NationalWatch

The U.S. urged China to reverse what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called an “unjust and tragic” sentence against Hong Kong publisher and democracy activist Jimmy Lai, after Beijing-backed courts handed the 78-year-old a 20-year prison term under the national security law. 

“The conviction shows the world that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong,” Rubio said in a statement. “The United States urges the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole.”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used Hong Kong’s courts to sentence Lai on Monday, cementing one of the most consequential national security cases since Beijing imposed a sweeping new law in the wake of months-long anti-CCP protests.

Lai, a billionaire media entrepreneur, founded the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper in 1995, once Hong Kong’s most outspoken pro-democracy publication. He is among the highest-profile figures arrested under the 2020 National Security Law Beijing imposed following the unrest.

The protests, sparked by fears Beijing was eroding Hong Kong’s promised autonomy, were followed by a sweeping security crackdown that criminalized dissent and reshaped the city’s legal system.

MARCO RUBIO VOICES CONCERN THAT AMERICANS MAY SOMEDAY BE ARRESTED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS WHEN VISITING EUROPE

The sentence also puts renewed pressure on President Donald Trump, who has previously spoken out about Lai’s detention and is expected to travel to Beijing in April amid broader negotiations with China. 

Human rights advocates and some lawmakers have urged Trump to raise Lai’s case directly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, warning that silence would be read in Beijing as acquiescence.

Trump said in December 2025 that he had personally urged Xi to release Lai. 

“I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,” Trump said. “He’s not well, he’s an older man, and he’s not well, so I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.”

Hong Kong authorities convicted Lai of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, a national security offense under the Beijing-imposed law. Prosecutors argued that Lai and his co-defendants used his media platform and international network to lobby for sanctions, blockades or other hostile actions by foreign governments against China and Hong Kong — actions the court said threatened national security. 

Judges labeled Lai the “mastermind” of the alleged plots.

RUBIO SAYS COMMITMENT TO TAIWAN WON’T CHANGE AMID TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA

Lai also was convicted of conspiracy to publish seditious materials under a separate provision of Hong Kong’s colonial-era Crimes Ordinance, applied in conjunction with the national security regime. Prosecutors cited hundreds of Apple Daily articles they said were designed to “incite public hatred or contempt” against authorities. 

Lai and his defense team rejected that characterization as criminalizing expression.

Sebastian Lai, the publisher’s son, said the sentence effectively amounts to a life term given his father’s age and deteriorating health.

“Twenty years, he’s 78 years old now. This is essentially a life sentence — or more like a death sentence, given the conditions he’s being kept in,” Sebastian Lai told Fox Monday. 

He said his father has lost significant weight in detention and now suffers from heart issues and diabetes, adding, “We’re incredibly worried about his life.”

Sebastian Lai said his father, a Catholic, remains “a man of deep faith” despite years in detention, believing “no matter how hard the conditions he was under, that he still did the right thing.”

He also recalled that his father declined multiple opportunities to leave Hong Kong before his arrest, choosing instead to stay rather than abandon his principles or colleagues.

The younger Lai said his father’s case should serve as a warning for Taiwan, arguing that Beijing’s promise of autonomy under a “one country, two systems” model in Hong Kong has revealed how tightly mainland China ultimately controls the territory.

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Lai already has spent more than five years in prison, serving a separate sentence for a fraud conviction and for organizing unauthorized assemblies during the protests.

His defense has argued the case criminalized political speech and journalism rather than genuine national security threats. They say Lai’s calls for international pressure on Beijing amounted to lawful advocacy and that meetings with U.S. officials and media appearances were routine for a prominent publisher and democracy advocate, not evidence of conspiracy.

The House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at making it easier for everyday Americans to purchase a home, an issue that’s become a cornerstone of the affordability crisis plaguing much of the United States.

The legislation, which passed with a 390-9 vote, is a rare show of bipartisanship in an increasingly polarized Congress, having gotten a significant amount of support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Housing affordability is also an issue that President Donald Trump has promised to tackle during his second term in office. 

Last month, he signed an executive order making it harder for large investment firms to buy single-family homes that could otherwise be purchased by American families, and his One Big Beautiful Bill Act also included tax incentives aimed at development in economically distressed communities.

TRUMP SIGNS NEW LAW HELPING VETERANS AVOID FORECLOSURE WITH PARTIAL CLAIMS PAYMENT PROGRAM

The legislation that passed on Monday is a wide-ranging bill with various measures aimed at growing the supply of affordable housing in the U.S., including incentivizing the construction of multifamily homes, taller buildings on smaller lots, and less restrictive permitting processes in state and local jurisdictions.

The streamlining would include establishing a new pilot program under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award grants for creating “pattern books” of pre-approved housing designs that are already compliant with local building codes.

Parts of the bill are chiefly aimed at expanding “missing middle” housing, which is the range between single-family homes and larger apartment buildings.

I TRIED FOR YEARS TO BUY A HOME. WALL STREET ALWAYS BEAT ME — TRUMP MADE THE RIGHT CALL

The measures are primarily aiding first-time home buyers as well as lower-income Americans, and housing developers focused on small and mid-sized housing rather than larger luxury construction.

Multiple public surveys released in recent months have found that Americans have a strong desire for more affordable housing. One poll shared by the site Affordable Housing Finance found that more than 60% of people surveyed supported increasing missing middle housing.

The bill was also pushed by lawmakers across the political spectrum. Its two main leaders in the House were House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., a longtime Republican congressman, and progressive stalwart Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee.

Another proponent of the bill, Main Street Caucus Chairman Brian Flood, R-Neb., hailed it as “landmark legislation.”

PRO-TRUMP GROUP UNLEASHES BLUEPRINT FOR CRUCIAL HOUSING INITIATIVE FEATURING TOP MAGA INFLUENCER

“It doesn’t matter if you’re in a blue city or a red city, whether you’re a Habitat for Humanity in Omaha or, you know, a housing developer in Birmingham, Alabama, these issues aren’t partisan,” Flood told reporters on Monday. “In order to solve the housing crisis, we have to be able to remove a lot of the barriers.”

