NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE – The War Department is narrowing its research and development strategy to six “Critical Technology Areas” officials say will speed up innovation and strengthen America’s military edge.

Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said the plan will deliver faster, more focused results to the warfighter by merging overlapping programs and steering funding toward technologies that will shape future conflicts.

“As the Department of War’s Chief Technology Officer, I am statutorily charged with the mission of advancing technology and innovation for the armed forces,” Michael wrote in a Nov. 13 memorandum to senior Pentagon and combatant command leadership. “The previous list of fourteen CTAs did not provide the focus that the threat environment of today requires.”

The six areas—Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy and Scaled Hypersonics — will be advanced through rapid “sprints” designed to move emerging technologies from prototype to production.

ARMY SECRETARY REVEALS HOW RANGERS BYPASS PENTAGON RED TAPE TO COUNTER EXPLODING DRONE THREAT

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the streamlined approach will keep the United States ahead of its rivals.

“Our nation’s military has always been the tip of the spear,” Hegseth said. “Under Secretary Emil Michael’s six Critical Technology Areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality.”

The initiative also aligns with President Donald Trump’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, which directs the War Department to become an “AI-First” organization.

Officials say the shift will reshape how intelligence is processed, how logistics are managed and how weapons systems are deployed.

“In alignment with President Trump’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, the Department of War must become an ‘AI-First’ organization,” Michael wrote. “When adopted rapidly, AI will fundamentally transform the Department from the enterprise-level, to intelligence synthesis and to warfighting.”

WAR DEPARTMENT PUSHES BACK ON ‘FALSE’ NARRATIVE OF INTERNAL STRATEGY SPLIT

Michael’s plan emphasizes resilience and self-sufficiency on the battlefield. Biomanufacturing will create bio-based materials to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, while Contested Logistics Technologies will help U.S. forces sustain operations in contested or denied environments.

The goal, he said, is to ensure troops can fight and resupply even when traditional lines are cut. Each new technology area is meant to reinforce that capability.

“Future warfare will likely be characterized by contested environments in which the Joint Force is challenged to surge, operate into and within the operational theater, and resupply, reconstitute, and recover forces,” Michael wrote. “This CTA will enable the demonstration, validation, and scaling of novel approaches and technologies.”

HEGSETH SHREDS SOVIET-STYLE BUREAUCRACY AND ‘FIVE-YEAR PLANS’ GOVERNING PENTAGON

Other priorities include quantum computing for secure battlefield communications, scaled directed energy systems such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons, and the expansion of hypersonic capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions.

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Each effort depends on close coordination between the Pentagon, private industry and allied militaries to ensure the technologies reach the field quickly.

“Executing these sprints will require unprecedented coordination between the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, military departments, combatant commands and other Office of the Secretary of War components,” Michael said. “I am committed to working with you and our partners inside and outside of the Department on these efforts.”

President Donald Trump blasted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in a Sunday Truth Social post, calling her a “Traitor” to the United States after the Georgia Republican described the president’s prior broadsides against her as “a dog whistle to dangerous radicals.”

“Wacky Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown (Remember, Green turns to Brown where there is ROT involved!) is working overtime to try and portray herself as a victim when, in actuality, she is the cause of all of her own problems. The fact is, nobody cares about this Traitor to our Country!” the president asserted.

The president has repeatedly targeted Greene in recent Truth Social posts, but the congresswoman has been pushing back against the president’s attacks.

MARJORIE GREENE SAYS TRUMP’S ‘TRAITOR’ LABEL COULD PUT HER LIFE IN DANGER

“The hoax pizza deliveries have started now, to my house and my family members. Update: we also received a pipe bomb threat on my construction companies office building. President Trump’s unwarranted and vicious attacks against me were a dog whistle to dangerous radicals that could lead to serious attacks on me and my family,” she declared in part of a Sunday post on X, before the president later blasted her again in the Truth Social post.

“I am not a traitor. However, when the President of the United States irresponsibly calls a Member of Congress of his own party, traitor, he is signaling what must be done to a traitor. I fought harder than anyone to help President Trump get elected and I support his administration and the promises we made on the campaign,” she asserted in another part of the post.

In a post on Friday, Trump floated the possibility of backing a primary challenger against Greene.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE HOPES TO ‘MAKE UP’ WITH TRUMP AMID ONGOING FEUD

“I am withdrawing my support and Endorsement of ‘Congresswoman’ Marjorie Taylor Greene, of the Great State of Georgia,” the president declared in part of the post. “I understand that wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie in her District of Georgia, that they too are fed up with her and her antics and, if the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support.” 

In a post on Saturday, he blasted her as a “RINO,” an acronym which stands for Republican in name only.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE APOLOGIZES FOR TAKING PART IN ‘TOXIC POLITICS’ AMID TRUMP ATTACKS

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In another Truth Social post on Saturday, he declared, “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green is a disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!”

President Donald Trump is set to host Saudi Arabia’s ambitious and influential Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House this week for high-level talks aimed at deepening economic and defense ties.

“We’re more than meeting,” Trump said on Friday en route to Florida for the weekend. “We’re honoring Saudi Arabia, the crown prince.”

While not formally a state visit, the plans include a welcome ceremony with military bands, a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office and a black-tie dinner in the evening.

TRUMP’S GRAND PEACE STRATEGY IS BEARING FRUIT, IN MIDDLE EAST AND AROUND THE WORLD

Prince Mohammed bin Salman serves as the kingdom’s powerful understudy to his 89-year-old father, King Salman. Widely regarded as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, he manages nearly all daily affairs of state and frequently represents the kingdom in international summits and diplomatic meetings.

Tuesday’s meetings will mark Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s first visit to the White House in more than seven years. Trump said last week that he plans to discuss strengthening ties with the Saudi leader and hopes the kingdom will move toward formally recognizing Israel.

“The Abraham Accords will be a part we’re going to be discussing,” Trump told reporters Friday. “I hope that Saudi Arabia will be joining the Abraham Accords fairly soon.”

Such a move would build on Trump’s signature foreign-policy initiative, the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations during his presidency.

The crown prince last visited the White House in 2018, just months before Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident journalist and critic of the kingdom, was murdered at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. 

WHITE HOUSE DECLASSIFIES JAMAL KHASHOGGI REPORT BLAMING SAUDI CROWN PRINCE FOR JOURNALIST’S DEATH

A subsequent CIA assessment concluded the prince had likely ordered the killing, though he has consistently denied involvement. Even so, Trump’s relationship with the crown prince appeared largely undeterred during his first term.

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Trump last met the crown prince during his first state visit of his second term to Riyadh in May, where he was welcomed with a fighter jet escort, an honor guard wielding golden swords and a parade of Arabian horses flanking his limousine.

The Trump administration is also expected to finalize an agreement with bin Salman to allow Riyadh to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing a White House official.

The two leaders are expected to sign several other economic and defense agreements during the crown prince’s visit to the White House on Tuesday, the report added.

