Trump, lawmakers at odds over whether FEMA should be elevated to Cabinet-level agency or completely overhauled
While President Donald Trump wants to gut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are seeking to elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency. FEMA is currently housed under the Department of Homeland Security, but the House effort would solidify FEMA as its own separate agency, according to a discussion draft of the legislation released Thursday. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and committee ranking member Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., are spearheading the legislation. Other proposals included in the draft legislation are instructing the Office of Management and Budget to create a centralized website tracking disaster assistance recovery across the federal government, and allowing FEMA to foot the bill for repairs to homes suffering damage in disasters. Currently, FEMA only covers expenses that make a home livable following disasters. ‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA “By releasing this discussion draft legislation, we hope to engage our colleagues and stakeholders on comprehensive FEMA reform,” Graves said in a Thursday statement. “This draft bill includes substantive changes that will transform FEMA and our emergency programs to be much more state and locally driven – not micro-managed into ineffectiveness by the federal government.” While Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have voiced support for eradicating FEMA, the former acting administrator of FEMA, Cameron Hamilton, warned against gutting the agency on Wednesday. “I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton told lawmakers on the House Appropriations committee on Wednesday. “Having said that, I’m not in a position to make a decision,” Hamilton said. “That is a conversation that should be had between the president of the United States and this governing body.” However, Hamilton, who previously served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy with SEAL Team 8 and started leading FEMA in January, was ousted from his post Thursday. ACTING FEMA ADMINISTRATOR OUT AFTER PUSHING BACK AGAINST TRUMP’S AGENCY PLANS FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Hamilton was no longer with the agency. Days after his inauguration in January, Trump visited North Carolina to oversee the state’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene, more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. On the trip, Trump floated plans to gut FEMA, which oversaw the disaster relief efforts. “I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina. “I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.” The executive order established a review council to evaluate potential reforms to FEMA, including whether the agency’s bureaucracy restricts its ability to appropriately respond to disasters. Likewise, Trump’s budget proposal includes plans to slash nearly $650 million in FEMA grants. On Tuesday, Noem told lawmakers that Trump stands by his statements that FEMA’s current setup should be quashed. “He believes that FEMA and its response in many, many circumstances has failed the American people, and that FEMA as it exists today should be eliminated,” Noem said.
Blue state Republicans threaten mutiny over state and local taxes in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
Sparks are flying over taxes that primarily affect Republicans representing districts in Democrat-controlled states, sending tensions skyrocketing as GOP lawmakers negotiate President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.” The fight more specifically is about state and local tax deductions, colloquially known as SALT. Republican lawmakers representing high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities had been pushing leaders to raise the current cap on SALT deductions – $10,000 for both single filers and married couples – in Trump’s bill. However, on Thursday night, leaders of the House’s SALT Caucus emphatically rejected what they said was an offer from GOP leaders to raise that deduction to $30,000. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL “We’ve negotiated in good faith on SALT from the start— fighting for the taxpayers we represent in New York. Yet with no notice or agreement, the Speaker and the House Ways and Means Committee unilaterally proposed a flat $30,000 SALT cap — an amount they already knew would fall short of earning our support,” the statement said. “It’s not just insulting — it risks derailing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. New Yorkers already send far more to Washington than we get back — unlike many so-called ‘low-tax’ states that depend heavily on federal largesse. A higher SALT cap isn’t a luxury. It’s a matter of fairness. We reject this offer.” The statement was signed by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y. However, not all of their delegation is on board. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., whose district spans a sliver of south Brooklyn and all of Staten Island, told Fox News Digital first that she could support a $30,000 cap. “Everyone needs to advocate for the needs of their district. Tripling the deduction to $30,000 will provide much-needed relief for the middle-class and cover 98% of the families in my district,” she said. However, a spokesperson for Johnson pointed out that there was no commitment made on any number. Press secretary Athina Lawson wrote on X alongside a report that Johnson “acknowledged” the $30,000 number, “To add vital, missing context: What the Speaker actually said is this is one number among others in ongoing discussions amongst members.” She referenced comments Johnson made to reporters on Thursday when asked about the figure. “I’ve heard that number, and I’ve heard others as well.” “It’s still an ongoing discussion amongst the members,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to handicap it because I’m not sure exactly what that is, but there’s a lot of analysis that’s going into it.” The Republican majorities in the House and Senate are working on advancing Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to move a massive piece of legislation without the opposing party’s input, provided it deals with budgetary and other fiscal matters. It is a massive effort across