NationalWatch

Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was ordered Wednesday to pay a $5,000 fine for obstructing the arrest of an illegal immigrant at a courthouse, but she will not serve any prison time.

Dugan, 67, was convicted of felony obstruction last year after federal agents attempted to serve a warrant to Eduardo Flores-Ruiz on April 18, 2025. She was acquitted of concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor. She faced up to five years in prison. 

Prosecutors had asked that Dugan be sentenced to between 15 and 21 months. 

DEM JUDGE IN HOT SEAT AFTER DHS EXPOSES ‘WHOLE NEW LEVEL’ OF ACTIVISM, SHELTERING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

Dugan addressed the case against her on Wednesday just before U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman imposed her sentence, defending her actions and announcing she intends to “return to public service.” 

“My acts that day were consistent with community concerns at the courthouse,” Dugan said. “My judicial acts were not done with any malicious intent or to advance any personal interests.”

“Since the government’s arrest of me, I was forced to retire… In January, I resigned from my office, so the constituents would have a judge in my branch to begin the year,” she added. “I have been cast as a scaffold and as a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who was just trying to do my job. Your honor, I will not let those minutes on April 18, 2025 define my life’s work. It is my intent to return to public service.”

In January, Dugan resigned from the Milwaukee County circuit judgeship amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers, who labeled her an activist judge.

Before her sentencing, several people testified on her behalf. 

“Hannah models what it means to be Christian,” said Rev. Gregory J. O’Meara, a Jesuit priest, lawyer and law professor who met Dugan at the University of Wisconsin’s law school. “We’ve made arrangements to hold service for her privately because she’s been hassled. I do not think there is a need for further punishment, deterrence, retribution or reform.”

Janine Geske, a law professor at Marquette University, said Dugan’s life wasn’t “completely defined by her work.”

“She has been punished by being handcuffed… by being in the media… all she loves to do is share with others,” Geske said. “She has lost her profession and her income and she’s here humbly to ask you to give her the opportunity to return to the community.”

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES RALLY BEHIND PUSH TO IMPEACH JUDGE BOASBERG OVER ROLE IN TRUMP INVESTIGATION

On the day of the incident, ICE agents appeared at the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning Flores-Ruiz, 31, had re-entered the United States illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case. 

Upon learning ICE agents were in the building, Dugan confronted them outside her courtroom, arguing their administrative warrant was insufficient to arrest Flores-Ruiz. She told the agents to go to the chief judge’s office down the hall and then directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave her courtroom through a back door, federal prosecutors said. 

Flores-Ruiz was spotted moments later by the agents, who followed him outside and arrested him after a brief foot chase.

Dugan’s lawyers argued that she was shielded from prosecution because of her position as a judge. However, Adelman rejected the argument. 

“What judges around the country are looking at this case and saying, ‘Yes, Sign me up?’ There won’t be a crime wave of judges defying ICE. No judges have acted similarly,” Dugan’s defense attorney Steve Biskupic said Wednesday in court. 

Prosecutors said Dugan violated her oath as a judge, putting the lives of law enforcement officers and the public at risk, while Republican lawmakers cast her as an activist judge. 

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Dugan was arrested by the FBI weeks after the confrontation with ICE and led outside in handcuffs. Flores-Ruiz has since been deported.

President Donald Trump’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision rejecting his appeal of the $5 million civil judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll, a request filed after the justices turned away the case last week.

The court denied Trump’s petition June 29 without taking up the case, leaving in place the judgment tied to a 2023 jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s and defaming her. Trump has denied Carroll’s allegations.

In the rehearing petition, Trump’s lawyers argue the court should reopen the case because he plans to file a separate Supreme Court appeal in another Carroll defamation case that they say will raise presidential immunity questions.

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL ‘CONTINUE THE FIGHT’ AFTER SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO REVIEW CARROLL ABUSE VERDICT

They asked the justices to “grant rehearing” or hold the petition while the related case proceeds.

“Petitioner President Donald J. Trump respectfully petitions for rehearing of this Court’s June 29, 2026 order denying his petition for a writ of certiorari,” the Michael Martinich-Sauter filing read. “Rehearing is warranted because President Trump will imminently file a petition for a writ of certiorari in Carroll v. Trump, No. 24-644 (2d Cir.) (“Carroll I”), which will present vital questions concerning Presidential immunity for official statements.

“Those questions are likely to bear on the proper disposition of Trump v. Carroll, No. 25-573 (“Carroll II”), due to the fact that Respondent improperly introduced and relied on those same official Presidential statements at trial in Carroll II. See Trump v. United States, 603 U.S. 593, 630-32 (2024).

“The Court should grant rehearing, and either grant the petition in this case, or hold it pending the disposition of the petition in Carroll I.”

MORNING GLORY: THE SUPREME COURT OFFICIALLY CLOSES THE BOOKS ON ANOTHER TERM

The request faces steep odds. Supreme Court rules limit rehearing petitions after the denial of certiorari to intervening circumstances with a substantial or controlling effect, or other substantial grounds not previously presented.

The Supreme Court docket shows Trump’s first rehearing filing was not accepted Monday because a correction was needed.

The corrected petition was submitted Wednesday. The court has not yet ruled on the rehearing request.

READ THE REHEARING PETITION — APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

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A decision could come later this month, perhaps as soon as July 20.

Fox News’ Shannon Bream and William Mears contributed to this report

A top Democratic senator admitted on CBS News that he believes President Donald Trump “wisely” made the critical demand to NATO allies to spend more on defense.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who is in Turkey this week as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation to NATO, spoke with CBS News when an anchor laughingly asked him about Trump’s “strange relationship with NATO over his push for them to spend more on security.” The anchor asked Durbin, “Where does this relationship go from here?”

In response, Durbin described Trump’s relationship with NATO as a “back-and-forth, love-and-hate relationship.” He went on to say that “the president has, I think, wisely asked for our NATO allies, there are 32 members of NATO, to spend more of their own money to protect themselves.”

“That’s not an unreasonable ask,” he added.

TRUMP ENTERS FINAL NATO SUMMIT DAY AS UKRAINE, DEFENSE SPENDING TAKE CENTER STAGE

Durbin, who has served in the Senate for nearly 30 years, is the minority whip and ranking member of the influential Judiciary Committee. He is in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, as part of a congressional delegation led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to the 2026 NATO Summit. Trump is also attending the summit, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz.

Durbin did not spend all his time praising the president. Speaking from Ankara, he went on to say that “there have been things that happened during his second presidency which raised the question of our commitment to the future of NATO.”

“I believe in it; that’s why I’m here. And I’ve found that of the delegates that are here from all over the region, part of NATO, that they believe, as I do, that we’re a safer world with the NATO alliance. We have been since 1945.”

TRUMP BETS ON FORMER NATO TROUBLEMAKER AS TURKEY’S STRATEGIC VALUE SURGES

He added that the summit “will be an opportunity for us to convince the president, if we have to, to move forward with this relationship.”

Before traveling to Turkey for the summit, Trump vented his frustration about NATO, writing in a social media post that “the United States spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit from so doing: U.S. 999 Billion Dollars, United Kingdom, 90.5 Billion Dollars, France, 66.5 Billion Dollars, Italy, 48.8 Billion Dollars, Poland, 44.3 Billion Dollars. Others, including Germany, are MUCH LOWER. (2014-2025) Ridiculous!”

A NATO release stated that the “cut-off date for information used in this report was 3 June 2025” and that “figures for 2024 and 2025 are estimates.” It listed estimated 2025 U.S. defense spending at $980 billion, the United Kingdom’s at $90.508 billion, France’s at $66.531 billion, Italy’s at $48.8 billion and Poland’s at $44.314 billion.