President Donald Trump says New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will soon meet with him at the White House following his election win earlier this month.

Trump said Mamdani reached out to the White House with interest in a meeting, and the president says, “We’ll work something out.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said no date has been set for a meeting so far.

“The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us and we’ll work something out. But he would like to come to Washington and meet, and we’ll work something out. We want to see everything work out well for New York,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to return to Washington from Florida on Sunday.

Trump railed against Mamdani’s campaign for mayor ahead of Election Day, condemning him as a “communist,” and going so far as to endorse former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the final days of the race.

MAMDANI VOWS TO DEFY TRUMP IN FIERY FINAL MARCH FROM BROOKLYN BRIDGE TO CITY HALL AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY

“Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!” Trump wrote to his followers on Election Day.

“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!” the president asserted.

Mamdani’s victory has teed up a standoff between the Big Apple and the White House, as Mamdani has vowed to curb Trump’s immigration agenda at every possible turn. Trump, meanwhile, has threatened to cut off federal funding if Mamdani does not cooperate.

CUOMO SAYS TRUMP WILL DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD, SLASH NYC FUNDS IF MAMDANI WINS MAYOR’S RACE

“If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home, because of the fact that, as a Communist, this once great City has ZERO chance of success, or even survival!” Trump wrote earlier this month.

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“It can only get worse with a Communist at the helm, and I don’t want to send, as President, good money after bad. It is my obligation to run the Nation, and it is my strong conviction that New York City will be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win,” he added.

President Trump is calling on House Republicans to vote to release files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, insisting he has “nothing to hide” and accusing Democrats of using the case as a distraction from GOP accomplishments.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump urged House Republicans to vote in favor of releasing the documents, describing the controversy as a “Democrat hoax perpetrated by radical left lunatics.”

“As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown,'” Trump wrote.

WHITE HOUSE SLAMS DEMS’ ‘BAD-FAITH’ EPSTEIN DOC RELEASE AS DEMAND FOR FILES INTENSIFIES

Trump pointed to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) previous release of thousands of pages of Epstein-related documents. 

He also noted that the agency is investigating possible ties between Epstein and “Democrat operatives” including former President Bill Clinton, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

“The House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE!” Trump said.

He added, “All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT, which is the Economy, ‘Affordability’ (where we are winning BIG!), our Victory on reducing Inflation from the highest level in History to practically nothing, bringing down prices for the American People, delivering Historic Tax Cuts, gaining Trillions of Dollars of Investment into America (A RECORD!), the rebuilding of our Military, securing our Border, deporting Criminal Illegal Aliens, ending Men in Women’s Sports, stopping Transgender for Everyone, and so much more!”

EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS RAISE NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP CONDUCT AS HE DENOUNCES DEMOCRATS

Trump also argued that if the Democrats “had anything,” it would have surfaced prior to last year’s presidential election.

“Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory,” Trump said. “Some ‘members’ of the Republican Party are being ‘used,’ and we can’t let that happen. Let’s start talking about the Republican Party’s Record Setting Achievements, and not fall into the Epstein ‘TRAP,’ which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

AG BONDI ANNOUNCES DOJ INVESTIGATION INTO BILL CLINTON, OTHER DEMOCRATS OVER ALLEGED EPSTEIN TIES

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday the DOJ would probe prominent Democrats after new emails revealed ties to Epstein.

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In an X post Friday afternoon, Bondi said Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, would take the lead on the investigation.

“Clayton is one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country,” Bondi wrote in the post. “As with all matters, the Department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman and Larry Summers for comment.

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

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro wants talks with the U.S. as tensions mount between the nations, but stressed that he has not planned or authorized any land-based military strikes against the South American nation.

Speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Trump said a recent U.S. designation of a Venezuelan-linked cartel gives the government the authority to target Maduro’s assets or infrastructure. He added that while such actions are possible, no decision has been made.

“It allows us to do that,” Trump said. “But we haven’t said we’re going to do that…we may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk.”

TRUMP NEXT EYES ‘LAND’ IN DRUG WAR, WARNS CARTEL BOATS ARE ‘NOT FASTER THAN MISSILES’

The president said his administration is keeping Congress informed about ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking through Venezuela and Mexico but emphasized that he does not need lawmakers’ approval to act. He said communication with Congress is meant to keep them aware, not to seek authorization.

Trump added that he told Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials to meet with lawmakers and convey that the U.S. will not allow narcotics to flow through either country.

“We like to keep Congress involved,” he said. “I mean, we’re stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country.”

TRUMP AGREES MADURO’S DAYS AS VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT ARE NUMBERED IN ‘60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW

Trump warned members of Congress not to leak sensitive details about U.S. operations that could endanger military or intelligence personnel. Trump said he supports transparency but acknowledged that sharing classified information could put American lives at risk.

“The only thing I don’t want them to do is leak information that’s very important and confidential,” he said. “And they put our military at risk or whoever is doing, you know, CIA, military, etc.”

Trump said several countries are backing U.S. efforts to pressure Venezuela, describing the campaign as part of a broader fight against narcotics and illegal immigration. He accused the Maduro regime of releasing violent prisoners into the United States and said his administration is removing them.

TRUMP SAYS VENEZUELA’S MADURO DOESN’T WANT TO ‘F*** AROUND’ WITH THE US

“Yeah, we have great support because it’s all about drugs,” he said. “Well, in Venezuela’s case, it’s about drugs, and it’s also about thousands, hundreds of thousands, of people that they’ve released into our country.”

He said the Biden administration bears responsibility for what he called a historic border crisis, pointing to the influx of migrants and criminals who entered under the previous administration.

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“Our country is doing so well,” Trump said. “But what the Biden administration did to our country should never be forgotten.”

“The single worst thing they did is allow 20 or 25 million people to pour into our country,” he continued. “People from prisons, drug dealers, mental institutions, bad people, gang members – to allow that to happen to the United States, totally unchecked and unvetted,should never be forgotten.”

The Senate did not drag out final passage of the interim spending bill to end the government shutdown.

Oh, you may think that happened. Especially after the Senate broke a filibuster on the bill just before 11 p.m. ET Sunday night. So why didn’t the Senate just go immediately to final passage? After all, the plan had to go to the House. Flight delays were piling up. Federal workers were at the end of their rope, going without paychecks. SNAP benefits were in limbo. So why not just step it up?

Well, it’s more complicated than that. And believe it or not, the Senate kind of did step it up.

At least from the Senate’s perspective.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: PAUL STANDS FIRM AGAINST SPENDING BILL AS SHUTDOWN CLOCK TICKS

There were several Senate factions not ready to vote right away to end the shutdown last Sunday. It was clear the Senate would eventually pass the bill to fund the government. That’s to say nothing of the worsening impacts of the shutdown on a nearly hourly basis.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican who broke with his party and voted no on the test vote to break a filibuster on the deal to re-open the government. Paul voted nay because he wanted a change in the bill regarding hemp.

