NationalWatch

A month after President Donald Trump scrapped free national parks entry on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Gov. Gavin Newsom is responding – opening more than 200 California state parks for free to honor Dr. King while calling out Trump’s move.

Last month, the Trump administration reshaped when Americans can enter national parks for free, scrapping Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth and National Public Lands Day from the 2026 calendar.

In their place, the administration added a slate of historically themed or presidentially themed dates. Flag day – which also happens to be Trump’s birthday – becomes a fee-free day for the first time, along with Constitution Day, the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service and the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt.

Newsom announced Friday that, ahead of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, he is directing California State Parks to offer free admission at more than 200 participating parks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SUES TRUMP FOR REPLACING NATIONAL PARK PASS PHOTO WITH HIS OWN IMAGE

“While Trump works to erase Dr. King’s legacy, California will honor it,” Newsom said in a press release. “Dr. King taught us that ‘darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.’ While the Trump administration tries to erase his legacy and turn national parks and monuments into places of exclusion and fear, California answers with light.”

“That’s why I’m announcing free entry at California State Parks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026 – because Dr. King’s legacy deserves to be honored, not erased,” Newsom continued. “I’m encouraging all Californians to get outside on MLK Day, spend time in nature, reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, and reaffirm our commitment to advancing civil rights for all.”

Free entry applies to vehicle day-use fees only and is available at more than 200 participating California state parks statewide, according to the governor’s office.

NATIONAL PARK GIFT SHOPS ARE ORDERED TO PURGE BIAS-DRIVEN DEI AND WOKE MERCHANDISE

Free vehicle entry is being made possible by the California State Parks Foundation rather than taxpayer dollars. The foundation’s investment is intended to keep the state parks running while also planting seeds for a lifetime of connection to the state’s “natural and cultural treasures,” Newsom’s office said.

Democratic leaders framed the move as a direct rebuke of the Trump administration’s actions.

TRUMP ADDS HIS BIRTHDAY AS FREE NATIONAL PARK DAY WHILE AXING MLK DAY AND JUNETEENTH

“As the federal government eliminates fee-free park days for holidays that celebrate Black history, California continues to revel in the glory of our civil rights pioneers,” state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson said. “Opening our parks for everyone to enjoy encourages loved ones to come together, give back, and honor Dr. King’s legacy while enjoying the natural beauty of the Golden State.”

Some of the parks offering free entry include Big Basin Redwoods, Half Moon Bay, Sugarloaf Ridge, Doheny, Wildwood Canyon Park Property, Folsom Lake, Bidwell Mansion and Lake Oroville.

Some parks will still require a fee, including off-highway vehicle recreation areas, parks with per-person or tour fees such as Hearst Castle and locations operated by partner organizations.

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A full list of participating parks is available at parks.ca.gov/MLKDay2026.

The wife of a once-detained American citizen was released this week after being held for more than a year in a Venezuelan prison following their arrest while traveling to the South American nation to meet her family. 

Renzo Humanchumo Castillo, a Peruvian- American who was detained for close to a year by Venezuelan authorities, told Fox News Digital that his Venezuelan wife, Rosa Carolina Chirino Zambrano, as well as her friend and the taxi driver they were with, were released after being imprisoned and charged with espionage due to their contact with him. 

He spoke with Zambrano following her release, he said, their first contact since December 2024 when they were confronted by Venezuelan authorities near the country’s border with Colombia. 

TRUMP PLANS TO MEET WITH VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO NEXT WEEK

“It was surreal,” Castillo recalled of the conversation. “She got teary, you know, but she was like… ‘hey baby, I’m out.’ Now my main concern is how do I get her here with me.”

Castillo, who lives in Southern California, was detained after crossing the border into Venezuela, along with his wife and her friend, who were in a taxi. After being questioned at length by Venezuelan authorities, he was charged with terrorism and conspiring to kill Nicolas Maduro, then the country’s president, who was recently captured by U.S. forces in a daring military operation. 

“They got me as a professional hitman sent by the CIA, and (that) I was there to overthrow the government and kill Maduro and Diosdado (Cabello),” Castillo said.

Diosdado Cabello, known as the “octopus,” runs Venezuela’s security apparatus and is considered one of the country’s most feared government figures. The U.S. has accused him of narco-terrorism and several other crimes. The State Department has issued a $25 million reward for his arrest and conviction.

“Cabello, he presented me on the news, and then he put me on a chart saying that I came here to overthrow the government,” Castillo said. “Me and some other Americans.”

After spending months in Venezuela’s notorious “El Rodeo” prison, Castillo was freed in a prisoner swap in July 2025. However, his wife remained in detention. 

FROM SANCTIONS TO SEIZURE: WHAT MADURO’S CAPTURE MEANS FOR VENEZUELA’S ECONOMY

Castillo said he was initially questioned by Venezuelan authorities who accused him of being a “commando” or some kind of military operator.

A search of his cell phone only heightened their suspicions when they found images of him wearing a protective vest and other tactical gear. However, Castillo said he works in private security and executive protection and has never served in the military. 

The gear was used for work, he said. 

He was eventually detained and transferred to “El Rodeo” where he endured beatings and other forms of torture, he said. In one instance, he was hung by his arms like a piñata and beaten. 

“They had me hanging. And like my feet were still kind of touching the floor,” he said. “They just hit me for maybe at least five to eight hours, just hanging… just not even questions anymore. But you can feel the joy, how much they wanted to hit me, hurt me, you know?”

Castillo got in trouble several times while at the prison, he said, for speaking out of a window in his cell where he would sometimes get updates on events outside the facility. Stressed about not knowing what happened to his wife, he went on a hunger strike in an effort to write a letter to her, he said. 

TRUMP TO MEET WITH VENEZUELA’S OPPOSITION LEADER AFTER PRAISING ‘TERRIFIC’ MADURO LOYALIST

Castillo met Zambrano during a visit to Peru to reunite with old classmates from grade school. One night, he went to a bar with friends where the pair met and struck up a friendship. 

That was followed by multiple trips to Peru, where she lived, before they got married. On his last journey, the couple met in Colombia and traveled via road to her home country to meet his in-laws for the first time, Castillo said. 

After crossing the Colombia-Venezuela border, they were separately detained and their misfortune began. 

Since Zambrano is a Venezuelan citizen, she was not part of the prisoner swap that freed her husband. Despite now being free, she remains under the watchful eye of the Venezuelan government, Castillo said. 

In the meantime, Castillo is working to get Zambrano to California. He said he plans to reach out to the State Department. Despite his wife’s citizenship status, his optimism heightened following Maduro’s capture earlier this month. 

“It was that moment when, inside of me, I felt I was going to be able to see my wife again,” he said. “The chances of me seeing my wife again just went from like, from nothing to like a hundred. It really lifted my spirit.”

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM TRUMP’S PUSH TO PUT US OIL FIRMS BACK IN VENEZUELA

“It took Americans and it took foreigners to be kidnapped for the world to put eyes on Venezuela,” he said. 

On Tuesday, Venezuela’s interim government released at least four Americans imprisoned during Maduro’s regime. The release was the first involving U.S. citizens since Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces. 

“We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela,” a State Department official said Tuesday. “This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.”

On Wednesday, Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez said she spoke with President Donald Trump by phone during a “long and courteous” conversation. The pair discussed a “bilateral work agenda for the benefit of our peoples, as well as pending matters between our governments.”

On Truth Social, Trump said topics of discussion included oil, minerals, trade and national security. 

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“This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!” he wrote. 

Castillo praised the Trump administration for addressing the Maduro regime and his action in Venezuela.

“I feel like the current administration is doing the hard work that it hasn’t been done,” he said. “Those things that sometimes people don’t want to see and are afraid to say, well, they’re doing it now. And I am very thankful to the administration. I’m very thankful to my president. Very thankful to (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio, because they did all of this. They got us out.”

