NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump has gained several unlikely allies, including the man who led his first impeachment trial, in a major push to bring motion picture production back to California from other states.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who represented studio-heavy Burbank in Congress, was joined by Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in echoing support for Trump’s federal tax incentive plan to draw major film projects back to where it began.

“We’ve been promoting that for a long time. I’m glad he finally arrived at it,” Pelosi told Fox News Digital when asked about the plan on the Capitol grounds.

PARAMOUNT ESCALATES THREAT TO LEAVE CALIFORNIA AS DEM AG’S ANTITRUST LAWSUIT STALLS WARNER BROS MERGER

Schiff tweeted earlier this week that he is “in strong agreement with the president.”

The Democrat, who has accused Trump of colluding with Moscow to win the election and whom the president has responded to by calling him “pencil-neck,” said it is time for Republicans and Democrats to “work together… get this done and bring the movie magic back to America.”

SCHIFF ATTACK ON TRUMP’S DC INDYCAR RACE BACKFIRES AFTER DRIVER POINTS OUT CONTRADICTION

“Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries.”

Omar told Fox News Digital a similar refrain, adding that she has worked separately to attract film projects to Minneapolis.

FILM PRODUCER SAYS ‘MADE IN AMERICA’ MOVIES CAN HELP REVIVE HOLLYWOOD’S STRUGGLING INDUSTRY

She referenced “Fargo,” the 1996 Coen Brothers comedy starring William H. Macy as an example of Minnesota’s ability to host large projects. The “Mighty Ducks” series starring Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson also filmed heavily in the Twin Cities during its 1990s run.

“When I was in the Minnesota House, I was very supportive of Minnesota having subsidies so we can have more movies being made inside Minnesota like the movie ‘Fargo’,” she said.

She said the end of subsidies from St. Paul recently “made it less fun trying to run into people who were actually doing the production.”

“It could be a really cool thing [and] also bring us money to states that can use it.”

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Trump appointed legendary actors Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone special envoys to Hollywood. Gibson previously told Fox News that for a recent film, it was cheaper to fly the entire crew to Europe for three days than to shoot for one day in Los Angeles.

“There’s something really wrong there,” he said, adding that another actor, ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, tried to assuage the problem while in office but was met with “obstacles.”

Last year, another Trump foil also got on board with the idea of Washington bolstering Hollywood.

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“California built the film industry – and we’re ready to bring even more jobs home… Now it’s time for a real federal partnership to Make America Film Again,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with her bodyguard and created a hostile work environment for her subordinates, according to a Thursday report from the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

The report cites one incident in which Chavez-DeRemer allegedly ordered a member of her security detail to throw cash at a stripper.

Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned her position in April, had been under investigation after the OIG received an anonymous complaint in January. That complaint alleged Chavez-DeRemer’s inappropriate relationship with the assistant special agent-in-charge (ASAIC) of her department’s Division of Protective Operations (DPO), who the report did not name.

TRUMP TAPS ACTING LABOR SECRETARY KEITH SONDERLING FOR PERMANENT ROLE PENDING SENATE CONFIRMATION

The complaint also alleged that Chavez-DeRemer, her chief of staff, Jihun Han, and deputy chief of staff, Rebecca Wright, created a hostile work environment and regularly drank alcohol on DOL property and during work hours.

The OIG interviewed 38 witnesses who described the DOL work environment as “toxic, intimidating and humiliating.” The witnesses reported that Chavez-DeRemer, Han and Wright “openly discussed employee performance matters in the presence of other staff, including details of performance-related meetings and whether those employees had cried during the meetings.”

HIGH-RANKING DHS OFFICIAL SIDELINED OVER ALLEGATIONS OF ‘SUGAR DADDY’ RELATIONSHIP, LUXE GIFTS AND DRUG USE

Witnesses also told the OIG that Chavez-DeRemer’s alleged relationship with the ASAIC also contributed to the hostile work environment.

During an April trip to Oregon, the ASAIC complied with Chavez-DeRemer’s request to make an unplanned, off-the-record stop at “an establishment that was determined upon entry to feature partially nude dancers,” according to the report.

The ASAIC assigned Chavez-DeRemer’s driver to enter the establishment with her, and, according to the report, she handed the driver a stack of cash and instructed him to give it to one of the dancers. When the driver refused, the ASAIC instructed him to comply.

“Chavez-DeRemer then took additional money from her purse and asked the agent to drop the bills one by one onto the partially nude woman. The agent again hesitated and sought intervention from ASAIC 1, who told him to follow Chavez-DeRemer’s instructions,” according to the report.

The complaint and subsequent investigation also determined that the ASAIC’s alleged inappropriate relationship with the former labor secretary, who is married, affected his job performance.

“ASAIC 1 allegedly focused on his interactions with Chavez-DeRemer, monitored her interactions with other agents, and reduced the presence of other DPO personnel to create opportunities to be alone with her, resulting in reduced protective coverage for the Secretary,” the report read.

COURT FILINGS REVEAL KYRSTEN SINEMA HAD SEX MULTIPLE TIMES WITH MARRIED BODYGUARD WHILE SERVING AS SENATOR

The pair reportedly grew immediately close upon Chavez-DeRemer’s arrival at the department in March 2025, communicating often through the encrypted messaging app Signal in off-duty hours and about non-operational subjects.

Another witness described observing Chavez-DeRemer massaging the ASAIC’s shoulders in a car after he had finished a driving shift. When she asked if he was tired, he allegedly responded that he was “solid as a rock,” and the pair both laughed.

“The witness interpreted the comment as sexual innuendo,” the report read.

MARRIED FEDERAL JUDGE REPEATEDLY HAD COURTHOUSE SEX WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, COMPLAINT ALLEGES

Other witnesses described the pair walking arm in arm after leaving an event at Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ home. After opening the investigation, the OIG surveilled Chavez-Deremer’s Washington, D.C., home and found the ASAIC entering her residence through a back door on repeated occasions.

FEDERAL JUDGE WHO HAD SEX IN CHAMBERS APOLOGIZES TO FORMER CLERK AS IMPEACHMENT PUSH RAMPS UP

After reports that the ASAIC was breaking chain-of-command protocol by attending meetings with Chavez-DeRemer’s chief of staff and deputy chief of staff without his Special Agent in Charge’s (SAIC) knowledge, the SAIC recommended he take a leave of absence. However, the SAIC did not escalate beyond this recommendation for fear she herself would be terminated.

“ASAIC 1 declined the suggestion to take leave and agreed that the SAIC taking action to limit his travel with Chavez-DeRemer could result in the SAIC’s removal,” the report read.

TWO TAMPA POLICE OFFICERS RESIGN AFTER INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGATIONS THEY SLEPT WITH A 911 DISPATCHER ON DUTY

When the SAIC told ASAIC in a text message that she would reassign him to another team he replied, “lol. Don’t do that.”

The ASAIC was put on paid administrative leave in January and then on unpaid investigative leave in February. He resigned in March, according to the report.

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Fox News Digital contacted the Department of Labor, the department’s OIG and the White House for additional comment.

President Donald Trump reportedly commuted the sentence of John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, a former union business manager.

Trump inked the commutation on Thursday, Dougherty’s lawyer, George Bochetto, reportedly told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The lawyer indicated the move will release Dougherty from needing to pay around $1.6 million for restitution and that the ex-union official will not face monitoring or house arrest, instead clearing him to become “a free man,” according to the newspaper.

COLORADO GOVERNOR COMMUTES TINA PETERS’ SENTENCE AS TRUMP POSTS ‘FREE TINA!’

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and to Bochetto on Friday.

“President Trump has signed a commutation so that Johnny Doc can be released from prison to take care of his gravely ill wife, Cecilia Dougherty,” Bochetto said, according to CBS News Philadelphia.

Dougherty, a former business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, was sentenced in 2024 to six years in prison.