TRUMP CALLS OUT NATO AHEAD OF SUMMIT, CALLING IT ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR US TO PERSIST ON ‘ONE SIDED PATH’

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In another post, Trump said it is “ridiculous for the U.S.A. to continue along this one sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal. They were not there for us!!!”

The president’s comments came after NATO leaders backed a new defense spending benchmark calling on allies to invest 5% of gross domestic product in defense and defense-related expenditures.

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

FIRST ON FOX: The YMCA is facing renewed pressure to change its policies on transgender access to sex-segregated locker rooms, sports teams and overnight accommodations after the American Parents Coalition (APC) argued the organization’s rules conflict with the Supreme Court‘s recent Title IX rulings.

The coalition argued the nonprofit, which operates about 2,600 locations nationwide and receives more than $600 million annually in government funding, should update its policies to align with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Title IX because it accepts taxpayer funding.

In a letter sent this week to YMCA President and CEO Suzanne McCormick and the organization’s board of directors, APC urged the organization to revise its policies governing sports, bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations following the Supreme Court’s June 30 decisions in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. In a 9-0 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that states can limit women’s and girls’ sports to biological females and that Title IX’s use of the word “sex” refers to biological sex.

CONSERVATIVES HAIL JUSTICE THOMAS FOR ‘TRUTH BOMB’ ABOUT RULING PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS

“The Supreme Court has drawn an unmistakable line by reaffirming that Title IX’s protections are rooted in biological sex,” American Parents Coalition Executive Director Alleigh Marré said in a statement. “The YMCA has ignored parents’ concerns for far too long while maintaining policies that undermine the privacy, safety, and fairness Title IX was enacted to protect. The Court’s decisions should serve as a wake-up call for every federally funded institution.”

The coalition is calling on YMCA leadership to rescind policies allowing biological males to participate in female sports or access female-only bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations, publish updated policies recognizing sex-based protections for women and girls, and publicly affirm the organization’s commitment to complying with Title IX.

“The Supreme Court has now made clear that biological sex is the legally operative distinction under Title IX,” the letter states. “The YMCA faces a choice. It can restore policies that protect women and girls, rebuild parents’ trust, and align its practices with the law as interpreted by the highest court in the land.”

BIDEN OFFICIALS CIRCUMVENTED COURT ORDER IN TITLE IX CASES, INCLUDING MALES IN GIRLS’ SPORTS, DOCS SHOW

The letter marks the latest step in APC’s yearlong campaign targeting the YMCA’s transgender inclusion policies. Last year, the organization filed Title IX complaints with the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, alleging the YMCA’s policies violated federal civil rights law. It also asked Congress to investigate the YMCA’s use of federal funding.

APC argues that although the Supreme Court’s recent rulings focused on women’s sports, the Court’s reasoning extends to other sex-separated spaces. The group contends YMCA policies allowing individuals to use bathrooms, locker rooms, overnight accommodations and participate on sports teams according to their gender identity are inconsistent with the Court’s interpretation of Title IX.

The coalition also alleges the YMCA removed or revised webpages describing some of its gender identity policies after they received public scrutiny while leaving the underlying policies unchanged. APC further claims some YMCA camps continue allowing counselors to stay in cabins that correspond with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.

TRUMP CABINET MEMBER SCRAPS OBAMA-ERA GENDER IDENTITY HOUSING RULE, CITES ‘BIOLOGICAL REALITY’

A Fox News Digital review found several local YMCA associations, including the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, Lakeland Hills YMCA in New Jersey and the Gateway Region YMCA, maintain policies allowing members to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity.

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The renewed criticism comes a month after controversy at a San Francisco YMCA drew national attention. After months of complaints from some members regarding a transgender woman using the women’s locker room at the Stonestown branch, the facility adopted updated locker room guidelines emphasizing that nudity should be “discreet, limited, and brief” while instructing members to respect others’ privacy and personal space. The revised rules addressed conduct inside the locker room but did not change the YMCA’s policy allowing transgender members to access facilities consistent with their gender identity.

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The YMCA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on APC’s allegations or whether it plans to review its policies following the Supreme Court’s decisions.

Several Democrats are speculated to be options to replace Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner on the ballot if he ends his campaign, which many expect him to do following an ex-girlfriend’s allegation of rape on Monday.

Under Maine law, if Platner formally withdraws as the Democratic nominee by 5 p.m. on July 13, the Maine Democratic Party can replace him on the general election ballot by selecting a new nominee through its party process, with the replacement required to be chosen by July 27.

A handful of Democrats in the state are being discussed as viable options to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Platner’s campaign, the New York Post reported, is deliberating about potentially dropping out, but that any potential replacement would need to align with the same political platform as Platner.

GRAHAM PLATNER’S CHANCES OF DROPPING OUT SKYROCKET TO 94% AFTER PARTY REVOLT: KALSHI

Troy Jackson

Former state Senate President and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson is a name circulating on social media as someone who could potentially jump into the race a month after his failed primary bid for governor.

“This is something I never considered, but if Graham’s stepping away, I am very, very interested and think I’m the best person to replace him,” Jackson told the Bangor Daily News on Monday.

Jackson, who, like Platner, is backed by Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders, came in third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary last month.

On Tuesday, the Bangor Daily News reported that Jackson filed paperwork to explore a Senate run, the first potential candidate to do so. 

FOX NEWS POLL: MAINE SENATE RACE IS TIGHT, WITH CONCERNS ABOUT BOTH CANDIDATES

Jared Golden

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who represents Maine’s right-leaning and mostly rural 2nd Congressional District since first winning election to the U.S. House in 2018, passed on launching a Senate run last year.

Golden, a Marine veteran who served in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, also decided against seeking re-election and is retiring from Congress when his term ends at the beginning of next year.

Golden, a moderate, has often been at odds with his party leadership over policy.

On Tuesday evening, a Golden spokesperson distanced the congressman from speculation he would run for the seat. 

Angus King III

The 56-year-old son of Sen. Angus King and 2026 Democratic gubernatorial candidate who finished at the bottom of the pack in the single digits in last month’s primary is considering a bid for the Senate if Platner exits the race.

In a statement to News Center Maine, King said: “Right now, I’m taking time to reflect, spend time with my family, and think carefully about how I can make the greatest contribution to the state I love. I’ve never been motivated by holding office. If I decide to run again in any capacity, it will be because I believe I have something meaningful to offer and because it’s the right way to help Maine move forward—not because of the office itself.”

Janet Mills

Mills, the current Democratic governor of the state until her term expires in January, suspended her Senate campaign in April citing anemic fundraising after jumping into the race in October 2025 with the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The 78-year-old governor remained on the ballot in the June primary and received 19.2% of the vote compared to Platner’s 72.1%.

EXPLOSIVE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION ROCKS PLATNER CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF KEY DEADLINE IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE

Shenna Bellows

Attention is also focused on Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who was a leading contender in the gubernatorial primary.

Bellows, the first woman to serve as Maine’s secretary of state, grabbed national attention during the 2024 election cycle for attempting to remove President Donald Trump from the state’s ballot.

“While Graham ignited a powerful movement to challenge the status quo, given the seriousness of the allegations, he needs to step down,” Bellows said of Platner in a social media post Monday.

Sara Gideon

Former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon was the Democratic Senate nominee in the 2020 election.

Polls indicated Gideon leading longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins, but Gideon ended up losing to the incumbent by nine points.