Hill told reporters that the legislation did not get in the way of areas that had an oversupply of housing, either.

“If there’s not a demand for housing, this doesn’t get in the way of that. I mean, this requires a bank to be willing to lend a community development program to say that we should spend these dollars to build housing. And if there is a surplus of housing and pricing is affordable, then there wouldn’t be that market signal that says we need new housing,” Hill said.

It comes as affordability appears to be an increasingly important topic in the coming November midterm elections.

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Other supporters of the legislation include Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., and Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., the latter of which championed a bill whose core tenets got folded into the final piece.

“If House Republicans and Democrats can agree on this package to increase housing supply and lower prices across the nation, the Senate should be able to swiftly send it to the president’s desk,” Stutzman told Fox News Digital. “Our constituents need the relief this bill offers.”

Stutzman introduced a bill in September of last year aimed at streamlining the environmental review process for new rural housing projects.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it must pass with bipartisan support before getting to Trump’s desk for his signature.

President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to prevent the opening of a bridge that will connect Michigan and Canada unless Ottawa negotiates with Washington on tariffs and the exclusion of American products. 

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States with unfair trade practices and cozying up to China. 

In an effort to bring Canada to the negotiating table, Trump said he would not allow the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is named after the legendary Canadian ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings. The bridge, which is currently under construction, will connect Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. 

“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,” Trump wrote. 

CANADIAN PM CARNEY FIRES BACK AT TRUMP OVER CLAIM THAT ‘CANADA LIVES BECAUSE OF THE UNITED STATES’

“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” he added. 

He cited the removal of U.S. alcohol products from Canadian liquor store shelves in Ontario.

Trump has previously accused Canada of taking advantage of U.S. trade policies. In his post, Trump said Canada has moved forward with building the bridge with “virtually no U.S. content.” 

TRUMP CHALLENGES CARNEY AT DAVOS, ASSERTS CANADA SHOULD BE ‘GRATEFUL’ FOR GOLDEN DOME MISSILE DEFENSE

He blamed former President Barack Obama for “stupidly” giving Canada a waiver so they could get around the Buy American Act, which mandates federal agencies purchase materials that are manufactured in the U.S. and made mostly from U.S.-produced components.

Trump accused Canada of not using American products, including steel. 

“Now, the Canadian Government expects me, as President of the United States, to PERMIT them to just ‘take advantage of America!’ What does the United States of America get — Absolutely NOTHING!” he wrote. “Ontario won’t even put U.S. spirits, beverages, and other alcoholic products, on their shelves, they are absolutely prohibited from doing so and now, on top of everything else, Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive. We’ll just get the leftovers! I don’t think so.”

By cozying up to China, Canada would be risking its national sport: ice hockey, Trump said. 

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“The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup,” he said. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. 

The House of Representatives’ top Democrat claimed Republicans’ election security bill was tantamount to “voter suppression” on Monday.

House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized the House GOP-led SAVE America Act during his weekly press conference ahead of an expected vote on the bill coming as early as Wednesday.

“Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy. That’s what the so-called SAVE Act is all about,” Jeffries said.

He said the bill getting a vote this week is “worse than” a previous iteration simply called the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House in April 2025 with support from all Republicans and four Democrats.

SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR ‘JIM CROW-ERA’ VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE

The main thrust of the SAVE Act was implementing a new proof of citizenship requirement in the voter registration process in all 50 states.

The new bill, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would also create a federal voter ID standard at the polls, requiring people to show a form of identification when casting a ballot in national elections.

Jeffries also pointed to a provision that would require information-sharing between state election officials and federal authorities in verifying citizenship on current voter rolls, accusing Republicans of trying to give Americans’ data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

SCHUMER FACES BACKLASH AFTER CALLING SAVE ACT ‘JIM CROW’ DESPITE PREVIOUS ALLEGATION FALLING FLAT

“This version, as I understand it, will actually give [the Department of Homeland Security] the power to get voting records from states across the country. Why would these extremists think that’s a good idea?” Jeffries said.

“Who’d want DHS and ICE, who have been brutally, viciously and violently targeting everyday Americans, to have more data about the American people? It’s outrageous. Something is really wrong with these folks. I think they’re trying to lose elections at this point.”

There is no validated evidence to date that non-citizen voting has swayed the results of any federal election.

But Republicans have argued that the influx of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration has made the problem a real possibility in coming elections.

Nevertheless, voter ID provisions have proven popular in multiple public surveys.

A Pew Research Center poll released in August 2025 showed a whopping 83% of people supported government-issued photo ID requirements for showing up to vote, compared to just 16% of people who disapproved of it.

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Jeffries also said the bill would die in the Senate, where at least some Democrats are needed under current rules to overcome a filibuster and advance the legislation.

“It’s not going to pass. If it squeaks by the House, it’s dead on arrival in the Senate. They’re wasting time,” he said.

The real possibility of the bill failing in the Senate is why a group of House conservatives are pushing for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to upend the chamber’s rules on the filibuster to get rid of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome one. Thune has not committed to any route.

FIRST ON FOX: A spokesperson for the Trump Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital that despite ICE being “demonized” at the Super Bowl, agents continued to carry out operations, arresting pedophiles, murderers and rapists over the weekend.

President Donald Trump and many conservatives took issue with the Super Bowl, especially the halftime show, which featured Latin trap artist Bad Bunny. The performer, whose real name is Benito Ocasio, has been highly critical of ICE and even cursed at agents in a video posted to social media.

DHS said that “while ICE law enforcement officers were demonized at the Super Bowl, our officers were risking their lives to arrest public safety threats from American neighborhoods.”

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that “despite smears from Hollywood, ICE is making our country safer every single day.”

BAD BUNNY’S SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW IGNITES TRUMP’S FURY, DIVIDES VIEWERS

“While ICE law enforcement was being demonized at the Super Bowl, the heroic men and women of ICE continued risking their lives to arrest criminal illegal alien murderers, pedophiles and rapists from our communities,” said McLaughlin.

According to DHS, among those arrested over Super Bowl weekend was Mario Rosales-Figueroa, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was arrested a few hours from the stadium in Visalia, California. The agency said Rosales-Figueroa was convicted of sex with a minor.