Greenland rarely draws global attention. But as ice melts and great powers inch closer, the world’s largest island has become a strategic prize — one that caught President Donald Trump’s eye long before most Americans were paying attention.

A semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland is home to a key U.S. military base and has become increasingly important to global security and trade as melting ice opens new shipping lanes and access to natural resources.

That shift underscores the serious geopolitical calculation behind Trump’s interest in the island’s location, military value and the rapidly changing Arctic.

TRUMP’S PUSH TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND SPARKS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA FRENZY ON REMOTE ISLAND

Greenland is divided into five municipalities, with most of its roughly 56,000 residents living in small coastal towns, leaving the island’s vast interior largely uninhabited. Put another way, Greenland has roughly one person for every 1,000 soccer fields of land. 

Greenland’s sparse population is largely a product of its geography. Roughly 80% of the island is covered by an ice sheet formed about 3 million years ago, leaving vast areas of the territory uninhabitable.

Despite its small population, Greenland occupies a landmass comparable to global powers. By land area, it ranks among the world’s largest territories — a scale that has drawn attention from countries such as the United States, Russia and China as competition in the Arctic intensifies. It is nearly the size of Alaska and Texas combined.

Greenland’s location off Canada’s northeastern coast places it at the heart of Arctic defense planning. The U.S. has maintained a military outpost in northwestern Greenland since 1953 at the Pituffik Space Base, now operated by the U.S. Space Force.

Russia also maintains several military installations in the region, while China has sought greater access since declaring itself a “near-Arctic state” in 2018.

But geography isn’t the only reason Greenland draws global interest. Retreating Arctic ice is opening shipping lanes around the island that could significantly shorten trade routes between North America, Europe and Asia, adding an economic layer to its strategic importance.

The changing landscape has also drawn attention to Greenland’s deposits of rare earth elements and other critical minerals essential to modern technology, renewable energy and military systems.

TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS ON COUNTRIES OPPOSING GREENLAND TAKEOVER PLANS

Rare earth elements — a group of 17 minerals — sit at the center of modern economies and militaries. They allow electronics to be smaller, more powerful and more efficient and are especially important in high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, generators and precision guidance systems.

Their importance is even more pronounced in defense, where rare earths are used in missile guidance, radar, sonar, satellites and advanced aircraft. Because many of these applications have no easy substitutes, access to rare earths directly affects military readiness and technological advantage.

The world’s largest rare earth deposits are found in China, Vietnam, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Greenland and the United States. But China dominates the supply chain, accounting for roughly 60% of global mining and more than 90% of processing capacity.

The United States lacks a reliable, end-to-end supply chain for rare earths, leaving it dependent on foreign sources. 

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As the U.S. and European Union seek to reduce their reliance on China, Greenland has emerged as a potential counterweight to Beijing’s dominance and a focal point in the competition over critical minerals.

Whether the Trump administration is able to strike a deal to take over Greenland remains unclear. But as ice melts and competition in the Arctic intensifies, the island’s strategic importance is only likely to grow.

The Nobel Foundation weighed in Sunday after Venezuela’s opposition leader gifted her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump.

Maria Corina Machado gave her Peace Prize to Trump during a meeting at the White House last week. The Nobel Foundation pushed back on the legitimacy of such a transfer on Sunday, however.

“One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,’ and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize,” the foundation wrote in a statement.

“A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” the statement continued.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT MACHADO PLEDGES TO RETURN TO VENEZUELA, SEES ‘ALARMING’ INTERNAL CRACKDOWN

Machado explained her decision to give Trump her award in an interview with Fox News.

“He deserves it,” Machado told “FOX & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. “It was a very emotional moment.”

Machado said she presented the prize to the president on behalf of the Venezuelan people, crediting him for the historic work he did in liberating the country from its dictator Nicolás Maduro.

UNITED NATIONS ‘UPSET’ THAT TRUMP TOOK ‘BOLD ACTION’ TO IMPROVE VENEZUELA, SAYS UN AMB. MIKE WALTZ

“[Venezuelans] appreciate so much what he has done for, not only the freedom of the Venezuelan people, but I would say the whole hemisphere,” she said.

As a long-time Maduro critic, Machado has been vocal in supporting Trump’s unprecedented removal of the disgraced Venezuelan leader, prompting her to credit him with the prize for the historic capture.

Trump appeared pleased and gratified by Machado’s gesture.

“It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”

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The Norwegian Nobel Institute had tried to shut down the transfer before Machado met with Trump earlier this month.

“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” the institute said in a statement. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”

President Donald Trump lashed out at Minnesota Democrats on social media Sunday, saying they were using the ongoing federal operations to distract from the state’s massive fraud issue.

Trump made the statement on his Truth Social media platform, saying federal agents in Minneapolis and St. Paul were targeting “violent criminals.”

“ICE is removing some of the most violent criminals in the World from our Country, and bring them back home, where they belong. Why is Minnesota fighting this? Do they really want murderers and drug dealers to be ensconced in their community? The thugs that are protesting include many highly paid professional agitators and anarchists. Is this really what Minnesota wants?” Trump wrote.

Trump went on to call out Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., saying they “don’t mind because it keeps the focus of attention off the 18 Billion Dollar, Plus, FRAUD, that has taken place in the State!” 

“Don’t worry, we’re on it!” Trump added.

MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD PLACED ON STANDBY TO SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT

Federal agents have faced harassment and protests from agitators in Minnesota in recent weeks. Federal prosecutors are investigating both Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly impeding law enforcement efforts in the blue state.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News the duo’s anti-ICE rhetoric was teetering on a federal crime.

“When the governor or the mayor threaten our officers, when the mayor suggests that he’s encouraging citizens to call 911 when they see ICE officers, that is very close to a federal crime,” Blanche said.

MINNESOTA DEPT OF CORRECTIONS DISMISSES DHS NARRATIVE ABOUT THEM NOT COMPLYING WITH ICE

Bondi added on X, “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.”

Walz responded to the news on Friday by accusing the Trump administration of “weaponizing the justice system.”

“Two days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly,” Walz wrote in an X post. “Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”

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Frey also weighed in on social media, asserting he “will not be intimidated.”

“This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, local law enforcement, and residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our city,” Frey wrote on X. “I will not be intimidated. My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe.

Former Missouri “Squad” Rep. Cori Bush, who is seeking to reclaim the seat she lost in 2024, recently complained on social media that Congress doesn’t prioritize public transit funding—even though she once was part of a cohort of radical lawmakers who voted against a bill providing billions for transit improvements because it didn’t allocate enough money for their far-left agenda.

Bush was just one of five other Democratic Party lawmakers, all part of the progressive group dubbed “The Squad,” who voted against the 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, despite it allocating up to $108 billion for public transit investments. Bush and her other far-left colleagues at the time wanted more money to also be allocated to environmental and social programs, like funding for universal pre-K, Medicare and Medicaid expansions, affordable housing, green infrastructure, a Civilian Climate Corps, and also included oil drilling and leasing bans.

At the time of “The Squad’s” stand against the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Bush argued that she “didn’t come to Congress to allow [her constituents’] priorities to be put on a shelf.”

Meanwhile, Bush lamented to her followers on social media last week – amid her run to regain her position in the House – that funding for public transit is not prioritized in Congress. She implied this was a major problem because transit funding, Bush said, “is essential in meeting the most basic needs” of her constituents.

UNEARTHED RECORDS TORPEDO CORI BUSH’S NEW CLAIM ABOUT ‘BILLIONS’ IN FUNDING SHE DELIVERED TO DISTRICT

“Reliable transit service is essential in meeting the most basic needs of St. Louis,” Bush said to her social media followers. “Unfortunately, transit funding is not prioritized in Congress. That changes when I return to Washington, as I’ll continue fighting for legislation that benefits us.”

