speech, true science over ‘the science’ and rigorous, open debate.” GREGG JARRETT: AMERICAN TAXPAYERS ‘SHOULDN’T PAY’ FOR HARVARD’S INDOCTRINATION, ANTISEMITISM In addition to Harvard’s failure to comply with the president’s executive orders, the Trump administration also accused Harvard of failing to report large foreign donations, as required by law, and has opened an investigation into the matter. On Wednesday, the president signed an executive order threatening to cut off federal funding from colleges and universities that fail to disclose their sources of foreign money. Using data that Harvard has reported to the government pertaining to its foreign donations, OpenTheBooks found that, since 2017, Harvard has accepted at least $1.1 billion in gifts or contracts from foreign sources. The top countries contributing to Harvard are England and China, which have each given over $100 billion to Harvard over the last eight years. Per federal law, universities are required to report payments that exceed $250,000 from foreign sources. EVEN BEFORE TRUMP’S ENGAGEMENT, HARVARD UNDERSTOOD IT HAD A REAL PROBLEM ON THE ANTISEMITISM SIDE, EXPERT SAYS “As a private university, they’re free to pursue any topic they like – as long as their campus stays within the confines of the Constitution – but that doesn’t automatically entitle them to our tax money,” Hart added in his comments to Fox News Digital about the Ivy League school’s finances. “Harvard can revive its commitment to academic freedom by explaining why it’s receiving millions from China, and potentially Iran proxies, and why it’s spending tax dollars on far-Left research and race-based identity politics.”
Chicago residents blast a possible Pritzker presidential run: ‘No chance to win’
Chicago residents spoke out Tuesday after reports indicated Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is heavily weighing a potential presidential run. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel empire is considering making a bid for the Democratic nomination in the next presidential election, citing sources from former Barack Obama advisors to local leaders. Residents agreed it seemed Illinois’ 43rd governor would make a play for the Oval Office. But the 60-year-old governor’s reputation among some constituents indicates the billionaire may face backlash from residents that could bleed into the national conversation. CRIME VENEZUELAN MIGRANT ARRESTED IN SANCTUARY CITY FOR 6TH TIME IN 13 MONTHS DAYS AFTER PROSECUTORS DROP CHARGES While crime, homelessness and a number of issues have plagued the city of Chicago and surrounding areas in the state, Pritzker’s sanctuary policies, paired with the influx of migrants during the Biden administration, were a key theme among residents. “A sanctuary city governor who provides more support to migrants than poor Illinois residents in need,” founder of Chicago Community Roundtable and Chicago resident Cata Truss told Fox News Digital. “Do we really want him representing this country?” Chicago, a sanctuary city, became a landing point when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bussed thousands of illegal migrants to the Illinois city after millions poured in at the southern border, and the cost of harboring noncitizens fell to the locals. A February audit by GOP lawmakers in the state unveiled that Illinois taxpayers have shelled out a staggering $1.6 billion to fund healthcare programs for illegal migrants since 2020. DEMOCRATS’ IDENTITY CRISIS: YOUTH REVOLT ROCKS PARTY AFTER TRUMP COMEBACK Pritzker has been called to testify before a May 15 House Oversight Committee hearing to address the shortcomings of the sanctuary state, as first reported by Fox News Digital. Though a major issue, immigration policy was not the only concern residents took up with the potential presidential candidate. “His policies put women and children at risk,” Chicago resident Patricia “P Rae” Easley told Fox News Digital. “He passed a law that states that little girls can get abortions without their parents’ consent, which gives abusers more power and made Illinois the abortion capital of the world.” “[Illinois] has the highest taxes in America, and people are fleeing the state like a sinking ship,” Easley added. There was also worry among residents that the governor may sideline the challenges Illinois faces should his focus be concentrated on running for higher office. CONGRESSWOMAN MARY MILLER CALLS FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO ILLINOIS OVER TRANS ATHLETES IN GIRLS’ SPORTS “I think the sentiment of a lot of people in Illinois and especially Chicago would be that [a presidential run] is very unfortunate,” Chicago pastor Corey Brooks told Fox News Digital. “We have so many issues that need to be focused on, so many problems that need to be focused on. The last thing we need is a governor who’s running for president.” When asked if Pritzker had a shot at the White House, Brooks said there was “no chance to win.” A Pritzker run wouldn’t only shake up the Democrats’ struggle to pin down a presidential candidate, it would also leave the door open for Republicans to have a shot at gaining momentum at the state level. Longtime U.S. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin announced his retirement Tuesday, and with that seat now on the market, an open governor role would shake things up even further. Richard Porter, a former Illinois RNC Committee member and Chicago resident, told Fox News Digital this era could be Republicans’ chance to “break through.” “The entire statewide slate on the Democratic side will be up for grabs, and that creates opportunities for Republicans to break through by riding the growing wave of disgust over failed Democrat policies in Chicago and the state,” Porter told Fox. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Illinois is a center-right state with the most extreme gerrymander in the nation. Republicans have a better shot running for statewide offices because that extreme Democrat gerrymandering isn’t in play,” Porter added. “Durbin is the first domino to fall. More to come – and we will be ready for the break.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.