The measure prevents “unregulated sales” of “intoxicating hemp-based” products at gas stations and small retailers. It preserves the sale of non-intoxicating CBD in other hemp-related products.

So, if the Senate got 60 votes Sunday night to break the filibuster and only needs 51 to pass the bill, why was the Senate stymied by Paul or even others?

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told reporters there was a senator asking for a vote on an amendment that would hold members’ pay in escrow during future government shutdowns. This would be in addition to Paul, asking for a vote on an amendment related to hemp policy. 

Paul’s request was previously known. But this additional ask underscores the precarious balance of any unanimous consent agreement in the Senate. Once one senator gets something, others are likely to ask for something for themselves.

Paul told reporters that he believed leadership was happy to give him his vote. But Paul said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., blocked that for a short period.

Meanwhile, Mullin said Democrats went “radio silent” on whether they were willing to yield back debate time to speed up consideration of the bill. Any one senator could drag this process out for days, so their cooperation would be crucial in bringing the shutdown to a quick end. 

It’s about speed.

Buckle down for this next part. It gets complicated.

SENATE DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS REACH DEAL TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

The vote on Sunday night was on breaking a filibuster to proceed to the original House-passed spending measure from September. That needed 60 yeas.

Therefore, the Senate had just broken a filibuster to begin work on the bill. That’s all.

By rule, the Senate can run out 30 hours of debate after breaking the filibuster, unless Paul relents. That would have gotten us to a minor procedural vote to actually get on the bill by dawn last Tuesday morning.

That is, unless there was an agreement with Paul – or for that matter – other Democratic senators to expedite things.

But wait. There’s more.

The intention of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., – and this was done with a wink and a nod to secure an agreement on Sunday – was for him to file what’s called a “substitute” amendment. A substitute simply removes the House’s old bill text and replaces it with the new spending package.

But because this is a substitute amendment, Thune must then “file cloture” to break a filibuster on that. By rule, Thune could not do that until this past Tuesday. Cloture petitions require an intervening day before ripening. So that means the Senate could not vote to break a filibuster on the substitute (e.g. the new bill) until last Thursday. Again, that needs 60 yeas. And if there was no deal, the Senate could bleed out another clock before voting yes or no on the substitute. Presumably, that would have been on Friday.

But we’re not done yet.

TRUMP ENDS SHUTDOWN, FACES BACKLASH AND MAKES SURPRISE EPSTEIN MOVE AMID CHAOTIC WEEK

If the Senate would have adopted the new text on Friday, then Thune would have had to file cloture again on the underlying bill, wait a day (Saturday) and then have a vote to break a filibuster on that (again needing 60) on Sunday.

This scenario meant that the Senate would finally pass the newly revamped spending bill on Monday. And it would mean that the House would not have tackled the bill until this coming Tuesday or Wednesday.

So that really would have stretched out the government shutdown.

That said, this was probably never going to happen. That’s just doing things by the book.

But it’s also why it was in the interest of Thune to get a deal with Paul to accelerate things. Otherwise, Paul or the Democrats who oppose the bill could have slowed things down and extended the shutdown.

But consider for a moment that if the left really wanted Democrats to stand and fight, there’s a group of core Democrats who are upset that their party relented. But then again, they had an opportunity to stretch out the shutdown and opted not to do so. There was also a smattering of Democrats who were more than happy to have others vote to open the government – even though they wanted to do so but weren’t willing to vote yes. They relied on the yes votes – or courage – of their colleagues.

And Paul was upset at the hemp provision.

“It’s really contemptuous,” said Paul of the hemp issue. “I’m not looking to hold things up. I’m looking to try to get things done.”

Paul said his “goal is to condense the time.” He got just that – a vote to strip out the hemp provision. But senators blocked it. And without significant Democratic protestations, the Senate approved the bill on Monday without deep delays.

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So they didn’t really drag things out. Truth be told, most lawmakers were done with the shutdown and wanted to end it quickly – regardless of their politics.

But they’ll have another opportunity when the next round of funding expires on Jan. 30.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday that the Cartel de los Soles, a powerful criminal network tied to Venezuela’s top leadership, will be labeled as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). 

The move appears to be an escalation in Washington’s stance toward the Venezuelan government and could lead to military action against the Maduro regime. 

In a statement, Rubio confirmed the U.S. will formally designate the cartel as an FTO later this month.

The designation, which is to take effect Nov. 24, targets the criminal network allegedly led by Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and senior members of his regime.

TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’ 

According to the State Department, “Based in Venezuela, the Cartel de los Soles is headed by Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking individuals of the illegitimate Maduro regime who have corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary.”

“Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela’s legitimate government,” the statement read.

“The Cartel de los Soles, in coordination with other terrorist organizations including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, is responsible for terrorist violence across our hemisphere and for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”

RUBIO PROMISES MORE STRIKES ON VENEZUELAN CARTELS: ‘WE’RE NOT GOING TO SIT BACK ANYMORE’

The announced action is being taken under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the State Department to designate foreign entities engaged in terrorist activity. 

The designation will become official once it’s published in the Federal Register.

The Cartel de los Soles had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorism.

TRUMP ADMIN TELLS CONGRESS IT DETERMINED US ENGAGED IN FORMAL ‘ARMED CONFLICT’ WITH ‘TERRORIST’ DRUG CARTELS

In an accompanying post on X, Rubio said:

.@StateDept intends to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Headed by the illegitimate Nicolás Maduro, the group has corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela and is responsible for terrorist violence conducted by and with other designated FTOs as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.

The statement came as President Trump reiterated that the U.S. was intent on stopping drug dealers and drugs filtering into the country.

“We’re stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country,” Trump told reporters Sunday night.

WASHINGTON’S SHADOW WAR: HOW STRIKES ON CARTELS THREATEN TO COLLAPSE MADURO’S REGIME

“And I actually told Marco and some of the people are Secretary of state is doing a great job, by the way. I said, ‘go to Congress and let them know we’re not letting drugs come through Mexico. We’re not letting them come through Venezuela,'” he added.

Trump’s comments came just after he said that the government may be having discussions with Venezuela as well as confirming whether the new cartel designation would mean the U.S. government could now target Maduro’s assets or infrastructure.

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“It allows us to do that,” Trump confirmed while mentioning talks with the Venezuelan leader.

“We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk,’ he said before adding, “We’ll see what happens.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of State for comment.

U.S. forces carried out a lethal strike Saturday on a narcotics vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization in the Eastern Pacific, killing three suspected narco-terrorists in international waters, according to U.S. Southern Command.

The strike brings the total number of suspected narco-terrorists killed to 82, with three survivors, in an ongoing U.S. campaign targeting drug-smuggling vessels tied to designated terrorist groups.

In a post on X, U.S. Southern Command said intelligence confirmed the vessel hit in Thursday’s strike was smuggling narcotics along a known trafficking route. The command described the strike as a “lethal kinetic operation” conducted in international waters as part of a broader effort to disrupt transnational criminal networks.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced the official launch of Operation Southern Spear, a new mission targeting narco-terror networks across Latin America.