Republican campaign experts balked at Bush’s stump message to voters, including longtime campaign strategist Colin Reed, who noted how “Campaign rhetoric has a nasty habit of colliding with contradictory votes from the past, and undermining politicians’ credibility and trust.”

In her social media post complaining about the lack of emphasis on public transit funding in Congress, Bush included an image of her at what appears to be a bus stop touting how she “introduced legislation to fund bus and light rail projects at a greater scale.” 

While previously in Congress, Bush introduced two public transit-related bills, the Bus Rapid Transit Act and the Light Rail Transit Act, which sought to establish federal grant programs through the Federal Transit Administration to provide funding for upgrading transit infrastructure nationwide.

MEET THE NEW ‘SQUAD’: THE NEXT GENERATION OF TRUMP-ERA PROGRESSIVE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES 

When reached for comment and asked to explain the discrepancy between her complaints about Congress not prioritizing public transit funding, and Bush’s own neglect of such funding when other measures were on the chopping block, her campaign said the former congresswoman was “clear and consistent” in explaining that her ‘no” vote was because the bipartisan infrastructure bill was decoupled from the left’s Build Back Better bill that contained an array of aggressive social and environmental policies.  

“Universal pre-K, expanded Medicare, the Child Tax Credit, and lower prescription drug prices were all policies that Missouri’s 1st District sent the Congresswoman to DC to win,” a Bush campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “She’s been clear and consistent on this: her vote was because the infrastructure bill was uncoupled from Build Back Better, which contained those policies. With so much on the line for St. Louis and the nation, the Congresswoman wanted to fight for more, not settle for less.”

Bush rose to political prominence as a Black Lives Matter activist during the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri protest following the police officer involved shooting death of Michael Brown. In 2020, Bush upset longtime incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr., becoming the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress. 

During her time on Capitol Hill, she aligned with “Squad” politicians like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who have been advocates for radical proposals to defund the police, socialize medical care, push environmental justice and more.

AOC’S LUXURY SPENDING BINGE IN PUERTO RICO REIGNITES QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘SOCIALIST’ BRAND: ‘PEAK HYPOCRISY’

“If this is the best Cori Bush has to offer the same Missouri voters who already bounced her out of office, the sequel is shaping up to have a similar ending to the last campaign,” Reed said of Bush’s campaign stumping ahead of her upcoming election in November.

“No wonder Cori Bush restricts comments on her X account posts, because her hypocrisy knows no bounds and deserves to be called out by the American people,” Mark Bednar, who served as head of communications for now-former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, told Fox News Digital.

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“Whether it’s driving an SUV but demanding everyone else must live under the Green New Deal, spending thousands on private security while calling to defund the police, or now trying to hide from her own voting record, Cori Bush’s hypocrisy is nothing short of jaw-dropping,” Bednar continued. “The voters of St. Louis have already rejected her once, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if it happens again this election cycle.”

President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed to “take out” the Republican leader of the Indiana Senate after he resisted a new congressional map the president had championed.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Indiana Senate Majority Leader Rod Bray had “betrayed” the Republican Party after his chamber voted down a new map last month that would have created two more right-leaning congressional districts in the state.

The president said he would partner with David McIntosh, a former Indiana congressman who helped found two political groups, the Federalist Society and the Club for Growth, to target Bray.

“I was with David McIntosh of the Club for Growth, and we agreed that we will both work tirelessly together to take out Indiana Senate Majority Leader Rod Bray, a total RINO, who betrayed the Republican Party, the President of the United States, and everyone else who wants to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote in the post.

TRUMP TURNS UP HEAT ON FELLOW REPUBLICANS IN PUSH TO REDRAW CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

He added, “We’re after you Bray, like no one has ever come after you before!”

McIntosh, a longtime conservative figure, said he was on board with Trump’s game plan.

“President Trump and I are aligned,” he wrote on X. “Rod Bray is going down.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Bray’s office for comment.

VIRGINIA GOP CHAIR STEPS DOWN AFTER CRUSHING 2025 LOSS — VOWS TO RALLY PARTY AGAINST DEMOCRATS’ ‘POWER GRAB’

Trump has launched redistricting efforts across the country ahead of this year’s midterms, and Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push.

In December, the Indiana Senate voted 31-19 against a new congressional map, with 21 Republicans joining 10 Democrats in voting against the measure. If approved, the districts of two Democratic representatives would have been eliminated.

The redistricting bill passed the Indiana House 57-41, with a dozen GOP lawmakers voting against the measure, but Republican leaders in the Senate had resisted Trump’s efforts to draw new congressional maps.

Bray had repeatedly said there wasn’t enough support in the chamber to move forward with redistricting, but Trump continually pressured Bray and others on the fence leading up to the vote, saying they “need encouragement to make the right decision.”

In a social media post on the eve of the vote in the state Senate, Trump blasted Bray, vowing that he’d do everything within his power to oust Bray and Republicans who voted against the redistricting bill in their GOP primaries.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS MOVE TO SEIZE REDISTRICTING POWER, OPENING DOOR TO 4 NEW LEFT-LEANING SEATS

The president had called state lawmakers about the bill, and Vice President JD Vance visited the state twice last fall to discuss redistricting.

After the Virginia state Senate greenlit a constitutional amendment on Friday that would allow the Democrat-controlled legislature to redraw the state’s U.S. House maps ahead of the midterm elections, Vance also took aim at Bray.

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“I’d like to thank @bray_rodric for not even trying to fight back against this extraordinary Democrat abuse of power,” he wrote on X. “Now the votes of Indiana Republicans will matter far less than the votes of Virginia Democrats. We told you it would happen, and you did nothing.”

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

One of President Donald Trump‘s most prominent immigration enforcers vowed Saturday to continue using tear gas during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, after a Minnesota federal judge Friday barred federal officers from using it against peaceful protesters.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino said federal agents would continue deploying tear gas against violent protesters who “cross the line” amid ongoing unrest and heightened tension across the Twin Cities.

“We’re going to continue to use that minimum amount of force necessary to accomplish our mission,” Bovino said Saturday on “Fox News Live,” adding that immigration officers have never used tear gas against “peaceful protesters.”

“We always support the First Amendment, but when they cross the line and they’re violent, we will use those less lethal munitions because it keeps them safe, it keeps our officers safe, and it keeps the public safe,” Bovino said.

THREE VENEZUELAN ILLEGALS ARRESTED AFTER ICE OFFICER ‘AMBUSHED AND ATTACKED’ DURING TRAFFIC STOP: NOEM

Bovino’s comments after U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez issued a ruling Friday in a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, barring federal officers from detaining or deploying tear gas against peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities while participating in Operation Metro Surge.

The ruling prohibits federal agents from retaliating against peaceful protesters or observers, adding that federal agents must show probable cause or reasonable suspicion that someone has committed a crime or is interfering with law enforcement operations.

Federal agents cannot use pepper spray or other non-lethal munitions and crowd-dispersal tools against peaceful protesters, according to the ruling, and peacefully following officers “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop.”

MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR WHO TOLD ICE TO ‘GET THE F— OUT’ NOW CALLS FOR PEACE AFTER ANOTHER SHOOTING INCIDENT

The order came as tensions escalated in Minneapolis after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good earlier this month during a federal immigration enforcement operation. Menendez noted in her ruling that the immigration crackdown by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Minnesota appears to be escalating.

“There is no sign that this operation is winding down—indeed, it appears to still be ramping up,” she wrote.

The City of Minneapolis applauded the court’s decision, while urging community members to be “peaceful and lawful” around immigration agents.

TRUMP SAYS NO NEED TO INVOKE INSURRECTION ACT ‘RIGHT NOW’ AMID ANTI-ICE UNREST IN MINNESOTA

“As this is a federal court order, we expect the federal administration to change course and comply for the safety of all,” the City wrote Saturday on X.