Ahead of key Supreme Court arguments, here’s which states have passed school choice measures
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the establishment of the nation’s first religious charter school next week, a case that could have key implications for school choice across the country. A huge majority of states have implemented some form of school choice in recent years, but only a little more than a dozen have adopted programs that make private school choice universally available to K-12 students. Here is the full list and a timeline of the school choice movement in recent years. TENNESSEE AG OPTIMISTIC ABOUT SCOTUS CASE AFTER ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY’ REVERSAL IN LOWER COURT Alabama passed its CHOOSE Act in 2024, which establishes an education savings account (ESA) that will soon be open to all families in the state. Arizona became the first state to offer universal school choice for all families in 2022, launching an $800 million program that gives parents $7,000 to put toward their children’s tuition. Arkansas’s S.B. 294 established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status. The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials. Florida’s H.B. 1, passed in 2023, established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status. The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials. Idaho launched its first private school choice program through a refundable tax credit. Families can receive up to $5,000 per child for private educational expenses, with $7,500 available for students with disabilities. The program is capped at $50 million annually and prioritizes families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (about $96,450 for a family of four). SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE IF FAMILIES CAN OPT OUT OF READING LGBTQ BOOKS IN THE CLASSROOM Iowa’s H.F. 68, passed in 2023, established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status. The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials. The Indiana Choice Scholarship Program grants a voucher to qualifying K-12 students that they can put toward private school tuition. In order to qualify, students must be residents of Indiana and a member of a household that makes an “annual income of not more than 400% of the amount to qualify for the federal free and reduced price lunch program.” Montana has two major school choice programs, but only one of them is universally available. The more restricted program is a standard ESA, but students must have special needs or have some other form of disability in order to qualify. The more expansive program is a statewide tax credit scholarship program that “allows individuals and corporations to claim a 100% tax credit for contributions to approved Student Scholarship Organizations,” according to EdChoice. The average scholarship value for participating students is $2,190. North Carolina has a major voucher program that is available to all students across the state, but is limited by a budget cap. Qualifying students will get an average voucher value of $5,701 to put toward private school tuition costs, transportation, equipment or other costs associated with attending school. After baseline qualifications are met, vouchers are granted based on household income. Ohio’s school choice program awards $6,166 for grades K–8 and $8,408 for grades 9-12 to qualifying students. Students must meet one of a series of qualifications in order to receive the award, and parents must submit their income information. Like Montana, Oklahoma employs a tax credit system to allow for school choice in the state. “The Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit provides parents of students in private school with a refundable tax credit ranging from a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $7,500 per child to cover the cost of private school tuition and fees, or it provides parents of students in home school a refundable tax credit of $1,000 to cover the cost of unbundled educational expenses,” according to EdChoice. Tennessee passed the Education Freedom Act of 2025, creating a universal ESA program. Families receive $7,000 per student, which must first be used for tuition but can also cover other educational expenses. The program starts with 20,000 scholarships, with half reserved for students from families earning up to 300% of the free and reduced-price lunch threshold and students with disabilities. If at least 75% of scholarships are awarded, the cap will rise to 25,000 students in 2026. Utah’s H.B. 215, passed in 2023, established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status. The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials. West Virginia employs an ESA program to allow universal school choice for private schools, and it also has “intra-district and inter-district public school choice via open enrollment,” according to EdChoice. The ESA program grants an average of $4,299 toward private school tuition costs. Wyoming passed HB 199 in 2025, expanding its ESA program by removing income restrictions and making it fully universal starting in 2025-26. Renamed the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship, the program will provide families with $7,000 and be funded through a $30 million appropriation. Participating students must be assessed on academic progress.
What did the Bush administration, 9/11 Commission say about REAL ID legislation?