A few hours further away, DHS said that agents arrested Salvadoran illegal Luis Edenilson Ortiz-Lopez in Las Vegas. According to the agency, he was convicted of gross or open lewdness. Also in Nevada, ICE arrested Guillermo Arturo Ramirez-Londono, a Colombian illegal who is convicted of two counts of sexual assault on a minor under 14 years old in Lyon County.

In New York, ICE arrested Rudy Roa-Fuentes, an illegal from the Dominican Republic who was convicted of murder, and Anderson Mejia-Bonilla, from El Salvador, who was convicted of rape.

NFL’S ROGER GOODELL BELIEVES BAD BUNNY ‘UNDERSTANDS’ SUPER BOWL LX PLATFORM IS MEANT TO UNITE AMID ICE OUTCRY

Not far from New York, ICE arrested Guatemalan national Eduardo Ramos-Domingo, who was convicted of aggravated assault, attempts to cause or cause bodily injury with a deadly weapon in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.  

In Wake County, North Carolina, ICE arrested Darwin Sorto-Pineda, from El Salvador, who was convicted of driving while impaired and assault on a government official.

In the Midwest, ICE arrested Wilson Perez-Guzman, from Guatemala, who was convicted for statutory sodomy/attempted statutory sodomy in Bridgeton, Missouri, and Tung Huy Nguyen, from Vietnam, who was convicted for gross sexual imposition in Steubenville, Ohio.

In the South, ICE arrested Mexican illegal Gustavo Alvarado-Sanchez, who is convicted for kidnapping and assault in Hidalgo, Texas, and Cuban illegal Carlos Manuel Legra-Ramirez, who is convicted for aggravated alien smuggling in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.

NOEM RESPONDS TO BAD BUNNY, BILLIE EILISH BASHING ICE AT GRAMMYS: ‘I WISH THEY KNEW’

While accepting an award for Best Música Urbana Album at the recent Grammys, Bad Bunny remarked “ICE out,” adding,”We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans.” 

The Independent reported last June that Bad Bunny blasted ICE in a clip posted to Instagram in which he called agents “motherf—ers” and “sons of b—-es.”

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According to McLaughlin, 70 percent of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. She said this statistic “doesn’t even include foreign fugitives, terrorists, and gang members who lack a rap sheet in the U.S.”

She added that “this heated rhetoric about ICE law enforcement is leading to our officers facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them.”

EXCLUSIVE: Turning Point Action, the political arm of the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his bid to unseat longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in a race that could determine whether the GOP maintains its Senate majority.

Turning Point’s endorsement of Paxton is the fourth such endorsement of a Senate candidate in this cycle and emphasizes the importance of the race on the national stage. This comes as Democrats see an opening to possibly flip a Texas Senate seat blue, which would deal a devastating loss to the GOP’s chances of retaining its majority.

In response to the endorsement, Paxton told Fox News Digital, “I’m honored to be endorsed by Turning Point Action as we fight to defend our conservative values and preserve the freedom of the next generation.”

“The movement and the organization that Charlie Kirk built has inspired millions of people across the world, and the work that Turning Point Action continues to do is critical for safeguarding our nation’s future,” Paxton went on. “I am proud to be standing alongside Turning Point Action in that mission and carrying on in the fight to save this country for our young people.”

TURNING POINT USA DECLARES ‘ALL-AMERICAN HALFTIME SHOW’ A ‘MASSIVE SUCCESS,’ COMMITS TO 2027 RETURN

“Together, we will protect our freedom and secure our nation’s future,” he said.

Paxton and Cornyn are locked in a bitter primary contest that also includes Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. Whoever emerges victorious will face off against prominent Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, or rising star state Rep. James Talarico.

The attorney general is a hard-line conservative and longtime vocal supporter of President Donald Trump. He has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015. Since launching his Senate bid in April, he has touted himself as an “America First Warrior” and framed his candidacy as an anti-establishment effort to push back against “RINO [Republican-In-Name-Only] Republicans.”

Though Trump has so far opted out of getting involved in the race, his presence looms large, with both candidates emphasizing their cooperation with the president.  

If elected, Paxton has promised to “champion President Trump’s legislative priorities.”

JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS SOME REPUBLICANS WOULD ‘ABSOLUTELY’ VOTE FOR HER IN A GENERAL ELECTION

Meanwhile, Cornyn, a high-ranking member of the Republican Party who has held the seat since 2002, has also touted conservative bona fides and his working relationship with Trump, emphasizing he “votes with President Trump 99% of the time.”

Turning Point’s endorsement pits the group against the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP’s Senate campaign arm, which has endorsed and supports Cornyn.

Though silent thus far, Trump recently hinted he may issue an endorsement in the Texas Senate race soon. The Hill reported the president announcing, “I’m giving it a very serious look.”

GOP FIREBRAND URGES TRUMP AGENCIES TO CLAW BACK MASSIVE TAXPAYER BENEFITS PAID OUT TO IMMIGRANTS

“You know, my problem is I’m friendly with all of them. I like all of them, all three,” Trump said.

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“But you’ll be seeing soon,” he went on. “They say whoever I endorse wins. That’s probably right.” 

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., filed a formal complaint against Verizon on Monday after the carrier handed over his phone data to the Biden-era Department of Justice during its probe of President Donald Trump and the 2020 election – a move Republicans say violated the Constitution.

Lawyers for Hagerty wrote in the complaint to the Federal Communications Commission, reviewed by Fox News Digital, that Verizon should publicly admit wrongdoing and discipline employees who were involved in complying with a subpoena for his phone data. Otherwise, the FCC should declare that Verizon violated federal law and assign an independent monitor to watch over the company, Hagerty’s lawyers wrote.

“Such discipline by the FCC would send a clear message that companies cannot collude with politically motivated prosecutors to violate customers’ rights,” Hagerty’s lawyers wrote. “Verizon is not above the law.”

JACK SMITH FACES PUBLIC GRILLING ON CAPITOL HILL ABOUT TRUMP PROSECUTIONS

The Tennessee Republican’s complaint detailed how Verizon complied with former special counsel Jack Smith’s team by giving the prosecutors a narrow set of Hagerty’s and several other GOP senators’ phone data as part of Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump and the 2020 election.

