Democrat Massachusetts lawmaker arrested for fraud, used stolen funds to purchase ‘psychic services’: feds
A Democratic lawmaker in Massachusetts was arrested and charged after he allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars from a local trade association to fund both personal and political expenses. Massachusetts state Rep. Christopher Flanagan, 37, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records on Friday, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Flanagan served as the executive officer of the Home Builders Association in Cape Cod and received a salary and benefits ranging from $65,800 to $81,600 from 2019 to 2024, when he was working there. Flanagan also received $97,546 and $100,945 in 2023 and 2024, from his position as a legislator. Beginning around October 2021, Flanagan was facing financial trouble and stole $36,000 in Home Builders Association funds through bank wire transfers, according to the DOJ. CONNECTICUT HOUSE OF HORRORS STEPMOM DENIES CHILD ABUSE ACCUSATIONS THAT CAME AS ‘EXTREME SHOCK’: ATTORNEY From Nov. 18, 2021 and Jan. 28, 2023, Flanagan wired anywhere from $1,500 and $10,000 on several separate occasions. The Justice Department said Flanagan used the funds to pay mortgage bills, pay down debt, and even used it to pay for personal psychic services. In an expense report, the DOJ said Flanagan claimed to have spent $159.36 on “technology services” at Best Buy and $537.26 on “Office Supplies” at 4Imprint, but records showed the money was used to buy a Bluetooth speaker and T-shirts for his political campaign. JUDGE DISMISSES CHARGES IN ALLEGED CAMPUS VIGILANTE ‘CATCH A PREDATOR’ STING TARGETING ARMY SOLDIER Another expense report shows $3,784.84 was spent on office supplies. The DOJ, however, said that $2,118.10 was used for personal expenses at Best Buy, Macy’s and Target. Federal authorities also alleged that Flanagan obstructed an investigation by the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance when he attributed the source of a campaign mailer to “Jeanne Louise,” a false persona that he allegedly created. Flanagan faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and up to 20 years for the falsification of records charge. READ THE INDICTMENT – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: Fox News Digital reached out to Flanagan and his attorney for comment.
Trump prosecutor to investigate blue state governor, AG over reported order to ignore ICE warrants
President Donald Trump’s longtime legal counsel and appointee as U.S. attorney for New Jersey announced Thursday she will launch a probe into Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin over reports that state police were asked to ignore new immigration warrants. Alina Habba said on “Hannity” she decided to launch the probe following a Shore News Network report that an internal memo from New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Col. Patrick Callahan revealed Murphy and Platkin ordered that officers not pursue thousands of immigration warrants recently added to the National Crime Information Center. The move was reportedly meant to be in line with former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s 2018 “Immigration Trust Directive,” which limited the types of voluntary assistance state and local police could offer the feds. “We know that the governor has on his website, currently, dos and don’ts for his local state of law enforcement. Those dos and don’ts instruct them not to cooperate with illegal immigrants who have administrative warrants that have been issued by the court after due process,” Habba said. NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS HE DEEMS ‘CONTRARY TO VALUES’ “It is instructing them to go against our federal rules, our executive orders.” She said her new probe into Murphy and Platkin should be a warning to all other state leaders that if they hinder the FBI, DEA or other federal law enforcement agencies, they will be held accountable. “[W]e are to take all criminal, violent criminals and criminals out of this country and to completely enforce federal law. And anybody who does get in the way of what we are doing – which is not political, it is simply against crime – will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment, and I will come after them hard.” Habba, whose office is based in Newark, said she met with state law enforcement on Thursday and noted they do not have the same authority as federal officers, but they can still legally notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hand off or alert them to immigration-related investigations. DEMOCRATS RAIL AGAINST ‘EGREGIOUS’ ICE RAID IN NEW JERSEY AFTER MILITARY VETERAN QUESTIONED “If anybody wants to use politics or their position to go and violate any federal law or any executive order in this state, and that includes sanctuary cities, and I’m looking at you in Paterson – I will be investigating you, and if you did commit a crime, if you ordered obstruction, if you are ordering concealment and harboring, you will be charged.” Fox News Digital reached out to Murphy, Platkin and Paterson, New Jersey, Democratic Mayor Andre Sayegh for comment. Sayegh recently made waves politically last month, when he declared Paterson the American “capital of Palestine.” The city has a large Muslim and Arabic population. Murphy recently suggested he was housing a migrant at his Monmouth County home and went on to dare Trump to do something about it. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In February, he said he and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy were talking about “someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to.” “And we said, you know what? Let’s have her live at our house above our garage,” Murphy said. “Good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her.” Fox News Digital reached out to NJSP for more information on the memo and its actions in regard to Murphy’s order. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
Pentagon fires Greenland US base commander who ‘undermined’ JD Vance after Pituffik visit
The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she distanced herself from Vice President J.D. Vance, who recently visited the headquarters. After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.” She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit – the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com. The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” US ACCUSES DENMARK OF TREATING GREENLANDERS AS ‘SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’ DURING VANCE VISIT TO ARCTIC BASE “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read. Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said. “Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X. Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony. Republican Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Ala., Eric Schmitt, Mo., and Jim Banks, Ind., all praised the firing of the commander on X. “Colonel Meyers tried to politicize the Space Force and was held accountable. Lloyd Austin isn’t SecDef anymore,” Banks wrote. ‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.” “Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.” The vice president further accused Denmark of not keeping Greenland safe from China and Russia. Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said. The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal. “We need Greenland for national security and international security,” Trump said on March 11. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “So, we’ll, I think, we’ll go as far as we have to go,” the president continued, speaking from the Oval Office. “We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland. And, you know, we’ll see what happens. But if we don’t have Greenland, we can’t have great international security.” “I view it from a security standpoint, we have to be there,” Trump added.
Trump to get annual physical, saying he’s ‘never felt better’
President Donald Trump is heading to get his annual physical Friday after declaring earlier this week that he’s “never felt better.” The 78-year-old announced the medical appointment on his Truth Social account, writing, “I am pleased to report that my long-scheduled Annual Physical Examination will be done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday of this week. “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump added. The physical, which will take place early Friday afternoon in Bethesda, Maryland, comes less than a year after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania while on the campaign trail. TRUMP DEMANDS DO-OR-DIE NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN – WHO HAS THE LEVERAGE? At the time, Trump released a letter from his former physician Ronny Jackson, who wrote that “it is an absolute miracle he wasn’t killed.” “The bullet passed, coming less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear,” Jackson added. Months later, in November, Florida neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn told Fox News Digital that Trump remained in good health. TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS AND SANCTIONS ON MEXICO FOR ‘STEALING’ WATER FROM TEXAS FARMERS “The fact that he attended 120 events in seven months, often multiple rallies in a single day in different states, is proof-positive that Trump has a tremendous amount of stamina, mentally and physically,” Osborn noted. But Democrats have disputed Trump’s health in the past, and members of the medical community have demanded Trump release his medical records. In an open letter from Oct. 13, over 230 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals asked for a record release. The physical on Friday will be the first one of Trump’s second term in office. In 2020, during his first administration, Trump was treated for COVID-19 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
Alaska senator literally shreds Biden’s energy orders, boosts WH efforts to leverage Arctic gas pipeline