multiple committees of jurisdiction. The Ways & Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, is expected to unveil its portion of the bill within days. BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY A meeting to advance that legislation is expected Tuesday afternoon, people familiar with the planning told Fox News Digital. Malliotakis is the only member of the committee who is also a member of the SALT Caucus. Republicans in California, New York and New Jersey have been pushing for the reconciliation bill to lift the SALT deduction cap, which was first implemented in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Some lawmakers have proposed lifting the cap to as high as $100,000, which Republicans in other areas have largely rejected. The blue state Republicans pushing for a larger deduction have argued the issue is critical for their constituents. They are also the most vulnerable lawmakers in the House GOP Conference, and their seats are key to Republicans holding onto their slim majority. Republicans in favor of raising the SALT deduction have also pointed out that while it benefits people in high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities, it is those states that send more tax dollars back to Washington for programs that ultimately benefit the entire country. However, others in conservative circles have pushed back on their efforts. “The Republican margin is so small in the House that a handful of New England Republicans have a lot of sway over this bill and are pushing to raise that deduction,” said Marc Short, an alumnus of Trump’s first administration who played a key role in the 2017 tax negotiations. “I think from a tax perspective, what’s unfair about that is you’re basically taking much of middle America that live in states that are better governed and asking them to subsidize the residents in states that are poorly managed and continue to generate huge deficits.”
Veteran advocacy leader defends Trump’s shake-ups at VA, calls for reform to support veterans
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump‘s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, has proposed a 15% workforce reduction with a goal of cutting 80,000 jobs at the VA. Retired Lt. Col. Jim Whaley, CEO of Mission Roll Call, a veteran advocacy non-profit, said such VA reform is necessary to improve veterans’ lives across the United States. Whaley told Fox News Digital that veterans want to see less bureaucracy at the VA and more “community care” to cut wait times and increase services at local VA hospitals, but “if it was easy, somebody would have solved it.” “Every American and politician, from both sides of the aisle, can agree that we want to make sure we take care of our veterans,” Whaley said. “We just got out of over 20 years of war, so there are a lot of veterans and their families that need help. We want to make sure that every dollar that the American taxpayer is paying to support the VA is spent wisely, and that veterans are getting the care that they need. And more importantly, that they’re getting the care when they need it, where they need it and how they need it.” ‘CHANGES THAT ACTUALLY HELP OUR VETERANS’: VA SECRETARY DEFENDS PROPOSED 15% WORKFORCE REDUCTION The VA serves only half of U.S. veterans. While Whaley said Collins is trying to reach the other 50% through TV and podcast appearances, he encouraged more transparency about the VA’s services to reach the other half of veterans who still need care. “One hundred days into the second Trump administration, and VA is no longer content with poor results. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have already stripped away many of the costly distractions that were coming between VA beneficiaries and the benefits they have earned. And we’re looking to make even more historic reforms to better serve our veterans,” Collins said. Trump and Collins have faced controversy in the media and among Democrats for cutting VA jobs and for their efforts to overhaul the department. Whaley, whose organization conducts veteran polling, said more than half of veterans are worried about VA cuts. ‘DOWN TO ZERO’: VETERAN SUICIDE CRISIS TARGETED IN VA BILL BY BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION “When all you hear is about the cuts versus what the philosophy is behind why you’re making those changes in an organization, there’s going to be fear. Change is hard. It’s important that the VA stays as transparent as possible and reports on what is being done and what improvements are being made,” Whaley said. However, Whatley, a veteran himself, said all veterans want to see an improved VA. “They want to see services improve, they want to see wait times reduced. As time goes on and Veterans Affairs communicate more and more with veterans, they will know a little bit about what’s going on, and they’ll be a little less anxious about it. I think it’s all about making sure that veterans are getting the news, making sure they understand why they’re making these cuts.” Whaley encouraged Collins and the VA to include more veterans in the conversations surrounding the VA’s reform by listening to families and caregivers to learn how to best invest in veteran care. “Veteran affairs are very important to recruitment issues, and that, of course, affects national security. So they’re not all separate, it all wraps together. When a veteran gets out of the service after a few years of serving their country, we have to make sure that the transition to the civilian world and finding a job and plugging into the community goes smoothly, because if we don’t, then we have an issue,” Whaley said. According to the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, more than 17 veterans committed suicide per day in 2021. “We need to get the number of suicides as close to zero as possible. That’s the number one priority,” Whaley said, adding that community care is also a top priority, so veterans don’t have to drive long distances and wait a long time to get the services they need. “We need to make sure that the Department of Defense and the VA are working together when veterans are transitioning out of the military to make sure they’re plugged into the VA and that the transition goes well. Because the fact of the matter is, the majority of suicides among veterans are from veterans that have recently transitioned to the civilian world.”