“We applaud the court’s decision in the ACLU’s lawsuit, which prohibits federal immigration agents from targeting or retaliating against those peacefully and lawfully protesting or observing Operation Metro Surge operations.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison reacted to the ruling, saying that “this preliminary win matters for every Minnesotan exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest and witness.”

“Thank you to the ACLU and the plaintiffs for standing firm in defense of this bedrock freedom,” he added.

After the ruling, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that the First Amendment does not protect “rioting,” adding that DHS is “taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”

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“We remind the public that rioting is dangerous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony,” McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Rioters and terrorists have assaulted law enforcement, launched fireworks at them, slashed the tires of their vehicles, and vandalized federal property. Others have chosen to ignore commands and have attempted to impede law enforcement operations and used their vehicles as weapons against our officers.”

McLaughlin added that law enforcement has followed their training and has “used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property.”

The White House slammed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom  as an “inauthentic slimeball” after he attempted to walk back his staff’s description of an ICE officer-involved shooting as “state-sponsored terrorism.”

“Newscum is an inauthentic slimeball who has no principles — he simply says whatever he thinks he needs to, in the moment, to get attention,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox Digital on Friday. 

“He’s happy to smear ICE officers and incite violence against them when he thinks it will score points with his radical left base, but as soon as he’s pressed on his dangerous claims he throws his staffers under the bus and tries to distance himself from the content they put out under his name. Newscum will never be ready for primetime,” she added. 

Jackson was responding to Newsom’s comments on his podcast published Thursday, when he walked back his office’s message on X following an ICE-involved fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 was “STATE. SPONSORED. TERRORISM.” 

NEWSOM RETREATS AFTER SHAPIRO PUTS HIM ON THE SPOT OVER CHILLING ICE TERRORISM CLAIM

Federal authorities and the administration said the ICE officer had opened fire on Good after she had allegedly used her vehicle as a weapon against the agent. Democrats have described the death as a “murder” and amplified criticisms of federal law enforcement officers in the days following. 

Newsom was joined on the podcast by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who pressed him about his office’s message linking ICE to terrorists. 

“And then your press office tweeted out that it was state-sponsored terrorism, which I mean, governor, I do have to ask you about that,” Shapiro said on the podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom.” “That sort of thing makes our politics worse. Yeah, I mean, it does. I mean, our ICE officers obviously are not terrorists. A tragic situation is not state-sponsored terrorism.”

Newsom responded: “Yeah, I think that’s fair.”

Newsom continued during their conversation that he has bucked Democrat colleagues’ calls to “defund ICE” while adding his state cooperates with federal immigration officers. 

DEMOCRATS WORRY ‘ABOLISH ICE’ SLOGAN WILL BACKFIRE POLITICALLY LIKE ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ DID

“I disagreed when I think a candidate for president by the name of Harris said that in the last campaign. I remember being on [MSNBC show hosted by] Chris Hayes hours later saying, ‘I think that’s a mistake.’ So absolutely,” Newsom said. Former Vice President Kamala Harris called for “a complete overhaul of the agency, mission, culture, operations” of ICE back in 2018. 

President Donald Trump has for years slammed Newsom’s immigration policies, arguing the sanctuary state weakens border enforcement, protects illegal immigrants, and puts public safety at risk. 

The Democratic governor defended his state’s policies by saying that California allegedly cooperates with ICE, and that his state’s sanctuary policies would be “unnecessary” if the U.S. had “comprehensive immigration reform.”

“We work very directly with ICE as it relates to [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] state prison,” Newsom said on the podcast. “California has cooperated with more ICE transfers probably than any other state in the country. And I vetoed multiple pieces of legislation that have come from my legislature to stop the ability for the state of California to do that.”

TRUMP ADMIN WARNS OF ‘WIDESCALE DOXXING’ OF ICE IF HOUSE DEM’S NEW BILL PASSES

“TRUMP IS TRYING TO CANCEL THE GOVERNOR – VERY WOKE!” Newsom spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo responded to Fox Digital in an email Friday when approached for comment. 

“EVERYDAY AMERICANS ARE EXPERIENCING STATE SPONSORED TERROR BY OUR INCOMPETENT PRESIDENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”

Newsom’s office added on X that the governor supports removing “child molesters, rapists and violent criminals” from California but opposes what they called federal “masked agents” sweeping up innocent people, urging an immediate halt to such roundups and calling for federal reform to protect immigrants and U.S. citizens.

In the wake of Good’s death, chaos has broken out in Minneapolis, including on Wednesday, as agitators clashed with law enforcement officials after the second ICE-involved shooting in the city. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pinned blame on Democrats and their rhetoric for heightened threats against federal immigration law enforcement officers. 

“The Democrat Party has demeaned these individuals,” Leavitt said Thursday of federal immigration officers. “They’ve even referred to them as ‘Nazis’ and as ‘the Gestapo.’ And that is absolutely leading to the violence we’re seeing in the streets.

“If you look at some of the images out of Minneapolis last night, look at this vehicle, look at what it says,” Leavitt added. “It says, ‘F ICE.’ You have these individuals who are putting their middle finger, proudly so, at the camera, another ICE individual, a vehicle that was vandalized last night by these left-wing agitators.”

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The Department of Homeland Security reported in December that assaults and violent attacks against ICE law enforcement officers have surged more than 1,150% compared to attacks under the Biden administration. It found there were 238 assaults on ICE officers between Jan. 21, 2025 to Nov. 21, 2025, up from just 19 during the same timeframe in 2024. 

Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report. 

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush credited his former political foe President Donald Trump‘s “historic leadership” on pushing for a denuclearized and democratized Iran, saying that his current organization — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) — stands ready to help Trump and the people of Iran against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

With Trump’s emergence into presidential politics in 2015, he found his top rival in the former Florida governor, notably dubbing him “Low-Energy Jeb” — as the Republican scion hit back that the mogul could not “insult his way to the presidency.”

This week, détente appeared to emerge between the two as Bush heaped praise on Trump’s position after the president urged Iranian “patriots [to] keep protesting.”

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING’ MOMENT

“Take over your institutions. Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.

“President Trump continues to demonstrate historic leadership on Iran, with unprecedented support for the Iranian people as they face bullets for freedom. We at UANI join him in standing with the brave people of Iran.”

Bush leads UANI alongside former Ambassador Mark Wallace, the ex-husband of MS-NOW host Nicolle Wallace and a key diplomat in Bush’s brother’s White House.

FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS, ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’

“UANI applauds President Trump’s unprecedented support of the people of Iran as they fight to reclaim their country,” Bush and Wallace said in a statement.

“For far too long, the United States and the West have equivocated in expressing support for the people of Iran in the face of the Ayatollah’s violence and repression.”

“President Trump’s post made clear that no longer will the United States and the West lack the moral clarity to support the people of Iran as they face bullets for freedom. That change is historic.”

TRUMP CREDITS IRAN NUCLEAR STRIKES FOR KICKSTARTING ISRAEL-HAMAS PEACE DEAL

Trump has been praised for taking a harder line than recent presidents against Iran, cancelling talks with Tehran leaders after reports surfaced that they were shooting and killing protesters in the streets.

“UANI joins with President Trump and stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against the Ayatollah,” Bush and Wallace added.

Their group is a nonprofit, nonpartisan one, formed to combat threats posed by Iran.

POMPEO SAYS IRANIAN REGIME HAS ARRIVED AT ‘NATURAL TERMINUS’: ‘LET’S NOT WASTE THIS HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY’

The tenor between the two Republican stalwarts is a marked change from the turbulent 2016 sweeps.

At the time, Trump often mocked Bush for his family’s involvement in the race, reportedly saying, “Your mom can’t help you with ISIS” after former first lady Barbara Bush cut a campaign ad for her son.

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“Donald is great at the one-liners,” Bush quipped during a 2015 debate. “But he’s a chaos candidate.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the two leaders’ new common ground.

