China’s spying in Cuba sparks alarm on Capitol Hill after fresh satellite images show surveillance buildup
FIRST ON FOX: Republican leaders in the House are increasingly concerned about China’s presence in Cuba and its capacity to spy on the U.S. from the island. A new report analyzing open-source intelligence found the addition of what appears to be a circularly disposed antenna array (CDAA) at the Bejucal signals intelligence site near Havana, Cuba. The antenna could pinpoint radio signals from between 3,000 and 8,000 miles away, putting key U.S. military installations and even Washington, D.C., well within range. “The CCP’s poisonous alliance with Cuba has posed significant threats to U.S. national security for decades,” House Intel Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “Their alleged involvement in signals intelligence hubs in Cuba is outward, unconcealed adversarial behavior against the U.S. The CCP’s actions are becoming increasingly more bold and thereby detrimental to Western Hemisphere security.” CHINA AND EGYPT WRAP FIRST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE AS BEIJING LOOKS TO COZY UP TO AMERICAN ALLIES The chairman called on the U.S. and its partners to work to thwart CCP influence in the Western Hemisphere. The report’s authors at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said work on the CDAA is ongoing, but satellite imagery shows it is “already easily identifiable as a CDAA by its circular shape.” A group of House leaders requested a briefing from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the matter on Tuesday. “The PRC is positioning itself to systematically erode U.S. strategic advantages without ever firing a shot,” read a letter penned by Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., China Committee Chair John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Transportation and Maritime Security subcommittee Chair Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., and Rep. Sheri Biggs, R-S.C. “The geographic proximity of suspected PRC-linked facilities in Cuba to sensitive U.S. installations, including Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Kennedy Space Center, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, may enable the PRC to monitor American detection and response capabilities, map electronic profiles of U.S. assets, and prepare the electromagnetic environment for potential future exploitation,” the lawmakers wrote. CHINA DENIES NEW REPORT LINKING CCP TO FOUR SITES IN CUBA ALLEGEDLY USED TO SPY ON THE US Cuba has a history of allowing U.S. adversaries to use its soil to snoop on U.S. communications. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union operated a surveillance facility at the Lourdes Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Complex near Havana. That site monitored U.S. satellites and intercepted sensitive military and commercial telecommunications. After Russia, China moved in – pouring $8 billion into infrastructure projects on the island, including telecoms networks built by Huawei and Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation, which are sanctioned by the U.S. due to surveillance concerns. “If left unchecked, the PRC’s activities in Cuba could establish a forward operating base for electronic warfare, enable intelligence collection, and influence operations that directly undermine U.S. national security interests,” the lawmakers added. Cuba offers Beijing a platform to “monitor U.S. military movements, disrupt critical communications in the event of a crisis, and shape political dynamics throughout the region to its advantage.” China has denied having any ties to surveillance infrastructure in Cuba, and nothing in the unclassified space shows indisputable links to China. But U.S. officials have long warned about China’s access to spying facilities on the island. An earlier report from CSIS identified four SIGINT sites as “highly likely” to be supporting CCP surveillance operations on the U.S. “These sites have undergone observable upgrades in recent years, even as Cuba has faced increasingly dire economic prospects that have drawn it closer to China,” that report’s authors said.
