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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has asked officials in Democratic-run Harris County not to release a sledgehammer-wielding illegal immigrant from custody after he allegedly beat a coworker to death on a construction site in a suburb of Texas’ largest city, Houston.

This comes as Texas officials feud with the City of Houston over a new policy limiting law enforcement cooperation with ICE. The confrontation mirrors the broader national debate between Democrats and Republicans over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. Disagreements over immigration enforcement have resulted in an ongoing lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security during a partial government shutdown.

Now, Venezuelan national Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice has been charged with the murder of carpenter Juan Antonio Salinas Leija at a north Houston home earlier this month, according to reporting by local outlet KHOU-11. The outlet said Salinas Leija was found dead at a home under renovation with severe wounds consistent with a sledgehammer attack. Chirino-Leonice was later arrested driving the victim’s truck in east Houston.

ICE lodged a detainer — a request to hold — with the Harris County Jail last week. According to DHS, Chirino-Leonice was released into the country under Biden administration in 2023.

DHS SLAMS CALIFORNIA ‘SANCTUARY’ COUNTY AFTER MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY 2 HONDURAN NATIONALS

DHS said U.S. Border Patrol first arrested Chirino-Leonice in November 2023. The agency said the Biden administration “subsequently released him into the interior of the country.”

Gabriel Martinez, acting field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston, called the alleged murder a savage attack by an illegal alien “who never should have been allowed into the country.”

“This criminal illegal alien — who never should have been allowed into the country in the first place — is accused of savagely beating a co-worker to death with a sledgehammer and leaving him to die in a house they were renovating together,” said Martinez.

He said ICE officers in Houston are “working tirelessly to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration system to bring an end to the carnage and unnecessary suffering in this country that’s caused by criminal illegal aliens,” adding, “We won’t rest until we’ve accomplished that mission.”

TRUMP BLASTS BIDEN ADMIN FOR RELEASING HAITIAN IMMIGRANT NOW CHARGED IN FATAL HAMMER ATTACK ON FLORIDA MOTHER

ICE has arrested thousands of illegal immigrants in the Houston area since President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January 2025. Those arrests have included at least 414 criminal illegal aliens who have been charged with or convicted of child sex offenses, according to DHS.

At the start of the month, ICE Houston said that in the span of five days it arrested nearly 150 criminal aliens, including five child predators, two drug traffickers, 14 thieves, 62 violent offenders, one arsonist, seven hit-and-run DWIs, and nine immigrants convicted of a combined 31 DWIs.

The Democratic-majority Houston City Council recently voted to end a policy requiring law enforcement to hold illegal immigrants for ICE for at least 30 minutes. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has called the policy a “breach of contract” with the state. Last week, he issued an ultimatum to the city to reverse the move or pay the state back $110 million in funding.

TWO BOYS DEAD AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM MEXICO ALLEGEDLY DROVE DRUNK AND HIT THEM ON A SIDEWALK

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Democratic Mayor John Whitmire has called the situation a “crisis” for public safety. The city council is set to reconsider the policy this Wednesday.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

Pro-Palestinian activists shouted down Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., as the U.S. Senate hopeful spoke at Michigan Democrats’ spring convention on Sunday.

When Stevens, a pro-Israel Democrat, walked on stage with a group of union employees, the crowd erupted with party activists heckling her over her support for Israel. 

“Democrats, I love you, even when we disagree,” the congresswoman said, but audience members continued to drown her out with boos and jeers.

DEMOCRATS TEAM UP WITH FAR-LEFT STREAMER WHO ONCE SAID ‘AMERICA DESERVED 9/11’

As Stevens departed the stage following her remarks, several attendees stood up, put their fists in the air and started to chant: “Shame on you.”

The tense moment underscores the Democratic Party’s race to the left, and how support for Israel has become a central flashpoint in Michigan’s competitive three-way Democratic primary in a state with sizable Jewish and Arab constituencies.

Stevens has come under scathing criticism from progressive Democrats over her long-held pro-Israel stances and support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Her primary competitors, by contrast, have leaned further left on the issue.

Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow have accused Israel of genocide and sworn off AIPAC and the pro-Israel lobby.

Stevens recently upset Michigan progressives by unequivocally rejecting the far-left online streamer Hasan Piker, who has a history of making antisemitic and pro-Hamas statements. 

Piker has described some Orthodox Jews as “inbred,” claimed the United States “deserved 9/11” and downplayed sexual violence that occurred during the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. He has denied accusations of antisemitism, but continues to maintain that Hamas is better than Israel. 

BATTLEGROUND DEM SAYS TERRORISTS ACT FROM ‘PAIN AND FRUSTRATION,’ ACCUSES AMERICANS OF BEING ‘HIGH AND MIGHTY’

Stevens has warned about the political fallout for Democrats if the party embraces Piker, telling Jewish Insider, “Someone who’s campaigning with someone like that is not going to win in Michigan.”

McMorrow, despite disavowing the pro-Israel stance, has also hammered El-Sayed for embracing Piker and has taken a tougher line against antisemitism than her left-wing foe.

Some attendees shouted “Abdul” when McMorrow exited the stage at the convention over the weekend, signaling support for the most radical Democrat candidate.

The swing state contest is viewed as a top pick-up opportunity for Republicans with former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, expected to cruise to the GOP nomination. Democrats are playing defense to keep the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., in the blue column.

The battleground race is one of three Senate contests rated as a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

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Stevens, the only Democratic candidate in the race who has served in Congress, has been promoted by allies of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. TIME reported that Schumer has also opened the door to supporting McMorrow, though has continued to hold El-Sayed at arm’s length.