The U.S. Justice Department said at the time that Dougherty had been sentenced in connection with embezzling funds from the union as well as in connection with payouts provided to a Philadelphia City Council member.

NATION’S LARGEST TEACHERS UNION UNDER FIRE AS CONTROVERSIAL AGENDA PUTS CENTURY-OLD FEDERAL CHARTER AT RISK

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“John Dougherty held himself out as Local 98’s biggest booster,” then-U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said in a statement. “But while he was backslapping his electricians with one hand, he was ripping them off with the other. He cheated Philadelphians, too, through his corrupt quid pro quo with Bobby Henon.”

“Our city and its workers deserve so much better than union bosses and politicians whose true priority is looking out for number one,” Romero, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, added at the time. “I want to thank all of the investigators, analysts, prosecutors, and staff who partnered on this case, and, in doing so, stood up for integrity and the rule of law in Philadelphia.”

EXCLUSIVE: DHS General Counsel James Percival is turning a complaint from 128 former judges back on its signers, calling on the Florida Bar to scrutinize those among them who are Bar members after it declined to investigate him.

The Bar said it does not investigate or prosecute sitting officers appointed under the U.S. Constitution while they are in office, a position Percival argued the complainants should have known before challenging his “Worst of the Worst Judges” series.

Percival accused the Florida Bar members who joined the complaint of potentially abusing the disciplinary process for political purposes, arguing their filing was frivolous and dubbing the tactic “Bar-fare.”

“The 128 former judges are sort of an example of a tactic the left has used for a long time,” Percival told Fox News Digital, comparing their appeal to professional authority to the 2020 controversy involving 51 former intelligence officials and Hunter Biden’s laptop.

DHS EVISCERATES MEDIA FOR ‘ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY’ OVER CONCERN ABOUT ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ACTIVIST JUDGES LIST

Percival pointed to the Florida Bar’s previous handling of a complaint involving former Attorney General Pam Bondi, arguing that they already signaled refusal to probe sitting presidential appointees.

“[W]hat these 128 former judges did was frivolous, and they were on notice that it was frivolous because the Florida Bar is very clear about this. So, it’s ‘Bar-fare’,” he said, playing on the term “lawfare.”

LIBERAL LAW PROFESSOR BREAKS WITH OBAMA JUDGE OVER TRUMP LAWYER CRACKDOWN: ‘I REFUSE TO TEACH’ IT

Percival said the same tactic has been used elsewhere, including the Hunter Biden laptop controversy and the way dissent over COVID-era restrictions was met with echoes of “trust the experts.”

“The left has just like often hid behind this veneer, this prestige [of expertise] and they’ve gotten people who carry weight to carry their water for them. And I really think the emperor has no clothes on this, but we have to call it out and expose it.”

When the political left does not want to publicly debate the merits of their assertion, they get figures who appear authoritative to shut down dissent, he said.

The comments came after rule-of-law groups Democracy Defenders Fund, Lawyers Defending American Democracy and 128 former federal and state judges filed a 24-page complaint accusing Percival of violating Florida’s rules governing statements about judges. The complaint alleged that Percival, a licensed Florida attorney, violated ethics rules through “public attacks on sitting judges.”

“His statements mischaracterized the judges’ rulings and assailed their character and integrity. The ethics rules exist for a reason: Baseless attacks on judges by lawyers and public officials can undermine confidence in the courts and heighten the risk of physical threats against judges,” Democracy Defenders Fund said in a statement after the Bar declined to investigate the complaint.

Former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy Quince, an appointee of Democratic ex-Gov. Lawton Chiles, led the judges’ consortium.

The complaint focuses on four judges featured in Percival’s “Worst of the Worst” posts, whom he accused of actions including “open defiance of the Supreme Court,” “judicial sabotage” and “judicial micromanagement.”

SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS

The cases involved disputes over Temporary Protected Status, the government’s handling of Kilmar Ábrego García and DHS use-of-force policies.

The complaint also referenced an article written by Percival condemning former President Joe Biden and a Rhode Island judge he appointed after an illegal immigrant whom DHS said had an international warrant for homicide was ordered released.

Percival said the activist judges themselves are the ones who are being a “disservice to the judiciary.”

He argued that judges know their district court rulings can delay executive action when they cannot be immediately appealed.

As for the complainants, Percival said those who are themselves members of the Florida Bar should face scrutiny over whether they abused the complaint process for political purposes.

The Bar provided Fox News Digital a copy of its response sent to the Framingham, Massachusetts, address listed for the collective complainants.

Bar Counsel Christopher Wackes wrote his group does not investigate or prosecute “sitting officers appointed under the U.S. Constitution while they are in office.” Wackes said any action could “encroach on the authority of the federal government.”

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He quipped situations like the bar complaint show he is over the proverbial target:

“[I]f people are this upset about what I’m doing, it must be having an effect that they don’t like, which really just encourages me to keep going,” he said, pressing conservatives to fight for their causes despite the knowledge the left will “try to ruin your life.”

Fox News Digital’s Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, believes that fear of a rising wave of progressives is paralyzing possible bipartisan work on permitting reform that would otherwise create fertile ground for collaboration.

“That dynamic is dangerous right now because they are terrified of the extreme left. Finding a middle ground on ideological issues right now is … the prospects for success, particularly between now and election day, are not high,” Cruz said at an energy summit hosted by Club for Growth and Arnold Ventures on Thursday.

“Schumer is truly terrified right now,” he added, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Cruz’s political assessment underscores what progressive momentum in the 2026 midterms means for more establishment figures in the Democratic Party — and especially the ones already in Congress — and the policy areas that legislators may still want to address before the November midterm elections.

CRUZ SAYS MAMDANI, AOC, PLATNER SHOW DEMOCRATS’ LEFTWARD SHIFT: ‘THAT’S WHERE THE ENERGY IS’

“They’re in the middle of a revolution,” Cruz said. “Their problem is that they’re very driven by their interest groups. They’re captured by their activists.”

His remarks came as he delivered an address at an energy affordability summit hosted by the Club for Growth, a free-market group that advocates for limited government. In particular, the event centered on permitting reform, an area where Democrats and Republicans have found some overlap.

Although differences remain about just how far to scale back regulations or how far to push legislative changes, lawmakers at the event stressed that bipartisan work on cutting back red tape could meaningfully expand American access to energy projects domestically.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted how regulatory bodies had prevented the expansion of nuclear energy — a source of power that is uniting Republicans and Democrats as a new frontier in a space apart from fossil fuels.

“We have built three new nuclear reactors in like the last 40 years. It went quickly from: we didn’t even know about the technology, to 20% of U.S. electric generation from nuclear reactors,” Wright said.

100 DAY SPRINT TO THE MIDTERMS KICKS OFF AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CLASH FOR CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY

“We created the Nuclear Regulatory Commission… in the name of safety, no malintent. But since that creation, we’ve built almost no reactors in the United States since. If it’s so uncertain and so long to permit something, it’s just not worth investing in. That’s awful! Nuclear is just an awesome energy technology.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio., stressed that many of the discussions around reform have come down to a matter of practical details.

“There’s a lot of conversations going on not about who’s going to fight with whom or who is going to take credit for it, but rather what is the mechanics of getting it done,” Moreno said at the Club for Growth event.

“When it comes to permitting reform, if we can actually pull this off, Scott, what does it mean? It means lower energy prices for all Americans, us taking better care of our environment, being good stewards for the next generation. Those are worthy goals that should unite all of us, and I’m hopeful that we can get that done,” Moreno said, speaking to conservative political commentator Scott Jennings, a moderator at the event.

Despite a sense of optimism among several speakers — and even from Cruz himself — Cruz warned listeners that progressives already have a very real presence inside the Capitol that casts a shadow on permitting reform and other areas.

“It is not the case that every Senate Democrat is a Marxist or Islamist. What is the case is that every Senate Democrat is terrified of the Marxists and Islamists. Because that’s where the energy is in their party, that’s where the power is, that’s where the money is; it’s where the young people are. I think Mamdani is the single most powerful Democrat in the country,” Cruz said, referring to the socialist mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani.