Federal judge orders Trump admin to immediately resettle 12K migrants
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to immediately resettle some 12,000 refugees into the U.S. under a court order that partially blocks President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at halting the refugee admissions program. U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a 2023 appointee of former President Joe Biden, issued the order despite the Trump administration saying during a hearing last week that it should only have to process 160 refugees into the country and would likely appeal any order requiring thousands to be admitted. “This Court will not entertain the Government’s result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says,” Whitehead wrote Monday. “The Government is free, of course, to seek further clarification from the Ninth Circuit. But the Government is not free to disobey statutory and constitutional law — and the direct orders of this Court and the Ninth Circuit — while it seeks such clarification.” Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office suspending refugee resettlement and ordering the Department of Homeland Security to report back in 90 days on whether resuming resettlement would be in the interests of the U.S. DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: ‘SAFEST OPTION’ In February, Whitehead blocked the Trump administration’s move to suspend refugee admissions into the United States in response to a lawsuit from refugee aid groups. Whitehead said at the time that Trump’s actions were an “effective nullification of congressional will” in setting up the nation’s refugee admissions program. NOEM CALLS FOR DEATH PENALTY FOLLOWING MARITIME HUMAN SMUGGLING ATTEMPT THAT LEFT CHILD DEAD Whitehead ordered the Trump administration within the next seven days to resume processing the cases of refugees who are protected by the court order. The federal judge also told the government to immediately take steps to facilitate admission to the U.S. for those refugees whose clearances, including medical and security authorizations, have not yet lapsed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SCOOP: Congress moves to address air traffic controller crisis as Newark meltdown sparks alarm
EXCLUSIVE: The House of Representatives is taking a hard look at the state of the U.S. air traffic control system and what it needs to modernize. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee on the House’s committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, told Fox News Digital he would be leading a bipartisan series of closed-door conversations on the issue. “We are going to start holding roundtables with stakeholders to implement this plan,” Nehls said in an interview. It comes after a blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport reportedly caused a roughly 90-second outage to its air traffic control screens. REAL ID DOCUMENTS HELD UP IN MAIL ACCORDING TO AMERICANS WHO ENROLLED BEFORE DEADLINE The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that operators at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at the busy New York City-area airport, “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them.” Nehls said a primary focus of the roundtables would be formulating a plan on how to spend the $12.5 billion the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved toward air traffic control (ATC) modernization. The funds were marked for ATC as part of the budget reconciliation process, through which Republicans are passing a massive bill advancing a host of Trump administration priorities. HIDDEN REAL ID HASSLES FACING AIRLINE TRAVELERS AND STATES TO AVOID “We’ve got $12.5 billion. How are we going to spend it? Who’s going to spend it? What it needs to be spent on, what should be the priority? So we are bringing in these stakeholders, these experts from all different areas,” Nehls said. “We’re bringing in these individuals that know about a lot dealing with a lot of this technology, they’re the first group that is coming in to talk about, you know, what do we do about fiber optics.” He was referring to reports that the blackout was caused by a fried piece of copper wire, which Nehls said was an example of the outdated system ATC was running on. The first meeting of the panel, which will include two Republicans and two Democrats, is set for early June, he said. “We’re going to meet with new stakeholders to provide the guidance. And I’m going to do a lot of listening. I’m not going to do a whole lot of talking,” Nehls said. “So we can make a very deliberate and informed decision on how we’re going to spend the money with taxpayer money to modernize the system. So I think that’s a step in the right direction.