US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORISTS IN 16TH EASTERN PACIFIC STRIKE, HEGSETH SAYS

Hegseth said on X that U.S. Southern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Spear will lead the mission to defend the homeland and dismantle narco-terrorist networks across the Western Hemisphere.

“This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” Hegseth said.

The U.S. carried out its 20th strike on suspected drug-trafficking boats last week, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, according to a Pentagon official.

WATCH: COAST GUARD SEIZES COCAINE, SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORISTS IN PACIFIC VIPER RAID

Since early September, strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean have destroyed dozens of vessels, many tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional.

The campaign began Sept. 2 with a strike that killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and continued through October and November with a series of targeted operations that eliminated dozens more across known trafficking routes.

CHINA MOVES INTO VENEZUELA AS MADURO REGIME GETS BEIJING LIFELINE AMID US TENSIONS

U.S. forces have hit submersibles, fishing boats, and high-speed vessels, including one ELN-affiliated craft that drew criticism from Colombia’s president after three men were killed.

Several strikes took place near Venezuela’s coast, while others occurred in the Eastern Pacific, where most recent operations have been concentrated.

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The Navy previously announced it would lead Operation Southern Spear under the U.S. 4th Fleet and Southern Command, employing “long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical takeoff and landing robotic air vessels.”

Fox News Digital’s Mitch Picasso contributed to this report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced new efforts to “clean up” the nation’s energy sector amid a corruption scandal and near-constant attacks from Russia.

Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Sunday morning, saying he called on lawmakers to revamp the leadership at the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate and the State Energy Supervision Inspectorate, in addition to other efforts to expunge Russian influence in the sector.

“In full coordination with law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies, ensure the renewal of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency and to promptly complete the competition for the position of Head of ARMA so that the new Head of the Agency can be selected by the end of this year,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

He further called on lawmakers to “promptly conduct an audit and prepare for sale the assets and shares in assets that belonged to Russian entities and to collaborators who fled to Russia. All such assets must operate one hundred percent in Ukraine’s interests – to support our defense and to contribute to Ukraine’s budget.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STAYS SILENT AS MASSIVE UKRAINE CORRUPTION SCANDAL ROCKS ZELENSKYY’S INNER CIRCLE

The new energy initiative also comes after a former associate of Zelenskyy’s was accused of being the mastermind behind a $100 million embezzlement scheme involving nuclear energy.

Tymur Mindich, who was once Zelenskyy’s business partner, was identified by Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs as being the orchestrator of a scheme involving top officials and Ukraine’s state nuclear power company. Prior to the scandal, some feared Mindich’s growing influence over Ukraine’s lucrative industries that he had access to because of his ties to Zelenskyy.

Mindich allegedly exerted control over loyalists who then pressured contractors for Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear power company, demanding kickbacks to bypass bureaucratic obstacles. The requested kickbacks were reportedly as high as 15%.

Zelenskyy himself was not implicated in the investigation.

FORMER ZELENSKYY ASSOCIATE ACCUSED IN $100 MILLION EMBEZZLEMENT SCHEME

The new effort comes as Zelenskyy says that his team is “working to ensure another start to negotiations” on ending the war with Russia.

“We are also counting on the resumption of POW exchanges – many meetings, negotiations, and calls are currently taking place to ensure this. I thank everyone who is helping. Thank you to everybody who stands with Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote.

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Ukraine’s president further said that he is preparing for a full week of diplomacy with Greece, France and Spain, as well as renewed negotiations over prisoner of war exchanges with Russia.

Zelenskyy will meet with officials in Greece on Sunday to discuss natural gas imports, while talks with France on Monday and Spain on Tuesday will center on bolstering Ukrainian air defenses.

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

From new stealth bombers to AI-enabled drones, the U.S. and China are reshaping airpower for a Pacific showdown — each betting its technology can keep the other out of the skies.

The U.S. is charging ahead with its next-generation F-47 fighter, while China scrambles to catch up with jets designed to match the F-35 and F-22.

After a brief program pause in 2024, the Air Force awarded Boeing the contract in March for the F-47, a manned sixth-generation fighter meant to anchor America’s next air superiority fleet. The first flight is expected in 2028.

At the same time, the B-21 Raider, the stealth successor to the B-2, is deep into testing at Edwards Air Force Base. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 Raiders — each built to survive inside heavily defended Chinese airspace.

The Pentagon is also betting on Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCAs — drones designed to fly alongside fighters as “loyal wingmen.” Prototypes from Anduril and General Atomics are already in the air. Officials say CCAs will let one pilot control several drones at once.

China outpaces the rest of the world in the commercial drone market, but that doesn’t necessarily give it the advantage from a military perspective. 

“I’m not sure that’s really true. In terms of high-end military drones that are really important to this fight, the U.S. still has a pretty significant edge.” said Eric Heginbotham, a research scientist at MIT’s Center for International Studies. 

He pointed to the Air Force’s stealth reconnaissance platforms — the RQ-170 and RQ-180 — and upcoming “loyal wingman” drones designed to fly with fighters as proof that the U.S. still leads in advanced integration and stealth technology.

HIGH STAKES ON THE HIGH SEAS AS US, CHINA TEST LIMITS OF MILITARY POWER

China’s leap forward

China’s airpower modernization has accelerated as the U.S. reshapes its force. Beijing has zeroed in on three priorities — stealth, engines, and carriers — the areas that long held its military back.

The Chengdu J-20, China’s flagship stealth fighter, is being fitted with the new WS-15 engine, a home-built powerplant meant to rival U.S. engines.

“It took them a while to get out of the blocks on fifth generation, especially to get performance anywhere near where U.S. fifth gen was,” Heginbotham said. “The J-20 really does not have a lot of the performance features that even the F-22 does, and we’ve had the F-22 for a long time.”

Meanwhile, China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was commissioned this fall — the first with electromagnetic catapults similar to U.S. Ford-class carriers. The move signals Beijing’s ambition to launch stealth jets from sea and project power well beyond its coast.

Together, the J-20, the carrier-based J-35, and the Fujian give China a layered airpower network — stealth jets on land and at sea backed by growing missile coverage.

Chinese military writings identify airfields as critical vulnerabilities. PLA campaign manuals call for striking runways early in a conflict to paralyze enemy air operations before they can begin. Analysts believe a few days of concentrated missile fire could cripple U.S. bases across Japan, Okinawa, and Guam.

“The U.S. bases that are forward deployed—particularly on Okinawa, but also on the Japanese mainland and on Guam—are exposed to Chinese missile attack,” said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “In our war games, the Chinese would periodically sweep these air bases with missiles and destroy dozens, in some cases even hundreds, of U.S. aircraft.”

Heginbotham said that missile-heavy strategy grew directly out of China’s early airpower weakness.

“They didn’t think that they could gain air superiority in a straight-up air-to-air fight,” he said. “So you need another way to get missiles out — and that another way is by building a lot of ground launchers.”