Since Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist, came to power earlier this year, a series of progressive candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have won key primary races and even toppled veteran incumbents.

A few notable races include New York’s socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier and her victory over incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the veteran chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Along those lines, Melat Kiros, another socialist in Colorado, unseated 30-year incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

SCHUMER DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER DSA BELONGS IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

With pressures like that, Cruz argued that it’s difficult to find legislators who are willing to separate themselves from progressives.

He believes there isn’t leadership to push back against that progressive momentum.

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“Look, Schumer is known for a lot of things but acts of principle and courage are not among them,” Cruz said.

A Maryland sheriff is warning that the state’s new sanctuary law could put dangerous illegal immigrants back on the streets and leave more American families mourning crimes he says could have been prevented.

“It’s just a matter of time,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told Fox News Digital, warning that the restrictions will lead to more crime and more victims.

Gahler delivered the blunt warning after testifying before a House Judiciary subcommittee about Maryland’s restrictions on cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. He is also leading 16 fellow sheriffs, representing two-thirds of the state, in a lawsuit challenging the Community Trust Act.

The 40-year law enforcement veteran said his greatest fear is that the law will force correctional officers to release an illegal immigrant from jail even after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has flagged that person as a public safety or national security threat.

MARYLAND SHERIFFS SHOULD NOT BE HANDCUFFED BY RECKLESS SANCTUARY POLITICS

Gahler said the law could force jail officials to release an inmate who is otherwise eligible to leave local custody instead of transferring that person directly to ICE.

HUNDREDS OF JAILED ILLEGAL ALIENS RELEASED BACK ONTO BLUE-STATE STREETS DESPITE ICE DETAINERS, RECORDS SHOW

“I don’t want to have to open the jail door and say, ‘Welcome back to Harford County. Go victimize. Let’s create some more victims,’” he said. “That is insane.”

If someone released under the law commits another crime, Gahler said responsibility would rest with the elected officials who imposed the restrictions.

ANGEL MOM WARNS DEMOCRATS ‘WE’RE NOT GOING TO STOP’ AFTER EMOTIONAL HOUSE HEARING ON SANCTUARY POLICIES

“So whose hands is it on?” he said. “The politicians.”

Gahler said he testified to give lawmakers a view from the front lines after years of warnings from law enforcement leaders. He accused state officials of understanding the risks but choosing politics over public safety.

SPANBERGER’S ICE RESTRICTIONS DEALT MAJOR SETBACK AS JUDGE WARNS OTHER BLUE STATES

“I think they understand. I think they don’t care,” Gahler said. “Those who are on the side of the issue supporting criminal illegal immigration, who voted for this nonsense of ending our agreements and coming up with the Community Trust Act … they do not care.”

“We have a criminal-friendly legislature,” he added. “It’s all pro-criminal.”

Gahler pointed to two families in his county whose lives were shattered by illegal immigrant killers.

EXCLUSIVE: ANGEL DAD FINDS ‘NEW PURPOSE’ WITH ICE AFTER DAUGHTER’S KILLING TURNED HIS WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, was raped and murdered on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air in August 2023. Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole.

Kayla Hamilton, a 20-year-old autistic woman, was raped and strangled inside her Aberdeen home in July 2022. Walter Javier Martinez, a suspected MS-13 member from El Salvador who entered the U.S. illegally as an unaccompanied minor, was sentenced to life in prison, with all but 70 years suspended.

Gahler said neither woman should be reduced to a political talking point and accused supporters of Maryland’s immigration restrictions of failing to show genuine concern for their families.

“No one called Patty Morin” after Rachel’s murder, Gahler said. He added that no one contacted Kayla’s mother, Tammy Nobles, to express condolences or promise to fight for the two Harford County victims.

HOCHUL ICE POLICY ‘WRITTEN IN THE BLOOD OF VICTIMS,’ OPPONENT SAYS AS SHERIFFS SUE

“I simply think that there are those in Annapolis and those in Washington who do not care,” he added. “It’s politics over public safety.”

The Community Trust Act limits when Maryland authorities can question people about their immigration status, hold them over suspected civil violations or notify ICE that they are in custody.

Gov. Wes Moore allowed the measure to become law without his signature.

“Maryland will never be a sanctuary for criminals under Governor Moore,” Rhyan Lake, Senior Communications Strategist for Moore, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “In fact, since Governor Moore took office, Maryland is seeing some of the largest drops in violent crime in the country.”

“We will always work with the federal administration when it comes to making our communities safer, but untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents arresting five-year-olds and ripping mothers from their families does not make anyone safer,” Lake continued. “In Maryland, we’ll continue holding violent offenders accountable and protecting Marylanders’ constitutional rights and basic dignity.”

Gahler and the other sheriffs argue that the restrictions dismantled a safe, jail-based partnership with ICE under the federal 287(g) program. He stressed that his deputies were not conducting immigration raids or doing the work of federal agents.

“We do not do ICE’s job for them,” Gahler said. “We work with our federal partners. We don’t replace our federal partners.”

He said the program applied to people already jailed on criminal allegations and allowed ICE transfers to occur inside the secure facility instead of through potentially more dangerous arrests after their release.

“Our 287(g) program identified those people who were here committing criminal offenses against our citizens and are in the country illegally,” Gahler said. “Then we turned them over safely in the security and safety of our jail after they were already in custody.”

“Anytime we don’t have to do a raid in law enforcement, it’s safer,” he added. “You have the person secured. Turn them over to ICE because ICE says they pose a threat to public safety or national security.”

SANCTUARY COUNTY REFUSED 615 ICE TRANSFER REQUESTS, TURNED OVER JUST 11 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, RECORDS SHOW

Gahler said opposition to the program has ebbed and flowed with the political climate. He noted that Harford County joined under President Barack Obama, but said Maryland critics renewed their opposition when President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

“They’re doing it for purely political reasons and not public safety,” Gahler said. “That’s complete nonsense.”

He compared Maryland with California, saying the two Democrat-led states appeared to be competing over policies he believes favor offenders over victims.

“I look at Maryland and California as playing a game of tennis,” Gahler said, accusing the states of “whacking the ball back and forth across the court to see who can be more idiotic.”

NEW YORK SHERIFFS ‘MAD AS HELL’ AS HOCHUL PUSHES TO BAN KEY LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIP

The sheriff also tied his fight to the approaching 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A Maryland State Police commander on 9/11, Gahler said the tragedy exposed deadly communication gaps among law enforcement agencies, barriers he believes Maryland is now rebuilding.

“The complete takeaway from 9/11 was that we didn’t communicate” effectively across local, state and federal agencies, Gahler said. Yet 25 years later, he argued, Maryland has moved dangerously far from that lesson.

“The Community Trust Act … forbids us from talking to a federal law enforcement partner,” he continued. “It doesn’t get any more stupid than that. When you see terrible legislation, that’s as bad as it gets.”

Gahler said the sheriffs will keep pressing their case in court and speaking out for victims. Unless state leaders change course, he warned, more families will join a grim and growing list.

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“Our job should be to stop increasing the number of angel families,” Gahler said, “and stop allowing American citizens to be the victims of crime committed by people who are in our country illegally.”
 
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., indicated in a Wednesday post on X that he would “support” Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate general election contest.

“As I said repeatedly on the campaign trail, my fight was never with other Republicans. It’s with the socialist Democrats and the RINOs who enable them,” Norman said in part of the post. “I respect the decision of South Carolina voters, and I congratulate Senator Darline Graham on winning the Republican nomination. I will support our Republican nominee in November because defeating the Democrats and protecting our conservative values must remain the priority.”

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to fill the vacancy following her brother’s death in July.

Then in August, the new senator, who was backed by President Donald Trump, defeated Norman in the South Carolina special Republican U.S. Senate primary runoff.