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for comment.
Fetterman slams ‘dumb hit piece’ about health, says it felt like being ‘in Goodfellas’
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman reacted Tuesday to what he called a “dumb hit piece” in New York Magazine that cited former staffers who questioned his hardiness for the job amid recent health issues. Fetterman, who suffered a somewhat debilitating stroke during his 2022 campaign, told Fox News Digital that being attacked in the story that broke late last week was like being “in ‘Goodfellas.’” “Everyone takes a beating sometimes. It was just a dumb hit piece, and we’ve all moved on,” Fetterman said. He also claimed former staffer Adam Jentleson, who was quoted by the magazine, must hold a “bizarre grudge” that he would speak so critically of him, as many staffers who have spoken out have expressed irritation at his shift from being a progressive favorite. JOHN FETTERMAN FACES NEW SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH, FAMILY DRAMA, SPARKING ONLINE UPROAR The story said Jentleson, previously a top aide to Sen. Harry M. Reid, D-Nev., wrote to doctors at Walter Reed that Fetterman “frequently exhibits the kind of alarming behavior you told us to look out for when he was discharged and… appears to be off his recovery plan.” “But that’s where we are, and we all moved on,” Fetterman said Tuesday before stepping into an elevator in a Senate Office Building. The exposé about Fetterman’s time on Capitol Hill set social media ablaze on Friday. FETTERMAN SPOKESWOMAN REAMED FOR REPORTEDLY CONTRADICTING BOSS ON ISRAEL: ‘UNPARALLELED HUBRIS’ The report also raised questions about alleged tensions with his wife, Gisele, over his health regimen, his stance on Israel and her reported run-ins with his staff. In the article, “All By Himself: John Fetterman insists he is in good health, but staffers past and present say they no longer recognize the man they once knew,” the magazine laid out recollections from current and former staff members like Jentleson, who worked for the Pennsylvania Democrat. The article relayed several reported instances, including a February 2023 situation at a Democratic caucus retreat at the Library of Congress. A staffer told the outlet that he received a message questioning how Fetterman was doing, as he was found sitting at a table alone, silently drinking a soda. The report went on to claim the lawmaker was “nearly struck by a car” and found “wandering” Capitol Hill. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Physicians at George Washington University Hospital later determined he was severely dehydrated and had not had a second stroke as feared, the report claimed. A reported ensuing discussion with then-Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, found Fetterman to be nearly “catatonic” when Brown tried to talk with him. Soon after, on Feb. 15, he was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center. After being discharged, Fetterman “threw himself into” his Senate work and became more vociferous than ever on issues like the Israel-Gaza conflict and other topics that have rankled his Democratic colleagues, according to sources quoted in the article. Fox News Digital reached out to New York Magazine but did not immediately hear back. Jentleson declined to comment, but he has been critical of the progressive left as well as of late. He recently told The Bulwark that some people have been trying to “justify” their “bad choices” when it comes to rhetoric on the Israel-Gaza situation.