On Iran, a senior administration official said the administration supports the people of Iran against the regime’s continued human rights abuses and authoritarian repression, and that the regime is one of the world’s worst violators of human rights, oppressing its people to maintain its grip on power.

President Donald Trump responded to unrest in Minnesota this week by threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, which critics said would amount to federal overreach and unnecessarily militarize cities.

Trump’s potential use of the Insurrection Act would be the latest of several instances of presidents using it and would allow active-duty U.S. military troops to conduct law enforcement within the state.

The statute authorizes the president to take the extraordinary step of deploying the military in the country under certain circumstances, including, according to the text of the law, when “unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion” make it “impracticable to enforce the laws.”

TRUMP THREATENS TO INVOKE INSURRECTION ACT IN MINNESOTA IF AGITATORS KEEP ATTACKING FEDERAL OFFICERS

The powerful law allows the president to “take such measures as he considers necessary to suppress [an] insurrection” when state officials are unwilling or unable to. The law functions as an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which says the military cannot be used as a domestic police force, and it allows the president to bypass Congress. 

Trump seeks to stop ‘professional agitators’

Trump framed the possible use of the Insurrection Act as a means of addressing what he said were failures by Minnesota’s Democratic leadership.

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” he wrote.

On Friday, he told reporters he did not plan to use it, for now, but that he has not ruled it out.

“It has been used by 48% of the presidents as of this moment,” Trump said. “If I needed it, I’d use it. I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it.”

His remarks come as protests and instances of vandalism and violence continue to rock Minneapolis. Tensions skyrocketed this month after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen who had an altercation with ICE that the FBI is now investigating as a possible assault on the agent.

DHS ARRESTS ARMED MAN WITH EXTRA AMMUNITION FOR ASSAULTING FEDERAL OFFICER AT LATE-NIGHT MINNEAPOLIS RIOT

The shooting happened after DHS deployed thousands of ICE agents to Minnesota in recent weeks as part of Operation Metro Surge, which has led to at least 2,000 arrests, according to court papers filed as part of a lawsuit Minnesota’s leaders brought against the administration over the crackdown.

A federal judge recently denied Minnesota’s request for an emergency order that would have paused ICE’s work.

Minnesota’s leaders, openly at odds with the administration, argued the Insurrection Act would improperly militarize a domestic conflict that should be handled by the state.

“Minnesota needs ICE to leave, not an escalation that brings additional federal troops beyond the 3,000 [ICE agents] already here,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote on X. “My priority is keeping local law enforcement focused on public safety, not diverted by federal overreach.”

Gov. Tim Walz responded to Trump’s call by asking him to “turn the temperature down.”

Asked about what would justify the use of the Insurrection Act, Chad Wolf, America First Policy Institute’s chair of homeland security and immigration, told Fox News Digital the president could have “little choice” but to invoke the Insurrection Act.

“If the situation on the ground in Minneapolis continues to grow violent, with ICE officers being targeted and injured as well as other violent acts, and Governor Walz and Mayor Frey continue to restrict local law enforcement from doing their job and encouraging their residents to resist ICE, President Trump will have little choice,” Wolf, former acting secretary of DHS, said. 

“Local leadership is currently taking all the wrong steps and making the situation worse. I hope common sense will eventually prevail.”

What could the military do in Minnesota?

There are few restrictions on how Trump could use the military in Minnesota if he were to do so under the Insurrection Act, which legal experts say is lacking in specifics and gives the president wide latitude.

The Trump administration would first draft an order outlining which military forces would be used and how.

MIKE DAVIS: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MINNESOTA IS WHY WE HAVE THE INSURRECTION ACT

The president could then direct the troops to carry out numerous tasks, such as enforcing federal laws, breaking up protests or otherwise suppressing what Trump deems to be rebellious activity.

What else have presidents used it for?

The Insurrection Act dates back to 1807, and although it has been used several times, Trump would be the first to invoke it since President George H.W. Bush used it to quell Los Angeles riots in 1992.

President Abraham Lincoln used what amounted to Insurrection Act powers to respond to a rebellion within the Confederacy in the Civil War era.

In the 1940s, President Franklin Roosevelt deployed 6,000 Army troops to Detroit under the Insurrection Act in response to race riots .

President Dwight Eisenhower used the law to deploy the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, in the 1950s to enforce civil rights laws in the face of resistance from the state. President John F. Kennedy later used the military for similar purposes in Alabama.

Would the Insurrection Act stand up in court?

Trump federalized the National Guard under Title 10, a separate statute, to respond to anti-ICE activity in Illinois and Oregon, but the Supreme Court recently halted those deployments.

Trump would be testing out an alternative by invoking the Insurrection Act, which has faced minimal scrutiny in the courts.

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital he hoped the use of the Insurrection Act could be avoided but that Trump would have a solid legal argument if it were challenged in court.

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“The rhetoric of the mayor and the governor has only strengthened the case for the administration in fueling the rage and protests,” Turley said. “The relative lack of support from local police is analogous to the conditions used by prior presidents to invoke the act. While the Justice Department has one internal opinion emphasizing the need for a breakdown of law and order, the act itself is highly permissive and generally worded.” 

Democrat Abigail Spanberger took multiple swipes at the Trump administration on Saturday as she was sworn-in as Virginia’s first female governor. 

Spanberger, who handily defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in November and takes over for Republican Glenn Youngkin, told a crowd at the State Capitol that, “I know many of you are worried about the recklessness coming out of Washington.” 

“You are worried about policies that are hurting our communities, cutting health care access, imperiling rural hospitals and driving up costs. You are worried about Washington policies that are closing off markets, hurting innovation and private industry, and attacking those who have devoted their lives to public service,” Spanberger said. 

“You are worried about an administration that is gilding buildings while schools crumble, breaking, breaking, breaking the social safety net and sowing fear across our communities, betraying the values of who we are as Americans, the very values that we celebrate here on these steps,” she continued.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS MOVE TO SEIZE REDISTRICTING POWER, OPENING DOOR TO 4 NEW LEFT-LEANING SEATS

“And across the Commonwealth, everything keeps getting a bit more expensive. Groceries, medicine, day care, the electricity bill, rent and the mortgage. Families are strained, kids are stressed, and so much just seems to be getting harder and harder,” Spanberger added. 

She then said, “Growing up, my parents always taught me that when faced with something unacceptable, you must speak up.”

YOUNGKIN BACKS JD VANCE FOR 2028, CALLS VICE PRESIDENT A ‘GREAT’ GOP NOMINEE

“You must take action. You must right what you believe is wrong and fix what isn’t working. And I know that some who are here today, or watching from home, may disagree with the litany of challenges and the hardships that I laid out,” Spanberger also said. “Your perspective may differ from mine, but that does not preclude us from working together where we may find common cause.” 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a response to Spanberger’s remarks.

“The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me. I maintain an abiding sense of gratitude to those who work, generation after generation, to ensure women could be among those casting ballots,” Spanberger said at one point during her speech.

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Prior to her inauguration speech, Youngkin posted a video on X where he said it was an “honor of a lifetime” to serve the state. 

A bipartisan, bicameral group of U.S. lawmakers set off to Denmark to reassure the NATO ally amid President Donald Trump‘s push for a takeover of Greenland.

The group was mostly made of Democrats, but included two Republicans: Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Murkowski, Tillis, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., and Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., were among those who traveled to Europe for meetings with Danish and Greenlandic officials. Some members of the delegation are expected to go to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.

“The trip will highlight bipartisan support for our allies in the Kingdom of Denmark and discuss how to deepen this partnership in line with our shared principles of sovereignty and self-determination, and in the face of growing challenges around the world, especially bolstering Arctic security and promoting stronger trade relations between the two countries,” a statement Shaheen issued prior to the visit read.