Different strategies, same goal

The two militaries are taking different paths to the same target: air dominance over the Pacific.

The U.S. approach relies on smaller numbers of highly advanced aircraft linked by sensors and artificial intelligence. The goal: strike first, from long range, and survive in contested skies.

China’s model depends on volume — mass-producing fighters, missiles, and carrier sorties to overwhelm U.S. defenses and logistics.

“U.S. fighter aircraft—F-35s, F-15s, F-22s—are relatively short-legged, so they have to get close to Taiwan if they’re going to be part of the fight,” Cancian said. “They can’t fight from Guam, and they certainly can’t fight from further away. So if they’re going to fight, they have to be inside that Chinese defensive bubble.”

Both sides face the same challenge: surviving inside that bubble. China’s expanding missile range is pushing U.S. aircraft farther from the fight, while American bombers and drones are designed to break back in.

The fight to survive

Heginbotham said survivability — not dogfighting — will define the next decade of air competition.

“We keep talking about aircraft as if it’s going to be like World War II — they go up, they fight each other. That’s not really our problem,” he said. “Our problem is the air bases themselves and the fact that aircraft can be destroyed on the air base.”

US NAVY SEA HAWK HELICOPTER, F/A-18F SUPER HORNET FIGHTER JET GO DOWN IN SEPARATE SOUTH CHINA SEA INCIDENTS

China, he warned, is preparing for that reality while the U.S. is not.

“They practice runway strikes in exercises, they’re modeling this stuff constantly,” Heginbotham said. “Unlike the United States, China is hardening its air bases. The U.S. is criminally negligent in its refusal to harden its air bases.”

Cancian’s war-game findings echo that vulnerability. He said U.S. surface ships and aircraft would likely have to fall back under missile fire in the opening days of a conflict.

“At the initial stages of a conflict, China would have a distinct advantage,” Cancian said. “Now, over time, the U.S. would be able to reinforce its forces, and that would change.”

Looking ahead

The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026–27 budget will determine how fast the U.S. can build out its F-47s, B-21s, and CCAs — systems that will shape American airpower through the 2030s.

China’s rapid modernization is closing what was once a wide gap, but the U.S. still holds advantages in stealth integration, combat experience, and autonomous systems.

“The ability to protect our aircraft, whatever form those aircraft take, on the ground is going to be central to our ability to fight in the Asia theater,” Heginbotham said.

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“Survivability is going to be key … The ability to protect and disperse your firepower is going to be central to whether we can really stay in this game.”

For decades, U.S. air dominance was taken for granted. In the Pacific, that advantage is no longer guaranteed. 

Former first lady Michelle Obama said Americans are “not ready” to elect a woman to the White House, citing former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential election loss to President Donald Trump.

Obama made the comments to a crowd of women at the Brooklyn Academy of Music while promoting her new book, “The Look.”

“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” she said on Friday.

MICHELLE OBAMA RELEASING STYLE BOOK AFTER LOOKS ‘CONSTANTLY DISSECTED’ IN WHITE HOUSE

“That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not,” she continued.

The former first lady went on to say that she does not believe men in America are comfortable with a woman leading them.

“You know, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do, and there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it,” Obama said.

HARRIS REVEALS CRUDE HYPOTHETICALS ON ABORTION, VIAGRA REHEARSED BEFORE TRUMP DEBATE

In her book, which was released on Nov. 4, Obama touches on her journey with fashion, hair and beauty, as well as her time in the White House as the first Black woman to serve as first lady. She wrote that women in politics are often judged based on their physical appearance instead of their ability to lead.

“During our family’s time in the White House, the way I looked was constantly being dissected — what I wore, how my hair was styled. For a while now, I’ve been wanting to reclaim more of that story, to share it in my own way. I’m thankful to be at a stage in life where I feel comfortable expressing myself freely — wearing what I love and doing what feels true to me. And I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned along the way,” Obama wrote on Facebook in June while promoting her book ahead of its release.

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“‘The Look’ is about more than fashion. It’s about confidence. It’s about identity. It’s about the power of authenticity. My hope is that this book sparks conversation and reflection about the ways we see ourselves — and the way our society defines beauty,” she added.

Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman is firing back after photos went viral appearing to show him viewing explicit images on a tablet while aboard a flight, prompting swift online backlash.

Images posted to X Friday appeared to show the California congressman, 71, staring at a tablet with his mouth agape while scrolling through photos of women in their underwear.

“Why did California Congressman Brad Sherman feel it was appropriate to look at porn on his iPad during a flight today?” one X post said.

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The post had amassed 12.4 million views as of Saturday evening.

Sherman denied the allegations, and a spokesperson for the congressman told Fox News Digital the pictures appeared because of his algorithm on X, formerly Twitter.

“This was nothing more than scrolling through Twitter, and, unfortunately, Elon Musk has ruined the Twitter algorithm to give people content that they don’t ask for or subscribe to,” a spokesperson for Sherman told Fox News Digital in an email.

Sherman similarly told Punchbowl News the images appeared on his X feed under the “For You” section of X, a page that shows recommended content.

“This was on Twitter. These pictures came up on ‘For You’,” Sherman told Punchbowl News, adding he viewed a variety of posts during his cross-country flight.

“If you have to fly across the country, you look at a lot of stuff on your tablet,” he said.

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“If I see a picture of a woman, might I look at it longer than a sunset? Yeah.”

When asked whether he thought the content was appropriate to view on a plane, Sherman told Punchbowl News, “Is it pornography? I don’t think Elon Musk thinks so. Is it appropriate? No.”

The images quickly drew widespread reactions across social media.

Donald Trump Jr. responded to the viral post with, “Yikes!!!!”

EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS RAISE NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP CONDUCT AS HE DENOUNCES DEMOCRATS

Firing back at Donald Trump Jr., Sherman posted an edited version of the photo showing his iPad screen replaced with the words, “Release the Epstein files.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., also weighed in, writing, “I don’t want to hear a single peep from anyone in/around Congress, or the media, [about] how I stroll through an airport ever again.”

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Mace recently demanded the resignation of Charleston Airport CEO Elliot Summey and threatened legal action after airport officials accused her of mistreating staff.

X did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Conservative commentator Laura Loomer set off a fresh wave of speculation Saturday by openly teasing a possible move to Georgia after President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in a blistering late-night Truth Social post.

Loomer, a staunch Trump ally with roughly 1.8 million followers on X, posted that the President told her he wanted Greene “primaried,” then asked her audience a pointed question:

“Should I move to Georgia?”

Her post, paired with Trump’s Truth Social message calling Greene a “ranting lunatic,” immediately triggered questions about whether Loomer is positioning herself as a potential challenger in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District.

TRUMP DROPS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ENDORSEMENT, CALLS HER A ‘RANTING LUNATIC,’ HINTS AT BACKING PRIMARY RIVAL

Greene has not responded to Loomer’s posts.