Fox News Digital reached out to Stevens’ campaign for comment.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney asserted that many of his nation’s prior “strengths” stemming from its close relationship with the U.S. have turned into “weaknesses” that must be addressed.

“The U.S. has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression. Many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become our weaknesses, weaknesses that we must correct,” Carney said in a video message.

“Workers in our industries most affected by U.S. tariffs, in autos, in steel, in lumber, are under threat. Businesses are holding back investments, restrained by the pall of uncertainty that’s hanging over all of us. The U.S. has changed. And we must respond,” the Canadian leader declared.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

CARNEY CASTS HIMSELF AS NATO DEFENDER AMID TRUMP BEEF, DESPITE CANADA MISSING KEY BENCHMARK FOR DECADES

“It’s about taking back control of our security, our borders, and our future. There are some who say there’s no need for a comprehensive plan. They believe we should wait it out in the hope that the United States will return to normal, that the good old days will come back,” Carney continued.

“But hope isn’t a plan. And nostalgia is not a strategy,” he asserted.

SEATTLE, VANCOUVER COORDINATE CROSS-BORDER PLANNING FOR 2026 WORLD CUP TOURISM

FROM AUSCHWITZ, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR ISSUES URGENT WARNING OVER RISING ANTISEMITISM IN CANADA

“We have to take care of ourselves because we can’t rely on one foreign partner. We can’t control the disruption coming from our neighbors. We can’t bet our future on the hope that it will suddenly stop. But we can control what happens here. We can build a stronger country that can withstand disruptions from abroad, that creates good jobs here at home, that’s a leader in this new world, with a vast network of reliable allies,” Carney said.

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President Donald Trump has implemented an aggressive tariff policy. The Supreme Court ruled against him in February, holding that Congress – not the president – holds authority over such taxes. Starting Monday, businesses are able to file for tariff refunds, as the federal government starts unwinding billions of dollars in import duties.

Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

House Republicans are pressing multiple federal agencies for answers about reports that at least 10 individuals tied to sensitive U.S. nuclear and aerospace programs have died or disappeared in recent years, with lawmakers pointing to public reporting that raises questions about a possible “sinister connection” between the cases.

In letters sent Monday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Subcommittee Chairman Eric Burlison, R-Mo., request briefings from the FBI, Department of Energy, NASA and Department of War, citing what they describe as “unconfirmed public reporting” surrounding the incidents.

The lawmakers say the reports involve individuals with connections to “U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology” who have “died or mysteriously vanished,” and are seeking to determine whether any broader national security risk exists.

“If the reports are accurate, these deaths and disappearances may represent a grave threat to U.S. national security and to U.S. personnel with access to scientific secrets,” Comer and Burlison wrote.

MISSING RETIRED AIR FORCE GENERAL CONSULTED ON UFOS FOR BLINK-182’S TOM DELONGE

In response to earlier outreach, the War Department said there are “no active national security investigations” involving any current or former personnel tied to the reported cases.

The White House has acknowledged the issue but has not confirmed any connection between the incidents. 

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said officials are working with relevant agencies to gather more information, while President Donald Trump told reporters he had “just left a meeting” on the matter, calling it “pretty serious stuff” and indicating answers could come soon.

The letters cite several individuals whose deaths or disappearances have drawn public attention, including former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Michael David Hicks, who died in 2023.

COMER WARNS ‘SOMETHING SINISTER’ MAY BE BEHIND DEATHS, DISAPPEARANCES OF 11 NUCLEAR, SPACE-LINKED SCIENTISTS 

Among the more recent cases, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William “Neil” McCasland disappeared from his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home in February. Authorities said he left behind personal items but took his wallet and a firearm, and he has not been located.

NASA materials engineer Monica Reza, who served as director of the Materials Processing Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also remains missing after disappearing during a hike in California in June 2025.

The cases cited in public reporting span a range of circumstances, including disappearances, confirmed homicides and deaths where no foul play has been identified. Authorities have not indicated that the incidents are linked.

Lawmakers also referenced reports suggesting a possible professional connection between some of the individuals through past Air Force–funded research programs involving advanced materials for space and weapons systems, though no confirmed link between the cases has been established.

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Comer and Burlison said the situation warrants further review, requesting staff-level briefings from the agencies by April 27 on any information they have regarding the individuals, as well as the procedures in place to protect sensitive scientific personnel and classified research.

The inquiry spans agencies responsible for nuclear weapons infrastructure, advanced military research, federal law enforcement and space exploration — a wide-ranging effort to determine whether any risk to U.S. national security or personnel connected to advanced research programs exists.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the departments that received letters for comment. 

Michigan is among states doubling down on rejecting Trump administration investigations and oversight into elections, claiming protection of the right to vote, potentially setting up a battle that could escalate to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Justice Department is demanding roughly 865,000 ballots and hundreds of thousands of related election records from the Detroit area’s 2024 election, threatening to seek a court order if the materials are not turned over within 14 days.

In an April 14 letter to Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon asked for “all ballots (including absentee and provisional), ballot receipts, and ballot envelopes” from the November 2024 federal election, saying the department was acting under federal records-retention law and investigating whether election laws were followed.

Dhillon wrote that the request was based on a “history of fraud convictions and other allegations” in Wayne County and warned that failure to comply “may result in the United States seeking a court order for production of such records.”

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP ADMIN LAWSUIT SEEKING MICHIGAN VOTER ROLLS

“Here @theJusticeDept, ensuring election integrity is a paramount duty,” Dhillon wrote Sunday on X, sharing the video of her appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo. “Many states fail to clean noncitizen & deceased people from their voter rolls, and under my leadership, @CivilRights will continue working to ensure that ONLY eligible American citizens vote in our elections!”