TRUMP ENDORSEMENT BOOSTS SISTER OF LATE LINDSEY GRAHAM TO HISTORIC RUNOFF VICTORY

During remarks the day he lost the runoff last week, Norman had said he would “support” the senator the “best I can.”

But earlier this week, someone asked Norman whether there is “a world where” he would “campaign for or support, even tacitly,” Sen. Darline Graham.

THE PRIMARY IS OVER; NOW COME THE PRIMETIME MISTAKES

“She won the nomination,” Norman replied. “What I disagree with, she got all of her money from Washington D.C. The liberal PACs, Lisa Murkowski supported her. That’s concerning.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Graham’s campaign on Thursday but did not immediately hear back. Fox News Digital also reached out to Murkowski’s office, which declined to provide comment.

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Dr. Annie Andrews is the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee running against Graham in the general election.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is expanding his investigation into alleged privacy violations from Flock Safety cameras to three additional companies amid concerns about the handling of images and data generated by AI-backed surveillance cameras.

Hawley put Motorola Solutions Inc., Verkada Inc. and Axon Enterprise Inc. on notice in a series of letters that the lawmaker sent on Wednesday.

“On August 26th, I wrote to your competitor Flock Safety to express my concerns regarding the size and pervasiveness of its network and demanding answers as to reports of abuse and costly errors from its technology,” Hawley’s letter to the three companies reads. “However, Flock does not stand alone in this industry; you and others are building large camera networks, assisted by artificial intelligence, that intrude on the privacy of all Americans.”

HAWLEY RIPS FLOCK’S SPRAWLING SURVEILLANCE WEB AS TEXAS CITIES CUT CAMERAS OVER PRIVACY AND DATA FEARS

Hawley, who serves as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, has been vocal about his concerns that Flock Safety cameras undermine personal privacy with an AI-powered system that tracks the movements of Americans.

“Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school or go to church,” Hawley said in a post on X last week. “I’m investigating Flock cameras to determine WHO has access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ data – and what they’re doing with it.”

POWERFUL CRIME-FIGHTING SURVEILLANCE GROWTH SPURS LAWMAKERS TO ISSUE WARNING: ‘ORWELLIAN’

Hawley asked each of the companies to explain how broadly customers can search vehicle data, how long the company retains license plate information, how many confirmed cases of misuse have occurred since 2021 and what safeguards are in place to ensure law enforcement officers provide legitimate justifications before conducting searches.

“We received the letter and have reached out to Senator Hawley’s office to discuss his requests,” an Axon spokesperson said. “We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to safety and responsible innovation.”

A number of politicians have taken action against AI-powered cameras, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordering the removal of all license plate reader cameras from Florida state roads and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordering all state agencies to stop spending state money on Flock Safety cameras.

FLOCK SURVEILLANCE SPREADS ACROSS THE SOUTH AS RED-STATE LAWMAKERS SEEK TO AX ‘1984’-STYLE TRACKING TOOLS

Flock Safety cameras use artificial intelligence to automatically track and identify vehicles and license plates for local law enforcement use. Nationwide concern has grown about whether the AI-backed system should be allowed to track the movement of vehicles without a warrant or the consent of drivers.

About 120,000 Flock Safety cameras operate in every state except Alaska.

Last week, Hawley also sent a letter to Flock Safety, requesting similar information from the company.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Flock Safety said the company would comply with the investigation.

FLOCK SAFETY CEO CALLS FOR NATIONAL ‘COMPROMISE’ AMID CAMERA SABOTAGE AND PUBLIC REVOLT

“We look forward to working with Senator Hawley and the Subcommittee to provide additional context about how our technology works, the safeguards built into our platform and how law enforcement agencies use Flock to solve crime and find missing people,” Flock Safety spokesperson Paris Lewbel said.

INSIDE THE FAR-LEFT’S ANTI-DATA CENTER PUSH AND WHAT EXPERTS SAY IS DRIVING IT: ‘PLAYBOOK WE’VE SEEN BEFORE’

The growing backlash against Flock cameras illustrates an unusual convergence: Republicans and far-left activists are arriving at the same target from sharply different ideological directions. While GOP lawmakers are focused on privacy, government overreach and protecting Americans from warrantless tracking, socialist and communist organizers have folded the cameras into a broader campaign against artificial intelligence, policing, immigration enforcement, the construction of data centers and the demonization of the United States as a “police state” and “AI surveillance state.”

Over the past year, far-left organizations within a network funded by pro-China, Shanghai-based tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham have built vocal community campaigns against the Flock Safety cameras, while also targeting the construction of data centers. The GOP, including President Donald Trump and administration officials, have been leading voices of support for the continued construction of data centers.

In May, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Denver chapter partnered with Indivisible and the far-left Sunrise Movement and promoted a forum examining the “connections between mass surveillance and data centers and how BOTH only serve the needs of billionaires and not our communities.”

MARXIST ORGANIZER LEADS CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIRGINIA AI DATA CENTER AS FOREIGN INFLUENCE CONCERNS MOUNT

By July 25, in Tucson, Ariz., the local Party for Socialism and Liberation chapter joined “deFLOCK Tucson” and the “No Desert Data Center Coalition” for an event called “It’s ALL Connected” at the “Global Justice Center” on E. 26th Street.

The promotional material asked what mass surveillance, data centers and electric power had in common. The answer: “IT’S ALL CONNECTED.”

In a new report, “The Compute War at Home,” commissioned by Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, the authors note that “money, media, organizing capacity and campaign objectives converge in the same ecosystem.”

“Issue pairings rarely multiply fourteen-fold in a matter of weeks without a catalyst, particularly when the surge begins immediately after organizers start promoting the connection,” the report states.

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The Trump administration proposed new regulations on Thursday to revoke the tax-exempt status of private schools and colleges if ​they use race in admissions, scholarships or other school-administered programs, the latest effort by the federal government to root out diversity initiatives in education.

The rules, proposed by the Treasury Department ‌and Internal Revenue Service, aim to end what administration officials argue is discrimination against white students in favor of students of color.

“Schools rebranding race-based preferences as equitable, inclusive, or diversity-enhancing does not change their discriminatory nature,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a ​statement.

The proposal follows the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admissions decisions, which prohibited most race-conscious admissions policies at colleges and universities.

DOJ OPENS PROBE INTO PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGE OVER ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION FAVORING MINORITY STUDENTS

Admissions, educational policies, scholarships and loans, athletics and “every other school-administered or ​school-supported program” would be covered by the Treasury’s proposal.

It would apply to any program that considers race, color, or national or ethnic origin “for any purpose,” including efforts to address past racial discrimination.

The ​Treasury estimated that the rules ​could impact as many ⁠as 18,000 schools at all education levels and 750,000 students who could be affected because they may qualify for race-based scholarships.

The proposal would not prevent private schools from having a ​religious mission, curriculum or program. Religious schools could continue to choose students ​based on religious ⁠affiliation, according to the Treasury.

The Treasury also said the proposal would not prohibit schools from helping disadvantaged students using race-neutral criteria, including income, geography or first-generation status.

The new proposal is subject to a public comment period and would likely spark legal challenges if ⁠adopted.

The American Association of University Professors, which advocates for academic freedom and has sued the administration ​to block funding cuts in the past, said it is considering legal action against the proposal.

“This is not neutral enforcement ‌of ⁠civil-rights law. It is an affirmative attempt to turn civil-rights law against the very people it was enacted to protect,” AAUP President Todd Wolfson said in a statement. “For half a century, federal policy recognized that measures intended to dismantle entrenched racial exclusion are not equivalent to policies designed to preserve it.”

DOJ OPENS PROBE INTO HARVARD’S FINANCIAL AID FOR ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION AGAINST AMERICAN STUDENTS

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The administration has sought to eliminate ⁠diversity, equity and inclusion policies ​in K-12 schools and higher education since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

In addition to DEI, the administration has targeted educational institutions across the nation for issues such as race-based admissions and scholarships and alleged antisemitism on campus.