Verizon justified its actions in a letter to the Senate in the fall, saying the subpoenas appeared “facially valid” and only contained phone numbers. They did not identify the subscribers or include information about Smith’s investigation, Verizon said.

The phone company said it did not notify the senators about the subpoenas because they were accompanied by court-authorized gag orders.

Fox News Digital reached out to a Verizon spokesperson for comment on the FCC complaint.

Republicans have widely condemned the subpoenas, saying they violated the Constitution’s speech or debate clause, which gives Congress members an added layer of protection when it comes to prosecutorial matters.

Smith has repeatedly stood by them, saying he handled them according to DOJ policy at the time. The policy in question has since been changed to require prosecutors to notify the courts if requested gag orders pertain to Congress members. Previously, it did not include that requirement, leading the courts to authorize gag orders against the senators and deprive them of the ability to try to quash the subpoenas.

GRAHAM THREATENS SHUTDOWN DEAL OVER HOUSE-BACKED REPEAL, WARNS JOHNSON: ‘I WON’T FORGET THIS’

Hagerty’s FCC complaint is the latest instance of a senator seeking recourse for the subpoenas. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was also targeted in Smith’s probe, supported a controversial provision in the government spending bill last year that gave senators the ability to bring $500,000 civil lawsuits against the DOJ.

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The provision caused significant infighting because of the perception that it would allow senators to enrich themselves, and the House later voted 426-0 to repeal it.

Hagerty’s complaint comes one day before Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., another of Smith’s targets, holds a Senate hearing called “Arctic Frost Accountability.” Witnesses set to testify include executives of Verizon and AT&T.

Numerous women urged Attorney General Pam Bondi in a high-profile Super Bowl ad on Sunday to release more files from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking cases, signaling their dissatisfaction with the Department of Justice’s efforts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., immediately elevated the ad, which came in the wake of the DOJ releasing more than three million pages of files and concluding its review.

Schumer shared a video of it on X, calling it “the most important ad” of the day.

“You don’t ‘move on’ from the largest sex trafficking ring in the world. You expose it. #StandWithSurvivors,” Schumer wrote.

MASSIE, TOP OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT CALL FOR SECRETARY LUTNICK TO RESIGN FOR ‘LYING’ ABOUT ALLEGED EPSTEIN TIES

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who has been leading Democrats’ inquiries into Epstein matters in the House, shared a similar message.

The women in the commercial conveyed their dissatisfaction with the Department of Justice’s efforts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act as the words “Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi it’s time for the truth” flashed across the screen.

The commercial comes after the DOJ announced last month the release of more than three million pages from the case files. The department said it started with more than six million pages but withheld a major portion for a variety of reasons, including because the information could identify alleged victims or was protected by legal privileges.

The omitted files led top supporters of the Epstein legislation, including Epstein’s victims and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to contend that the DOJ failed to comply with the transparency law.

The DOJ has disputed that claim, saying its review was “very comprehensive” and that it did not hide any information for the purpose of protecting President Donald Trump or other wealthy and politically connected people, like former President Bill Clinton, who were once friends with Epstein but were never accused of crimes associated with him.

Massie is among lawmakers who said they planned to visit the DOJ on Monday to review undisclosed files.

The Super Bowl commercial was created by World Without Exploitation, a project of the Tides Center, a progressive nonprofit.

LAPSED EPSTEIN DEADLINE UNDERSCORES CHALLENGE OF REVIEWING TROVES OF FILES IN 30 DAYS

It flashed images of several women holding photos of their younger selves and images of redaction marks, a nod to frustrations surrounding the DOJ heavily redacting some files while neglecting to redact names in others.

“After years of being kept apart, we’re standing together,” one of the women says. “Because this girl deserves the truth.”

The department said it has moved swiftly to correct any redaction mistakes that have been brought to its attention.

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The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment on the commercial.

Beef is at record high prices and Americans are buying more of it than ever.

In 2025, shoppers spent more than $45 billion on beef, buying more than 6.2 billion pounds, according to data from Beef Research, a contractor for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. That’s enough to give everyone on the planet three hamburgers.

Compared to the year prior, spending rose about 12%, while the amount of beef sold climbed more than 4%. In short, consumers aren’t just paying higher prices; they’re buying more beef, too.

That demand is also reflected in the meat case, where beef accounts for more than half of all fresh meat dollars, far outpacing other protein options like chicken, pork and seafood.

THE SINGLE CRUSHING PROBLEM AMERICAN CATTLE RANCHERS WISH TRUMP WOULD FIX INSTEAD

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the average price of beef in grocery stores climbed from about $8.40 per pound in March to $10.10 per pound by December 2025, a roughly 20% increase.

Economists say that deep-rooted demand is helping drive prices higher and there’s little sign it will ease anytime soon.

Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, told Fox News Digital that strong consumer demand continues to push beef prices upward.

“There’s nothing that forces me or you or anybody else when we go into the grocery store to pay more for beef. People are choosing to,” he said. “The consumer desire for beef is strong and, regardless of the supply-side situation, that has the effect of pulling prices up.”

IN TEXAS CATTLE COUNTRY, ONE RANCHER WELCOMES TRUMP’S FOCUS ON DECADES OF THIN MARGINS

But even with strong consumer appetite keeping the market buoyant, ranchers are facing challenges on the other end of the supply chain.

Years of drought, high feed costs and an aging ranching population have thinned herds across the country, leaving the U.S. cattle supply at its lowest level in more than 70 years.

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Derrell Peel, a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, said the current supply crunch won’t be fixed overnight.

“The fact of the matter is there’s really nothing anybody can do to change this very quickly,” Peel said. “We’re in a tight supply situation that took several years to develop, and it’ll take several years to get out of it.”

Meanwhile, the Trump administration says it is working to ease beef prices by temporarily increasing imports from Argentina, while also laying out longer-term plans to bolster the U.S. cattle industry.

Progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, shared a vulgar six-word warning for President Donald Trump as Democrats continue to hunt for links implicating him in Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.