In the years immediately following 9/11, Republican lawmakers successfully drafted and passed REAL ID legislation that was promoted as a tool to prevent a similar act of terror from unfolding again. Twenty years after President George W. Bush signed the legislation into law, it is set to take effect next month as the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) looks to bolster national security while also further cracking down on crime and illegal immigration in the U.S. Americans will need to obtain a REAL ID, which is a federally-compliant driver’s license or other identification that meets higher standards than state-issued licenses, in order to easily travel by air, DHS explains on its website. Only legal U.S. citizens or residents can obtain an identification card, while valid U.S. passports can also still be used instead of a REAL ID for domestic air travel. Ahead of the law taking effect on May 7, Fox News Digital took a look back on what top Republicans in 2005 had to say about the legislation and its passage — including the 9/11 Commission’s support of heightening standards for government-issued IDs. BLUE STATES RALLIED FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO OBTAIN DRIVER’S LICENSES AHEAD OF TRUMP’S REAL ID CRACKDOWN Former Wisconsin Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, while serving as House Judiciary Committee chair, introduced the REAL ID Act of 2005 in January of that year as an additional security measure to prevent “terrorist entry” to the U.S. Terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks used phony driver’s licenses to enroll in flight classes and board the planes on Sept. 11, 2001, according to the 9/11 Commission’s report. Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office has previously reported that “18 of the 19 hijackers had acquired some form of fraudulent ID, including 30 driver’s licenses from various states.” HOUSE REPUBLICAN’S BILL WOULD RIP FEDERAL FUNDS FROM STATES THAT GIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DRIVER’S LICENSES The REAL ID Act of 2005 passed both chambers of Congress in May of that year, with Bush signing it into law on May 11, 2005. The House passed the legislation by a 368-58 vote, while the Senate unanimously passed it. The legislation received widespread support from lawmakers, most notably Republicans, who controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House at the time. This was after the 9/11 Commission recommended the government set standards for forms of government-issued identification, such as driver’s licenses. “The federal government should set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses,” the commissioners wrote in their report, which was published in 2004. “Fraud in identification documents is no longer just a problem of theft. At many entry points to vulnerable facilities, including gates for boarding aircraft, sources of identification are the last opportunity to ensure that people are who they say they are and to check whether they are terrorists.” PANDEMIC, PRICE TAGS AND PRIVACY CONCERNS: WHY IT TOOK 20 YEARS TO IMPLEMENT REAL ID The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States — better known as the 9/11 Commission — was established in 2002 to investigate the terror attacks on Sept. 11, including how to prevent such a tragedy in the future. The commission dissolved in 2004 after publishing its final report that year. The Bush administration was also supportive of the legislation ahead of its passage, arguing it would further protect the country against acts of terror. “The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 418, to strengthen the ability of the United States to protect against terrorist entry into and activities within the United States. In particular, the legislation tightens procedures for non-citizen entry into and presence in the United States, facilitates the building of physical barriers where appropriate to protect U.S. borders, and facilitates the strengthening by the States of the standards for the security and integrity of drivers’ licenses,” a Bush administration statement published on Feb. 9, 2005 stated. Sensenbrenner celebrated that the REAL ID Act would prevent terrorists from “hiding in plain sight” while on U.S. soil. ‘MASS SURVEILLANCE’: CONSERVATIVES SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP ADMIN’S REAL ID ROLLOUT “By targeting terrorist travel, the REAL ID will assist in our War on Terror efforts to disrupt terrorist operations and help secure our borders,” Sensenbrenner said in a statement following its passage in Congress. Activist groups at the time of its passage railed against the legislation as an attack on immigrants and promoting “post-9/11 xenophobia,” NBC News reported at the time. Fox News Digital reached out to Bush’s office for comment on the measure and his support for the legislation in 2005, but did not immediately receive a response. Twenty years later, the Trump administration’s DHS is implementing REAL IDs after decades of setbacks, including some states initially refusing to comply, and delays during the coronavirus pandemic. “Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government ‘set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.’ The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards,” DHS states on its website, alongside a countdown clock to May 7. A DHS memo exclusively obtained by Fox Digital on April 15 outlined that part of the motivation for the Trump administration to enforce the REAL ID law is to prevent those in the country illegally from flying — unless they are looking to self-deport on an international flight. TOP TRUMP AGENCY REVEALS KEY REASON WHY REAL ID WILL BE ENFORCED “Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly,” the memo states. “This closes the gaping vulnerabilities Biden’s policies created, preventing criminals and potential terrorists from exploiting our aviation system, as seen during 9/11 when fraudulent IDs enabled attacks,” the