Trump has singled out Harvard University in particular with federal funding cuts, investigations ​and threats to the institution’s tax-exempt status.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from Connecticut’s Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont after an Ohio man was killed in a car crash by an illegal immigrant who Moreno says was granted a driver’s license by the blue state governor’s policy.

“My office has learned that an illegal alien granted a drivers license by the state of Connecticut killed a 29 year old Ohioan in a reckless driving accident,” Moreno posted on X on Tuesday night. “While one death alone is an inexcusable tragedy, Connecticut has granted over 60,000 such licenses to illegal aliens, putting countless Americans at risk on the roads. This insanity has to stop.”

Moreno also called on Lamont to “immediately apologize for his state’s role in this tragedy while also account for exactly how many illegals have been given Connecticut drivers’ licenses and whether or not they have used them to vote in U.S. elections.”

Washington Guillermo Naula-Ochoa, 34, was driving a 2024 Ram 3500 westbound in Fulton County, Ohio on Aug. 29 when he allegedly failed to yield at a stop sign and pulled into the intersection of State Route 66, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

THREE-TIME DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH KILLING NORTH CAROLINA GIRL, 6, AFTER RUNNING STOP SIGN

Naula-Ochoa’s car then struck a 1993 GMC Suburban driven by Austin J. Karr Grimes, 29, of Fayette, Ohio. Grimes lost control, went partially off the roadway and overturned. He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two passengers in Naula-Ochoa’s truck were uninjured, while two passengers in Grimes’ vehicle suffered minor injuries. Naula-Ochoa was charged with vehicular manslaughter and failing to yield at a stop sign.

Naula-Ochoa’s booking record at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO) shows an immigration detainer lodged against him by federal authorities. Additionally, Naula-Ochoa is listed as “homeless.”

“The safest way to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets is by lodging arrest detainers,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, confirming the ICE detainer was placed on Naula-Ochoa, an Ecuadoran national. “7 of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. Our message is clear: if you come into our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”

Moreno’s X post was accompanied by a letter sent to Lamont tying him to the Connecticut program that allows for illegal immigrants to be licensed on the road.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT CHARGED IN CRASH THAT KILLED POLICE OFFICER AND HIS GIRLFRIEND

“Despite his lack of legal status, Connecticut issued him a driver’s license,” Moreno wrote. “Horrifyingly, Connecticut not only permits illegal aliens to receive a driver’s license, but encourages it, all while Americans pay the ultimate price.”

Moreno’s letter criticized Connecticut’s drive-only license program, backed by Lamont, which allows certain individuals who cannot establish legal presence in the United States or provide a Social Security number to obtain a license for driving purposes.

“Quite simply, your policies are killing my constituents,” Moreno wrote to Lamont, adding, “You should be ashamed of this policy and its dangerous consequences, yet your support for illegal aliens knows no bounds.”

Moreno also criticized Lamont’s 2024 proposal to remove the “drive-only” marking from the licenses, arguing that the change would make them difficult to distinguish from other non-REAL ID licenses. Lamont’s office said at the time that the change was intended to protect Connecticut residents from discrimination in other states.

Moreno asked Lamont to provide the number of drive-only licenses issued to people who are unlawfully present, how many recipients have committed crimes, how many registered or voted, and how much the program has cost taxpayers.

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“I strongly suggest that you consider joining the vast majority of states that have adopted this common-sense requirement before another American citizen becomes the victim of vehicular manslaughter or is gravely injured by an illegal alien,” Moreno wrote.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Lamont said his “heart goes out to the family and friends of Austin J. Karr Grimes, and to all families who lose a loved one to a motor vehicle accident..”

“Drivers must be held accountable for violating traffic laws, especially when it causes a tragic loss of life,” Lamont said. “States including Connecticut offer drive-only licenses to undocumented residents to help ensure all drivers are trained, tested, and know the rules of the road. This reduces hit-and-run accidents and brings more drivers into the insurance system who might otherwise be driving uninsured. Undocumented residents in many states already need to drive for work, school, and daily life; it’s safer for everyone when that driving happens within a regulated system.”

Moreno responded on X on Thursday, saying, “The answer to the presence of illegal aliens is NOT to ‘train them’ and allow them on our roads to wreak havoc. The answer is to DEPORT them! Of course, Democrat politicians know this, but need a crop of dependent and obedient voters to keep them in power.”

The question of illegal immigrants driving on American roads has become a Trump administration priority, with federal officials arguing that state-issued licenses can make it harder to identify and locate people in the country illegally.

The Justice Department sued New York in 2025 over its “Green Light Law,” which allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses while restricting the state from sharing DMV information with federal immigration authorities. The administration has also expanded ICE enforcement against criminal illegal immigrants, arguing that local arrests should trigger federal immigration action.

Mehek Cooke, a GOP strategist and attorney in Ohio, told Fox News Digital, “What is especially infuriating is that Connecticut Democrats get to congratulate themselves for being compassionate, while an Ohio family is left grieving the loss of 29-year-old Austin Karr Grimes.”

“Connecticut made the policy choice, but Americans hundreds of miles away paid the price.” Cooke said. “There is nothing compassionate about a policy that puts the interests of illegal immigrants ahead of the lives and safety of American citizens.”

Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called for President Donald Trump to replace War Secretary Pete Hegseth, slamming the Pentagon leader following the news that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was resigning.

“I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it,” Tillis declared in a fiery Wednesday post on X.

Tillis praised Driscoll in the post — and apparently referring to ex-Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George (ret.), the senator declared, “He and General George began a transformative period of innovation in how we array our forces and equip our Soldiers. He challenged our legacy approach to manning and procurement. Most of all, he cared deeply about the men and women in our Army formations and quickly earned their respect.”

But Tillis excoriated Hegseth.

“If we had a @SecWar who maintained the same priorities and forward-thinking, he would be fighting to retain talented leaders like Dan and the many flag officers he has forced into retirement. Instead, he is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks,” the senator wrote.

ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF ORDERED TO RETIRE IMMEDIATELY AS HEGSETH CONTINUES PENTAGON SHAKEUP

“I served on Senate Armed Services for 8 years and as chair or ranking member of the Personnel and Readiness subcommittee. I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country. He is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and well-being of our fighting force,” the lawmaker declared.

Tillis, who announced last year that he would not seek re-election, told Politico Magazine earlier this year that he would “love to see Pete Hegseth fired because he’s incompetent and doing a horrible job.”

The War Department declined to provide comment on Thursday.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “After Joe Biden’s Pentagon prioritized DEI and woke ideology, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth quickly reversed course and restored a Department of War that is focused on readiness, lethality, and supporting our warfighters. The President has complete trust in Secretary Hegseth, who is doing an incredible job leading the Pentagon. The results of Operations Midnight Hammer, Absolute Resolve, Southern Spear, and Epic Fury speak for themselves.”

TRUMP’S ARMY SECRETARY HUNT TAKES SHAPE AS INSIDERS FLOAT POTENTIAL PICKS

Driscoll, in a Tuesday statement issued on the official Secretary of the Army X account, noted that Wednesday would be his final full day in the position.

“As a third-generation Army veteran, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the Secretary of the Army under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. Tomorrow is my last full day in the role,” Driscoll said in the statement.

“I had the privilege of working with them to modernize and accelerate how the Army mans, trains, and equips the most lethal fighting force on the face of the earth. We could not have made the progress we did without the support of Secretary Hegseth. I am forever grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to once again serve my country,” he noted.

ARMY SECRETARY DAN DRISCOLL SUBMITS RESIGNATION TO TRUMP

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A source familiar with Driscoll’s resignation indicated to Fox News that “Driscoll brought up concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and readiness and Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing the Generals who were responsible.”

Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton and Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Liz Friden contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE – The U.S. military provided rare insight into its operations at the southern border Thursday, revealing that it took down “approximately 100” suspected cartel drones in August alone, a senior War Department official confirmed to Fox News.

The disclosure marks the first time the Pentagon has revealed how frequently counter-drone technology, including sophisticated laser systems, is being used at the southern border to stop suspected cartel drones from entering the U.S.

According to a senior War Department official, Task Force–Southern Border carried out the drone takedowns using specialized counter-drone equipment provided and integrated by other military units.

Each operation was planned and closely coordinated with the Mexican military and border authorities to prevent interference or unintended conflicts between forces operating on either side of the border, the official said.

INSIDE AMERICA’S LASER REVOLUTION AS THE MILITARY NEARS BIG BATTLEFIELD BREAKTHROUGH

The operations are part of a broader effort to rapidly deploy defenses against drones, combining multiple technologies with trained personnel and updated military authorities. The official emphasized that the military is not relying on a single “silver bullet” system to counter the threat.

The Pentagon told Fox News that the U.S. has been using counter-drone technology to assist with security operations at the border.

“The United States is employing defensive counter-drone technology to protect our personnel and border security operations from cartel-linked drone threats,” Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said.

TRUMP ADMIN MARKS 15 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH ZERO BORDER RELEASES AS APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE 94%

“These actions are closely coordinated with Mexican military and border authorities to ensure safety and deconfliction on both sides of the border,” Wilson added.

The revelation comes as the Trump administration continues to use military force against cartels across the Western Hemisphere, including lethal strikes against alleged drug traffickers.

Earlier this week, senior administration officials touted President Donald Trump’s use of military force during a press call.

“So, the president directed, the Department of War executed, the first ever plan and strategy to use direct military force to defend the homeland from this threat,” one official said.

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“The effects have been spectacular, and we’ve seen the largest and steepest reduction in U.S. casualties inflicted by the cartels in American history,” the official added.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

Colorado’s Republican gubernatorial nominee claimed in a resurfaced podcast episode that he “met Satan in person” through another person.

Talking Points Memo first reported that Colorado GOP gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx, a Marine veteran and Christian ministry leader, claimed in a 2020 episode of his podcast, “I’ve met the devil” and “I’ve met Satan in person, through a person.”

According to Marx’s account on his podcast, the encounter occurred when he was praying for a girl in a high-security youth prison in Texas. He said, “This girl started manifesting a demon” and emphasized, “it was so real that all the other locked up girls, all the other gang members, man, they all kind of huddled in a corner.”

Marx described the encounter as “horrible,” saying, “This demon… just really manifested pretty nasty.” He said that when he asked the demon its name, it responded, “I am Satan.” He added, “If you think I’m joking, I’m not.”

TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS BLUE STATE’S CRACKDOWN ON ICE DETENTION CENTER

Though Marx described the little girl as “just adorable,” he said he could tell “she had a demon in her.”

“All of a sudden, this demon goes, ‘I guess you’re going to say I’m possessed.’ And I just — I just started laughing,” said Marx, adding, “I was like, ‘I don’t think I have to. It’s kind of obvious.’ I mean, really, that’s — I just snickered, which makes the devil mad.”

Marx is the founder of All Things Possible Ministries, a Christian ministry whose website says it is devoted to “setting captives free spiritually, emotionally and physically.”

‘GHOST TOWN?’ COLORADO BUSINESS LEADERS WEIGH ALL OPTIONS AS DSA GAINS GROUND

After winning the GOP gubernatorial nomination earlier this summer, Marx made headlines for assembling an all-Marine ticket that he said can bring the “steely spines” needed to combat a democratic socialist movement gaining ground in races around the country. He is pitching himself and his running mate, retired Marine Col. George Markert, as political outsiders, arguing that they have the discipline and accountability needed to take on the movement.

SOCIALISTS RISING IN COLORADO? SEND IN THE MARINES, GOP NOMINEE SAYS

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He has built his long-shot campaign around public safety, social conservatism and the cost of living. The campaign comes as the Democratic Party’s left flank scored a series of primary wins nationally, including in Colorado, where democratic socialist Melat Kiros upset longtime incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette.

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Marx is running against Democrat Phil Weiser, the attorney general of Colorado who is favored to win the race to succeed Gov. Jared Polis, another Democrat who is term-limited.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.

The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously blocked newly enacted Republican-backed congressional districts from being used in November’s midterm elections, ruling that voters must first approve the map in a statewide referendum.

The ruling marks a rare setback for Republicans in a national redistricting battle. 

The GOP had aimed to use Missouri’s new congressional map to help them win an additional seat and hold onto its slim House majority.

The court ruled that the referendum petition, filed in December after opponents submitted more than 300,000 signatures, prevented the new districts from taking effect unless approved by voters. 

DEMS DERIDED TRUMP’S MIDTERM GAMBLE — UNTIL HE ENDED UP WINNING BIG

Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until primary Election Day last month to reject the petition, arguing that the referendum process cannot be used for congressional redistricting. A lower court sided with Hoskins, but the state Supreme Court overturned his decision.

“The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise,” the court said in its ruling. The measure with the new districts “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.”

Now, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census “remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election,” the court said.

Once considered a swing state, Missouri has dramatically shifted to the right over the past two decades.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, plans to immediately appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election. This unprecedented decision clearly violates federal law and has thrust our state into a full‑fledged constitutional crisis,” Hanaway said in a statement. 

“We are confident that the federal courts will not allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised, which is what today’s decision does.”

President Donald Trump called Thursday’s ruling “ridiculous” and argued it was unconstitutional, saying there will not be enough time to change the map before November’s elections.

“The Missouri Supreme Court just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago,” he wrote on Truth Social. “It’s called, Ancient History! The problem is, according to Legal Scholars, that not only was the ruling horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional, but there won’t be enough time to change the map back with the Election coming up in a very short period of time. 

“The Election Process, as usual, is being disturbed in America! Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary. This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!”

Missouri’s new districts were used in the primaries last month, but the state Supreme Court said they cannot be used again unless voters first uphold the new districts passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe last September.

Kehoe said he is “extremely disappointed in today’s decision by unelected judges and their lack of respect for the legislative process.”

“Holding a primary election under one congressional map and a general election under another is unprecedented and creates uncertainty for Missouri voters,” he said on X. “Today’s ruling does not change our belief in the Missouri First Map or the principles behind it, and we will continue to stand behind it as the legal process moves forward.”

Five of the seven current justices on the Missouri Supreme Court, including the chief justice, were appointed by Republican governors.

The new map targeted longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The map was intended to make Cleaver’s district more favorable to Republicans, who hoped it would produce a 7-1 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation.

SUPREME COURT ALLOWS ALABAMA GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAP FOR MIDTERMS

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Cleaver responded to the ruling by saying, “The people fought back and won.”

“More than 305,000 Missourians demanded a say in who will represent them in the halls of Congress,” he wrote on X. “Despite the cynical and deeply shameful attempt to silence many of our neighbors, the people fought back and won. This reaffirms that the people should choose their politicians, not the other way around. Democracy prevails.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also called it a “big win for democracy and the people of Missouri.”

“Democrats will continue fighting to end the Republican gerrymandering sham and ensure all voters can make their voices heard,” he wrote on X.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he will not put an “artificial timeline” on the war with Iran, warning that the conflict will continue on as long as Iran keeps shooting at ships.

“You’re asking me a question like, when will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is, I don’t know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians, when will the Iranians shooting at ships stop having an effect on world energy markets? And the answer is it has less effect day by day,” Vance said while hosting the first White House press briefing after former press secretary Karoline Leavitt exited in August.

Vance said the U.S. will not depend on the Iranians “behaving responsibly” or “negotiating in good faith,” pointing to recent attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has taken negotiations off the table after June’s failed Memorandum of Understanding agreement and has pivoted back to economic and military pressure.