Paige Loud

Loud, a social worker, finished fourth out of four candidates in the Democratic primary for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District earlier this year, finishing with 10% of the vote. 

“Paige has filed as a Senate candidate for the 2026 midterm in light of the Platner situation,” a spokesperson for Loud said on Tuesday. “In the event Platner drops out, Paige is being proactive in keeping options open for supporters across the state who have voiced a desire for a woman to be considered as the nominee.”

Nirav Shah

Dr. Nirav Shah, who came second in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, is also being looked at as a potential Platner replacement.

Shah served as director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to early 2023 and steered the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He later served as principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

“In the past 24 hours, my team and I have received hundreds of encouraging messages, as Graham Platner signaled he will withdraw from Maine’s U.S. Senate race,” Shah said in a statement Tuesday.

He added that he has been having conversations and evaluating “whether I should enter the Senate race.”

Shah, who is viewed as more moderate than Platner, emphasized, “I’m not an establishment politician, and I’m not an insider.”

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Jordan Wood

Wood, who served as chief of staff to then-Rep. Katie Porter of California, last year launched a bid for the Senate in Maine. But as Platner’s political star started to rise, Wood switched his bid to the U.S. House in the race in the state’s 2nd Congressional District to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Jared Golden.

Wood, who vowed to take on the establishment and battle corruption, ended up finishing third in last month’s Democratic primary.

“I am continuing conversations with voters across Maine if I should enter an open Senate race,” Wood wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. “If my fellow Maine Democrats decide through an open and democratic process that I am the best candidate to defeat Susan Collins, I would be humbled by your trust.”

David Costello

Former Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment David Costello was the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine in the 2024 election, coming in a distant third to incumbent independent Sen. Angus King.

Costello ran a second straight cycle, coming in a distant third to Platner in last month’s Democratic Senate primary.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Costello wrote, “I’m back in, if Graham Platner withdraws,” and he touted that he believes he’s “the best candidate to defeat Susan Collins.”

Dan Kleban

Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban is also considered a potential candidate. A source in Kleban’s camp said the former candidate has been receiving calls and encouragement to run again.

State law does not require a new primary election or specify how the replacement must be chosen, leaving the process to the Maine Democratic Party’s internal rules. Party leaders said in a Monday press release that they intend to use an open and inclusive process, though they have not yet announced exactly how a replacement would be selected.

Late Tuesday night, the Maine Democrats X account posted a video reacting to the situation.

“As you know, the Maine Democratic Party has been working around the [clock] and we are committed to ensuring that Democrats across [Maine] [have a voice in the process],” Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said.

“Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. [Senate].  We have also reiterated [that the focus] in Maine can 1783518918 focus on defeating Susan Collins this November as soon as Graham Platner formally withdraws from this race.”

FIRST ON FOX: Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, a state legislator and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa, has taken over $20,000 in per diem payments while missing more than half of his 2026 votes, records reveal.

From Jan. 12, 2026, through May 3, he missed 261 of the chamber’s votes, accounting for nearly 60% of his votes.

The absences, some of which were clustered around campaign events and spanned several high-profile bills, suggest Turek has struggled to balance his role as a legislator and candidate as he wages an uphill battle to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is retiring.

Throughout his campaign, Turek has framed himself as a classic example of the American underdog story, having overcome being born paralyzed from the waist down to play basketball for the U.S. in the Paralympic Games, winning championships in 2016 and 2020.

DEMOCRATS TURN TO PARALYMPIAN IN BID TO FLIP KEY GOP-HELD SENATE SEAT

As a candidate for Senate, Turek has pledged to defend the government programs that made his journey possible.

“I wouldn’t have gotten that far without VA health coverage from my dad’s service, free summer lunch programs when my parents were struggling and the local AEA that made sure I had access to a good education,” Turek said in a campaign video.

Despite a powerful message that has drawn national attention, Turek has struggled to raise capital for his campaign, having accumulated $3.4 million from July 2025 through the end of May, according to FEC records.

The sum is on the lower end of campaign contributions for a campaign to flip an empty Senate seat.

By comparison, Sherrod Brown, a former U.S. senator trying to reclaim his seat in Ohio, has raised nearly $26 million since last November.

Records show that Turek skipped critical votes to raise campaign cash across the country — while at the same time maxing out the daily $201 tax-free per diem that Iowa offers its legislators to cover costs of the job. For Turek, that amount reached $20,100, according to the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Legislators in Iowa may collect the per diem 100 times per legislative session, according to state law.

DEMOCRATS TURN TO PARALYMPIAN IN BID TO FLIP KEY GOP-HELD SENATE SEAT

He missed a set of 12 votes while, between March 25 and March 31, raising $43,000 in donations from residents of Southern California. Campaign payments for hotels in Los Angeles suggest Turek’s campaign had been in the area at the time.

Among the 12, Turek was absent for a vote on a rural health and medical licensing bill. In another similar case, Turek raised $36,500 from donors in Washington, D.C., between February 17 through March 23, missing 16 votes during that time, including consideration of an educational standards bill.

During that time, campaign expenses suggest he was there in person. In one such entry, his campaign reported hosting an event at 800 Maine Ave, paying $250 for an “event venue rental.”

At one point in March, Turek missed 30 consecutive votes.

In response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital, Turek’s campaign pointed out that the pattern isn’t unique to him and that other candidates — including Turek’s Republican challenger, Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa — also miss votes to fundraise.

“Just last week, Ashley Hinson skipped votes on the annual defense funding bill to attend a ritzy D.C. fundraiser. Meanwhile, Josh Turek is ranked one of Iowa’s most bipartisan and effective lawmakers and has regularly worked with Republicans to cut taxes for Iowa families and keep dangerous criminals off the streets,” a spokesperson for his campaign said.

Hinson was absent for a portion of the 2027 defense bill markup while at a fundraiser on June 24.

“While Josh continues his ‘go everywhere’ approach to meet directly with Iowans, Ashley Hinson has not held a single town hall since launching her campaign while repeatedly voting to hurt Iowa families,” the spokesperson added.

TRUMP-ENDORSED HINSON SECURES IOWA SENATE NOMINATION AS DEMOCRATS EYE GOP SEAT

Hinson’s campaign responded by noting that she has a 98.8% lifetime voting record since her election to the House of Representatives in 2020 while also lambasting Turek’s record.

“Not only did Josh Turek skip the vote to fund the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs while fundraising with a Schumer-aligned Super PAC, he also skipped votes on the Iowa Farm Bill, rural health funding, child abuse investigations, and, in 2023, gender transition procedures for minors. Josh Turek is an absentee legislator who doesn’t deserve the promotion he’s trying to get,” Billy Fuerst, Hinson’s campaign communications director, said in a statement.

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Turek convincingly defeated Iowa Democratic Sen. Zach Wahls in the party primary earlier this month.

He will face off against Hinson in the state’s Nov. 3 general election.

Former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf sent a letter to House lawmakers Tuesday urging them to investigate the “growing role that Chinese-linked actors and foreign criminal organizations are playing in the proliferation of hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products and illegal marijuana operations” in the U.S., which he says are “putting our youth and adults at risk.” 

The message addressed to Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. — the chairman and ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, respectively — states that “Beyond the serious public health implications, there is mounting evidence that this issue also presents a significant national security concern.” 

“What began as a narrowly tailored effort to legalize industrial hemp and non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD) products has evolved into a dangerous and unregulated market for high-potency THC hemp products that are being sold across the country with little to no oversight,” Wolf wrote. “These products are frequently marketed as gummies, candies, beverages and vapes, often packaged and promoted in ways that appeal to children. They lack acceptable age restrictions, labeling requirements and safety standards.” 