Loomer and Greene have publicly attacked each other throughout the year, with their exchanges escalating sharply since summer. In August, the two clashed over Loomer’s criticism of Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg, sparking a days-long volley of insults.

Saturday’s posts show Loomer revisiting and escalating those accusations. She described Greene as “no friend to MAGA,” accused her of disloyalty dating back to 2021, and resurfaced claims about Greene’s political alliances during the 2022 midterms.

TRUMP GIVES EX-ALLY GREENE NEW NICKNAME AFTER DROPPED ENDORSEMENT, SAYS SHE BETRAYED ‘ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY’

Several of Loomer’s follow-up posts Saturday referenced Greene receiving public support from Democrats, adding fuel to an already volatile public feud.

Trump’s public break with Greene, which he delivered in a lengthy statement late Friday, removed one of the Georgia Republican’s most valuable political assets: the president’s personal endorsement.

In his post, Trump said Greene had become consumed with “complaining,” claimed she had “turned left” politically, and said conservative voters in Georgia were already considering a primary challenge. He added that he would give “Complete and Unyielding Support” to the “right person” who enters the race.

Trump did not name any potential challengers.

While Loomer has not announced a campaign, her suggestion of a possible move to Georgia came within hours of Trump’s statement and quickly fueled speculation online that she could test the waters.

If Loomer relocates and enters the 2026 primary, it would pit two highly visible right-wing firebrands against each other in one of the most closely watched House districts in the country.

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Georgia’s 14th District remains deeply conservative, meaning the primary is typically the decisive contest. A high-profile rivalry amplified by Trump’s public intervention would almost certainly attract national attention, campaign money, and intense media coverage.

For now, Loomer has offered no formal announcement, only the question.

Border czar Tom Homan slammed the Catholic Church on Friday, saying its opposition to mass deportations undermines U.S. law enforcement and costs lives.

“The Catholic Church is wrong,” Homan said. “I’m sorry. I’m a lifelong Catholic. I’m saying it not only as a border czar — I’ll say it as a Catholic. They need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my opinion.”

Homan made the remarks at the White House when asked about the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which this week condemned President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and warned of “a climate of fear and anxiety” around immigration enforcement, according to Reuters.

HOMAN BLASTS CRITICS, HAILS BORDER PATROL CHIEF GREG BOVINO AS ‘PATRIOT’ AFTER FIERY CHICAGO TEAR GAS HEARING

The bishops’ statement followed recent comments from Pope Leo, who called for “deep reflection” on how migrants are being treated under Trump, whose administration has aggressively carried out mass deportations, according to Reuters.

Homan urged the Church to “fix itself” before criticizing U.S. immigration policy and accused faith leaders of hypocrisy, noting that the Vatican imposes harsh penalties for trespassing on its grounds.

“So according to them, the message we should send to the whole world is that if you cross the border illegally, which is a crime, don’t worry about it,” Homan said.

TOM HOMAN CALLS OUT ‘MORNING JOE’ HOST FOR ACCUSING ICE AGENTS OF DISAPPEARING PEOPLE

“If you get ordered removed by a federal judge after due process, don’t worry about us, because there should not be mass deportations. Is that the message you send to the whole world?”

Homan said the Trump administration’s immigration policy “saves lives” and is more humane than the Biden administration’s approach.

He argued that desperate migrants often rely on violent cartels to smuggle them across the border in hazardous conditions, claiming that more than 4,000 migrants died during those journeys, while thousands of Americans died from fentanyl smuggled across the border.

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“Secure border saves lives. I wish the Catholic Church would understand that,” Homan said. 

“We have a right to secure our borders, just like they have a right to secure their facility. You can’t enter their facility without getting arrested. The penalties for entering their facility are much worse than ours.”

Homan added that the U.S. has “the most secure border in the history of this nation,” because of strict enforcement under ICE.

Indiana Senate Republicans are refusing to return for a December redistricting session sought by President Donald Trump — a decision first reported Friday by the Indiana Capital Chronicle and one that marks a notable break from Trump’s political operation as states prepare for the 2026 midterms.

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said in a written statement that there were not enough votes within the GOP caucus to reopen Indiana’s congressional map, according to the Chronicle. Lawmakers had been expected to reconvene Dec. 1 for what would have been an unusual mid-decade attempt to redraw all nine congressional districts.

“Over the last several months, Senate Republicans have given very serious and thoughtful consideration to the concept of redrawing our state’s congressional maps,” Bray said, according to the Chronicle. “There are not enough votes to move that idea forward.”

Gov. Mike Braun had called for lawmakers to meet in November to take up redistricting and argued that Republicans should add additional GOP-leaning districts before Democrats in other states complete their own mapping changes.

TRUMP-BACKED MAP VICTORY IN MISSOURI COULD TRIGGER REDISTRICTING BATTLES IN THESE STATES 

He urged lawmakers to “show up and do the right thing,” according to a statement released by his office.

Indiana’s current map, drawn by Republicans in 2021, gives the GOP a 7-2 congressional advantage. Redistricting supporters had wanted lawmakers to craft a map in which all nine districts favored Republicans based on 2020 Census data.

The push came after months of pressure from Trump allies, including strategist Marty Obst, who now leads the group Fair Maps Indiana. Obst told the Chronicle that Bray “blocked the special session” and warned that “decisions have consequences.”

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Eight Republican state senators had publicly opposed redistricting, while 13 had expressed support, the Chronicle reported. Undecided senators were targeted with a wave of television, digital and mail advertising campaigns from pro-redistricting groups.

Democrats quickly praised Bray’s announcement. Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder said in a statement to the Chronicle that “Washington insiders pressured the governor to rig Indiana’s congressional maps,” calling the collapse of the effort a “win for all of us.”

Public polling cited by the Chronicle suggested that Indiana voters also leaned against revisiting the maps. University of Indianapolis political science professor Laura Merrifield Wilson told the Chronicle that surveys indicated roughly a two-to-one margin opposing a mid-decade redraw.

Turning down Trump’s request makes Indiana the first Republican-led state to formally reject his redistricting push. The president has encouraged similar efforts in several states, with varying results.

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Some of the effort’s loudest supporters signaled they would continue pressing the issue. State Sen. Liz Brown called the move “cowardly” on social media, according to screenshots published by the Chronicle, and vowed to raise redistricting again when lawmakers return for Organization Day next week.

The White House, Bray’s office and Braun’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

President Donald Trump has granted fresh pardons to two Jan. 6 defendants facing charges on other issues. 

Suzanne Kaye, a Jan. 6 defendant, was also sentenced to 18 months in prison for allegedly threatening to shoot FBI agents in social media posts. 

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice stated that on Jan. 31, 2021, the day before Kaye was set to meet with FBI agents regarding a tip that she was at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, she posted videos on social media in which she said she would “shoot” FBI agents if they came to her house. The FBI learned of Kaye’s social media posts on Feb. 8, 2021, and arrested Kaye at her Florida home on Feb. 17, 2021.