Vance says Russia’s demands are too high, but there’s still a path to ‘durable peace’ with Ukraine
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said that the concessions that Russia is seeking from Ukraine to end the conflict between the two are too stringent, but he believes there is a viable path forward for peace and wants both to find common ground. “The step that we would like to make right now, is we would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another,” Vance said here Wednesday at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington. “We think that if cool heads prevail here, we can bring this thing to a durable peace that will be economically beneficial for both Ukrainians and the Russians,” Vance said. Vance appeared for a discussion with Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, president of the Foundation Council of the Munich Security Conference and the former German ambassador to the U.S. Vance has urged for European nations to bolster defense spending and increase European independence, aligning with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda that has pushed NATO allies to beef up their own military spending. The event comes as Ischinger recently cautioned that any attempts to establish a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to end the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv absent the U.S. could mean the “de facto end of NATO,” according to Politico. Should the U.K. and France send a peacekeeping force there like they’ve both discussed without U.S. involvement, that could prompt Russia to accuse Ukrainians of starting a conflict, Ischinger said in a Politico interview published Monday. VANCE’S ‘AMERICA FIRST’ APPROACH GOES GLOBAL, TAKES HARDLINE MESSAGE TO GREENLAND “And therefore the Europeans in Ukraine would possibly be shot at, and would need to reply, to engage without the United States on their side,” Ischinger said. “Quite frankly, that would be the end of NATO as we know it.” Vance previously appeared at the Munich Security Council in February, where he laid out the Trump administration’s stance that Europe “step up in a big way to provide for its own defense.” He also cautioned that Russia and China don’t pose as great a threat to European nations as the “threat from within,” in regard to issues like censorship and illegal immigration. European leaders pushed back on the remarks at the time, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he perceived the comments as a comparison to “conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
New travel rules, same confusion: ‘REAL ID’ raises questions, concerns among college-aged travelers
The month of May kicks off the start of the U.S. summer travel season – and nowhere is that felt more acutely than on college campuses, where students are closing laptops, submitting finals and streaming off campus in droves. However, some may not get past the airport, thanks to a federal ID rule taking effect just as school’s out. The Department of Homeland Security set the May 7 enforcement date for REAL ID last year, but the law itself has been delayed for nearly two decades. Congress passed it in 2005 – before most current college freshmen were even born. With the deadline landing right after spring semester ends, there is real concern that students heading home could be confused or caught flat-footed by the new requirements. “We have tens of thousands of folks weekly that are showing up at our driver’s license centers to get the REAL ID,” Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll said at a press conference this week. “It’s a real challenge for us right now, because folks have waited until the last minute.” On campuses, the buzz in the air is almost palpable as first-year students clamor to share their summer plans, either to far-flung destinations or to visit friends and family. For many, their “plans” include simply packing a carry-on, grabbing friends and escaping as soon as possible to a beach for sun-drenched surf and relaxation. However, for some travelers lacking a REAL ID – or confused about what the law means for them – this update could pose some very real, very unexpected barriers to summer travel. REAL ID RENEWS AMERICA’S AGE-OLD DREAD OF THE DMV Some students were prepared. Riley Davis, a junior at the University of Alabama, said she obtained a REAL ID-compliant license earlier this year. “I first heard about Real ID on social media last year, and got the star added when I renewed my license this year,” Davis told Fox News Digital. She praised her state’s process as “super fast” and easy, noting that she was also able to register for the appointment online at her local DMV – an option available in some states. Most college freshmen just wrapped up two intense semesters, adjusting to academic pressures, building new friendships and navigating the quirks of dorm life – all while living away from home for the first time. Many also turned 18 just before or during their first year, meaning they may have only recently become eligible for a REAL ID, which is issued to U.S. residents 18 and older. It is unclear how many college-aged Americans are currently in compliance with REAL ID requirements. Current estimates are limited and vary from state to state. New Jersey’s REAL ID compliance is the lowest in the country at 17% last month, according to data compiled by CBS News. Pennsylvania and New York reported compliance rates of just 26% and 43%, respectively. IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER College students have cited confusion in recent conversations with friends and family about the new IDs and enforcement, as well as whether other documents, such as a passport, would be sufficient. For anyone who is not prepared to meet REAL ID requirements, either because of when they turned 18 or due to confusion over the law’s enforcement date, they could face long lines and significant wait times before they are cleared to fly domestically, if they can secure an appointment at all. Officials in New Jersey, for example, said they post “thousands” of new slots a day for residents to obtain REAL ID licenses, slots that have booked up almost immediately, due to the backlog of residents waiting to apply. Alabama also warned that its appointments are filling up fast, especially in larger cities, and may not be available online due to the last-minute crush. “If appointments are booked in your area, please check other nearby examining offices,” Alabama state officials said last month. NEED REAL ID IN A HURRY? HERE ARE SOME OPTIONS OUTSIDE THE DMV Other states are also dealing with an eleventh-hour surge in visitors clamoring to obtain a REAL ID before they travel. Brilyn Hollyhand, an 18-year-old college student and political commentator who met just days earlier with President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital this week that his issue is not with REAL IDs, but the way they will be used, or not used, for that matter. “I think it’s insane and stupid that we require an ID to fly domestically, but not to vote,” Hollyhand said of the new requirements, which also apply to domestic flights. “It’s simple,” he added. “If you need an ID to fly and visit your grandmother out of state, you need it to cast your ballot to decide the future of our nation.” Many young travelers mistakenly believe their current IDs will still work – even if they lack the star in the top right corner that indicates REAL ID compliance. Others do not realize that a valid passport can also be used for air travel under the new rules, adding to the confusion. Garrett McDonalds, a sophomore at Auburn University, said his parents told him about the new ID requirements after they got their own licenses renewed – prompting him to renew his own ahead of the deadline. He described the process as easy and “crazy smooth,” so long as applicants bring the right paperwork. “Now it should be easier to fly, and hopefully I don’t have to worry about losing my passport on trips anymore!” he said. TSA agents have warned that individuals without REAL IDs will be subject to additional screening beginning May 7 and should prepare for additional time at the airport before their flights.