Wolf cited a warning from the White House’s 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, which described how “the marijuana trade in the United States is no longer a scattered, low-level problem; it has been co-opted and industrialized by sophisticated, transnational criminal organizations, particularly those with ties to China.”

CHAD WOLF: CLOSE THE BACKDOOR DRUG PIPELINE THAT’S EMBOLDENING ENEMIES AND HARMING THE PUBLIC

“These groups systematically exploit states where marijuana has been legalized under state law, leveraging these markets and lax regulations to establish massive, unlicensed cultivation operations. A stark illustration of this is Oklahoma, where law enforcement estimates that Chinese criminal groups run more than 80% of the state’s thousands of marijuana and hemp farms,” the National Drug Control Strategy document says. 

“These operations are not just agricultural; they are hubs of poly-crime involving human trafficking of exploited laborers, sophisticated money laundering, and the use of dangerous, unregistered pesticides that threaten public health and the environment,” it adds. 

DOJ CHARGES SEVEN CHINESE NATIONALS IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MARIJUANA TRAFFICKING RING

Wolf referenced how China “has been linked to the export of fentanyl, synthetic narcotics and illicit supply chain materials that have devastated American communities” and that “the intoxicating THC hemp market now risks becoming another avenue through which Chinese-linked actors exploit regulatory loopholes and weak enforcement mechanisms to profit at the expense of the health and safety of the American people.”

“Congress acted last year, with bipartisan support and President Trump’s signature, to close loopholes involving intoxicating THC hemp products and restore the original intent of federal hemp legislation,” he said in the letter. “However, efforts are now underway to weaken, delay or roll back those protections before they fully take effect. This would not only undermine public health and law enforcement objectives, but could further embolden foreign criminal actors seeking to exploit the American marketplace and harm American families.” 

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He concluded the letter by asking the committee to “investigate China’s involvement in the intoxicating THC hemp supply chain, including financing, chemical manufacturing, illegal cultivation operations, money laundering activity and ties to the array of criminal organizations operating within the United States.” 

President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to end U.S. trade with Spain after criticizing the NATO ally for refusing to commit to the alliance’s new defense spending target.

Speaking during the NATO summit, Trump repeatedly singled out Spain, calling the country a “wasted cause” and urging an end to trade with one of America’s European allies.

“Spain is a wasted cause,” Trump said. “We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way.”

Trump went further, saying, “Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits.”

MOST TRUMP SUPPORTERS STILL BACK NATO DESPITE YEARS OF TRUMP’S CRITICISM, NEW POLL FINDS

The president’s comments came after NATO leaders backed a new defense spending benchmark calling on allies to invest 5% of gross domestic product in defense and defense-related expenditures. Spain was the lone member of the alliance to publicly reject committing to the full target, instead negotiating flexibility in how it will meet NATO capability goals.

Trump argued Spain has benefited from the alliance while failing to contribute its fair share.

“They don’t participate, they don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump said.

He later added, “I don’t want to do any more trade with him. All right? Take it immediately. Don’t even talk to them.”

Trump also predicted Spain would eventually seek to restore trade ties with the United States.

TRUMP’S PERSONAL FEUDS WITH ALLIES FROM ITALY TO ISRAEL REVEAL HOW PERSONALITY DRIVES HIS FOREIGN POLICY

“They’re hostile about it, and let’s see how hostile they remain when they call up and they, ‘Please, please, we want to trade with you, sir,'” Trump said. “They make so much money with us and we’re going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them.”

The remarks represent an escalation of Trump’s longstanding criticism of NATO allies that spend less on defense. 

Throughout both of his administrations, Trump has argued that countries failing to meet alliance spending commitments unfairly rely on the United States for their security.

Any effort to significantly restrict trade with Spain, however, could present legal and diplomatic hurdles. Spain is a member of the European Union, which negotiates trade policy as a customs union rather than through separate bilateral trade agreements with individual member states.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was announcing a formal policy or expressing his frustration with Spain’s position on NATO spending. The White House had not immediately provided details on whether the administration is considering trade restrictions targeting Spain.

The U.S. and Spain maintain a significant trading relationship. 

The two countries traded roughly $47 billion in goods in 2025, with the United States exporting about $26 billion worth of goods to Spain and importing about $21 billion from Spain, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Spain exports pharmaceuticals, machinery, chemicals, food products and vehicles to the U.S., while the United States exports energy products, machinery, aerospace equipment and chemicals to Spain.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Spanish embassy for comment.

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Trump’s criticism of Spain also comes after months of growing friction between Washington and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over national security and foreign policy.

Earlier in 2026, Sánchez condemned the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran as an “extraordinary mistake” and called for de-escalation, while Spain refused to allow the U.S. to use the jointly operated Rota Naval Base and Morón Air Base to support offensive operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury. 

Spanish officials argued the strikes lacked international legal backing and said the bases could not be used for unilateral military action.

Two days after President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July address, attendees at the Great American State Fair told Fox News Digital they saw the speech as patriotic, not partisan.

“He’s talking about taking down communism,” David from New Jersey said.

“That’s the definition of our whole country. Built on capitalism, that’s our whole country. If that’s what he was talking about, I don’t think that’s political at all. It’s just about the freedom that we have here. If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t be here.”

Thousands of Americans packed the National Mall on Saturday to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, touring exhibits from all 50 states despite sweltering heat and severe thunderstorms that temporarily paused celebrations.

TRUMP SET TO DELIVER ‘HISTORIC’ SPEECH CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

Hours later, President Donald Trump delivered his 37-minute address, honoring veterans and the nation’s founding while declaring that “no dream in history is bigger” than the American experiment and adding, “We don’t want communists in our country,” before a record-setting fireworks display.

Matt from Florida said that while others may have disliked Trump’s speech, he saw it as a tribute to veterans and Medal of Honor recipients.

“It’s really nice to see him share the stage instead of just giving a speech and going away like most presidents do,” he said. “It was just nice to actually see him treat the whole thing as a giant event as opposed to just a limelight on himself.”

MEDIA ATTACKS DONALD TRUMP’S FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION, CLAIMING IT ‘SULLIED’ AMERICA 250

Ed and Linda from Ohio said they missed Trump’s speech while waiting for the fireworks, but Ed said he supports the president “100 percent,” while Linda added, “You should be able to rise above your political opinion and still enjoy the country’s Fourth of July.”

Doug and Karen from Texas said they approved of President Trump’s message.

“It wasn’t too political, it was what we needed to hear,” Doug said.

“It was good,” Karen added. “People need to hear it.”

LEE GREENWOOD SAYS HE’S ‘VERY PROUD’ TO STAND NEXT TO TRUMP DURING AMERICA’S 250TH CELEBRATION

Kim from Michigan called July 4 “a political holiday,” saying people will always find something to criticize.

“Throughout our history, it’s been about our politics and what we stand for as a people, and what we believe in and what we’re willing to fight for,” she said.

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Priya from California said politics naturally belongs in a Fourth of July speech, adding that America must change course “from a very negative direction that the country has gone.”

“I think there’s an intricate part that politics play obviously in the 250 years that we have been a nation,” she said. “For it to last another 250 and hopefully beyond, we have to pay attention to that. We have to understand the political climate and what it’s going to take for this nation to last and be prosperous.”

President Donald Trump said the tentative ceasefire with Iran is “over” after an intense bombing campaign overnight that followed Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.

“For me? I think it’s over,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the NATO Summit in Ankara Wednesday. “I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum.”