IRAN DEAL CLOCK HITS ZERO AS TRUMP DEMANDS ‘WHITE FLAG’ WITH NEW PRESSURE CAMPAIGN LOOMING

“What we’re going to do is use the tools that we have at our disposal to ensure that the American people, one, never have to deal with the threat of an Iranian nuclear program and, two, the world, energy markets are properly supplied,” said Vance.

The conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026, when the U.S. and its partners launched Operation Epic Fury, striking targets across Iran at President Trump’s direction.

U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that American forces completed a wave of strikes against targets inside Iran, including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites.

US EMBASSIES IN MIDDLE EAST WARN AMERICANS OF ‘UNFORESEEN ESCALATION’ AS LATEST STRIKES HIT IRAN

Vance said the conflict with Iran is not a war, citing that there are no active shootings but “places where this is flared up” and acknowledged major combat operations that lasted under six weeks.

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“Since then, we destroyed, of course, their nuclear facilities with Midnight Hammer. With Epic Fury, we destroyed their defense industrial base for producing weapons and also a lot of their conventional military and then we made it harder for them to rebuild that nuclear program,” Vance added.

Excavation work will begin over the next two weeks on a site where the Trump administration plans to build a tall memorial arch in Washington, D.C., a project that currently faces a lawsuit from opponents who argue the project will disrupt nearby historic sight lines.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday announced that work would start on the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, which will be located on Columbia Island, standing between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

“This will be one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World,” Burgum wrote on X, along with mock-ups of the towering 250-foot-tall arch.

LEAVITT SHOWS OFF US TRIUMPHAL ARCH, WITH PLANS TO BE RELEASED THURSDAY

The images showed a white arch with gold detail, with “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” written on top. A gold Lady Liberty-like figure with wings and a torch stands above, as well as gold eagles with their wings spread outward.

The project faces opposition from three veterans and an architectural historian who argued that “congressional authorization is necessary and lacking for this project,” said Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with the Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs.

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250

“We believe that construction cannot and should not proceed apace, and we are prepared to inform the court that it needs to, at this juncture, step in,” Sansone told The Associated Press.

A 24-page report released last month by the National Park Service backs the idea for the arch.

However, the report noted that the project would have “direct and indirect adverse effects on the sight lines of historic properties.”

TRUMP’S PLAN FOR TRIUMPHAL ARCH MOVES STEP CLOSER TO REALITY

In a series of posts on X, Burgum defended the project, saying the idea for a monument goes back decades. He cited attempts by past Congresses and old reports about discussions of the construction of a memorial.

The secretary noted that more than 70 cities, including Athens, London, Madrid, New Delhi, Paris and Rome, showcase arches.

“Interestingly, Washington, DC, is the only major Western capital without an arch,” he wrote. “Now after 125 years of waiting, the most powerful capital in the world will be the home of the most spectacular and beautiful arch of them all!”

TRUMP’S DC BEAUTIFICATION PUSH WINS RARE DEM PRAISE AS PRESIDENT SNAPS LANDMARKS BACK TO LIFE

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Interior Department and the Public Citizen Litigation Group.

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The arch is one of several projects undertaken by the Trump administration, including the renaming of the Kennedy Center, a new White House ballroom and the refurbishing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The White House is rolling out a new website Thursday that will feature classic arcade-style games with a MAGA twist.

A promotional video for the site obtained by Fox News Digital shows MAGA remakes of old favorites, including Snake, Flappy Bird, Duck Hunt and a couple of originals. Each one is uniquely Trumpian.

The MAGA version of Snake, for example, features border czar Tom Homan leading a line of illegal aliens in orange jumpsuits while he chases others on the grid. In another game, reminiscent of Duck Hunt, the user employs a net to catch gold bars and money, illustrative of putting money into a Trump Account. The Washington Monument is depicted in the background of that game.

SEN DAVE MCCORMICK: TRUMP ACCOUNTS GIVE ALL AMERICANS A STAKE IN PROSPERITY

The White House says the new site is a fun way to highlight Trump’s successes in his second term.

“This administration is laser focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the president’s many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American,” a White House official told Fox News Digital.

BIG TECH JOINS FORCES WITH TRUMP ADMIN TO UNLEASH PATRIOTIC BIRTHDAY PUSH INTO HOMES NATIONWIDE

Visitors to the new site can also play the administration’s version of Flappy Bird, flying a bald eagle through obstacles on the National Mall.

In the fourth game, the user is a boxer, punching unhealthy foods like candy away. The game features a graphic with the words “Seed Oils” with a red line through it in a nod to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again initiative.

AOC SAYS MAHA ADVOCATES’ FIGHT ‘ISN’T PARTISAN’ AS SHE BLASTS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOR FUELING ‘A TON OF ANXIETY’

Another resembles Tetris, set at the southern border, where the user’s goal is to build a wall to stop the flow of illegal immigration into the U.S.

The site is also a jab at Democrat policies and what the White House describes as the political left’s “dark” vision for the future of the country.

“The president continues to rack up victory after victory on behalf of the American public, while opponents of his agenda are defending their record of raising taxes and empowering criminal illegal aliens,” the official told Fox News Digital. 

“This is an effort to further contrast between a culture of fun and winning and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for America.”

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Millions of foreigners have left the United States, either by voluntary self-deportation or by being arrested and removed, during Trump’s second term.

Those numbers are on the rise. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently broke its own monthly record for illegal alien arrests, topping 50,000 in July.

Parents are eligible to open Trump Accounts for their children this year, in which the federal government automatically deposits $1,000. Family members and friends can contribute up to $5,000 per year to a child’s account, which will appreciate in value until the child turns 18. The program will continue next year.

A Biden-appointed judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump‘s latest executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship, setting up another high-profile legal battle over the scope of the 14th Amendment.

In a 35-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction against the Oval Office’s Aug. 6 executive order, which was issued a month after the Supreme Court affirmed birthright citizenship in its ruling in Barbara v. Trump. The injunction is the first to halt Trump’s revised birthright citizenship order since the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship in June.

Boardman previously blocked Trump’s original birthright citizenship executive order before the Supreme Court weighed in on the issue.

Trump’s order sought to limit birthright citizenship for children whose parents are deemed alien enemies, including members of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and children whose foreign parents paid a surrogate in the U.S. to give birth, among several other restrictions. The executive order prompted Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FIGHT COMES ROARING BACK WITH ‘INVADERS’ PLAY AFTER KAVANAUGH ROADMAP

“The 2026 Executive Order is almost certainly unconstitutional as applied to the certified class for the simple reason that the Supreme Court in Barbara already decided that the children in the class are citizens at birth,” Boardman wrote in her ruling. “This Court must, once again, preliminarily enjoin enforcement of the President’s most recent attempt to strip the right to citizenship from them.”

The White House rejected Boardman’s ruling as the work of an “activist judge appointed by Biden attempting to thwart President Trump’s commonsense agenda.”

“The birthright citizenship executive order is consistent with the holdings and analysis set forth by the Supreme Court,” Lauren Bis, White House spokeswoman, said in a statement.

In a 5-4 decision on the constitutional question of birthright citizenship, the high court held that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the country are “citizens at birth” under the 14th Amendment in Barbara v. Trump.

TRUMP’S TOUGHER ROUND-TWO BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP STRATEGY HINGES ON KEY LEGAL DISTINCTION, EXPERTS SAY

While the Supreme Court has acknowledged exceptions to birthright citizenship, such as children of foreign diplomats or children born during an enemy’s hostile occupation of U.S. soil, Boardman rejected Trump’s latest executive order targeting children born to alleged alien enemies. She agreed with the plaintiffs’ concerns over the Trump administration’s “broad view of who qualifies as an enemy.” The plaintiffs alleged that the Trump administration had “sometimes resting its conclusions on false or speculative allegations, or even tenuous markers like tattoos or family affiliations.”