It comes after Ghislaine Maxwell’s closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee in which the convicted Epstein accomplice invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering any questions from lawmakers.

“We’re gonna be on his a–,” Crockett told reporters on Monday morning after the deposition concluded. “We have a 34-count convicted felon, and there are people that are still shielding him from any type of accountability as it relates to a child sex-trafficking ring.”

She then pivoted to contrasting Trump’s treatment with how House Republicans have handled the Clintons, who are also being asked to testify, though Crockett insisted it was not a partisan situation.

NEW GHISLAINE MAXWELL MUGSHOT INCLUDED IN DOJ’S LATEST EPSTEIN FILES RELEASE

“Right now we know that they were willing to try to throw the Clintons in prison for not showing up yet,” Crockett said. 

“Then we went through the hearing as it relates to the Clintons, I said, ‘Listen, we know that Donald Trump’s name is mentioned more. Bring him in, too.’… This, for the Democrats, this isn’t partisanship. This is about right versus wrong.”

Crockett was referring to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., launching contempt proceedings against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for initially refusing to appear in person on Capitol Hill for their own closed-door depositions.

CLINTONS CAVE: COMER SAYS BILL AND HILLARY TO TESTIFY IN EPSTEIN PROBE

The Clintons’ attorneys wrote to Comer announcing they would finally agree to come in under his terms just days before the full House of Representatives was set to vote on referring the ex-first couple to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.

But a public spat has erupted since then, with the Clintons demanding they instead get to testify at televised hearings. Currently, they are slated to be grilled during closed-door, videotaped depositions.

When asked about that back-and-forth by Fox News Digital, Crockett said, “What they want to do is they want to go behind closed doors and then come out with whatever spin that they want to put on it and have it be a he said, she said.”

“They are playing games right now. And again, this is all about shielding and distracting from the president of the United States, who is absolutely mentioned in those files,” Crockett told Fox News Digital.

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Both Trump and Bill Clinton’s names do appear in the Epstein files released by both the committee and the DOJ, but neither is implicated in any wrongdoing related to the late pedophile.

Crockett is currently mounting a long-shot bid for the Senate seat occupied by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

A progressive candidate backed by champions of the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is close to pulling off an upset victory with votes still being counted in a Democratic congressional primary for a blue-leaning seat in New Jersey.

Analilia Mejia, a progressive organizer, has a slight lead — nearly 900 votes out of more than 63,000 votes counted — ahead of former Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in the battle for their party’s nomination in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

Mejia and Malinowski are the leaders among a field of 11 Democratic candidates in the race to fill the seat left vacant after now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning the November 2025 gubernatorial election in the Garden State.

The results in the primary showdown are being closely watched by the political world as an early testing ground in the debate between progressives versus the more mainstream elements of the Democratic Party.

BALLOT BOX SHOCKER IN HIGH-PROFILE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY

And a victory by Mejia, who worked as national political director on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, would be the latest boost for the left against the establishment since now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, sent shockwaves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.

“She stands for a progressive populist economic agenda,” progressive leader Rep. Ro Khanna of California emphasized Friday in a social media post. “She is the future!” 

And Mejia, speaking to supporters on primary night, highlighted that “we have to rebuild our party, we have to rebuild what is happening in our nation. We have to reclaim our democracy. We know that our economy is rigged to suit the billionaires.”

‘FULL-BLOWN BATTLE’ BREWING IN DEM PARTY AS MAMDANI-STYLE CANDIDATES RISE IN KEY RACES

Here’s a closer look at where Mejia stands on some key issues.

Immigration enforcement

During her primary campaign, Mejia took aim at President Donald Trump‘s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration, and has called for scrapping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency most visible in the aggressive tactics used in the administration’s massive deportation effort.

“I say abolish ICE now,” Mejia said on the campaign trail in January. “You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.” 

Speaking with reporters Friday about her overperformance in the primary, Mejia gave credit to her stance on immigration in the wake of backlash against the Trump administration following the fatal shootings in Minnesota by federal agents of two U.S. citizens protesting immigration operations.

“I think the fact that I was bold and unafraid to speak the truth was incredibly important,” she told reporters. “I think voters feel that they want to have a representative that actually represents them, and they cannot watch what’s happening in Minnesota, what happened in Chicago, what happened in California, what happened in Morristown across this district.” 

Supreme Court

Mejia, like many on the left, has railed against rulings by the conservative-dominated court.

“The Supreme Court has been captured by right-wing radicals who care more about doing Trump’s bidding than the rule of law,” Mejia charges on her campaign website.

HOUSE GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO JUST ONE VOTE AS JOHNSON SWEARS IN NEW HOUSE DEMOCRAT

She supports “articles of impeachment against Justices Thomas and Alito” for what she says is “their corruption and conflicts of interest.”

Mejia also backs “term limits for newly appointed Supreme Court justices, a binding code of ethics with real enforcement for all federal judges.”

And Mejia says she would support “expanding the courts if necessary to restore balance.”

Student loan debt

On her campaign website, Mejia states “we’re going to cancel all student loan debt.”

And she pledges that she’ll “fight to make college tuition free at community colleges and trade schools for everyone.”

Taxes and minimum wage

As part of her “economy for everyone agenda,” Mejia argues, “If you work 40 hours a week, you should make at least $40,000 a year, and you shouldn’t pay a dime in federal taxes on that first $40,000.”

And she highlights that she helped lead the fight in New Jersey to “win the $15 minimum wage.”

If she makes it to Congress, Mejia says “with the cost of living rising every day, it’s time to raise the minimum wage at the national level to $25/hour.”

Israel

Malinowski, an assistant secretary of state in former President Barack Obama’s administration who later represented a neighboring congressional district in northern New Jersey from 2018 to 2022 before losing re-election, was considered the front-runner in the race heading into primary day.

But Malinowski was the target of a slew of attack ads put out by a group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which opposed Malinowski because he said he supports conditions on aid to Israel.

The AIPAC-aligned super PAC United Democracy Project dished out more than $2.3 million to take aim at Malinowski, even though AIPAC had previously supported Malinowski in his past congressional elections.