He said talks with Iran could continue, but they’re a waste of time. “They’re liars, they’re cheats. They’re sick people.”

US CLAWS BACK KEY CONCESSION TO IRAN AFTER FRESH ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The comments may signal an end to weeks of talks that followed both sides signing a memorandum of understanding, in which they agreed to allow traffic to resume in the the Strait of Hormuz.

But Iran struck at least three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Tuesday, and the U.S. military responded with strikes on over 80 targets in Iran.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. 

The U.S. is clawing back oil sanctions waivers offered to Iran as part of a framework deal that kicked off a two-month negotiating period after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz Monday and Tuesday. 

A U.S. official confirmed that three commercial vessels were struck by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz between Monday and Tuesday, reigniting tensions after President Donald Trump said the U.S. had given Tehran “a week off” during funeral ceremonies for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“As President Trump and the administration have repeatedly affirmed, the MOU in effect with Iran is entirely performance-based. Iran will only reap benefits if they exhibit good behavior,” a U.S. official said, confirming the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) would revoke the sanctions waivers. 

“Iran’s actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences. Our negotiators continue to work in good faith towards a final deal,” the official continued. 

The sanctions relief was part of a memorandum of understanding signed in June that launched a 60-day negotiating period between Washington and Tehran. Under the framework, both sides agreed to halt military operations while pursuing a broader peace agreement, and Iran committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping in exchange for limited economic relief, including oil sanctions waivers.

The attacks targeted commercial shipping transiting one of the world’s busiest maritime choke points. British maritime authorities confirmed a vessel was struck by a projectile near the coast of Oman Monday, while Iranian state media reported the ship had ignored warnings from Iranian forces. The attack reportedly caused a fire on board, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities.

On Tuesday, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that another tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz had been struck by an unidentified projectile. UKMTO said the vessel sustained what was believed to be structural damage but reported no casualties or environmental impact. The agency said it was continuing to investigate the incident and advised vessels transiting the strait to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

WALTZ CALLS OUT IRANIAN DIPLOMAT AT UN FOLLOWING DRONE STRIKES ON BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT

The attacks threaten one of the world’s most important energy corridors and have already prompted the Trump administration to revoke a key concession offered to Iran under a ceasefire agreement, raising fresh questions about whether the fragile truce can survive long enough for the two sides to negotiate a broader peace deal. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making disruptions to commercial shipping a potential risk to global energy markets and U.S. strategic interests.

That followed two ships being hit Monday.

A U.S. official confirmed one ship hit Monday as the Al Rekayyat, a Qatari liquified natural gas carrier. Iran acknowledged the attack, with state media saying the tanker ignored “repeated warnings” and continued to transit along the southern route of the strait near Oman with U.S. assistance.

A second vessel, the Saudi-flagged crude tanker Wedyan, also sustained damage near the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official confirmed. The cause of the damage was not immediately clear, and Fox News Digital has reached out to the vessel’s operator, Bahri, and the Saudi Embassy in Washington for comment.

The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment. Central Command, which leads military operations in the Middle East, declined to comment. 

TRUMP’S MOUNT RUSHMORE ADDRESS FEATURES 28 MINUTES OF ICONIC WORDS, 23 MINUTES OF DAZZLING LIGHT, FIREWORKS

The renewed attacks also cast doubt on the Trump administration’s diplomatic strategy. Just days earlier, the White House had paused negotiations while Iran observed funeral ceremonies for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in hopes of resuming talks after the mourning period concluded.

Speaking during a Fourth of July address at Mount Rushmore, Trump said Iran was “dying to settle” after months of military pressure and declared the U.S. had given Tehran “a week off for a funeral because we’re nice.”

Trump did not elaborate on what the pause entailed, but U.S. and Iranian officials had delayed negotiations until after the conclusion of Khamenei’s multi-day funeral procession, which is scheduled to end with his burial in Mashhad.

Monday’s attack on commercial shipping raises fresh questions about whether the diplomatic opening Trump described can survive renewed hostilities in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

Iran has insisted it should play a leading role in managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and has sought to collect fees from commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway. The Trump administration has rejected that position, insisting the strait remain open to free international navigation.

In recent days, Iran warned that commercial tankers using routes not approved by Iranian authorities would face a “forceful response,” and the latest strike comes after multiple attacks on commercial shipping since the U.S.-Iran conflict began earlier this year.

The latest attacks are the newest test of the fragile ceasefire established under a memorandum of understanding signed in June that launched a 60-day negotiating period aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement between Washington and Tehran. The accord called for reopening the strait during the negotiations and an end to military operations while the two sides negotiated a final deal.

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On June 25, Iran attacked the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely with a one-way drone while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iranian missile, drone and coastal radar sites. U.S. Central Command called the attack “a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had begun to recover in recent days following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, though shipping remained well below historical levels. Ship-tracking firm Kpler reported daily traffic had stabilized at roughly 30 to 60 vessel crossings, down from around 140 per day prior to the U.S. offensive against Iran known as Operation Epic Fury.

Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the former mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy for his role in a six-figure real estate bribery scheme.

Lumumba, who served as Jackson’s mayor from 2017 to 2025, allegedly accepted tens of thousands of dollars that Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens distributed to him and other city officials after accepting it from FBI agents posing as realtors.

Owens, also a Democrat, pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy last week.

LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL ACCUSED OF THREATENING LOCAL OFFICIALS IN CRIMINAL INDICTMENT

Owens, according to a copy of the criminal indictment obtained by Fox News Digital, funneled over $80,000 in payments to Lumumba, Angelique Lee, the Democratic former vice president of the Jackson City Council, and Sherik Marve Smith, a relative of Owens’.

The former district attorney procured the money from two individuals he believed to be real estate developers from Nashville, Tennessee, “in exchange for their agreement to take official action to ensure the approval of the Developers’ proposed multi-million-dollar downtown Jackson development project,” per the indictment.

The developers, however, were actually undercover FBI agents.

OHIO BROTHERS WHO POSED AS MIDDLE EASTERN ROYALTY RECEIVE LENGTHY SENTENCE FOR $21M FRAUD SCHEME

Owens “solicited and accepted at least $115,000 in cash and promises of future financial benefits from the Developers,” according to the indictment.

Lumumba accepted $50,000 in the form of campaign contributions knowing they were given in exchange for his blessing on the real estate developments, the indictment alleges.

“Lumumba accepted the checks knowing and understanding that the money was from the Developers, and that it was being offered in exchange for official action from Lumumba in favor of the Developers’ proposed development project,” the indictment read.

FORMER INDIANA REP STEPHEN BUYER RECEIVES FULL PARDON FROM TRUMP FOR 2023 INSIDER TRADING CONVICTION

Lumumba had originally called the prosecution’s charges a political prosecution, The Associated Press reported.

He lost his re-election bid in 2025, falling in the city’s Democratic primary to eventual winner John Horhn, who is now Jackson’s mayor.

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Lumumba and Owens could face up to five years in prison. Their sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15.

Fox News Digital contacted legal representatives for Lumumba, Owens and Lee and the city of Jackson for further comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered an investigation into a Texas hospital Tuesday after it confirmed to Fox News that it advertised Spanish-language “Birth Packages in South Texas” on billboards in Mexico promoting childbirth services to pregnant foreign nationals near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mission Regional Medical Center confirmed to Fox News that it was responsible for the advertising campaign, which promoted deliveries starting at $3,950 for a natural birth and $5,525 for a C-section, and directed viewers to a website, havemybabyinTEXAS.com, which has since been taken offline.