Trump pushes to reopen Alcatraz, but Pelosi and Newsom dismiss it as a ‘distraction’
Despite President Donald Trump‘s administration confirming that a plan to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz is already underway, San Francisco politicians are dismissing it as an unserious “distraction.” “From Day One, the Trump Administration has made clear that it will no longer tolerate the dangerous and deranged serial offenders who wreak bloodshed and mayhem in American communities,” White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital in a statement. “At President Trump’s direction, Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Burgum, and other administration leaders have already begun identifying necessary steps to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz and Make America Safe Again.” As the Trump administration takes its first steps to open the infamous Alcatraz, California politicians Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Daniel Lurie agree the plan is “not a serious one.” TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS “Looks like it’s distraction day again in Washington, D.C.,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not a serious one,” Pelosi said on social media on Sunday. TRUMP FLOATS REOPENING ALCATRAZ – HERE’S HOW MUCH REVENUE THE NOTORIOUS PRISON GENERATES “I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi said it right about Alcatraz. This is not a serious proposal,” Lurie said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. Alcatraz has worn many hats in its history, including as a military prison, federal prison, Civil War fortress, bird sanctuary, the first West Coast lighthouse and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement, according to the National Park Service. Alcatraz is most renowned for housing federal inmates, including notorious gangster Al Capone – whom Trump himself often evoked on the campaign trail. “I’ve been indicted more than Al Capone,” Trump often remarked while campaigning for president in 2024 at his “Make America Great Again” rallies, referring to his 34-count felony conviction for falsifying business records. Capone was indicted on at least 23 counts of federal income tax evasion. Alcatraz is a staple tourist attraction in San Francisco, attracting 1.2 million visitors a year. As part of San Francisco’s National Park Service, exhibits include an exploration of the island’s history as a military prison and federal penitentiary, while also sharing insight into its 19-month occupation by Native Americans protesting the U.S. government’s Termination Policy, which aimed to end federal supervision over American Indian tribes. However, Trump has his own plan for Alcatraz, announcing on Truth Social on Sunday that he wants to “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” Trump said. “That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Illinois Rep. Krishnamoorthi jumps into crowded Democratic race for Senate
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., has launched a bid to win a Senate seat held by longtime lawmaker Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who announced in late April that he would not seek reelection. Krishnamoorthi is joining an already crowded field that includes Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has the support of Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., is also reportedly considering a bid of her own. However, Krishnamoorthi enters the race with a sizable $19 million campaign war chest, according to Politico. DICK DURBIN, NO. 2 SENATE DEMOCRAT, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION In an announcement video posted Tuesday on his campaign’s X account, Krishnamoorthi vowed to stand up to “bullies like Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” though the latter left the White House last week. The congressman portrayed the president as a leader who is “ignoring the Constitution” and is “out for revenge.” DEMOCRAT REP OPTIMISTIC OF POLICY CHANGES TO KEEP FENTANYL OUT OF US The congressman highlighted his family background as a first-generation American whose parents “were able to use food stamps and public housing to move us into the middle class.” He also referenced his close ties to former President Barack Obama, saying that he “showed that Illinois will give you a shot even when you have a funny name.” He then touted his A+ rating from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and F rating from the National Rifle Association. “I’ll never be quiet while billionaires like Elon Musk and a convicted felon deny the dreams of the next generation for their own egos and personal profit,” Krishnamoorthi said in the video. He also vowed to “make America work for working people.” Krishnamoorthi was first elected to Congress in 2016 and currently serves as the ranking member of the Select Committee on the CCP. He is also the ranking member on the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.
Durbin calls on DOJ to investigate anonymous pizza deliveries to judges’ homes
The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has called on the Department of Justice and the FBI to “immediately investigate” a string of anonymous pizza deliveries sent to judges’ homes. In the event that the DOJ and the FBI have already initiated investigations, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also asked Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel for an update on those efforts. “In recent months, federal judges and their relatives have received anonymous deliveries to their homes,” Durbin wrote in a letter to Bondi and Patel on Tuesday. “These deliveries are threats intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family members’ addresses. The targeted individuals reportedly include Supreme Court justices, judges handling legal cases involving the Administration, and the children of judges. Some of these deliveries were made using the name of Judge Esther Salas’s son, Daniel Anderl, who was murdered at the family’s home by a former litigant who posed as a deliveryman.” JUDGE WHOSE SON WAS KILLED REACTS TO SHOCKING ATTACK ON NEVADA JUDGE “These incidents threaten not only judges and their families, but also judicial independence and the rule of law,” Durbin wrote. “It is imperative that the Justice Department (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate these anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and that those responsible be held accountable to the full extent of