Inclusive tone of new pope isn’t sitting well with some in the ‘America First’ movement
The morning after his election, Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history — presided over his first Mass. In a nod to his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, Leo pledged to align himself with “ordinary people” and pointed to a loss of religious faith for contributing to “appalling violations of human dignity.” “A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society,” the new pope said in his homily delivered at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday. However, the message from the pope – who, like his predecessor, appears to hail from the more inclusive and progressive wing of the Catholic Church – does not appear to be receptive to some in the “America First” movement. FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION The founder and leader of the movement, President Donald Trump, on Thursday quickly praised the selection of Leo, who was Chicago-born but has lived much of his adult life in Peru. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump wrote in a social media post. Additionally, Vice President JD Vance, only the second Catholic vice president in U.S. history, congratulated the new pope, adding, “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!” PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FIRST AMERICAN POPE LEO XIV AN ‘HONOR’ FOR US, ‘VERY HAPPY’ However, thanks to a paper trail of weighing in on major American lighting rod issues such as illegal immigration, gun control, and even the 2020 death of George Floyd – which sparked nationwide protests targeting police brutality towards minorities – the new pope was bound to be controversial among some of Trump’s millions of MAGA supporters. Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump’s first administration and a conservative Catholic, wrote, “Worst pick ever,” in responding on social media to the new pope’s election. That sentiment from Bannon, and much harsher words from some far-right podcasters and social media influencers, was likely fueled in part by apparent past posts from the new pope – which could not be independently verified by Fox News – that were critical of the Trump administration’s sweeping and controversial immigration policies. Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that “the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis.” LIVE UPDATES: CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIV However, influential conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, a MAGA world rock star and Trump ally who leads the powerful Turning Point USA youth organization, was more measured. “Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about,” Kirk said in a video posted on X. Kirk added that “overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.” Popular conservative commentator and radio host Hugh Hewitt seemed receptive to the new pope. Trump has warmly embraced American Catholics in recent years and captured nearly 60% of the Catholic vote in last year’s presidential election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. Four years earlier, former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, narrowly captured the Catholic vote. Among those Catholics who supported Trump is former New Hampshire state House Speaker Bill O’Brien, who is one of the state’s two members on the Republican National Committee. O’Brien told Fox News that he’s “very respectful of the votes of the conclave, and I’m also proud that we do have a pope from America.” “I certainly would have liked to have seen someone more in the tradition of Pope Benedict, who held more closely to the traditional doctrines of the church,” O’Brien said. “But I’m not sure that Pope Leo is really established now in terms of where he will be. And the fact that he criticized Trump, I suppose that probably shows a less than developed political sense than it does a doctoral sense, which is more important.” O’Brien noted that “any pope, any religious figure for that matter, is going to be concerned about those who are powerless in our society, and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean he’s given intense thought to the importance of national borders.” He additionally emphasized that “I’m thrilled about where he comes from, and I’m hopeful about where he’s going.”
Trump pushes tax hikes for wealthy as ‘big, beautiful bill’ deadline looms
House Republicans are trying to find the right cocktail of tax reductions and new revenue to pass President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill” by Memorial Day. No taxes on tips is politically popular and is a key campaign promise of the president, but a coalition of deficit hawks could block that if the GOP fails to find revenue to cover the gap. That is why the president pushed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week to raise taxes on the super rich. HORSE SENSE: HOUSE REPUBLICANS WORK TO PASS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Trump is considering allowing the rate on individuals making $2.5 million or more to increase by 2.6%, from 37% to 39.6%, Fox News Digital reported Thursday. Such a move would resonate with working-class Americans who elected the president. However, many conservatives have signed pledges for years against raising any taxes. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday morning, “The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” CAPITOL HILL LAWMAKERS REACT TO ELECTION OF FIRST AMERICAN POPE: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ A deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) also remains unresolved as a group of Republican representatives from New York threaten to vote against the latest proposal. Meantime, a debate rages about health assistance. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, accused Democrats of trying to “paralyze our conference” and “frighten” Republicans about Medicare and Medicaid cuts. Specifics are key. “Until we see what comes out of the committee, I don’t know what’s on and what’s off,” said Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md.