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, literally tore up a list of 70 orders former President Joe Biden enacted that he said stymied the Last Frontier’s energy capabilities, and spoke Thursday about a bright future for the Land of the Midnight Sun. Sullivan described the Trump administration’s openness to building an 800-mile LNG pipeline to power the U.S. and trade with Asia. The pipeline would run from Prudhoe Bay – on the Arctic Ocean – to the Kenai Peninsula near Homer. Currently, essentially the only way to transport liquefied natural gas on the North Slope is via the AK-11 Dalton Highway of “Ice Road Trucker” fame, which is considered very inefficient and dangerous. “This is a huge project, very geostrategically important — and, of course, it’s important to Alaskans to get us the gas we need… but also to get our allies: [South] Korea, Japan, Taiwan, energy that they need.” AK CAN BE ‘CURE TO THE NATION’S ILLS’ WITH HELP FROM TRUMP ADMIN: GOV DUNLEAVY Sullivan said Japan is still buying oil and gas from Russia – while a source familiar with the pipeline plans noted an Alaska-to-Asia trade route does not include any diplomatic or geographic pinch points like those that exist in the Mideast and elsewhere. “Korea and Taiwan are getting their LNG from Qatar. None of that makes sense. Alaska is really close – We were the first place anywhere in the world to start exporting LNG in the late 1960s,” he said. “We did that to Japan for over 50 years.” In his Joint Address to Congress, President Donald Trump flagged the pipeline plan, saying he is working on a “gigantic” project in Alaska. Amid tariff and trade news, Sullivan said building the pipeline and supplying both North America and Asia with LNG obtained through the U.S.’ environmentally conscious means could reduce the West-to-East trade deficit by up to $10 billion per year. Plus, the pipeline itself could “revitalize” the domestic steel industry and employ thousands of Americans. He also sought to dispel a “fallacy” often touted on the left, that Native communities in and around the LNG territory are opposed to such development. “Most of the media gets it wrong,” he said. “The Alaska Native people … want this resource development done. This is how you help them with regard, not only to their economy, but their health, their pride, right? The best social program in the world is a good job.” IN THE ONLY US STATE BORDERING RUSSIA, GOV SAYS DEFENSES ARE STRONG Instead, he said, the Biden administration fought Juneau’s efforts to expand its energy production at every turn. “Eight times [the Biden Interior Department] told [Natives visiting Washington] to go pound sand. They would never meet with them to develop their resources.” When it comes to politicians in other states allegedly trying to dictate energy policy in Alaska, whether on environmental or other grounds, Sullivan quipped, “we don’t appreciate the lower 48 radical environmentalists coming up telling us what to do. And I really don’t appreciate what my Senate colleagues who try to do that, too.” “You may have seen I gave a speech last week on the Senate floor ripping the hell out of one of them just because he needed it, right.” As for talks with Trump, he said Secretaries Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum have been very open and supportive. Procuring financing is the next major battle, along with reciprocal trade agreements with target countries. “Then you can finance these projects and start to build them. We’re talking about laying pipe as early as the end of this year or the beginning of next year. And think about the jobs that would come with that.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Turning to Biden, Sullivan held up a sheet listing 70 executive orders and actions the administration took to “shut [Alaska] down.” “The left-wing media never cries about the jobs that were killed by Biden: Good union jobs; 70 EOs. The good news is this is now history,” he said, ripping up the list of orders and presenting instead a singular Trump order seeking to advance Alaska’s comprehensive LNG project. The project is the only West Coast venture to secure federal permits and $26 million in loan guarantees. It would utilize more than 500,000 tons of steel and 5 million cubic yards of concrete. In remarks to Fox News Digital, Energy Department spokesman Ben Dietderich said Alaskan LNG “has massive potential.” “Accessing over 100 trillion cubic feet of North Slope natural gas will provide enormous energy security to the United States and its allies, thousands of high-paying jobs, and is estimated to reduce the United States trade deficit by $10 billion annually,” Dietderich said. “While the previous administration openly discouraged investment in American LNG, President Trump and Secretary Wright are committed to expanding American energy at home and abroad.” “Potential large scale investments and partnerships in U.S. LNG projects, including Alaska LNG, were discussed in the Secretary’s meetings with UAE officials yesterday and the Secretary intends to also raise these in Saudi Arabia in the coming days as well.”