A White House official told Fox News Digital that Kaye is prone to stress-induced seizures and suffered one while the jury read its verdict in 2023. The official said that the case was one of disfavored political speech, which is protected under the First Amendment.

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS ON INAUGURATION DAY

U.S. Special Attorney Ed Martin posted about the pardon on Saturday, thanking Trump in a post on X. 

“The Biden DOJ targeted Suzanne Kaye for social media posts — and she was sentenced to 18 months in federal lock up. President Trump is unwinding the damage done by Biden’s DOJ weaponization, so the healing can begin,” Martin wrote.

Jan. 6 defendant Daniel Wilson remained incarcerated after Trump pardoned convicted rioters because he pleaded guilty to firearms charges. A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president made the decision to grant Wilson an additional pardon because the firearms were discovered during a search of Wilson’s home related to the Capitol riot.

Despite being included in the sweeping pardon granted to Jan. 6 defendants by Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, Wilson remained incarcerated due to the firearms charge and was set to be released in 2028. Prior to his sentencing on Jan. 6-related charges, for which he received five years in prison, Wilson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of an unregistered firearm.

While the Trump administration Justice Department initially said that the firearm charge should not count under the Jan. 6 pardon, it later reversed course, citing “further clarity,” without going into details about what caused the shift.

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In his original pardon, Trump declared that pursuant to his authority under Article II, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution, he was commuting the sentences of those “convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” That pardon included Wilson’s Jan. 6 charges, but not the firearms-related ones.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee involved in Wilson’s case, rejected the expanded definition of what exactly Trump was pardoning, saying it stretched the bounds of the order too far. In her opinion, Friedrich criticized the use of the phrase “related to” from Trump’s original pardon to expand its meaning.

“The surrounding text of the pardon makes clear that ‘related to’ denotes a specific factual relationship between the conduct underlying a given offense and what took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Friedrich wrote in her opinion.

An appeals court later supported her objections, saying that Wilson had to remain behind bars during the appeal process.

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Wilson previously identified himself as a member of the Oath Keepers and the Gray Ghost Partisan Rangers militia, according to Politico.

“Dan Wilson is a good man. After more than 7 months of unjustified imprisonment, he is relieved to be home with his loved ones,” Wilson’s attorneys, George Pallas and Carol Stewart, told Politico in a statement. “This act of mercy not only restores his freedom but also shines a light on the overreach that has divided this nation.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and Wilson’s legal team for comment.

The Trump administration has so far remained silent on a widening corruption scandal inside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government and inner circle.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on a $100 million corruption probe announced this week that has already prompted the resignations of senior Ukrainian officials.

Corruption has long been a friction point in U.S.–Ukraine relations. In 2019, the Trump administration paused roughly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, citing concerns about government corruption. At the same time, Trump’s associates sought information on then–Democratic rival Joe Biden, who served as vice president under Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, Biden’s son Hunter held a $50,000-per-month board seat at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. As vice president, Joe Biden had threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Ukraine dismissed prosecutor Viktor Shokin, whom Western governments accused of failing to pursue corruption cases. Shokin later claimed he was fired because he was investigating Burisma — a claim U.S. and European officials dispute.

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President Donald Trump for months has been working to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, which the U.S. has provided with around $175 billion in aid since the start of the war in 2022. 

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) — said they spent 15 months on “Operation Midas,” a probe that included roughly 1,000 hours of wiretaps. Investigators say the inquiry uncovered a kickback scheme in which contractors for the state-owned nuclear company Energoatom paid 10 to 15 percent bribes, totaling about $100 million, to keep government contracts.

According to prosecutors, the alleged ringleader was Timur Mindich, a longtime associate of Zelenskyy and co-owner of his former production studio, as well as an advisor to Justice Minister German Galushchenko. Authorities say Galushchenko, who served as energy minister until July, helped facilitate the money laundering operation and acted under Mindich’s influence.

Mindich fled Ukraine early Monday, hours before investigators raided his home. Both Galushchenko and his successor, Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk, said they would resign at Zelenskyy’s request. Five suspects have been arrested, and seven others placed under official suspicion, prosecutors said.

In a statement, NABU alleged that the criminal network transferred funds to “an unnamed former deputy prime minister of Ukraine,” identified internally by the codename Che Guevara. Investigators said about $1.2 million was traced to that individual.

“Using their official connections in the ministry and the state-owned company,” the suspects “ensured control over personnel decisions, procurement processes, and financial flows,” Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said.

TOP UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN ZELENSKYY GOVERNMENT SUBMIT RESIGNATIONS AMID $100 MILLION CORRUPTION SCANDAL

Zelenskyy has not been directly implicated, but the revelations cast a shadow over a president who built his career on promises to root out graft. He publicly backed the investigation, saying Monday night that “any effective action against corruption is very necessary” and that “the inevitability of punishment is necessary.”

Earlier this year, Zelenskyy faced backlash after proposing tighter presidential oversight of Ukraine’s independent anti-corruption agencies — a plan he later withdrew.

Before entering politics, the former comedian often joked about his country’s entrenched corruption. “Is it possible to become president and not steal?” he once quipped. “It’s a rhetorical question, as no one has tried so far.” His 2019 election campaign centered on dismantling the oligarch-dominated political system and increasing transparency.

Now, nearly seven years later — with no election planned amid wartime conditions — some Ukrainians view him as increasingly reliant on a small inner circle consolidating their own power and wielding it with limited checks. 

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Investigators say some of the laundered money had been earmarked for equipment meant to protect energy facilities from Russian missile attacks. Ukraine continues to face rolling blackouts, with many residents limited to five to eight hours of electricity per day as Russian forces target power infrastructure heading into winter.

Last week, the European Commission praised Ukraine’s “significant efforts” to combat corruption but warned that “limited progress” could jeopardize its bid to join the European Union. The commission also cautioned that reports of political pressure on anti-corruption groups “cast doubt on Ukraine’s commitment” and urged Kyiv to “prevent any backsliding on its notable reform achievements.”

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin just capped off a nine-and-a-half month 50-state tour around the country talking to various folks impacted by his agency’s policies. 

Zeldin completed his tour Friday after having made numerous reforms while on the road, including an agreement with Mexico to stop their wastewater from continuing to flow into the United States, a new directive that will help expedite the cleanup of nuclear waste in Missouri, rescission of an emissions rule and new guidance on diesel exhaust fuel aimed at helping farmers and truckers. 

Meanwhile, Zeldin also visited sites of major environmental disasters, such as East Palestine, Ohio, which is still dealing with the after-effects of a major chemical spill that happened during the Biden administration, and Los Angeles, which has recently seen several devastating wildfires. 

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“From business owners to trade workers, elected officials to residents impacted by environmental challenges, I’ve been soliciting feedback on any and every way the Trump EPA can fix everything,” Zeldin said after the culmination of his tour.

One of the accomplishments Zeldin is touting includes a July Memorandum of Understanding to address sewage spillage from the Tijuana River. Raw sewage has been flowing into Southern California from Mexico for decades, which Zeldin’s EPA said has led to beaches being forced to close, harm to the region’s economy and sickness on either side of the border.