Vance says India-Pakistan conflict ‘none of our business’ as Trump offers US help
Vice President JD Vance suggested the U.S. will not intervene in the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, arguing the dust-up is “fundamentally none of our business.” “We can’t control these countries,” Vance told Fox News’ Martha McCallum on “The Story” Thursday. “We’re not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it.” Vance’s comments came after President Donald Trump offered his help to repair relations between the two neighbors in Asia. “Oh, it’s so terrible. My position is, I get along with both,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop. And hopefully they can stop now. They’ve got a tit-for-tat, so hopefully they can stop now. But I know both. We get along with both countries very well. Good relationships with both. And I want to see it stop. And if I can do anything to help I will. I will be there as well.” PAKISTAN SHOOTS DOWN MORE THAN TWO DOZEN DRONES LAUNCHED BY INDIA Vance, however, said the U.S. does not believe the issue will devolve into a nuclear conflict as he called on both sides to de-escalate. “America can’t tell the Indians to lay down their arms. We can’t tell the Pakistanis to lay down their arms. And so we’re going to continue to pursue this thing through diplomatic channels. Our hope and our expectation is that this is not going to spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict.” The vice president’s comments come after India attacked nine sites in longtime foe Pakistan’s territory in response to a terrorist attack that killed 26 mostly Indian tourists in the disputed Kashmir region. India said it had intelligence that a terrorist group based in Pakistan was responsible for the attack. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military reported that the strikes killed at least 26 people – including women and children – and claimed India’s action amounted to an “act of war.” Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets in response, claiming that the move was justified given India’s strike. India has since launched drones into Pakistan, which its military forces say they shot down. India has also called up its reservists to ready for the potential of a protracted conflict. TRUMP OFFERS TO HELP INDIA, PAKISTAN AMID GROWING CONFLICT: ‘I WANT TO SEE THEM STOP’ Vance has emerged as the standard-bearer for the Trump administration’s non-interventionist wing, giving voice to an American-first foreign policy that breaks sharply from GOP orthodoxy and has been labeled isolationist by hawkish critics. He claimed the U.S. was “making a mistake” when it began the offensive campaign against the Houthis in March. “I think we are making a mistake,” Vance wrote in a private Signal chat, inadvertently leaked to a journalist and later published by The Atlantic. “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.” The commercial ships attacked in the Red Sea are largely European. Vance has favored diplomatic negotiations with Iran to thwart its nuclear program and was on the attack at a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. “Right now you guys are going around forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems,” Vance told Zelenskyy. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” he added during a meeting that devolved into a near-shouting match. Trump, for his part, is seemingly behind Vance and his restraint-minded approach, naming the vice president as a potential successor to the presidency in an NBC interview last week. “You look at Marco, you look at JD Vance, who’s fantastic,” Trump said on the future of the top of the Republican ticket, referring to Vance and Secretary of State and interim national security advisor Marco Rubio. “Certainly you would say that somebody’s the V.P., if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage.”
Dem in Trump district race scrubs social media of posts praising progressives: ‘Scam artist’
FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat running for Congress in New Jersey who has been positioning herself as a moderate to unseat the sitting Republican in a pro-Trump district, has deleted several social media posts promoting progressive candidates and causes. Democrat Rebecca Bennett, who is running in the Democratic primary to unseat GOP Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, is a Navy veteran and current member of the Air Force National Guard who has been labeled by local media as a “moderate” in a race the Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean Republican.” A Fox News Digital review of Bennett’s X account, which was created in July 2011 and recently converted from @BigRedBecks to @RebeccaForNJ07, shows several deleted posts that seemingly drift away from the “moderate” label, including praise of progressive Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “Love her,” Bennett said in a now-deleted post about Warren in 2019. BIDEN DENIES HE LEFT 2024 RACE TOO LATE TO STOP TRUMP, SAYS IT WOULDN’T HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE “I love everything about this,” Bennett said in a now-deleted post praising a video mashup of Warren to the tune of a Taylor Swift song. “(Except the misogyny that makes it real…) #TeamWarren.” Bennett has also removed posts praising former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was defeated by President Donald Trump, not only nationally, but also narrowly with voters in Kean’s district by just over one percentage point. “Let’s Goooooo,” Bennett wrote in a now-deleted post after Harris was announced as then-former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020. If elected, Bennett would serve alongside Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who