The billboards also displayed a telephone number beginning with “001,” the country code used to place calls to the United States from Mexico.

‘WEAPONS OF MASS REPRODUCTION’: WATCHDOG UNVEILS ACTION PLAN TO CURB BIRTH TOURISM AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING

“The marketing materials regarding maternity services are no longer in use due to any unintended misunderstanding,” a hospital spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. “We do not support or facilitate any unlawful activity and work to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.”

The spokesperson said the campaign included two billboards located within approximately 5 miles of the hospital near a U.S.-Mexico border crossing. The hospital said both billboards and the website were removed Monday after images began circulating on social media. The spokesperson also said the campaign began in 2021 but did not specify when the billboards were installed.

Abbott on Tuesday directed Texas Health and Human Services Commission Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth to investigate Mission Regional Medical Center for potential violations of state law and contractual obligations.

REPUBLICAN ACCUSES SCOTUS OF BETRAYING US, PUSHES BILL RESTRICTING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, PREGNANT VISITORS

Images of the billboard circulated on social media before the hospital said it removed the advertisements Monday.

“‘Birth tourism’ is an illegal practice that exploits the extraordinary hospitality that the United States and Texas offer to millions of foreign travelers each year,” Abbott wrote in a July 7 letter obtained by Fox News. “Unfortunately, thousands of foreign travelers come to the United States under false pretenses to give birth and secure citizenship for their children.”

TRUMP SUFFERS MAJOR SUPREME COURT DEFEAT AS JUSTICES UPHOLD BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

Abbott directed HHSC to “immediately and thoroughly investigate” the hospital and said any violations should be referred to the Texas Attorney General for civil enforcement and to the appropriate district or county attorney for potential criminal prosecution.

“American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism,” Abbott wrote.

The governor also said he plans to work with the Texas Legislature during its next session “to strengthen state law and eliminate birth tourism in Texas.”

“Unfortunately, birth tourism operations are not a new phenomenon,” Kyle Brosnan, general counsel of the Oversight Project, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The Supreme Court’s egregiously wrong decision in the birthright citizenship case is going to open the floodgates to the birth tourism industry. Our country is much more than a pile of magic dirt. The only answer to these type of practices are criminal investigations and the mass deportation of illegal aliens.”

Mission Regional Medical Center also said it intends to cooperate with state officials.

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“We intend to work cooperatively and transparently with local and state officials,” the hospital said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “Our focus remains on delivering safe, high-quality care to every patient who seeks our services.”

The investigation comes as President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit automatic birthright citizenship for some children born in the United States remains the subject of ongoing legal challenges.

Embattled U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner was hit with a second explosive allegation of sexual impropriety only about 24 hours after he was accused of rape — all while a major campaign decision deadline looms.

In a new report published by The Washington Post, the candidate from Maine was accused of removing condoms during sex with his ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield after she explicitly directed him to wear them.

“He would pull condoms off,” she told The Washington Post. “He would do it in a sneaky way. He wouldn’t tell me.”

NEW YORK TIMES UNDER SCRUTINY OVER GRAHAM PLATNER COVERAGE AS ACCUSERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST PAPER

Fifield, 41, previously accused Platner of physical misconduct during their relationship, saying that he sometimes grabbed her hard enough to leave marks on her body, and that one time he twisted her arm around her back, pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut until she “calmed down.”

Those concerns were largely dismissed by Platner’s supporters, who characterized Fifield, who used to work at The Heritage Foundation, of being a conservative operative.

“I confronted him both during and after [sex] because he knew that I was not on birth control and how dangerous that was,” she told The Post, who said that Fifield made the allegations in a previous interview with the outlet, but strictly off the record.

‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN

“He would act like cute about it, like ‘Oh sneaky me,'” she said, according to the report.

In a statement to The Washington Post, the Platner campaign reportedly said that Fifield’s latest allegations were “categorically false and politically motivated.”

Platner is running to oust Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins.

Monday, the oyster farmer, whose campaign has been dogged by scandal since last year, was accused of rape by another woman.

PLATNER’S LATEST ACCUSER CLAIMS THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE ‘ABSOLUTELY’ RAPED HER

Jenny Racicot, 41, told POLITICO that Platner drunkenly entered her home while they were on-again, off-again romantic partners in 2021, and raped her. She claimed that he ejaculated inside her after she told him to stop multiple times.

“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” Racicot told the outlet, which she said took place while Platner was “almost blackout drunk” in Washington, D.C. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”

Platner categorically denied those allegations, too, in a video released in the immediate aftermath of the publication of the POLITICO story.

He said his campaign was taking time to assess possible next steps, as a major deadline in the race looms.

Platner must withdraw from the race by 5:00 p.m. on next Monday, July 13, if another Democratic candidate, who would be chosen by the party, is to replace him before the November general election.

Monday evening into Tuesday, a litany of previous supporters dropped their endorsements of Platner and called for him to drop out of the race, including progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., two of his most ardent backers.

“Now more than ever we need leaders in Washington who reflect our values. There can be no tolerance for sexual assault,” Warren said in a statement Monday night.

TOP PLATNER ALLY TURNS ON HIM AFTER BOMBSHELL RAPE ALLEGATION ROCKS CAMPAIGN: ‘RED LINE’

“Working families are counting on Democrats to win the Senate election in Maine to unrig our economy and hold Donald Trump accountable. With so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race.”

“I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,” Sanders said in a statement midday Tuesday. “In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul suggested Rep. Elise Stefanik would have been a tougher Republican opponent than GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman this fall, prompting the Nassau County executive to fire back by comparing the incumbent to Disney villain Cruella de Vil while blasting her record.

Hochul made the remarks during an interview with Newsday’s editorial board after she was asked whether Stefanik, who publicly considered running for governor before declining, would have been a stronger general election opponent than Blakeman.

“Probably. I mean, Bruce is, you know, Bruce,” Hochul said.

NY GOVERNOR HOPEFUL VOWS SHOWDOWN WITH MAMDANI OVER SOCIALIST AGENDA: ‘I WILL STOP HIM’

The governor said Stefanik’s national profile would have changed the dynamics of the race.

“She had the ability to raise a lot of money” because of her national following, Hochul said.

“It would have been a different race.”

HOCHUL PRESS OFFICE FEUDS WITH DAVE PORTNOY ON X AS CRITICS ROAST GOVERNOR IN HER OWN REPLIES

Hochul added that she still believes she would have defeated Stefanik.

“Our polling shows us beating her as well,” she said.

Blakeman, however, accused Hochul of trying to distract from her record.

BILL REPLACING ‘MOTHER’ AND ‘FATHER’ WITH GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS PASSES IN NEW YORK, HEADS TO HOCHUL’S DESK

“Cruella de Vil is more likable than Kathy Hochul and her high taxes, high electric bills and soaring health care costs,” Blakeman said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to Stefanik for comment. This story will be updated with any response.

Before exiting the race, Fox News Digital reported exclusively that Stefanik had consolidated support from Republican county chairs and party leaders across New York, making her the early front-runner for the GOP nomination.

“Elise Stefanik, a fantastic person and Congresswoman from New York State, has just announced she won’t be running for Governor,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last December. “Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does. She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!”

Trump ultimately endorsed Blakeman after Stefanik opted against entering the race, helping cement the Nassau County executive as the Republican nominee in an election cycle that has put the president’s influence in party primaries on full display.

Hochul is seeking a second full four-year term after first taking office in 2021 following former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation.

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She defeated Republican Lee Zeldin by roughly six percentage points in 2022 despite Republicans posting one of their strongest gubernatorial performances in deep blue New York in years.