Dhillon added her investigations seek to “ensure accountability for the outrageous weaponization of the deep state against President Trump and his team.”

“It must never be repeated!” she concluded.

WITHIN MINUTES OF TRUMP SIGNING VOTER DATABASE ORDER, DEM STATES THREATEN LAWSUITS

The demand marks the latest step in a broader push by the Trump administration to scrutinize election procedures in key swing states after earlier moves involving 2020 ballots in Georgia and election records in Arizona.

Democrat officials in Michigan blasted the request as baseless and politically motivated.

“If this administration wants to bring this circus to our state, my office is prepared to protect the people’s right to vote,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told The Washington Post.

FBI SUBPOENAS 2020 ARIZONA VOTING DOCS AS FEDERAL PUSH INTO ELECTION ADMINISTRATION WIDENS

The Justice Department’s request covers ballots, ballot envelopes and ballot receipts in Wayne County, which includes Detroit.

Nessel wrote in a separate letter that the department is seeking about 865,000 ballots and that the request was directed to the wrong office because the ballots are held by 43 municipal clerks, not the Wayne County clerk.

In her letter, Dhillon cited three voter-fraud cases and repeated allegations raised in a 2020 lawsuit against Detroit and Wayne County over absentee-ballot handling. That suit was later dismissed, with a judge finding the allegations were not credible.

DOJ SUES 5 MORE STATES, DEMANDING ACCESS TO VOTER ROLLS: ‘WE WILL NOT BE DETERRED’

Nessel argued that Dhillon’s request is a “fishing expedition” that goes too far back in state election history, and the past findings of fraud in 2020 were not widespread, claiming the “the process worked” in rooting out fraud.

Further investigation will be “an unwarranted intrusion into Michigan elections,” she added, and would put an undue burden on elections officials before the Aug. 2 primary, which is more than three months away.

“Any form of federal interference in Michigan’s elections, including any attempt to seize election records, will be closely scrutinized,” she warned.

GOP GOVERNORS, AGS BACK TRUMP SAVE ACT PUSH, WARN SYSTEM GIVES ‘UNDUE INFLUENCE’ TO STATES WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the request a “poorly disguised attempt to justify more doubt and misinformation about our elections,” while Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson described it as the administration’s “latest attempt to interfere in our elections,” according to the Post.

The Post report of Michigan’s letter to Dhillon came hours after her appearance on Fox News, where Dhillon laid out the work of the DOJ and the obstruction it faces from Democrat-run states like Michigan.

“I’ve requested the voter rolls from all states and the District of Columbia,” Dhillon told Bartiromo. “About a third of the states have voluntarily complied with us or reached settlements with us, and we’ve run some of those records.

FBI REVIEWING FULTON COUNTY VOTE-COUNT ‘DEFICIENCIES,’ COURT DOCS REVEAL

“I’m suing 29 states and the District of Columbia for their refusal to give us the voter rolls to which the attorney general or the acting attorney general is entitled under the Civil Rights Act of 1960. We’re doing that to make sure that states are in compliance,” she said. “And guess what? States are not in compliance, even those ones who want to do so.”

Dhillon noted that in the DOJ’s investigation into the states that have cooperated with transparency to her requests, “we found at least 350,000 dead people currently on the voter rolls in those jurisdictions.”

ELECTION INTEGRITY GROUPS PRESS SUPREME COURT TO REQUIRE BALLOTS BY ELECTION DAY

“And we’ve referred approximately 25,000 people with no citizenship records to Homeland Security to look at, you know, dig into that further and see the extent to which people voted,” she continued. “I’m in touch with voting rights activists who are showing me information about people who have voted, who are not American citizens.”

“So the left told us, this never happens. And it’s a myth,” Dhillon continued. “It definitely happened just recently, someone was indicted in Minnesota, of all places, for voting without being a citizen.”

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Minnesota, Dhillon noted, “has a weird vouching law that allows citizens to vouch for each other’s citizenship.”

“That’s crazy and inconsistent with the Help America Vote Act, and we’re not going to rest until we complete this project,” Dhillon said.

The U.S. military announced another deadly strike against a vessel that it alleges was involved in “narco-trafficking” efforts.

“On April 19, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Southern Command indicated in a post on X.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the post continued.

US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED CARTEL OPERATIVES IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE, SOUTHCOM SAYS

SOUTHCOM indicated that the attack killed three men.

“Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post noted.

President Donald Trump’s administration has carried out dozens of deadly strikes against vessels of alleged “narco-terrorists.”

US MILITARY CONDUCTS MORE DEADLY STRIKES AGAINST VESSELS OF ALLEGED ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS’

In a completely different part of the world, amid ongoing tensions between America and Iran, the U.S. attacked an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on April 19.

“Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” U.S. Central Command noted.

US SEIZES IRANIAN SHIP AFTER OPENING FIRE; PAKISTAN TALKS IN DOUBT

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“After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody,” CENTCOM noted.

The Trump administration on Monday launched a new system to begin refunding $166 billion in tariffs to U.S. importers after the Supreme Court ruled the levies unlawful earlier this year.

The system, known as CAPE, will allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue consolidated electronic payments to importers, streamlining what would otherwise be a complex, entry-by-entry refund process.

“It’s essentially a fast track for processing refunds,” said Reed Smith partner Michael Lowell, adding that importers will need to file claims, but the process should be straightforward.