she praised in 2020, calling him the “best senator.” That post has since been deleted. VANCE, CONSERVATIVES BLAST OMAR OVER RESURFACED ‘FEARFUL OF WHITE MEN’ CLIP: ‘GENOCIDAL LANGUAGE’ During the civil unrest and rioting that erupted after the death of George Floyd in 2020, Bennett posted on X that she agreed in a now-deleted post with a comment from former Obama campaign strategist David Plouffe, where he said House Democrats should “hold hearings” and investigate law enforcement officials responding to the riots. Bennett also deleted a post that appears to support the first impeachment of President Trump. “Officially a @JasonCrowCO6 fan,” Bennett posted on January 21, 2020 as the impeachment trial was unfolding where Crow ultimately voted to impeach. “I’m a vet who also didn’t have the equipment I needed to do my job, so this is personal for me too. #ImpeachmentTrial.” Fox News Digital reached out to Bennett’s team to inquire about the motivation behind deleting the X posts. Bennett’s announcement video, which is almost two minutes long, does not mention that she is a Democrat. In a statement to Fox News Digital, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said, “It’s clear Rebecca Bennett is desperately trying to run away from her past and cover up her radical, out of touch agenda.” “But New Jersey voters see right through her act and know exactly who she is: a radical scam artist who can’t be trusted.” Bennett’s team, in a statement to Fox News Digital, did not address why the posts were removed but dismissed the criticism from the NRCC. “It’s no surprise to see the NRCC and conservative news outlets start attacking Rebecca, because they know she is a serious threat to beat Congressman Tom Kean next November and flip NJ7,” Dan Bryan, senior advisor to the Bennett campaign, said. “Rebecca and her campaign will continue to ignore recycled bad faith attacks from right-wing outlets and focus on her record serving this country and Congressman Kean’s failure to deliver for working families in our district.” Bennett is not the first New Jersey Democrat running for Congress to face scrutiny over deleted social media posts. Sue Altman, who was defeated by Kean in 2024, faced heated criticism for deleting social media posts that were critical of law enforcement. The race in NJ-07 will be closely watched in next year’s midterm elections given the thin majority Republicans currently hold in the House of Representatives, where the GOP currently holds 220 seats compared to 215 for the Democrats.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman thanks Sen John Fetterman for ‘normalizing hoodies’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was one of the final senators to question OpenAI chief Sam Altman during Thursday’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing, and the subject of both Three Mile Island and the Democrat’s penchant for Carhartt outerwear came up. Fetterman said that as a senator he has been able to meet people with “much more impressive jobs and careers” and that due to Altman’s technology, “humans will have a wonderful ability to adapt.” He told Altman that some Americans are worried about AI on various levels, and he asked the executive to address it. In response, Altman said he appreciated Fetterman’s praise. FROM FLOPPY DISKS TO FLIGHT DELAYS, TOP LAWMAKER WARNS US AIR SYSTEM IS DUE FOR A REBOOT “Thank you, Senator, for the kind words and for normalizing hoodies in more spaces,” he said. “I love to see that. I am incredibly excited about the rate of progress, but I also am cautious,” Altman said about the Democrat’s particular question. “I think this is beyond something that we all fully yet understand where it’s going to go. This is, I believe, among the biggest … technological revolutions humanity will have ever produced. And I feel privileged to be here.” Fetterman also questioned Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith on concerns over the proliferation of data centers making utility costs for Pennsylvanians and Americans go up. “For me, energy security is national security,” he said, citing the use of renewable energy and fossil fuels. FETTERMAN SLAMS DUMB ‘HIT PIECE’ ABOUT HEALTH, SAYS IT FELT LIKE BEING IN ‘GOODFELLAS’ “My focus is also that I want to make sure that ratepayers in Pennsylvania really hit too hard for throughout all of this,” he said, as many mid-Atlantic states are seeing an increase in land purchases for data centers that new tech like AI requires. While the construction of such centers does create jobs, he said, those roles are often temporary. He went on to note how Microsoft is seeking to revive a reactor on Three Mile Island in Dauphin County, which infamously melted down decades ago, and carbon-neutral means to power data centers and more. “I’ve been tracking the plan to reopen TMI (Three Mile Island). My own personal story is I had to grab my hamster and evacuate during the meltdown in 1979,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “You might assume that I was anti-nuclear, and I actually am very supportive of nuclear because that’s an important part of the stack if you really want to address climate change.” “But I know that’s to power Microsoft’s data center. And I really appreciate that, but if I’m saying now, if we’re able to commit that, the power purchase agreement, it’s not going to raise electricity for Pennsylvania families.” Smith replied that in data center construction, Microsoft plans to invest in the power grid an equivalent amount to the electricity it will use so that it is not tapping into constricted supply. “No. 2, we’ll manage all of this in a way that ensures that our activity does not raise the price of electricity to the community,” he said.