The next campaign finance filings are due later this month, though Hochul has maintained a significant fundraising advantage over Blakeman. Republicans are hoping public matching funds and outside spending will help narrow the gap as the race ramps up.

The Trump administration plans to open up a new migrant holding facility next to an airport hub in Louisiana, potentially allowing the federal government to speed up deportations of families and unaccompanied children.

A holding facility with 528 beds is set to open in Alexandria, Louisiana near the Alexandria International Airport (AEX), according to The Associated Press. 

The proximity to the airport is believed to make it easier for federal immigration officials to house illegal immigrants and unaccompanied children during final flight preparations, the outlet reported.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is describing the new Louisiana facility as a “staging area” and not a detention center, saying migrants would only be held there for a few days at most.

NEW YORKER SUING ICE AFTER OFFICERS WENT TO HIS HOME TO WARN HIM OVER CRITICISM OF AGENCY

“England Airpark is a staging facility for deportations. A staging facility is where illegal aliens await their deportation flight to their destination country or transfer to a detention facility,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, which deferred to DHS.

Airpark officials at the airfield where the structure is being built said the facility is a “humanitarian effort” for families who are “self-deporting,” but immigration advocates say families and unaccompanied children sometimes decide to leave due to pressure or a lack of an understanding of their options, The AP reported.

The facility would be stationed next to the nation’s largest hub for deportations.

More than 4,400 immigration enforcement flights came to and from the Alexandria International Airport last year, according to data from the ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative of Human Rights First.

ICE documents say families and children at the facility “are in the legal custody of ICE and can only be released at the direction of ICE.”

The agency has told contractors that families at the facility should not be referred to as prisoners, detainees or inmates, records show.

Contractors were instructed not to utilize bars or cages when transporting families and unaccompanied children. The facility will not be required to take headcounts and should allow families to wear their own clothes, the agency said.

Unaccompanied children are typically not taken to facilities overseen by ICE and must instead be placed in the care of state-licensed shelters and foster care programs, which are run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Department of Health and Human Services, but that agency is not involved in the new facility’s operation, a spokesperson at the airfield where the facility is being built told The Associated Press.

The facility would be run by a nonprofit arm of LaSalle Corrections, a private prison contractor, according to Ralph Hennessy, executive director of the England Airpark Authority, who said it could be operational as early as next month.

“These are people that are volunteering to go back home and they’re going back home as a family unit,” Hennessy told The Associated Press.

ICE signed a contract late last month to build the facility at the former military base near Alexandria International Airport, Hennessy said.

APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM HOLDING MIGRANTS WITHOUT BOND FOR OVER 90 DAYS

The facility would operate as a 72-hour holding center for migrants awaiting deportation, records show, according to The Associated Press.

LaSalle Corrections runs several private prisons and federal immigration detention centers throughout the south, including the “Louisiana Lockup” inside the state’s maximum-security prison in Angola. 

The official contractor for the new ICE holding facility will be the company’s nonprofit arm, the LaSalle Family Foundation, but LaSalle Corrections itself will be involved in operating the holding facility and ensuring compliance, according to the company’s chief financial officer, Tim Kurpiewski.

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Since April, two detainee deaths have been reported at a LaSalle-run ICE facility in the state.

Winn Correctional Center was also found last month to have violated standards regarding environmental health and safety, food service, use-of-force, medical care and other concerns, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao went to China and stayed there, while her husband, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was hospitalized.

Though his condition remains a mystery as rumors swirl, a spokesperson for Chao told Fox News Digital that it was not grave enough for her to cancel the trip.

“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors,” the spokesperson said. “During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S.”

MCCONNELL WAS FOUND ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ IN HOME LAST MONTH AS CONDITION REMAINS UNKNOWN

Chao has since returned to the U.S. while McConnell has entered his third week of hospitalization. But his current condition and a timetable for his return to the Senate have not been made clear.

His office is keeping mum on what exactly is going on with the 84-year-old, the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in history, who is expected to retire at the end of his term this year. Instead, the void has been filled by an online rumor pumping speculation into what exactly is going on with the lawmaker.

Laura Loomer, a conservative commentator, claimed that a “high level source close to the White House” said McConnell was “brain dead” and that the lawmaker “isn’t ever coming back.”

HOUSE DEM URGES TRANSPARENCY BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS AFTER GOP COLLEAGUE REVEALS REASON FOR EXTENDED ABSENCE

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Loomer’s claims.

Her claim followed leaked audio from an emergency dispatch from a call on June 14, the day McConnell was sent to the hospital, that revealed that the longtime Senate Republican was “unconscious” and may have suffered a heart attack.

When asked about the veracity of Loomer’s claims, McConnell’s office shared with Fox News Digital the same statement it released a week prior.

“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” a McConnell spokesperson said. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”

‘HE NAMED NAMES’: TRUMP’S SENATE MEETING EXPLODES INTO SHOUTING MATCH OVER IRAN

Meanwhile, Senate Republican leaders are working to quash the rumor cycle. Both Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said they were on the phone with McConnell in the last 48 hours — the last time that both top Republicans publicly said they had spoken with McConnell was a handful of days after his hospitalization.

A spokesperson for Thune said the pair spoke by phone on Monday, and they had “a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security.”

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And Barrasso spokeswoman Kate Noyes said the No. 2 Senate Republican and McConnell spoke at length early Tuesday afternoon.

“Their phone call lasted roughly 20 minutes. They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits,” Noyes said.

“They also discussed the Senate’s July work period, including the need to pass the NDAA and confirm President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence,” she continued. “Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate.”

Anti-Trump voices online are celebrating the U.S. soccer team’s Monday night World Cup loss to Belgium after President Donald Trump said he intervened with FIFA to help get an American star cleared to play.

Folarin Balogun, a player who was integral to the U.S. team’s success in the earlier rounds of the tournament, received a red card in a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last week after stepping on the ankle of a defender while vying for the ball.

Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked the soccer organization to review the red card, which came along with a one-game suspension that would have barred Balogun from playing Monday night. FIFA announced Sunday that Balogun’s punishment would be suspended but said that Trump’s call had nothing to do with the decision.

TRUMP CALLED FIFA PRESIDENT TO REVIEW FOLARIN BALOGUN’S RED CARD AHEAD OF USA-BELGIUM MATCH, SOURCE SAYS

After a lackluster performance, the U.S. lost Monday night’s match 4-1, leading to celebration among Trump opponents online.

“I don’t follow soccer, but I hear the men’s US team lost to Belgium, and that you know who tried to strong arm the officials to manipulate the outcome by voiding the suspension of that one star player,” one person in a Tuesday post said of the notorious left-wing online echo chamber Bluesky.

“I’m glad we lost. [F—] our demented moronic ‘leader’ and [f—] his FIFA goons and [f—] the US [right now], truly.”

Another user wrote on the same site: “Sad I am to admit it, but I’m glad the [U.S. Men’s National Team] lost to Belgium. I could never have supported a US Team that gained victory after Trump played the Refs and attempted to Rig the outcome.”

“I am glad for [Belgium],” a third user wrote. “Trump put his thumb on the scale and still lost us the game. Karma is truly a b—-.”

MEDIA FIGURES MELT DOWN OVER TRUMP INVOLVEMENT WITH FIFA AS US STAR FOLARIN BALOGUN SET TO PLAY

Yet another wrote on the left-wing platform: “So glad the US lost to Belgium after the Orange Baboon tried to cheat.”

One user claimed that Trump would have taken credit had the team won, which would have been “unbearable,” adding, “glad the US lost.”