Boardman pointed to two plaintiffs — Andrea, who fled an area of Mexico where a designated cartel operates and whose child’s father has a relative in the group, and Monica, a Venezuelan woman who fears her family could be wrongly linked to Tren de Aragua.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS TARGETING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, BIRTH TOURISM AFTER SUPREME COURT SETBACK

“Children whose parents may ‘rightly or wrongfully’ be deemed by the government to be alien enemies face a credible threat of “being denied or stripped of their birthright citizenship … even though they do not fall within a recognized exception to birthright citizenship,” Boardman wrote.

However, Abhi Kambli, a former Justice Department official, said Boardman was speculating on how the Trump administration could incorrectly bar someone from citizenship based upon being part of a foreign terrorist organization.

“Legally, where that falls short is that it’s a facial challenge to the entire executive order,” Kambli told Fox News Digital. “So, in legal terms, when something’s a facial challenge, you have to demonstrate that it’s unlawful in all of its applications, and not just the edge, the borderline cases.”

“She didn’t want to wade into the territory of whether that fits as an exception generally within Trump v. Barbara, but she said that based on how they’ve interpreted it in the past and in terms of what happened with Tren de Aragua and other organizations, she bought into plaintiff speculation that maybe they’ll get it wrong this time, and then that’ll affect their kids, and then that’s why it should get barred,” Kambli continued.

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Boardman used the First Circuit’s language to find that denying citizenship under the new executive order would cause irreparable harm — one of the requirements for issuing a preliminary injunction.

“The loss of birthright citizenship — even if temporary and later restored at the conclusion of litigation has cascading effects’ that will ‘very likely leave permanent scars’ on the child and their family,” the ruling stated.

Monica celebrated the preliminary injunction.

“During my pregnancy, I felt so much anxiety over the fact that my child could be born stateless,” Monica, said in a statement. “For now, my child and children like mine are protected and guaranteed U.S. citizenship. But I know this isn’t over. The threat to birthright citizenship is still out there. I’ll keep fighting for permanent protection for my child, and for every child born in this country.”

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“When it comes to attacking birthright citizenship, the Trump administration has lost before this court, lost before the Supreme Court, and lost again today,” Shana Khader, legal director at We Are CASA, said in a statement. “The White House must recognize it will not succeed in stripping children of their right to citizenship, evading binding court decisions or placing the president’s anti-immigrant agenda above the Constitution. We are very proud to continue this fight alongside the families who have endured more than a year of fear and uncertainty and still refuse to surrender their children’s constitutional rights.”

The Trump administration says it has uncovered evidence that the Smithsonian Institution violated federal nondiscrimination laws and is threatening to withdraw support from its museums unless it corrects course, according to a letter recently made public by the Department of the Interior.

“The administration has recently uncovered evidence that the Smithsonian leadership’s institutional culture may have resulted in significant violations of Federal antidiscrimination law, including creating a hostile work environment and engaging in practices that classify individuals and allocate opportunities, funding and other benefits on the basis of race, ethnicity and other protected characteristics,” a letter sent jointly to the Smithsonian by the DOI and White House reads.

Specific evidence of illegal activity on the part of the Smithsonian was not included in the letter, and the DOI did not provide further information when reached for comment. A recent Fox News Digital investigation found that many leading figures at the Smithsonian, including those involved in hiring, have been strong proponents of diversity, equity and inclusion — something the Trump administration has previously framed as racially discriminatory.

TRUMP’S SMITHSONIAN CLASH EXPOSES STRIKING PATTERN AMONG MUSEUM CURATORS

Conservative political leaders, led by President Donald Trump, have accused the Smithsonian of allowing progressive ideology to shape its presentation of American history. An executive order signed in 2025 directed officials to remove what it called “improper ideology,” from the museum.

“The Executive Order signed by the President of the United States clearly states ‘the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator of General Services, and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy shall identify and utilize any and all available authorities to promote the policy of this order and to restore trust in the Smithsonian Institution,” a DOI spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

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Liberals, meanwhile, have framed conservative criticism of the Smithsonian as a partisan attempt to influence the public presentation of history.

Unless the Smithsonian remedies the issues outlined in the DOI’s recent letter, as well as the general bias which conservatives allege exists at the institution, the administration says it will consider pulling support from it. The threats this time around, however, differ from the ongoing fight over the roughly $1 billion a year in federal funding the Smithsonian receives.

SMITHSONIAN’S TAXPAYER FUNDS FACE CHOPPING BLOCK AS GOP DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ‘WOKE’ HISTORY

“Those executive departments and agencies cannot in good conscience continue to support the Smithsonian under current leadership by, for example, loaning artifacts for exhibits, enabling procurement processes and making discretionary grants,” the letter reads.

While the letter does not provide specific changes that the administration would like to see from the Smithsonian, it does note that an “appropriate response” from the organization “must likewise address executive leadership and institutional ideology.”

That wording could be significant as the institution operates independently but is overseen by board members appointed by congressional resolutions that the president must sign into law. By October, there will be four openings on the institution’s board of regents, a fact the administration may leverage to increase its influence over the Smithsonian.

“Very few Americans want the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to be used, in the words of its director, as a ‘prime tool of social justice’ and as an instrument of ideological activism and advocacy,”  Vince Haley, the director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council told Fox News Digital when asked about the letter. “Unfortunately, the Saving America’s Story report demonstrates, using the statements of Museum leadership and the interpretive guidelines adopted by the Museum, that this is exactly what the Smithsonian’s flagship museum has become.”

“During this 250th anniversary year of our heroic founding, the least our citizens are owed is an honest and inspiring account of American history. It should begin by telling the story of our Founding Fathers — who they were, what they did, and what they built. It is our hope and expectation that the Smithsonian will eventually rise once again to that noble obligation — to tell America’s story for our children, the world and future generations of Americans,” he added.

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DOI requests that representatives from the Smithsonian meet with administration officials “at [their] earliest convenience” to discuss the alleged bias and civil rights violations present at the institution.

“The museum does not take sides in America’s political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions,” National Museum of American History’s director Anthea Hartig said at a July congressional hearing.

The Smithsonian declined to comment on the letter when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

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Recent reporting has found that the museum’s leadership and many of its curators have backgrounds in liberal advocacy or Democratic politics. In addition to exhibits at the National Museum of American History, which the Trump administration characterized as demonizing America, even the Smithsonian-run National Zoo is inundated with information about DEI and gender equity.

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he is “looking forward” to meeting with former President Joe Biden while in New York City next week for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

“I’m really looking forward to hanging out with Joe Biden. I’m sure that we’ll have many, many intense intellectual conversations and, you know, it’ll be great. We’ll have a great time with Joe Biden and the other presidents,” Vance said while hosting the first White House press briefing after former press secretary Karoline Leavitt exited in August.

Vice President JD Vance will travel to Ground Zero on 9/11, joining former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush for a remembrance ceremony.

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The last known time Vance and Biden were in the same room was at President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

“We just decided as a team that I would go to New York for 9/11 and the president would stay here in D.C., of course, to commemorate what happened at the Pentagon, because that was a critical part of the tragedy of 9/11 as well,” said Vance.

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Trump is expected to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon, and other administration officials will represent the White House in Shanksville, Pennsylvania — marking all three locations targeted or affected by the attacks. Vance said during the press conference that there was no indication Trump was staying in the nation’s capital due to security concerns in New York City. 

9/11 IS BECOMING HISTORY. MY GENERATION MUST MAKE SURE AMERICA NEVER FORGETS

“I will say that as much as it’s tragic and it was a terrible day, I am looking forward to it because it’s such an amazing honor to be able to get to go to New York and to share in that moment,” said Vance.

Vance said it is especially meaningful for parents to show their children the names of those who were killed, recalling that he did so with his own family during the 2024 campaign.

“It’s one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I encourage every American, particularly the people who are young enough to not really remember that day, just to tune in for a couple of hours and see what it meant,” Vance added.

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Vance said the tragic day brings a “sense of commonality and common purpose” for Americans to unite.