TRUMP AFFIRMS US ‘WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR NATO,’ WHILE EXPRESSING DOUBTS ABOUT ALLIANCE

Coons, who led the delegation, underscored the lawmakers’ desire to “reaffirm Congress’ commitment” to Denmark, calling it one of the U.S.’s “oldest, strongest NATO allies.”

“A great day leading our bipartisan delegation to Copenhagen meeting with Danish and Greenlandic officials to reaffirm Congress’ commitment to one of our oldest, strongest NATO allies. In an increasingly unstable world In which our adversaries are cooperating, our alliances are more important than ever,” he wrote in a post on X.

The visit comes as Trump’s renewed push for the U.S. to takeover Greenland continues to draw criticism from both sides of the aisle and some of America’s allies.

“That rhetoric doesn’t just undermine our bilateral relationship, it undermines the NATO alliance at a time when our adversaries seek to benefit from division,” Shaheen said during a speech at the University of Copenhagen.

TRUMP’S GREENLAND TAKEOVER WOULD LIKELY ENTAIL ENORMOUS PRICE TAG: REPORT

The trip began before Trump announced on Saturday planned tariffs for Denmark and several European nations in a bid to force a deal for the U.S. purchase of Greenland. 

While the lawmakers were visiting, Denmark saw massive protests of crowds voicing their opposition to the U.S. taking the semiautonomous Danish territory. Thousands gathered across the country to show their solidarity with Greenland. The crowds chanted “Greenland is not for sale” and held banners with slogans such as “Hands off Greenland,” according to Reuters.

“I am very grateful for the huge support we as Greenlanders receive… we are also sending a message to the world that you all must wake up,” Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, an organization for Greenlanders in Denmark, told Reuters.

“Greenland and the Greenlanders have involuntarily become the front in the fight for democracy and human rights,” she added.

TRUMP EYES ACTION ON GREENLAND, SETTING UP WHITE HOUSE FACE-OFF WITH DENMARK

Trump has insisted that the U.S. needs Greenland for purposes of national security, saying that Russia and China were eyeing the island. 

During her speech at the University of Copenhagen, Shaheen argued that Trump’s approach is unnecessary, saying the U.S. already has pathways to secure its interests in the Arctic.

“Anything the president might want — whether it is U.S. bases to defend against Arctic threats or critical minerals deals — the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have made clear they are happy to partner with us. So, the threats are not only unnecessary, they are also counterproductive, and they risk undermining the broader NATO Alliance in the process,” Shaheen added.

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In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pushed back against growing European backlash over Washington’s focus on Greenland after France announced new military exercises with Denmark, saying Arctic security is a core American defense interest and that Europe “has a tendency to overreact.”

Americans appear divided on the idea, however, with 86% of voters nationwide saying they would oppose military action to take over Greenland, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. The survey found that voters opposed any U.S. effort to buy Greenland by a 55%–37% margin, suggesting the idea has yet to gain broad support among American voters.

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter and Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

Texas hospitals were hit with more than $1 billion in health care costs racked up by illegal immigrants during fiscal year 2025, the first year the state began tracking the figures.

The data, compiled by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and obtained by Texas Scorecard, shows hospitals logged 313,742 visits linked to individuals not legally present, with total costs reaching $1.05 billion by the end of the fiscal year.

Texas’ fiscal year runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, but hospitals were only required to begin reporting in November. Based on the reported data, costs averaged about $105 million per month, meaning the true annual total could be significantly higher.

MIGRANT INFLUX PUSHING MASS. SHELTER COSTS PAST $1B IN FY25: REPORT

To put the figures into perspective, the reported hospital costs approach about 1% of the state’s tax-funded resources.

The figures were collected under an executive order signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in August 2024 that mandated the agency track the number of “individuals not lawfully present” in the U.S. who use Texas public hospitals. Abbott’s executive order directed Texas hospitals to provide HHSC with quarterly breakdowns on patients not lawfully present in the U.S., including the number of inpatient discharges, emergency department visits and the cost of care provided to these patients.

Texas, a border state, reported some of the highest crossing numbers ever recorded under the Biden administration, putting immense pressure on its health care system, Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, told Fox News Digital previously.

The largest share of expenses came from inpatient discharges for non-Medicaid and non-CHIP patients, totaling $565.4 million across 40,947 discharges, according to the report. CHIP is the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a federal-state program that provides low-cost health coverage for children in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

CONGRESSMAN CALLS ON NOEM, DR. OZ WITH PLAN TO ‘SWIFTLY REMOVE’ 1.4 MILLION ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ON MEDICAID

Emergency department visits for non-Medicaid and non-CHIP patients added another $205.5 million in costs, according to the report.

Patients enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP accounted for significant costs as well, including $255.3 million tied to inpatient discharges and $24.3 million in emergency department visits.

For fiscal year 2025, hospitals were initially required to submit data only for November 2024, when they reported 30,743 visits costing more than $102 million, according to the state.

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Subsequent reporting showed continued high costs. From December 2024 through February 2025, hospitals reported 149,619 visits totaling $330.8 million.

Between March and May 2025, reported costs reached $319.3 million, followed by $298.3 million from June through August 2025.

The Pennsylvania affiliate of the Working Families Party said it launched a new website as part of its campaign to primary Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and “defeat him.” 

“We supported John Fetterman in 2022. Since then, he’s sold us out. It’s time to replace him,” reads a message on the homepage of PrimaryFetterman.com, which was paid for by the Working Families Party PAC. 

“He has supported more of Trump’s nominees than any Democratic Senator. He consistently skips votes and Senate work. We deserve better,” the website adds. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Fetterman’s office for comment. The effort to primary him was announced last November, and at the time, Fetterman told Fox News, “I guarantee whoever they put up, they’re going to make me look the reasonable guy that’s going to work with both sides together and find a way for Pennsylvania.”

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS TO ‘RESIST’ ADVOCACY OF ‘EXTREME’ STANCES LIKE ABOLISHING ICE

Fetterman was elected to the Senate in 2022. He isn’t up for re-election until November 2028.  

When PA Working Families launched their effort to primary him, they said in a post on X, “We’re training potential candidates, recruiting volunteers, and soliciting donations to help us defeat him.” 

“If you previously donated to any of Fetterman’s campaigns, you can request a refund of your contributions on the site in just a few clicks,” it added Friday in a post about PrimaryFetterman.com.

On its website, the Working Families Party describes itself as, “a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful.”

FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS TO BACK TRUMP TAKING MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN IF NECESSARY

While some Democrats advocate for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Fetterman pressed his party this week not to advocate for “extreme” ideas. 

“Even Mayor Frey of Minneapolis doesn’t support abolishing ICE. The party must resist the destructive tendencies to push extreme positions,” Fetterman noted Thursday in a post on X.  

“Secure the border. Deport all the criminals. Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation,” he added. 

Fetterman also said Monday that he would surely support President Donald Trump taking military action in Iran if it was deemed necessary.

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“Sure, absolutely,” he said on CNN. “If it continues to make more sense, absolutely. I think I was the only Democrat that fully supported our strike of their Iranian nuclear facilities last year.” 

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially moved into the historic Gracie Mansion, and he’s already hoping to make changes. The mayor spoke to reporters on Jan. 12 and shared his “aspirational hope” to have a few bidets installed in the mayor’s residence.

“One thing that we will change is we will be installing a few bidets into Gracie Mansion,” Mamdani said. “That’s an aspirational hope. We’ll see if we can get it done.”

A prominent New York City Democrat mocked the mayor’s idea, painting it as a rich man’s fantasy coming from someone who preaches socialism.

“He’s been mayor for a minute and now the socialist thinks he’s flush with so much cash he can buy bidets,” the prominent Democrat, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital.

MAMDANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAVE BEEN TEXTING AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK — AS UNLIKELY BROMANCE BLOSSOMS: SOURCES

When speaking to Fox News Digital, the prominent Democrat pointed out the difference between the reaction to Mamdani’s “aspirational hope” to add bidets versus President Donald Trump‘s renovations to the White House’s Lincoln Bedroom bathroom.

Trump posted photos of the renovated bathroom on Truth Social in November celebrating the upgrade which included “highly-polished, statuary marble.” While the president argued that the renovation was in line with the original vision for the space, historians disagreed and comedians mocked him. John Oliver, the host of “Last Week Tonight,” called it “tone-deaf.”

The president’s renovations to the East Wing ballroom have also drawn criticism and mockery with Democrats taking aim at the president over the project. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said during an appearance on MSNBC that Trump “found time to demolish the East Wing of the White House so that he can build a ballroom where he can be celebrated as if he was a king.”

The East Wing renovation was mocked on “Saturday Night Live,” which did a skit featuring James Austin Johnson as Trump and Miles Teller as Drew and Jonathan Scott from HGTV’s popular home makeover show “The Property Brothers.” The mockery didn’t end there. During a “Weekend Update” segment, Michael Che said he was glad the floor looked “slippery,” according to the Architect’s Newspaper.

MAMDANI SPEAKS ABOUT ‘WEIRDEST THING’ HE SAW DURING TRUMP WHITE HOUSE VISIT

The Gracie Mansion Conservancy’s website notes that the residence was originally built by Archibald Gracie, a prosperous merchant, in 1799 and was originally a country house located five miles north of what was then known as New York City. Since then, the city has expanded and the mansion is currently located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which is known to be one of the wealthier parts of the city.

The conservancy also stated that Gracie Mansion is one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in Manhattan and has served as the official residence of New York City mayors since 1942.

“Parks Commissioner Robert Moses convinced City authorities to designate the Gracie Mansion as the official residence of the Mayor in 1942 when Fiorello H. La Guardia and his family moved into the house,” the conservancy’s website reads.

HomeAdvisor, a home-improvement cost and contractor marketplace owned by Angi, said in 2025 that the average cost to install a bidet was $640, with a typical range of $400 to $1,500. The site noted that costs can run as low as $40 or as high as $2,000. The bidet type, size and quality, as well as necessary plumbing modifications can impact the installation cost.

Meanwhile, HomeGuide, a home-improvement cost guide that compiles pricing data from contractors and project estimates, broke down bidet pricing by unit and installation. The site said a standalone bidet could cost between $700 and $2,600 including installation, while the unit and installation cost for a bidet attachment typically ranges from $100 to $300.

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It is unclear how exactly the city would install bidets in Gracie Mansion.

New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection celebrated Mamdani’s announcement, saying that “more bidets = fewer wet wipes.”

The Trump administration accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “actively organizing” anti-ICE resistance after officials from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of lying about how the state is handling its illegal immigration problem. 

DHS called on Walz and Frey earlier this week to honor federal immigration detainers for the more than 1,300 illegal aliens that the federal agency said the state of Minnesota had in custody, accusing officials in the state of releasing nearly 470 criminal illegal immigrants onto Minneapolis’ streets. Walz’s office subsequently disputed DHS’s claim, calling it “categorically false” that the state does not honor federal immigration detainers, meant to hold criminal illegal aliens in custody after committing a crime until Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can come pick them up.       

In a press release Thursday, the Minnesota DOC echoed Walz’s verbiage that DHS’s claims were “categorically false,” adding that they are “unsupported by facts and deeply irresponsible” as well. The Minnesota DOC also claimed that they have “always” coordinated with ICE agents when individuals in custody have detainers.

ICE RELEASES PHOTOS AFTER VIOLENT MINNEAPOLIS PROTESTS LEAVE MULTIPLE ALLEGED AGITATORS ARRESTED

“The Minnesota Department of Corrections honors all federal and local detainers, including those issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” said the Minnesota DOC. “DHS’s assertion that 1,360 non-U.S. citizens are in Minnesota’s state custody is inexplicable. Minnesota’s total state prison population is approximately 8,000 individuals, and only 207 (less than 3 percent) are non-U.S. citizens. Further, in 2025, 84 individuals with ICE detainers were released. In each case, ICE was notified in advance and DOC staff coordinated with ICE officials to facilitate the custody transfer when requested.”

According to the Minnesota DOC, DHS did not identify which “jurisdictions, systems, or timeframes” were relied upon by the agency to support their numbers, and said that they did not align “with DOC records or the reality of Minnesota’s prison system.”

But the Trump administration stood behind their numbers and claims in a statement to Fox News Digital from DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, arguing Walz and Frey were “actively encouraging an organized resistance to ICE and federal law enforcement officers.”

“As DHS stated, across the state of Minnesota nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens including violent criminal illegal aliens have been RELEASED into communities. We have more than 1,360 active detainers on illegal aliens in the custody across all jurisdictions in Minnesota,” McLaughlin said. “We are once again calling on Governor Walz and his fellow sanctuary politicians to commit to honoring all ICE detainers.” 

REPUBLICANS URGE TRUMP NOT TO INVOKE INSURRECTION ACT IN MINNEAPOLIS AMID UNREST AFTER ICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING

On the heels of a fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month involving federal ICE officers, Minneapolis Mayor Frey told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to “get the f—- out” of his city, while Walz similarly told the Trump administration to “leave Minnesota alone.” Mayor Frey has also issued an executive order prohibiting federal agents from using city property to conduct operations, and a city separation ordinance was recently bolstered by local Minneapolis officials to protect illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile, in February, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a formal opinion arguing state law prohibited state and local law enforcement from holding someone solely on an ICE civil detainer.

The danger of not properly adhering to ICE detainers reared its head in December after an illegal immigrant with a detainer in Northern Virginia was released from custody and then subsequently killed someone a day later.

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On Friday, two sources familiar with the probe indicated that federal prosecutors were investigating both Walz and Frey for allegedly impeding law enforcement efforts in the blue state. Sources said the investigation is in early stages, and it is unclear if it will result in any criminal charges.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Though the federal government’s Department of Government Efficiency has been largely disbanded, a Louisiana state version, dubbed “LA DOGE,” has pushed on and, according to an official report, is set to garner $1 billion in annual tax dollar savings.

LA DOGE will achieve $999.5 million in annual cost savings of both federal and state tax dollars across 17 state departments, according to a report by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s office reviewed by Fox News Digital. The report posits that these savings will be achieved “without any reductions in service.”

LA DOGE was established by an executive order signed by Landry in December 2024 as the Louisiana Fiscal Responsibility Program. Similar to Elon Musk’s vision for the federal DOGE, the Louisiana version was set up with the intent to eliminate wasteful spending, improve government efficiency and modernize government operations.

Since being established, LA DOGE has been spearheaded by Louisiana Fiscal Responsibility Czar Steve Orlando, an oil and gas executive who had worked exclusively in the private sphere until being appointed to the role. The report said the department worked closely with Louisiana legislative leadership, the Louisiana legislative auditor, and the commissioner of administration to identify and implement the cuts.

PRITZKER CHALLENGERS DEMAND AUDIT, PITCH ‘DOGE FOR ILLINOIS’ AND POINT TO WALZ-STYLE FAILURES

Of the nearly $1 billion in savings, the report said that $367 million was from Louisiana’s state general fund, $601 million from federal tax dollars and $65 million from other funding sources.

From the state fund, LA DOGE was able to cut $407.6 million in spending by improving the governmental workforce and service inefficiencies amongst state staff. An additional $206.4 million was cut through renegotiated and canceled contracts.

Critically, Louisiana was able to cut $285.5 million through Medicaid cuts that included improved eligibility determination processes to remove ineligible recipients and the implementation of an optimized process of monthly checks of residency of Medicaid members by utilizing data from the Office of Motor Vehicles. An additional $14.9 million was cut in similar eligibility determination improvements for SNAP beneficiaries.