TRUMP’S TARIFF REVENUES HIT RECORD HIGHS AS SUPREME COURT DEALS MAJOR BLOW

“Customs is estimating that refunds will be processed within 60 to 90 days after submission,” he added. “If importers file as soon as the system opens, refunds could begin flowing by mid-June to mid-July.”

The rollout marks the first phase of the refund effort, meaning not all importers or tariff categories will be eligible right away.

The refunds stem from a February Supreme Court decision that struck down the tariffs, setting the stage for what could become one of the largest repayment efforts in U.S. history.

Many businesses are expected to rush to file claims to get back billions they paid under the now-invalid tariffs.

Tariff revenues hit record highs after “Liberation Day” duties, underscoring the scale of payments now being returned to importers.

SUPREME COURT DEALS BLOW TO TRUMP’S TRADE AGENDA IN LANDMARK TARIFF CASE

Tariffs function as a tax on imports, with U.S. companies often absorbing the upfront costs and passing them along through higher prices for wholesalers, retailers and ultimately consumers. As a result, households and businesses can face increased costs on goods ranging from electronics to raw materials.

Still, trade experts say the broader use of tariffs is far from over.

“Tariffs are not going anywhere. That’s clear. It’s a central component of the administration’s economic and trade policy,” said Reed Smith partner Michael Lowell.

Lowell pointed to the administration’s swift move to impose new tariffs under a separate legal authority known as Section 122 following the Supreme Court’s ruling, noting those measures are already facing legal challenges.

“The administration has tools available to it that it is actively using to impose tariffs on certain imports from certain countries,” Lowell said. “Tariffs are here to stay, at least for the balance of the Trump administration.”

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He added that tariffs imposed during Trump’s first term largely remained in place through the Biden administration, underscoring their staying power across administrations.

Lowell also said companies should take steps now to prepare for continued uncertainty.

“We are advising companies to deal with the issues up front in their contracts, have very explicit terms around who’s responsible for the tariff, how refunds will be processed if we continue to see tariffs that are invalidated and refunds associated with them,” he said.

A Senate Republican hopeful eyeing Minnesota’s open seat accused Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of turning a blind eye to a multibillion-dollar fraud scandal in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Michele Tafoya, 61, is running to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., in a crowded race where Republicans have heavily targeted Walz and Ellison over a nearly $10 billion daycare, food aid and health clinic fraud scheme that unfolded under their noses.

This widespread theft could flip a Senate seat red in Minnesota for the first time since 2008, Tafoya insisted in an interview with Fox News Digital, adding that people in her state are “angry.”

“Fraud is certainly at the forefront” of this election, she said.

MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS REVEAL WHICH FAR-LEFT CANDIDATE THEY WANT TO CHALLENGE IN OPEN SENATE RACE

“I think that Tim Walz and Keith Ellison are both to blame for this fraud,” Tafoya alleged. “Look, they’re at the top. And as one very revered former United States senator told me, that amount of money cannot change hands without people knowing.”

“So people knew this was going on,” the former sports broadcaster added, demanding someone be held accountable for the widespread fraud.

Brian Evans, a spokesperson for Ellison, told Fox News Digital that the attorney general’s office has gone after fraud in the state, specifically with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which has “secured over 340 convictions and regularly ranks as one of the most efficient team of fraud fighters in the nation.”

“Attorney General Ellison is currently leading the charge to pass a bipartisan bill to give his fraud control unit more resources and authority to go after fraudsters and protect our tax dollars,” Evans said. “He has a strong record of fighting fraud and holding fraudsters accountable.”

Both Walz and Ellison defended their actions to address fraud in their state during a congressional hearing. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., found ahead of the hearing that Walz and Ellison were aware of fraud in the state but “repeatedly failed to act.”

And Tafoya claimed they “laughed it off” during their appearance before the House Oversight Committee in March.

“People knew this was going on. We have seen it with the Quality ‘Learing’ Center,” Tafoya said. “We know that there have been so many mistakes made. And when you are the governor, the buck stops with you.”

MINNESOTA GOP LAWMAKER URGES CONGRESS TO PRESS WALZ AT FRAUD HEARING: ‘REAL ISSUES TO DEAL WITH’

Tafoya, a former sports reporter seeking elected office for the first time, is aiming to flip the seat red and said Minnesotans are “ready for a change.”

“They are so fed up and disillusioned,” she said.

When asked about a noncitizen recently charged with committing voter fraud and perjury in Minnesota, Tafoya tied that issue to the multibillion-dollar fraud scandal and said, “Walz and company want us to believe there’s zero voter fraud.”

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Tafoya said. “I’m certain that’s not the only example. And for them to say that we had perfect elections, when they have just proven that they are willing to lie through their teeth about where our money is going, is laughable.”

But Tafoya is not running against Walz or Ellison and despite having the most campaign coffers among her cohorts, she must first survive a crowded primary to win the Republican nomination. Only then will she advance to the general election in November against Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., or Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, both of whom she claims are trying to “out-left” each other.

Specifically, Tafoya pointed to Flanagan, saying: “She got dressed in a hijab and told Minnesotans, ‘Somalis built Minnesota.’ That was so offensive to everyone in the state.”

“So that gives you an example of how much of a leftist she is.”

TOP 5 WILDEST MOMENTS AS GOP LAWMAKERS CLASHED WITH WALZ, ELLISON IN HEATED FRAUD HEARING: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’

While Tafoya has the backing of Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who chairs the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, former President Donald Trump has yet to issue a coveted endorsement that could make or break her campaign.

Tafoya said it is ultimately Trump’s decision whether and when to endorse a candidate in the race.