SCOOP: Republicans demand RFK Jr reverse Biden-era ‘public health crisis’ on guns
FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is asking Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to crack down on any remaining gun control efforts within his department, which they argue is in “direct violation of federal law.” “We write to you today to urge you to protect the Second Amendment from attacks by a partisan and weaponized Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH)—which became a dangerous threat to gun ownership under the Biden Administration,” the letter led by Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., read. Harshbarger’s letter also demanded that Kennedy reverse a Biden-era policy declaring gun violence a “public health crisis.” “Treating firearm-related violent crime as a public health issue may start with a study about gun control but ends with tyranny,” it said. NRA LEGISLATIVE EXPERT SAYS GUN RIGHTS COULD SEE ‘MOST MONUMENTAL’ WIN IN CONGRESS SINCE 2005 Congress banned federal funding from being used to advocate for gun control in a 1996 spending bill, a measure called the Dickey Amendment. A 2018 spending bill softened that language somewhat, allowing for the CDC to research the causes of gun violence. But the letter, which was signed by 15 House GOP lawmakers total, argued that the Biden administration went beyond what was allowable. “[T]he Biden White House and gun control advocates censored self-defense statistics from the CDC website, statistics that would have helped explain the importance of the Second Amendment to our citizens,” they wrote. “Meanwhile, the Biden Administration also weaponized millions of dollars of research funding appropriated by Congress in good faith for ‘Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research’ to promote gun control.” The letter went on to point out several initiatives on gun control by the Biden administration’s Health Department, including $428,000 to study “episodic crime reports” and depictions of violence that lead to victim blaming and “racist stereotypes.” It also highlighted $1.1 million to examine ties between “lawful gun ownership and risk,” and hundreds of thousands of dollars targeting gun confiscation and other firearm policies in states like Michigan and California. “Congress intended for the CDC and NIH to conduct research on medical procedures, practices, treatments, medicines, and therapies related to firearm injuries and recovery,” the lawmakers wrote. “Instead, this funding has been weaponized to promote and advocate gun control in direct violation of federal law.” SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS BIDEN ADMIN ‘GHOST GUN’ REGULATION They urged Kennedy to end any remaining funding that could be in violation of the Dickey Amendment and restore “censored” statistics on self-defense on the CDC website. The lawmakers also asked for a series of new studies, including on the effects of gun-free zones, the effects of a lack of widespread sound suppression technology, and “the current media coverage practices concerning mass public shootings, which a growing body of evidence suggests may increase the likelihood of future mass public murders.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) for a response.
Trump says Congress should push ‘for more Daylight at the end of a day’
President Donald Trump is weighing in on a national debate, apparently calling on Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. “The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day. Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!” the president declared Friday morning in a post on Truth Social. Senators debated the annual changes between Daylight Saving Time and Standard time during a hearing Thursday. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Federal judge blocks Trump admin from revoking temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, Cubans and Haitians who were initially granted parole. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security incorrectly read the law when it made a decision to end a two-year parole given to them by the Biden administration. Talwani, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, said the revocation of temporary legal status would open up around 450,000 individuals to an expedited deportation process. “What you’re prioritizing is not people coming over the border but the people who followed the rules,” Talwani said. TRUMP ADMIN PULLING LEGAL STATUS FOR MORE THAN 530K MIGRANTS Justice Department lawyer Brian Ward argued during a Thursday hearing that parole programs were always discretionary. “The nub of the problem here is that the secretary, in cutting short the parole period afforded to these individuals, has to have a reasoned decision,” Talwani said, according to Time magazine. “There was a deal and now that deal has been undercut.” Immigration advocacy groups initially sued the Trump administration for its plan to end the parole program which began under the Biden administration. SANCTUARY GOVERNORS WALZ, PRITZKER, HOCHUL CALLED TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS The Trump administration attempted to revoke the temporary legal status of migrants from the four countries on March 25. They flew to the United States after submitting their application under a Biden-era policy that was closed by Trump when he took office for a second time. The program let migrants and their immediate family members fly to the United States as long as they had sponsors in America, then they would be placed on parole for two years. Fox News’ Landon Mion and Reuters contributed to this report.