But the strategy may backfire, because Mejia is much tougher on Israel than Malinowski.

Mejia was the only candidate in the race who raised her hand at a forum last month when asked if they agreed with human rights groups who charge Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

Mejia was boosted by the support on the left. Sanders headlined a virtual rally for her on the eve of the primary.

And besides Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, she was also endorsed by a large list of other progressive leaders, including Khanna, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Pramilla Jayapal of Washington State, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

TOP 5 GAME-CHANGERS FROM THE 2025 CAMPAIGN TRAIL

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) a leading group on the left, said in a statement that “Analilia Mejia’s momentous showing proves that voters, when given a choice, want Democrats with an inspiring vision who will boldly challenge powerful interests on behalf of working families.”

PCCC co-founder Adam Green, a New Jersey native who knocked doors for Mejia and spoke at a rally with Mejia and Sanders on primary eve, added that primary voters “made clear they want Democrats who will shake up a broken political and economic system – not just be anti-Trump.”

While Mejia was the clear choice of the left flank of the party’s base, the rest of the field appeared to divide the more moderate and center-left vote.

The primary winner will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held on April 16.

Hathaway will be considered the underdog in the race, in the suburban district in northern New Jersey.

Sherrill won re-election in the district in 2024 by 15 points, the same margin by which she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.

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But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of possibly flipping the seat.

The special election comes as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House of Representatives.

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee piled onto calls from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Monday for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to step down in light of alleged business ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Files released by the DOJ suggest that Lutnick and Epstein bought stakes together in a technology company called Adfin in 2012.

Lutnick, who is listed among nine other investors, appears as a “signatory” alongside Epstein, who is named as a “preferred holder.”

Notably, the purchase is dated four years after Epstein was convicted in 2008 for sexual abuse involving a 14-year-old girl.

DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said the documents clearly contradicted previous statements from Lutnick about his relationship with Epstein.

“It’s now clear that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been lying about his relationship with Epstein. He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, and we now know they were in business together,” Garcia said in a post to X.

“Lutnick must resign or be fired. And he must answer our questions,” Garcia added.

Garcia’s calls follow similar comments made by Massie on Sunday. When asked about Lutnick’s appearance in the files on CNN, Massie also said that Lutnick should step down.

MASSIE, KHANNA TO VISIT DOJ TO REVIEW UNREDACTED EPSTEIN FILES

“He should just resign. Prince [Andrew] lost his title for less than what we’ve seen Howard Lutnick lie about,” Massie said, referring to the member of the royal family who was stripped of his titles last year for his association with Epstein.

“He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein — and this was many years after Epstein was convicted for sexual crimes. So, he’s got a lot to answer for.”

LAWMAKERS ESCALATE EPSTEIN PROBE WITH POSSIBLE BILL GATES SUBPOENA

Other documents in the Epstein files reveal communications between Lutnick and Epstein’s staff that suggest Lutnick may have met with Epstein in the Virgin Islands.

“Jeffrey Epstein understands you will be down in St. Thomas some over the holidays. Jeffrey requested I please pass along some phone numbers to you so the two of you can possibly get together,” an assistant to Epstein wrote in an email dated November 2012.

In response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital on the criticism from Garcia and Massie, a spokesperson for the Department of Commerce framed their demands as a distraction.

“Mr. Lutnick met Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 and had very limited interactions with him over the next 14 years,” the spokesperson said.

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“This is nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments, including securing trillions of dollars in investment, delivering historic trade deals and fighting for the American worker.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., did not respond to a request for comment on whether the committee would consider questioning Lutnick as a part of the committee’s ongoing probe of Epstein and his crimes.

Senate Republicans confirmed half a dozen of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees last week, continuing a quick pace to green-light as many of his picks as possible.

While the Senate GOP is moving fast to confirm Trump’s judicial nominees, the president and some of his allies want to eviscerate an over-century-old tradition in the Senate that provides bipartisan guardrails to the judicial nomination process.

They contend that the blue slip tradition is slowing down Republicans from being able to confirm picks, and that Democrats are holding the process hostage. 

TRUMP DELETES ‘RACIST’ POST AFTER WAVE OF REPUBLICAN BACKLASH, WHITE HOUSE SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW

“Nuking the blue slip would be a huge mistake,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital.

Tillis, like several other Republicans, has argued that the blue slips are a valuable tool of the minority, and that inevitably, the GOP would need to use the tradition to their advantage when Democrats regain control of the upper chamber.

The Senate has confirmed 33 judges since the start of Trump’s second term, a figure that dwarfs the number of total judicial nominees, including U.S. attorneys, district and circuit court judges, moved through the upper chamber during his first go-round in the White House.

TRUMP TAKES AIM AT SENATE ‘BLUE SLIP’ TRADITION AS GOP RESISTS CHANGE

During the first year of his first term, the Senate confirmed 19 Article III nominees, including Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. 

Though Republicans are far ahead of Trump’s first time clip, Democrats under former President Joe Biden still outpaced them in this metric. Biden clocked 42 total judicial nominees confirmed during the first year of his term.

Whether the Senate can outpace Trump’s final total of 234 judicial nominees from his first term remains to be seen, but for now the blue slip appears to be safe. 

Still, Trump sounded off on the practice late last year in the Oval Office, arguing that the GOP should “get rid of blue slips, because, as a Republican President, I am unable to put anybody in office having to do with U.S. attorneys or having to do with judges.”

REPUBLICANS BLAST DEMOCRATS’ TRUMP ELECTION MEDDLING CLAIMS AS HYPOCRITICAL ‘CONSPIRACY THEORY’

Much of his frustration with the tradition, which has been around for over 100 years in the upper chamber, likely stemmed from the nominations of Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan getting derailed by blue slips last year.

He’s taken his frustrations out on Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a vocal proponent of the practice, and other Republicans that want to maintain the tradition. 

Notably, Grassley modified the tradition in 2017 to allow for circuit court judges to skirt the process, further boosting the number of judges Republicans were able to confirm under Trump despite Democratic objections. 

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When asked if the Senate’s pace in confirming judicial nominees further affirmed that the blue slip was here to stay, Grassley told Fox News Digital, “It doesn’t need to be a present question.”