“I’m going to let him speak for himself on any endorsement,” Tafoya said. “We would happily take it. But right now, we are the candidate that has raised the most money by far in the Republican senatorial race in Minnesota, and we think that speaks very highly of our chances.”

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She has also outpaced her Republican opponents, raising just over $2 million between January and March of this year, with just under $1.9 million on hand, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Tafoya also holds a cash advantage over Flanagan, who has raised $1.4 million and still has $1.1 million on hand.

Both are surpassed by Craig, who has brought in $2.5 million and has a whopping $4.9 million on hand.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Walz but did not immediately hear back.

The Justice Department is turning to former Trump attorney Joeseph diGenova to spearhead a probe into ex-CIA Director John Brennan and others over the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, as the department reshuffles leadership of the sprawling inquiry.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has tapped diGenova to serve as counsel overseeing the matter, according to a New York Times report, putting a former Trump attorney in a key role in the high-profile probe. A federal grand jury seated in Miami has been impaneled since late last year.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

DOJ ACTIVELY PREPARING TO ISSUE GRAND JURY SUBPOENAS RELATING TO JOHN BRENNAN INVESTIGATION: SOURCES

DiGenova, a former U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who represented Trump during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, has repeatedly accused Brennan of misconduct tied to the origins of the Russia probe—allegations that have not resulted in criminal charges.

He also said in a 2018 appearance on Fox News that Brennan colluded with the FBI and DOJ to frame Trump.

The origins of the Russia investigation have been the subject of ongoing scrutiny by Trump allies, who have argued that intelligence and law enforcement officials improperly launched the probe.

BRENNAN INDICTMENT COULD COME WITHIN ‘WEEKS’ AS PROSECUTORS REQUEST OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

DiGenova’s appointment follows the ouster of Maria Medetis Long, a national security prosecutor in the South Florida U.S. attorney’s office. She had been overseeing the inquiry, including a false statements probe related to Brennan and broader conspiracy-related investigations.

As the investigation continues, federal investigators have issued subpoenas seeking information related to intelligence assessments of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

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Brennan has previously denied wrongdoing related to the Russia investigation and has defended the intelligence community’s assessment that Moscow interfered in the 2016 election.

President Donald Trump is giving peace – and war – a chance after alleged ceasefire violations, he told Fox News Sunday morning.

“If the deal isn’t done, the deal that we made, then I’m going to take out their bridges and their power plants,” Trump said as he fired off another warning to repeat his threat to end “civilization” in Iran.  “If they don’t sign this thing, the whole country is going to get blown up.”

“We’re preparing to hit them harder than any country has ever been hit before because you cannot let them have a nuclear weapon,” Trump added.

Those remarks came as Trump mocked the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a Truth Social post for staking claim to a Strait of Hormuz “blockade” the U.S. military had already put in place.

“Iran recently announced that they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our BLOCKADE has already closed it,” Trump wrote. “They’re helping us without knowing, and they are the ones that lose with the closed passage, $500 Million Dollars a day! The United States loses nothing. 

“In fact, many Ships are headed, right now, to the U.S., Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to load up, compliments of the IRGC, always wanting to be ‘the tough guy!'”

Notably, Trump told Fox News that there is turmoil in Iran, over control of a country whose multiple layers of leadership had been killed over the past few months of strikes by Israel and the U.S.

“There’s a little bit of a fight between the moderates [in Iran] and the crazies,” Trump said. “Nobody’s winning it.”

“Our Navy has done an unbelievable job,” he continued. “We haven’t even been challenged.”

Trump declared that Saturday’s IRGC fire was “a total violation” of the ceasefire.

“Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” his Truth Social post began.

“Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom. That wasn’t nice, was it? My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations.”

Trump remains hopeful about diplomacy, but is not ruling out a return to force, where he once warned about ending “civilization” in Iran as they know it.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Trump’s stern warning continued. 

“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! 

“They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!”

Trump’s Middle East peace envoys are going to take the next step toward a diplomatic resolution first, he told Fox News.

“Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are heading to the Middle East,” Trump said. “They will be leaving [Monday]. Their meeting will begin on Tuesday morning. It’s a very simple deal, they’ve agreed to much of it.”

“It’s almost like they don’t learn,” he said.

Trump added that he has not made a decision on targeting water infrastructure, including desalination plants.

“I hate to do that one,” he said.

Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was “grateful” after Pope Leo XIV sought to ease tensions with President Donald Trump and indicated he had no interest in engaging in a public dispute.

The pontiff said earlier Saturday that coverage of remarks he made during a recent trip to Africa had created “a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects.” He added that the speech in question had been prepared weeks before any response from Trump, pushing back on suggestions it was directed at the president.

Vance, who is Catholic and met Pope Leo at the Vatican in 2025, welcomed the pontiff’s latest comments. Earlier in the week, Vance had suggested the pope should “be careful” when weighing in on theological and political matters, underscoring the tensions that had emerged.

“While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict — and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen — the reality is often much more complicated,” Vance said.

“Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day. The president — and the entire administration — work to apply those moral principles in a messy world. He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we’ll be in his.”

POPE LEO SAYS REMARKS ABOUT WORLD BEING ‘RAVAGED BY A ​HANDFUL OF TYRANTS’ WERE NOT AIMED AT TRUMP: REPORT

There appeared to be tension after Pope Leo delivered remarks in Cameroon in which he criticized those who “manipulate religion” for political and military gain.

“Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo said.

The words were interpreted by some as tied to the Trump administration’s stance on the conflict with Iran, helping to spark a broader dispute between the White House and the Vatican.