EPA administrator Zeldin also released an “EPA Region 7 Status Update for West Lake Landfill Superfund Site” located in Bridgeton, Missouri and Coldwater Creek. The update cut two years off the initial start date of the project, according to the EPA. The waste is scheduled to be entirely cleaned up by 2038.

Another reform includes rescinding guidance from the “Preparation of Clean Air Act Section (CAA) 179B Demonstrations for Nonattainment Areas Affected by International Transport of Emissions.” Zeldin’s EPA said that the guidance made it “unnecessary difficult” for states to prove that foreign air pollution was harming Americans, not theirs, and seek regulatory relief under the Clean Air Act. Zeldin said this was of major concern for elected officials and business owners in Arizona and Utah. 

Part of this reform will include a reevaluation of a determination by the federal government of how much international emissions are impacting residents in the Wasatch Waterfront area, in Utah.

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Zeldin also announced in Iowa that new action would be taken to “protect” farmers, truckers and other individuals who need to operate diesel-fueled engines during his trip. In conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the government is pushing engine and equipment manufacturers to revise emissions control system software in existing vehicles and equipment that has been compelling sudden speed and power losses and costing businesses a lot of money in order to comply with strict regulations.

“Together we are empowering the great American comeback,” Zeldin insists in a video his team posted to social media about the conclusion of his tour. However, there are some folks who disagree with Zeldin. 

“Administrator Zeldin is supposed to safeguard the environment and public health, yet under his watch the Trump EPA is fast-tracking new pesticides — including several containing PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ that build up in our bodies and never break down,” Alex Formuzis, spokesperson for the Environmental Working Group, told Fox News Digital. “At the same time, he is tearing apart core protections on toxic air pollution, contaminated drinking water, hazardous industrial discharges, and even bedrock legal decisions that allow the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from tailpipes and smokestacks under the Clean Air Act.”

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Zeldin was “alarmingly right” about enacting one of the “biggest de-regulatory action[s]” in history, Formuzis added, calling it “a wholesale retreat from facts, science and environmental and public health protection.” 

“Hardly an agenda to make Americans healthy,” he added.

Environmental groups have sued Zeldin’s EPA and the Trump administration over many of their regulatory rollbacks. Earthjustice Action and WE ACT for Environmental Justice have recently challenged Zeldin’s bid to scrap federal greenhouse-gas reporting rules in a Nov. 3 filing.

“The climate crisis is a public health crisis, and EPA’s proposed repeal of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program will exacerbate both,” the groups wrote. “At a time when millions of Americans are losing access to healthcare and millions more are seeing polluting data centers and energy generators built in their backyards, it is imperative that EPA uphold its mission to protect human health and the environment.”  

President Donald Trump gave Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a new nickname and accused her of betraying “the entire Republican Party” as a feud between the two escalates.

“Lightweight Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Brown (Green grass turns brown when it begins to ROT!), betrayed the entire Republican Party when she turned Left, performed poorly on the pathetic View, and became the RINO that we all know she always was. Just another fake politician, no different than Rand Paul Jr. (Thomas Massie), who got caught being a full-fledged Republican In Name Only (RINO)! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.

“Marjorie Taylor Brown” is the second nickname Trump has bestowed upon the congresswoman in the last 24 hours. The initial nickname he gave her was “Wacky Marjorie.”

After his initial post on Saturday morning, the president posted again and gave his former ally yet another nickname, calling her “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Greene.”

TRUMP DROPS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ENDORSEMENT, CALLS HER A ‘RANTING LUNATIC,’ HINTS AT BACKING PRIMARY RIVAL

“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green [sic] is a disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

On Saturday, Greene posted a message on X thanking those who reached out amid her feud with the president.

“I never thought that fighting to release the Epstein files, defending women who were victims of rape, and fighting to expose the web of rich powerful elites would have caused this, but here we are. And it truly speaks for itself,” Greene wrote.

“The toxic political industrial complex thrives on ripping us all apart but never delivers anything good for the American people, whom I love,” she added. “I believe in the American people more than I believe in any leader or political party and the American people deserve so much better than how they have been treated by both sides of the aisle.”

She then replied with her personal account and added screenshots of her “Liberty Score” — a grading system used by Conservative Review — and that of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., showing that she received an “A” while the senator was given an “F.” She also included a graphic from “AIPAC Tracker” showing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) had not given her any donations.

“This and the Epstein files is why I’m being attacked by President Trump. It really makes you wonder what is in those files and who and what country is putting so much pressure on him? I forgive him and I will pray for him to return to his original MAGA promises,” she wrote.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SURPRISES ‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOSTS WITH CIVILITY, PRAISE

Trump announced on Friday that he was withdrawing his support and endorsement of Greene, calling her a “ranting lunatic.” He also accused her of “complaining” instead of celebrating what he described as his administration’s “record achievements.” The president, in a lengthy Truth Social post, then vowed “complete and unyielding support” for “the right person” if someone were to challenge Greene in 2026.

The president claimed that Greene was complaining to others that he was not returning her calls. He said that “with 219 congressmen/women, 53 U.S. senators, 24 cabinet members, almost 200 countries, and an otherwise normal life to lead, I can’t take a ranting lunatic’s call every day.”

After the post on Friday, Greene said that “President Trump just attacked me and lied about me. I haven’t called him at all, but I did send these text messages today. Apparently this is what sent him over the edge. The Epstein files.”

In the post on X, Greene included a screenshot of a message she claimed she sent to Trump. The message read, “Check the flight logs of Epstein’s plane. Bill Clinton is on there like 26 times! Hillary too!! For many of us releasing the Epstein files has always been for the women who were victims of Jeffery Epstein, but also because we believed that Democrat bad guys like the Clintons were entangled and involved with him. Epstein was the spider that wove the web of the deep state. Lean into it.”

The congresswoman accused Trump of “coming after me hard to make an example and scare all the other Republicans before next weeks [sic] vote to release the Epstein files.” She remarked that it was “astonishing” that Trump was “fighting” to stop the files from being released to the public.

THE REVOLT OF MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, NOW DONALD TRUMP’S FIERCEST CRITIC

Greene declared where her loyalty will always lie, writing, “I have supported President Trump with too much of my precious time, too much of my own money, and fought harder for him even when almost all other Republicans turned their back and denounced him.”

“But I don’t worship or serve Donald Trump. I worship God, Jesus is my Savior, and I serve my district GA14 and the American people,” she wrote.

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Greene had been a strong supporter of Trump since she entered Congress in 2021. However, she has become a vocal critic of the president, particularly when it comes to U.S.-Israel relations and the Epstein files.

On Nov. 4, Greene joined the co-hosts of “The View,” who are famously critical of Trump, and discussed a wide range of topics. When co-host Sunny Hostin remarked that it seemed like Greene had moved to the left — something Trump later echoed — Greene pushed back, insisting that “there’s lies that come in both sides.”