“Because it’s a question of 110 years, and everybody in the Senate wants to maintain the blue slip,” Grassley said.

A federal judge in Georgia has ordered the unsealing of documents tied to an FBI raid that seized 2020 election ballots from a Fulton County facility, potentially shedding new light on the bureau’s investigation.

Judge J.P. Boulee, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2019, gave the government until Tuesday to file the documents, including the search warrant affidavit with redactions.

“Although Petitioners originally filed this case under seal, both parties have now indicated to the Court that they do not oppose unsealing the docket or the motions filed by Petitioners,” Boulee wrote in the order. 

“Moreover, Respondent has stated that it does not oppose the unsealing of the search warrant affidavit and any other papers associated with the warrant subject to the redaction of the names of nongovernmental witnesses,” the order continued.

GEORGIA’S FULTON COUNTY FILES MOTION SEEKING RETURN OF 2020 ELECTION MATERIALS SEIZED BY FBI

The FBI raid took place Jan. 28 at Fulton County’s main election facility in Union City, near Atlanta, and focused on records connected to the 2020 general election. A warrant cover sheet provided to the county listed items agents sought, including ballots, tabulator tapes, electronic ballot images and voter rolls.

Last week, Fulton County officials filed a motion seeking the return of around 656 boxes of original 2020 election materials that the FBI had seized.

TRUMP DOJ DEMANDS MINNESOTA VOTING RECORDS OVER SAME-DAY REGISTRATION ‘VOUCHING’ CONCERNS

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The heavily Democratic Fulton County has come under scrutiny following President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden. Biden carried Georgia, but Trump has insisted that widespread voter fraud contributed to him losing the state. 

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

The War Department announced on Monday morning that the U.S. military boarded a vessel overnight “without incident.”

The department’s post on X noted that the U.S. had “hunted” the ship “from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean.”

“When the @DeptofWar says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world. Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility,” the post explained.

“The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. It ran, and we followed. The Department of War tracked and hunted this vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. No other nation on planet Earth has the capability to enforce its will through any domain. By land, air, or sea, our Armed Forces will find you and deliver justice. You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us,” the post continued.

“The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their proxies the ability to defy American power in the global maritime domain.”

This is a breaking story. Check back here for updates.

Lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are expected to be face-to-face with Ghislaine Maxwell Monday, the notorious accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring with the late billionaire pedophile.

Maxwell is due to appear virtually before the congressional panel at 10 a.m. ET while currently serving out her sentence at a Texas prison. Her deposition will be behind closed doors, meaning it will not be viewed publicly unless the committee chooses to release video footage after the fact.

It’s likely to be a brief engagement, with Maxwell expected to plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions.

DEMOCRATS SAY CLINTONS’ AGREEMENT TO TESTIFY UNDERCUTS SUBPOENA PUSH, WON’T BRING NEW EPSTEIN ANSWERS

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced lawmakers would hear from Maxwell during a meeting on holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear for his Epstein probe.

“We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition. Our lawyers have been saying that she’s going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee,” Comer said last month.

Contempt proceedings against the Clintons stalled, however, after they agreed via their attorneys to appear in person on Capitol Hill just days before the full House of Representatives was expected to vote on referring the pair to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.

Comer’s team had been in a back-and-forth with Maxwell’s attorney for months trying to nail down a date for her to speak to committee lawyers.

He agreed to delay her previous planned deposition in August after her lawyer asked him to wait until after the Supreme Court decided whether it would hear her appeal. The Supreme Court turned down Maxwell’s case in October.

NEW GHISLAINE MAXWELL MUGSHOT INCLUDED IN DOJ’S LATEST EPSTEIN FILES RELEASE

The former British socialite was found guilty in December 2021 of being an accomplice in Epstein’s scheme to sexually traffic and exploit female minors.

The DOJ said at the time of her sentencing that Maxwell “enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways.”

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Epstein had been awaiting trial when he killed himself in a New York City jail in 2019.

Her deposition is part of the House Oversight Committee’s months-long probe into how the government handled Epstein’s case. 

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California have each said that they will visit the Department of Justice on Monday to view unredacted documents from the Epstein files.

The bipartisan duo spearheaded the push to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act last year. 

“The survivors standing in front of the Capitol twice is why @RepThomasMassie & I were able to pass the Epstein Transparency Act. Tomorrow, Massie and I will go together to DOJ to see the unredacted files. We will not rest until the Epstein class is brought to justice,” Khanna declared in a Sunday post on X.

REP THOMAS MASSIE RESPONDS AFTER TRUMP CALLS HIM A ‘MORON’ IN NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST SPEECH

Massie crowdsourced suggestions for which documents he should read.

“Tomorrow I will go to DOJ to view the unredacted Epstein files. Which docs should I view?” the congressman asked in a Sunday post on X.

South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful GOP Rep. Nancy Mace indicated that she was perusing the responses to Massie’s post rather than watching the Super Bowl on Sunday.

KEIR STARMER’S CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS AFTER RECOMMENDING EPSTEIN-CONNECTED AMBASSADOR

“Headed to the DOJ this week as well. Thank you @RepThomasMassie for the post below; very helpful suggestions from all those who chimed in. I am sifting through the comments now in preparation for my visit, rather than watch the Super Bowl,” Mace noted in a post.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who departed from office early last month, responded to Massie’s post.

“Any docs talking about ‘jerky’ and ‘pizza,’” she wrote. “And FBI docs with Presidents, Sec of State, any and all government officials, and people profiting from government contracts. Foreign countries Epstein was working for. Names unredacted. No exceptions.”

BILL CLINTON COMES OUT SWINGING AGAINST COMER FOR REJECTING PUBLIC EPSTEIN HEARING: ‘STOP THE GAMES’

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Massie, Greene, Mace, and GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the only four House Republicans who signed onto a discharge petition last year in a bid to push the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

President Donald Trump, who is backing a GOP primary challenger running against Massie in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, called Massie a “moron” while speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast last week.

President Donald Trump is defending federal law enforcement efforts in Minneapolis, saying crime has fallen sharply after what he described as the removal of “thousands of criminals” from the city.