TRUMP ACCUSES POPE LEO OF BEING ‘TERRIBLE’ ON FOREIGN POLICY OVER PONTIFF’S ANTI-WAR COMMENTS

The pope also criticized rhetoric surrounding the conflict, at one point calling comments about potentially targeting Iran’s “whole civilization” “truly unacceptable.” Trump responded by calling the pontiff “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

The disagreement unfolded over several days, with senior administration officials defending the president and offering their own criticism of the pope’s remarks, further amplifying the clash.

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Despite the escalating perceived tension, the pope said Saturday that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate the president and emphasized that he would continue preaching a message centered on peace, justice and brotherhood.

“Much of what has been written since then has been commentary on commentary trying to interpret what has been said,” the pope said.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she is not a millionaire and blamed a major accounting error after a congressional financial disclosure listing her assets as high as $30 million drew scrutiny from Republicans and a congressional watchdog.

An amended filing reviewed by The Wall Street Journal shows Omar and her husband’s assets were between $18,004 and $95,000, a sharp drop from an earlier disclosure that estimated their holdings between $6 million and $30 million.

“The amended disclosure confirms what we’ve said all along: The congresswoman is not a millionaire,” Omar spokesperson Jacklyn Rogers told the Journal, adding that the filing was corrected “as soon as the discrepancy was identified.”

The revised disclosure came after the Office of Congressional Conduct requested additional information earlier this year, according to the Journal.

TRUMP RIPS ‘CROOKED’ ILHAN OMAR AS HOUSE RAMPS UP INVESTIGATION INTO EXPLODING NET WORTH

Omar’s attorney said in a letter to the watchdog that the inaccurate filing was unintentional and stemmed from reliance on accountants.

“As the busiest of people, it is very common for members and their spouses to rely on learned professionals like accountants to make calculations and determinations that appear on public filings,” the attorney wrote, according to the Journal. “While the error is of course unfortunate, there is nothing untoward and nothing illegal has occurred.”

The amended filing shows Omar reported between $102,503 and $1,005,200 in income in 2024 from assets she and her husband own, according to the Journal. Documentation attached to the attorney’s letter showed $213,200 in distributions to her husband from his venture capital management firm and $3,000 from a winery.

COMER TO SAY TIM WALZ ‘ENABLED FRAUD,’ FAILED WHISTLEBLOWERS IN BOMBSHELL MINNESOTA HEARING

A 2025 email between Omar’s husband and his accountant valued the venture capital firm at $7.9 million and the winery at $1.5 million, though he owns roughly one-third of both businesses, according to tax documents cited by the Journal.

The updated disclosure also shows Omar has between $15,001 and $50,000 in student loan debt and a similar amount in credit card debt.

The discrepancy had already drawn scrutiny from House Republicans, who questioned how such a large swing in reported assets went unflagged.

In a February letter to Omar’s husband, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., raised concerns about financial disclosures showing the value of two companies, eStCru LLC and Rose Lake Capital, surged from tens of thousands of dollars in 2023 to as much as $30 million in 2024.

Comer said the sudden increase “raises concerns that unknown individuals may be investing to gain influence,” and requested financial records tied to the businesses.

Omar’s office pushed back, describing Comer’s request as “a political stunt” and part of a campaign “meant to fundraise, not real oversight,” according to The Associated Press.

A 2025 financial disclosure filing had previously listed Omar’s husband’s business interests in the millions, including a winery valued between $1 million and $5 million and a venture capital firm valued between $5 million and $25 million.

Those valuations were later revised in the amended filing, with the businesses listed as having no net value once liabilities were factored in, according to the Journal.

Omar, a progressive Democrat originally from Somalia and member of the “Squad,” has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump since first being elected in 2018 and has long been a target of Republican criticism.

Trump has suggested that Omar benefited from Minnesota’s sprawling welfare fraud scandal involving many people from the Somali community, a claim she has denied.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton weighed in on the amended filing, questioning how previously unreported liabilities wiped out millions in reported assets:

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“Ilhan Omar says her congressional financial reports have massive accounting error,” Fitton wrote on X. She and her husband only worth 18k-86k, NOT $6 million-$30 million! Previously unreported ‘liabilities’ erase wealth!”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office for comment and will update this story with any response.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that the Trump administration is sanctioning a senior Nicaraguan official over alleged human rights violations.

Rubio said the U.S. is designating Vice Minister of the Interior Luis Roberto Cañas Novoa for his role in “gross violations of human rights” under the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, marking what he said was the latest effort to hold the regime accountable.

“The Trump administration continues to hold the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship accountable for brutal human rights violations against Nicaraguans,” Rubio said in a post on X. “I’m designating Nicaraguan Vice Minister of the Interior Luis Roberto Cañas Novoa for his role in human rights violations.”

RUBIO TESTIFIES IN TRIAL OF EX-FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN ALLEGEDLY HIRED BY MADURO GOVERNMENT TO LOBBY FOR VENEZUELA

The designation was made under Section 7031(c), which allows the State Department to bar foreign officials and their immediate family members from entering the United States due to involvement in significant corruption or human rights abuses.

The State Department has said the Ortega-Murillo government has engaged in arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings following mass protests that began in April 2018.

“Nearly eight years ago, the Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega dictatorship unleashed a brutal wave of repression against Nicaraguans who courageously stood against the regime’s increased tyranny, corruption, and abuse,” the statement reads.

The State Department said that the sanction marked the anniversary of the 2018 protests, after which more than 325 protesters were murdered in the aftermath.