An official in the governor’s office emphasized to Fox News Digital that the state has been able to do all these cuts while simultaneously improving the state’s services to citizens.  

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“We have been able to keep the budget down and not have a fiscal cliff, wean ourselves off of one time money used for recurring expenses, improve our roads and bridges, fund SNAP through these savings during the government shutdown, and give the largest tax cuts in state history,” she said.

Meanwhile, the official said that this has allowed the governor’s office to “continue to push for no income tax.”

Landry, who has been in office just two years, referred to LA DOGE as an “unbelievably tremendous effort” during a press conference touting its success.

The governor told Fox News Digital that he was “shocked” by the “sheer amount of federal and state matching dollars that we were able to save in the welfare program by doing simple things like cross-checking IDs, license verifications, things that have been pointed out as best practices in order to control the abuses inside the welfare system and nobody would do them. And we just did them and we just immediately started seeing savings.”

Landry compared some of the cuts the state made to a family going back and cancelling its unused subscriptions. 

“Sometimes it’s as just checking to find out about subscriptions,” he said. “In our households, we have a tendency to maybe go back and do that, especially when times get tight, inflation starts biting into people’s pockets. But in government, it’s really not their money, they don’t have to generate the revenue like you have to generate in businesses.” 

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Though he said LA DOGE’s mission is complete, Landry noted that “our goal and efforts toward improving government and continuing to seek efficiencies are not complete.”

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“In fact, we are just getting started,” he said. 

The governor shared that he plans to reform the Office of the Inspector General to “take on a new, expansive role as a reformed office also focused on optimization and efficiency within state government.”

“We haven’t stopped, and we won’t stop in finding efficiencies and actually improving the services we have provided through state government,” said Landry.

In a word of advice to other states hoping to emulate LA DOGE’s success, Landry urged governors to “just go out and challenge your cabinet members to reach into the bureaucracy and take a look at where the spending is occurring.”

The Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and legal scholars laid out what could happen if Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner follows through on his promise to prosecute ICE in the line of their duty, should operations in Pennsylvania reach a flashpoint.

Last week, Krasner warned he would prosecute agents who “come to Philly to commit crimes” in an apparent reference to allegations an agent acted unlawfully in shooting a Minnesota woman who appeared to intentionally hit him with her car while disrupting an operation.

Philadelphia County Sheriff Rochelle Bilal doubled down, calling ICE officers “fake, wannabe law enforcement” and warned them they “don’t want this smoke ‘cause we will bring it to you.”

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Krasner argued President Donald Trump could not pardon arrested agents because any cases would be brought at the state level, leading Fox News Digital to ask officials and experts to weigh in on what the true case may be.

César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, the chair of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties at Ohio State’s college of law, and an expert in immigration and criminal law that is at nexus in this case, said interfering with federal law enforcement carrying out their job duties is just as much of a crime as killing someone without legal justification.

“Immigration agents are permitted to enforce federal immigration laws within any community in the United States, including Philadelphia, but local police officers there are equally authorized to investigate anyone who they suspect of having committed a violent crime.”

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While federal and local authorities often work in tandem in important operations to deconflict potential flash points, Hernandez said that dynamic has “clearly broken down in cities like Minneapolis” and that Krasner’s comments suggest it’s “frayed” in Philadelphia.

If trust is broken between local and federal authorities, actions like Krasner’s pledge may lead to court battles to determine supremacy.

Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano – a former professor of strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle – predicted the feds would win any litigation due to the Supremacy Clause, which reads that “the supreme law of the land and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.”

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He added in recent comments to Fox News Digital that the “Constitution is not optional” and if Philadelphia officials think they can “bully” Washington, they will find out “that’s not how America works.”

Hernandez said “it is absolutely clear that no one — not even federal law enforcement officers — can do anything they like in the course of carrying out their job duties.”

“The hard question is where the line is drawn. That is what courts are set up to do, but they can only play their part if law enforcement officials investigate what happened, then prosecutors dig in to see whether there is a legal basis for filing criminal charges.”

When asked how they would treat such a case, a Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital the DOJ has a “zero-tolerance policy for violence against law enforcement and will hold offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

A top attorney at the Washington investigative nonprofit Oversight Project said that Philadelphia officials have to be “bluffing.”

“Any local arrest of a federal law enforcement official for performing federal law enforcement functions would be blatantly unlawful. Any ICE agents would be immediately released and the local officials should face charges for obstructing federal law enforcement.”

“This is hornbook constitutional law that every law student in America learns early in their schooling,” he said, adding that residents in cities where prosecutors believe they can pursue federal agents deserve officials with a “basic rudimentary understanding of law.”

DHS also weighed in, saying that the city would have no legal leg to stand on if prosecutors decided to interfere in any Minneapolis-style operations on Broad Street.

“Enforcing federal immigration laws is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy clause,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

It would be up to Congress then to give local officials any carveouts, she suggested.

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“Our law enforcement is enforcing federal law—if politicians and activists don’t like the law, they should try to change it instead of demonizing our brave men and women in uniform.”

McLaughlin said Philadelphia is not alone in anti-enforcement rhetoric, and laid out the stakes of what kind of lawlessness could have continued in Pennsylvania if her agency hadn’t already begun taking criminal illegal immigrants off the streets.

She pointed to DHS’ recent capture of Yehia Badawi, an Egyptian illegal immigrant convicted of aggravated assault and robbery in Philadelphia.

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McLaughlin also shared the names of a Cuban drug trafficker, Cambodian methamphetamine dealer, and several other illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, including rape.

Krasner’s office did not return a request for comment, and Bilal referred further questions to the DA after a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that lawmakers in Harrisburg do not decide who gets arrested in Philadelphia.

President Donald Trump broke out a French accent during a White House roundtable Friday while recounting a call he had shared with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding lowering drug prices. 

Trump hosted a rural healthcare roundtable Friday at the White House, where he celebrated investments made in rural communities under the “big, beautiful bill,” signed in July 2025. Amid his conversation with lawmakers and health officials, Trump recounted a phone call he shared with Macron as he worked to bring parity to U.S. drug prices that were far higher than prices in Europe. 

“I said, ‘Emmanuel,’” Trump recounted. 

“‘Yes, Donald, Donald. Thank you so much for calling,” he continued, using an accent to indicate Macron was speaking.

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“I said, ‘You’re not going to like this call,'” Trump continued. 

Trump signed an executive order in May establishing a “most-favored-nation” drug pricing policy, directing the U.S. to pay no more than the lowest price charged by other developed countries for the same medications. Europe — including France — would have to pay more for drugs, Trump argued, because their ultra-low government-set prices let pharmaceutical companies shift costs onto Americans.

Trump said he was armed with threats of tariffs in order to force European nations to raise their drug prices as he worked to address drug pricing disparities between the two countries. 

“‘You’re going to have to get your drug prices up,'” Trump said he told Macron. 

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“No, no, no, no, no, I will not do that,'” Trump said with an accent. 

“I said, ‘Emmanuel, we’re paying 13 times more than — 13 times, not 13% — 13 times more than you are for this bill.’ I rattled off some numbers that are crazy. You know the numbers I’m talking about,” the president continued. 

“‘Here’s the story, Emmanuel. If you don’t do it, I’m going to put a 25% tariff on all goods, wine, champagnes and everything else coming into the United States of America.'”

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“He said, ‘Donald, I would love to do this for you. It would be a great honor to do it,’” Trump continued of his conversation with Macron. “And that’s where it began. And I went through country after country.”

Trump previously has used an accent while talking about Macron, and noted Friday that he is a fan of Macron’s, calling him a “very nice person.”

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“I like him a lot. I hope he’s listening, because he doesn’t believe that, but I do,” Trump said. “He’s a nice man.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Élysée Palace for additional comment from Macron Friday afternoon and has yet to receive a reply.