Colorado Democratic senator announces run for governor
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., launched a gubernatorial campaign on Friday, becoming the second Democrat to jump into the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis. Phil Weiser, Colorado’s Democratic attorney general, has already announced a bid. Weiser has emerged as a high-profile opponent of President Donald Trump’s administration, joining with other state attorneys general to file lawsuits over a series of policies and executive orders. But Bennet, a former Denver Public Schools superintendent, immediately becomes the defacto front-runner in blue-leaning Colorado’s gubernatorial contest. “From expanding the Child Tax Credit to securing $7B for Colorado’s infrastructure, we’ve made real progress together,” Bennet said on X. “Now, it’s time to keep building a future in Colorado that works for all of us.” DEM SENATOR SAYS PARTY BRAND IS ‘REALLY PROBLEMATIC’ AND LED TO THE LOSS OF TRUST OF WORKING-CLASS VOTERS Bennet has served in the Senate more than 16 years. The senator won re-election in 2022, so if elected governor next year, he would vacate his Senate seat before the end of his current six-year term. RFK JR’S CONFIRMATION HEARING GOES OFF RAILS AMID MULTIPLE CLASHES WITH DEM SENATORS: ‘REPEATEDLY DEBUNKED’ Colorado was once a key general election battleground state, but it hasn’t elected a Republican as governor since 2002. Bennet in 2019 launched a bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. He ran as a moderate candidate, and his campaign failed to catch fire. After failing to qualify for most of the primary debates, he dropped out of the race. COLORADO DEMS RAM ABORTION, TRANSGENDER BILLS THROUGH ON LIMITED SUNDAY SESSION DEBATE: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ His announcement on Friday makes Bennet the latest Senate Democrat planning to move on from Congress at the end of next year. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota announced earlier this year that they wouldn’t seek re-election in the 2026 midterms. In a statement announcing his launch, Bennett emphasized that “the best solutions to our challenges will not come from Washington’s broken politics. They will come from us. Bennet was endorsed by fellow Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, a former two-term governor. “Michael will build on this work to shield Colorado from Trump’s corruption, create economic opportunity for every Coloradan and protect the environment,” Sen. Hickenlooper said. “I think Michael has the potential to be a truly great governor- I wholeheartedly endorse his campaign.” Bennet served as Hickenlooper’s chief of staff during Hickenlooper’s tenure as Denver mayor. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Weiser released a statement following Bennet’s news, highlighting his commitment to Colorado and emphasizing the need for keeping the state’s experienced leaders in Washington. “Two years ago, the voters sent Senator Bennet back to DC because we believed he would be there for us no matter what – especially in historically dangerous moments like the one we currently face. Now more than ever, we need experienced Democratic leaders in Washington,” Weiser argued.
Lawmakers in deep blue state demand audit over skyrocketing healthcare costs: ‘Alarming nature’
A group of California Republican lawmakers is asking for a formal audit of the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, after its costs have gone up significantly after a law went into effect last year allowing illegal immigrants to enroll. The Medi-Cal program is $2.8 billion over budget, as it was originally expected to cost $6 billion this fiscal year. Since then, the governor’s office has requested $6.2 billion in two separate loans. “On March 12, 2025, the Governor informed the legislature that Medi-Cal was insolvent and could not continue to pay all of its obligations to healthcare providers,” the letter states. NEWSOM ASKS FOR NEARLY ANOTHER $3B FOR STATE HEALTH PROGRAM OVERWHELMED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “Despite the alarming nature of this problem, the Governor has failed to provide an explanation for why Medi-Cal costs are far greater than what was budgeted. Many are concerned that continued growth in the cost of Medi-Cal benefits for undocumented immigrants is a major driver of the cost overruns,” the letter continues. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Specifically, the letter asks what the “future estimates for enrollment of undocumented immigrants” are in the program, as well as “cost containment strategies” to make sure that it does not harm Californian’s healthcare access. ‘NEEDS TO RESIGN’: BLUE STATE BLASTED FOR ASKING FOR LOAN AMID SKYROCKETING IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE COSTS The lawmakers are also seeking answers about why the forecast of the cost was incorrect. The letter was led by Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, who went viral for questioning a state budget official amplifying the spending issue earlier this year. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and Republican Reps. Kate Sanchez, Leticia Castillo, Stan Ellis, Tom Lackey, Phillip Chen, Heath Flora and David Tangipa. BLUE STATE GOP LAWMAKER GOES VIRAL FOR EXPOSING STATE’S SPENDING PROPOSALS: ‘PEOPLE WERE APPALLED’ Gov. Gavin Newsom previously said illegal immigrants being allowed to enroll in Medi-Cal is a “partial” part of the problem, but his office argues that overall rising healthcare costs led to higher than expected Medicaid program costs in other states as well. “With tough fiscal choices ahead, Governor Newsom, jointly with Pro Tem McGuire and Speaker Rivas, will evaluate proposals to rein in long-term spending — including in Medi-Cal — while working to protect the core health and social services Californians rely on,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Fox News Digital in a statement last month. Newsom’s office was not immediately available for comment.