A panel of U.N.-backed human rights experts previously accused Nicaragua’s government of systematic abuses “tantamount to crimes against humanity,” following an investigation into the country’s crackdown on political dissent, according to The Associated Press.

The experts said the repression intensified after mass protests in 2018 and has since expanded across large parts of society, targeting perceived opponents of the government.

TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF VISA RESTRICTION POLICY IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Nicaragua’s government has rejected those findings.

The designation follows a series of recent U.S. actions targeting the Ortega-Murillo government. In February, the State Department sanctioned five senior Nicaraguan officials tied to repression, citing arbitrary detention, torture, killings and the targeting of clergy, media and civil society.

Earlier this week, the department also announced sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Nicaragua’s gold sector, including two of Ortega and Murillo’s sons, accusing the regime of using the industry to generate foreign currency, launder assets and consolidate power within the ruling family.

The State Department said the move is part of ongoing efforts to hold the Nicaraguan government accountable for its actions.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Nicaraguan government and its embassy in Washington for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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The Trump administration has taken an increasingly aggressive posture in the Western Hemisphere in recent months, including a Jan. 3, 2026, operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The U.S. has also carried out a series of strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the region, part of a broader crackdown tied to regional security and narcotics enforcement efforts.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz slammed President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at a conference for progressives in Spain on Saturday, accusing Trump of being a “feeble-minded, trigger-happy president” who has “no exit plan” for the ongoing conflict with Iran. 

Walz delivered the criticism after a crowd at the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization event in Barcelona heard video messages from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani about affordability and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaking about the “illegal and dangerous wars being waged by Netanyahu and Trump in Iran and Lebanon.” 

“We’ve got a feeble-minded, trigger-happy president who plunged us into a war where no threat was present, with no clear objectives and no exit plan. We need to call that what it is. That’s fascism. Or at least it’s fascist curious as they would be,” Walz said.  

“Look, it’d be easy to stand up here and just bash Donald Trump. He’s an easy target. And if you know me, we don’t get along very well,” Walz added. “But we’ve got a lot of bigger fish and bigger problems to fry in this room, because the truth is, authoritarianism is not just confined to the United States. It’s everywhere.”

JD VANCE TELLS POPE LEO XIV TO ‘STICK TO MATTERS OF MORALITY’ AND STAY OUT OF US PUBLIC POLICY

Walz also said “Many of you might know me as the guy who isn’t currently the Vice President of the United States, and all I have to say about that is I’m very sorry about that.” 

“But unlike our current vice president, I’m not here to arrogantly lecture or scold you. I’m not here to pick up a fight with the Pope, and I’m not here to host a rally for some local wannabe dictator. Instead, I’m here to say thank you and to share some thoughts on what we can do to be part of a progressive movement that moves all of our countries forward,” he continued. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a response.

GOV. TIM WALZ SAYS HE’D ‘BEAT THE S— OUT OF’ JD VANCE IN A DEBATE REMATCH

Walz told the crowd at one point in his speech, “Please don’t give up on the American people.” 

“Go ahead and give up and condemn that monstrosity that sits in our White House,” he added in reference to Trump. “Keep the pressure on. Keep calling it out. Keep standing up to it. Keep naming it. But know there are more good people that stand on the right side of history. There are more good people that care about equality, that understands it’s not America First, it’s humanity first. It’s all of us together.” 

The 2-day Global Progressive Mobilization conference described itself on its website as a “necessary alternative to conservative and far-right forces.” 

Prior to Walz’s remarks, Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Spain.

“Has anybody looked at how badly the country of Spain is doing. Their financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely horrendous. Sad to watch!!!” Trump wrote Saturday. 

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Begona Gomez, the wife of liberal Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, also was formally charged this week with corruption following a years-long probe into charges she and her husband deny, according to Deutsche Welle. 

The U.S. Navy released photos Saturday of “fresh meals” being served onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli as it pushed back against claims of food shortages on Middle East warships. 

Images have emerged purportedly showing meager meals being served to sailors during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, but the claims are being rejected at highest levels of the Pentagon, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blasting them as “fake news.” 

“Fresh meals. Full service. Mission ready. Sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli continue to receive regularly prepared meals at sea — no interruptions, no shortages,” the Navy wrote on X on Saturday morning. 

It shared photos showing full plates of food being served to sailors. One image showed boxes of food supplies stacked to the ceiling onboard one of the ships.

HEGSETH EXCORIATES MEDIA, LIKENING THEM TO ‘PHARISEES’ IN TRUMP DEFENSE

“Recent reports alleging food shortages and poor quality aboard our deployed ships are false,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said Friday. 

“Both USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli have sufficient food onboard to serve their crews with healthy options. The health and wellbeing of our Sailors and Marines are my top priority, and every crew member continues to receive fully portioned, nutritionally balanced meals,” he added. 

LIVE UPDATES: IRAN REVERSES COURSE ON REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, SIGNALS WARNING TO US

“The U.S. Navy is correct. More FAKE NEWS from the Pharisee Press,” Hegseth said in response to Caudle’s statement.  

“My team confirmed the logistics stats for the Lincoln & Tripoli. Both have 30+ days of Class I supplies (food) on board. NavCent monitors this everyday, for every ship,” Hegseth said. “Our sailors deserve — and receive — the best.”

U.S. Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper also said Friday that the reports are “blatantly false.” 

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“Our service members are absolutely being fed across the region. This is an absolute priority,” Cooper told reporters.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday that he said “directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs.”

“The executive order I’m signing, we’re actually signing the executive order today, is really a moment,” Trump said. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patients.”

The president said the executive order would implement “historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.” 