In an interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas that aired Sunday, Trump said crime in Minneapolis is down as much as 30%, attributing the decline to tougher enforcement.

“The crime numbers in Minnesota, in Minneapolis in particular, are down 25, 30% because we’ve removed thousands of criminals from the area,” Trump said. “These are hardened criminals… Most of them came in through an open border, and we’ve done a great job.”

Operation Metro Surge has sent thousands of immigration agents to Minneapolis and St. Paul, leading to thousands of arrests while also sparking resident resistance and public outrage.

BIDEN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN MINNESOTA, SAYS IT GOES AGAINST AMERICAN VALUES

Trump pointed to other major cities where he said his administration has delivered dramatic results when it comes to crime.

“Look at Washington, D.C.,” Trump said. “It’s like a safe city. You can walk to the White House. You don’t have to take an armored vehicle.”

The president also cited New Orleans, and Memphis, Tennessee, as examples.

“Look at what happened in Louisiana,” Trump said. “I got a call from the governor, ‘Please do something with New Orleans.’ We went there four weeks ago, crime is down 71%.”

MINNESOTA DHS WHISTLEBLOWER DETAILS ‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN’ AFTER REPORTING FRAUD CONCERNS TO STATE

“[In] Memphis, Tennessee, crime is down 80% after five weeks.”

Trump said the trend reflects the success of his administration’s tough-on-crime approach.

“Crime, historically in this country, it’s down [to] the lowest level it’s ever been,” Trump said. “… We’ve had less murders than we have had in decades. And you know why? Because we’re tough on crime.”

Earlier this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said murders in major U.S. cities plunged to their lowest level since at least 1900 as federal arrests, gang takedowns and deportations surged under Trump’s promise to “restore law and order.”

PIRRO CREDITS ‘ENHANCED FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP’ FOR DC’S FIRST HOMICIDE-FREE STRETCH IN DECADES

Trump also told NBC News that he made the decision to pull hundreds of federal law enforcement agents from Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of two city residents last month, saying the Department of Homeland Security could “use a little bit of a softer touch.”

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On Wednesday, White House border czar Tom Homan announced that roughly 700 federal agents would be leaving the Twin Cities, with the goal of a “complete drawdown.”

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch, Ashley Oliver and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE — Detroit native and cultural icon Kid Rock is taking sides in the race for Michigan governor.

The famed musician and entertainer with a working-class persona who is known for his conservative political views is endorsing Republican Rep. John James in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The Michigan governor’s office and a Democrat-controlled open U.S. Senate seat are top targets for the GOP to flip in November’s midterm elections.

“As our next Governor of Michigan, I know you will bring many victories to our GREAT STATE!” Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital on Sunday.

BATTLE FOR THE SENATE: WHERE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP SEATS

James, who’s in his second term representing a swing congressional district in suburban Detroit, said in a statement, “Kid Rock is a good friend. We share our love for Detroit, the state of Michigan and the United States of America!”

“I’m honored to have the endorsement of this unapologetic freedom-loving patriot and I look forward to working with him and every other Michigander to make Michigan great again!” added James, a West Point graduate and veteran of the Iraq War, and a businessman who was the 2018 and 2020 Republican Senate nominee in the Great Lakes battleground state.

Kid Rock’s backing of James comes a couple of hours before the singer and songwriter headlines Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” during the Super Bowl.

HOW TO WATCH THE TURNING POINT USA ALTERNATE HALFTIME SHOW

Turning Point USA, which was co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, is hosting its own alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show this Sunday. The event comes as conservatives criticize the NFL’s choice to feature Latin music star Bad Bunny as the halftime performer.

Kid Rock is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, backing him in all three of his presidential campaigns. He performed his song “American Bad Ass” at the 2024 Republican National Convention with altered lyrics to showcase his support for Trump.

Trump, whose sway over the GOP remains immense and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are highly coveted and extremely influential, to date has not weighed in on Michigan’s gubernatorial race.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

A release from James’s campaign highlighted that “John James has stood with President Trump consistently since 2018, and every subsequent election, maintaining a clear and steady alignment when others backed his opponents, ran against him, or stayed silent.”

The James campaign also emphasized that “Kid Rock and John James share deep Detroit roots and a common view of Michigan as a state defined by hard work, manufacturing, culture, and natural beauty — from the Great Lakes to the communities that power the Midwest economy.”

James is the clear polling front-runner in a very crowded field of Republicans vying for the GOP nomination in the August primary. Among the other Republicans in the race are former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former state House of Representatives Speaker Mike Leonard, and businessman Perry Johnson, a longshot candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination who is making his second bid for governor.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the clear front-runner among three candidates for the Democratic nomination.

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Former three-term Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit is campaigning for governor as an independent.

The race in Michigan is rated a toss-up by three top nonpartisan political handicappers: the Cook Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball.

For the first time in decades, the world’s two largest nuclear superpowers are no longer bound by any treaty limiting their arsenals.

The last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia, known as New START, expired Thursday.

WORLD ENTERS UNCHARTED ERA AS US-RUSSIA NUCLEAR TREATY EXPIRES, OPENING DOOR TO FASTEST ARMS RACE IN DECADES

The lapse removed limits on how many nuclear weapons Washington and Moscow could deploy on missiles, bombers and submarines, and ended the requirement that both sides notify one another whenever nuclear weapons were moved.

The scale of what’s now unconstrained is vast. 

Globally, there are more than 12,200 nuclear weapons spread across nine nuclear-armed nations, according to a recent analysis. The United States and Russia alone account for roughly 10,636 of those weapons.

NO LIMITS, NO INSPECTIONS: US AND RUSSIA FACE POST–NEW START ERA AS TRUMP PUSHES NEW NUCLEAR DEAL

While the exact size of each country’s arsenal is closely guarded, below is a breakdown of estimated nuclear stockpiles, based on data from the Federation of American Scientists. 

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Ahead of the New START agreement’s expiration, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (a badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future.”

He has previously argued that China should be included in any new agreement with Russia, pointing to Beijing’s growing nuclear arsenal, the world’s third largest after the U.S. and Russia.