Newsom debuts rapid-response website as critics accuse him of prioritizing presidential ambitions
Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., a potential 2028 presidential candidate, launched a new fact-check website on Wednesday targeting “right-wing misinformation,” as a new poll found more than half of California registered voters believe he is more focused on becoming president than delivering for Californians. Newsom’s campaign apparatus described the new fact-check website as a “rapid-response website to set the record straight about the Golden State” and President Donald Trump. A new survey conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found that 54% of California registered voters believe Newsom is more focused on his personal presidential ambitions than solving the ongoing problems at home in the Golden State. “By a more than a two-to-one margin (54% to 26%), most voters believe that as Newsom serves out his final two years as governor, he is devoting more of his attention to things that might benefit himself as a possible candidate for president than to governing the state and helping to solve its problems,” according to the results of the poll completed April 21-28 among 6,201 registered voters in California. TRUMP DARES NEWSOM TO RUN IN 2028, SLAMS RECORD ON LA WILDFIRES Newsom’s campaign, in a press release announcing the new fact-checking endeavor, touted California as the fourth-largest economy in the world, and said the blue state’s population is growing, crime rates are at historic lows and California is leading the nation in clean energy and tech innovation. WHITMER DITCHES DEM PLAYBOOK ON TRUMP’S TARIFFS AMID 2028 SPECULATION “This site is for everyone sick of the BS about California. We’re done letting the MAGA trolls define the Golden State. We’re going on the offense and fighting back — with facts,” Newsom said. Newsom’s latest endeavor targets misinformation from the devastating Los Angeles fires this year and other state issues, including crime, climate, the economy, immigration, energy and housing. California is often ridiculed by Republicans as a representation of the demise of Democratic states. Such was the case last month when a California lawmaker proposed a bill to allow state college and university students to sleep in their cars amid the blue state’s housing crisis. The California politician has long been rumored to harbor presidential ambitions. He was one of several names floated as a potential Democratic nominee replacement for President Joe Biden before Biden suspended his re-election campaign last summer and ultimately chose former Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Newsom also campaigned for Biden and Harris in key battleground states, acting as a surrogate for both candidates when their names were on the top of the ticket. Newsom launched a podcast this year embracing political dialogue across party lines, following Democrats losing the White House and the Senate and failing to regain the House of Representatives in 2024. Newsom has invited Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, onto his podcast in an attempt to show he is open to “criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another.” The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 election that Democrats didn’t prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough. But Newsom’s willingness to soak up the national spotlight as Democrats look for someone to lead the party into the next generation may have backfired among his California constituents. Newsom is one of several Democratic governors trying to balance diplomacy with rejecting Trump’s agenda during the president’s second term. Newsom has spoken out against Trump’s tariff policies and executive orders while reaching across the aisle to secure disaster relief following the Los Angeles fires earlier this year. The poll found a majority of California voters believe the state would be negatively impacted by Trump’s overhaul of the federal government, as 64% believe Trump’s tariffs would negatively impact California business and agriculture and over 50% believe Trump’s policies would have a negative impact on education. Meanwhile, Californians are split on Newsom’s job performance, with 46% both approving and disapproving of his job as governor and 45% reporting they are not confident in “his ability to be effective in looking out for California’s interests when dealing with the Trump administration.” “The Governor is focused on one thing: his job — driving L.A.’s recovery, confronting the housing crisis, and taking Donald Trump to court over his disastrous tariffs that are raising costs for families and blowing a hole in California’s budget,” Newsom’s office told Fox News in response to the new polling.
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dead at 85
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire at the age of 85, the Court announced Friday. “Justice Souter was appointed to the Court by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, and retired in 2009, after serving more than 19 years on the Court,” it said in a statement. “Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service. After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for more than a decade. He will be greatly missed,” Chief Justice John Roberts said. Souter was described by the Associated Press as a “reliably liberal vote on abortion, church-state relations, freedom of expression and the accessibility of federal courts.” Upon his retirement in 2009, President Barack Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor to take his seat. Fox News’ Bill Mears and Shannon Bream contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.