the law.” Durbin asked that Bondi and Patel provide “information on any steps that DOJ or the FBI have taken to protect the judges and their families who have received anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and to prevent further anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and other threats.” His letter also highlighted “the essential role that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) plays in protecting the federal judiciary and urge you to ensure that the size of the USMS workforce is not reduced.” The Democrat said USMS Acting Director Mark P. Pittella reportedly sent a letter on April 15 to more than 5,000 USMS employees offering them the opportunity to resign. “In the midst of increasing threats of violence against judges, it is inappropriate and unacceptable to reduce the size of the agency tasked with protecting the federal judiciary and the judicial process,” Durbin wrote. “Accordingly, I ask you to commit to fully supporting USMS and to maintaining or increasing its current number of employees.” The letter further asked that Bondi and Patel brief the committee and provide responses to a series of questions by May 20, including how many anonymous pizza deliveries have been sent to judges’ homes or the homes of their family members since Jan. 20 – President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day; whether each matter prompted an investigation and if not, why; and how many suspects have been identified and if there’s any reason to suspect coordination. Durbin said any responses with “classified or law-enforcement sensitive material” should be sent to the committee Democrats under a separate cover. ‘60 MINUTES’ SEGMENT PAINTS TRUMP AS THREAT TO COUNTRY’S LEGAL SYSTEM AMID LAWSUIT The letter only named one impacted judge – U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. Salas’ 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, was murdered on July 19, 2020, at the family’s home in North Brunswick, New Jersey. The gunman, who posed as a FedEx delivery driver, also critically wounded Salas’ husband. The suspect was identified as Roy Den Hollander, a self-proclaimed anti-feminist lawyer who previously appeared in Salas’ courtroom. Authorities said Den Hollander died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in upstate New York days after killing Daniel. Before the shooting, Salas had handled high-profile cases, including those involving Jeffrey Epstein and the Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Joe Giudice. Last month, Salas told news outlets that she and other judges have received strange pizza deliveries at their homes, with at least 10 of them having her son’s name on the order. In March, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s family members reported receiving strange pizza deliveries to separate households, Newsweek reported. Authorities said Barrett’s sister also received a bomb threat. J. Michelle Childs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit also claimed in a podcast last month that a mysterious pizza delivery had arrived at her door. “Federal judges are receiving anonymous deliveries as an intimidation tactic. It’s an ongoing threat… and it’s increasing,” Durbin wrote on X. “Some deliveries are even using the name of a judge’s son who was murdered by a former litigant posing as a deliveryman. Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel must investigate.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Judges are facing ongoing and increasing threats… even against their families,” Senate Judiciary Democrats said on X. “Pam Bondi must commit to fully supporting the Marshals Service and—at minimum—maintaining the current size of its workforce.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and the FBI for comment early Wednesday but did not immediately hear back.
Top TSA official explains what to do if you don’t have REAL ID
TSA Administrator Adam Stahl explained what Americans without REAL ID should do if they have an upcoming flight, and he addressed concerns about the potential for long lines as a result. Enforcement of REAL ID went into effect on Wednesday in order for people to fly domestically within the United States and enter some federal buildings, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Stahl told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that people who “do not have a compliant REAL ID will experience possibly additional vetting, additional screening at the checkpoint. Those that do not – We’ll be working pretty aggressively to minimize any sort of impacts to the checkpoint, to travel to the checkpoint.” REAL ID IS ABOUT TO GO INTO EFFECT. HERE’S HOW IT MAY IMPACT VOTING He noted that a military ID, a passport, and global entry are alternatives that somebody can use, but if they do not have any of those, they will make their flight. “You will still get through the checkpoint. You’ll be okay. You may face some additional screening measures, and that’s why we’re really underscoring to folks to please go to the airport early. He noted that REAL ID’s history stems from 9/11, even though the enforcement of the law has been pushed back several times. REAL ID DOCUMENTS HELD UP IN MAIL ACCORDING TO AMERICANS WHO ENROLLED BEFORE DEADLINE DHS noted that REAL ID will assist with immigration enforcement, as those in the country illegally will not be able to fly unless they are flying back to their country of origin. “This is a law that was passed in 2005 called the Real ID Law. And this was a critical vulnerability that was identified in the wake of 9/11. And this is really all about elevating identity and document integrity. And so, this administration, this secretary feels strongly that this is an important law to enforce and that really, this is critical to ensuring the safety and the security of our skies.” Stahl also addressed skeptics of the law, who may be concerned that it could be used to keep a closer eye on the American public unnecessarily. REAL ID REJECTION BY AMERICANS MAY COME DOWN TO ONE SURPRISING FACTOR “The notion that we are creating some sort of national surveillance system is not true, it’s not correct,” Stahl said, saying the TSA’s main focus is “safety” for travelers. “This is all about, again, ensuring and elevating document and data integrity to really ensure that we’re ensuring the safety in our skies of our passengers and of the traveling public. So it has nothing to do with a national database. It’s all about elevating document and identity integrity,” he added.