BELGIUM EMBARRASSES TEAM USA BEFORE BREAKING OUT TRUMP’S SIGNATURE DANCE CELEBRATION AFTER FOURTH GOAL

Others took to social media before the game to proudly declare they were rooting against the American team.

Known Trump hater and film director Morgan J. Freeman was chief among them, saying in part on Bluesky, “I’m not rooting for the USA if they are cheating.”

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“I’m an American world cup [sic] fan, but I am now rooting against team USA,” another person said.

After the U.S. team’s crushing defeat this week, it will have to wait four years for a chance at World Cup redemption.

Democrats have a narrow path to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans in this year’s midterm elections.

And part of their playbook is flipping Maine — a historically moderate state that votes blue in presidential elections but whose two senators are a Republican and an Independent who caucuses with Democrats.

Graham Platner‘s candidacy is cratering as he faces calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to quit his Senate bid a day after Monday’s explosive rape allegation emerged against him. And the latest controversy decreases the party’s odds of recapturing the Senate in November.

“The forced implosion of Graham Platner does not make life any easier” for Democrats, a Republican strategist who works on Senate races told Fox News Digital.

DEMOCRATS ABANDON PLATNER AFTER BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS

Platner, a military combat veteran turned oyster farmer who was, until Monday, backed by top progressives, is the party’s nominee in the race against longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in blue-leaning Maine.

The showdown is a high-profile, combustible and expensive ballot box battle, and one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in the midterms.

If Platner suspends his campaign before 5 p.m. next Monday, July 13, the Maine Democratic Party will be able to replace him on the general election ballot with another candidate from the party, whom they would need to select by July 27.

Beating Collins, who is seeking a sixth six-year term in the Senate, won’t be easy.

Six years ago, public opinion polls indicated the senator was headed to defeat, but Collins defied expectations and won re-election by defeating then-Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon by nine points.

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Fast-forward to present day and the 73-year-old Collins should be vulnerable, with her party facing a rough political climate fueled in part by persistent inflation and President Donald Trump’s approval ratings hovering well into negative territory.

But the Platner implosion is a gift to Collins and her party. Republicans quickly took aim at other Democrats on the 2026 ballot and attacked them for previously backing Platner.

A veteran Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital the path to take back the majority isn’t any easier due to the drama in Maine, but added, “it depends on who replaces Platner.”

The bombshell in Maine came a day after a political grenade exploded in the Democratic Senate primary in battleground Michigan, when state Sen. Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign.

McMorrow, who has seen her national profile expand in recent years and was running as a progressive in an ideological space between left-wing candidate Abdul El-Sayed and establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens, suspended her campaign amid faltering poll numbers and fundraising that weren’t keeping pace with her two main rivals.

The Aug. 4 primary showdown between El-Sayed, endorsed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Stevens, who is backed by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is seen as the biggest battle yet between the far-left and establishment for the future of the Democratic Party.

The winner will face off in the midterm elections in November against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination. The winner will succeed retiring Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat. 

The seat is a top Republican target and is a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP.

Schumer and the party establishment, which are spending big bucks to back Stevens, view her as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point.

With the race in Maine, the only state that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election that Senate Republicans are aiming to hold, looking more problematic for the Democrats, the stakes in Michigan also just got a lot higher.

Republicans currently control the Senate 53-47, which means the Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the midterms.

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The Democrats’ playbook relies on flipping Maine and battleground of North Carolina, plus flipping two more seats in red-leaning states like Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, or Texas.

At the same time, Democrats need to hold their open seats in Michigan and New Hampshire, and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff needs to win re-election in the critical red-leaning swing state of Georgia.

Besides providing the GOP more political ammunition, the mess in Maine is further inflaming tensions between the far-left and the Democratic establishment.

Moderate Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on Monday night took aim at Sanders, whose early endorsement of Platner last September helped boost the populist Senate candidate.

FETTERMAN DEMANDS SANDERS APOLOGIZE FOR BACKING ‘PREDATOR’ PLATNER

“I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator more than anyone,” Fetterman said Monday on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle.”

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The Republican strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said the Democrats’ intra-party sniping “is just further complicating their path to the majority.”

Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz Monday and Tuesday, reigniting tensions after President Donald Trump said the U.S.  had given Tehran “a week off” during funeral ceremonies for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

A U.S. official confirmed that three commercial vessels were struck by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz between Monday and Tuesday. 

The attacks targeted commercial shipping transiting one of the world’s busiest maritime choke points. British maritime authorities confirmed a vessel was struck by a projectile near the coast of Oman Monday, while Iranian state media reported the ship had ignored warnings from Iranian forces. The attack reportedly caused a fire on board but there were no immediate reports of fatalities.

On Tuesday, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that another tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz had been struck by an unidentified projectile. UKMTO said the vessel sustained what was believed to be structural damage but reported no casualties or environmental impact. The agency said it was continuing to investigate the incident and advised vessels transiting the strait to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

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The attacks threaten one of the world’s most important energy corridors and raise fresh questions about whether the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire can survive long enough for the Trump administration to negotiate a broader peace agreement. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making any disruption to commercial shipping a potential risk to global energy markets and U.S. strategic interests.

That followed two ships being hit Monday.

A U.S. official confirmed one ship hit Monday as the Al Rekayyat, a Qatari liquified natural gas carrier. Iran acknowledged the attack, with state media saying the tanker ignored “repeated warnings” and continued to transit through the southern route of the strait near Oman with U.S. assistance.

A second vessel, the Saudi-flagged crude tanker Wedyan, also sustained damage near the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official confirmed. The cause of the damage was not immediately clear, and Fox News Digital has reached out to the vessel’s operator, Bahri, and the Saudi Embassy in Washington for comment.

The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment. Central Command, which leads military operations in the Middle East, declined to comment. 

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The renewed attacks also cast doubt on the Trump administration’s diplomatic strategy. Just days earlier, the White House had paused negotiations while Iran observed funeral ceremonies for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in hopes of resuming talks after the mourning period concluded.

Speaking during a Fourth of July address at Mount Rushmore, Trump said Iran was “dying to settle” after months of military pressure and declared the U.S. had given Tehran “a week off for a funeral because we’re nice.”

Trump did not elaborate on what the pause entailed, but U.S. and Iranian officials had delayed negotiations until after the conclusion of Khamenei’s multi-day funeral procession, which is scheduled to end with his burial in Mashhad.

Monday’s attack on commercial shipping raises fresh questions about whether the diplomatic opening Trump described can survive renewed hostilities in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

Iran has insisted it should play a leading role in managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and has sought to collect fees from commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway. The Trump administration has rejected that position, insisting the strait remain open to free international navigation.

In recent days, Iran warned that commercial tankers using routes not approved by Iranian authorities would face a “forceful response,” and the latest strike comes after multiple attacks on commercial shipping since the U.S.-Iran conflict began earlier this year.

The latest attacks are the newest test of the fragile ceasefire established under a memorandum of understanding signed in June that launched a 60-day negotiating period aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement between Washington and Tehran. The accord called for reopening the strait during the negotiations and an end to military operations while the two sides negotiated a final deal.

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On June 25, Iran attacked the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely with a one-way drone while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iranian missile, drone and coastal radar sites. U.S. Central Command called the attack “a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had begun to recover in recent days following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, though shipping remained well below historical levels. Ship-tracking firm Kpler reported daily traffic had stabilized at roughly 30 to 60 vessel crossings, down from around 140 per day prior to the U.S. offensive against Iran known as Operation Epic Fury.