“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,” Trump said, citing the veteran suicide rate.

VETERANS CROSS BORDER FOR FORBIDDEN PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENT THAT’S CHANGING LIVES AFTER COMBAT

“And the nice part is we’re actually doing this early, but it has been going on. Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that. This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved,” Trump continued.

The president said “in 2024, a study from Stanford University, 30 special operation veterans with traumatic brain injuries underwent — it’s called ibogaine treatment — ibogaine, remember the name,” noting that they “experienced an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”

“In Texas, Republican leaders have already committed $50 million to the ibogaine research. And today, the federal government is making a $50 million research investment in its own. And so that was just approved just last night,” Trump announced.

“We’re also opening a pathway for ibogaine to be administered to desperately ill patients under the right to try law,” Trump said.

“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life, just lead a happier life,” he added.

DEMENTIA RISK COULD BE TIED TO YOUR MINDSET AND OUTLOOK ON LIFE, STUDY SUGGESTS

A paper published in the journal Chronic Stress said ibogaine is a “psychoactive indole alkaloid which is extracted from the Tabernanthe iboga rainforest shrub and has been used for centuries in Central Africa for initiatory rituals.”

“Ibogaine treatment is reported to alleviate a spectrum of mood and anxiety symptoms and is associated with self-reported improvements in cognitive functioning in individuals with substance-use disorders. During treatment, ibogaine allows the evocation and reprocessing of traumatic memories and occasions therapeutic and meaningful visions of spiritual and autobiographical content, which are of central relevance in addressing PTSD-related psychological content,” it added.

“Under the executive order, HHS will accelerate research approval and access to new mental health treatments, including psychedelic therapies such as ibogaine. We’re taking this decision, this decisive step to confront one of the most urgent public health challenges facing our nation – the mental health crisis,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “More than 14 million Americans live with serious mental illness, and 1 in 4 adults experiences a diagnosable disorder each year. Suicide has risen by more than 30% over the past two decades, with another peak in recent years. Among veterans, more than 6,000 died by suicide each year since 2001. We have lost far more veterans to suicide than to combat.”

“At the same time, millions of Americans living with depression, PTSD, addiction and other conditions do not respond to existing treatments. We owe it to our warfighters and veterans to turn over every stone to alleviate the emotional and mental health blowback from their deployments,” he added.

Podcaster Joe Rogan, who was in the Oval Office with Trump on Saturday, also said “I want to say that I’m here because of the man to my left, Bryan Hubbard [CEO of nonprofit Americans for Ibogaine] and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry came on my podcast.”

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“They told me how impactful this medicine is. And having that conversation with them, millions of people got a chance to hear their story, hear the stories of all the different people that have had life-changing experiences from it,” Rogan said.

Burger lovers take warning: neighborhood cookouts could be more expensive this summer, thanks to conflict in the Middle East.

Global tensions are pushing up energy prices, resulting in higher costs for beef and the propane used to fuel backyard grills — just in time for Americans getting ready for barbecue season.

“The impact of ongoing challenges in the Middle East on energy prices impacts nearly every facet of the U.S. economy and beef-cattle are not immune,” Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, told Fox News Digital.

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

Ranchers rely on energy at nearly every step of their process, from fueling tractors in the field to using trucks to transport cattle, and those higher costs are often passed on to consumers, Tonsor explained.

Those pressures are showing up at the pump. The national average for a gallon of gas now stands at approximately $4.09, up roughly 93 cents from just one month ago, according to AAA, with costs climbing across nearly every region.

Diesel, a key fuel for freight and shipping, has climbed to $5.61, up about $2.03 over the past year, making it more expensive to move cattle and beef across the country.

The ripple effects go far beyond beef.

Propane, the fuel powering many backyard grills, is also getting more expensive as global energy markets tighten, in part, because countries in the Middle East are such major suppliers to the world.

U.S. propane prices at the Mont Belvieu hub, the industry benchmark for this type of power, have surged nearly 19% since the conflict began in late February.

BEEF PRICES ARE CLOSE TO RECORD HIGHS — BUT AMERICANS AREN’T CUTTING BACK

But higher energy costs are only part of the story.

Cattle supply remains slow to respond. Unlike oil or metals, where supply can be increased relatively quickly, cattle production takes years to ramp up after a dip.

The U.S. cattle herd is now at its smallest size in 75 years, which is keeping the supply tight following years of drought, rising costs and an aging ranching workforce resulting in producers needing to cut back.

That tight supply is already pushing prices higher — and the Iran conflict is only proliferating the issue.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the average price of beef in grocery stores climbed from about $8.70 per pound in March 2025 to $10.08 a year later — an increase of roughly 16%.

Subsequently, even if energy prices ease, beef prices likely won’t be quick to follow.

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For shoppers, that means prices may remain high — or climb further — depending on whether consumers keep coughing-up cash for steak and burgers, or opt to switch to cheaper alternatives.

Much of that comes down to forces far beyond Americans’ backyard that continue to shape the cost of firing up the grill this summer.

A former lead hostage negotiator under the first Trump and Biden administrations warned that the Iranians are tougher negotiators than the Russians, Chinese and even the Taliban, noting that several Americans are still wrongfully detained in Iran and should be included in any peace talks. 

Roger Carstens, the U.S. former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, said in an interview with Fox News that six American citizens are being held captive in Iranian prisons — each of them previously held in Evin prison in Tehran, known for its harsh conditions. He said the Iranians will likely use the American hostages as a “sweetener” to ensure negotiations go in “the direction of Iran” as the United States seeks a nuclear deal and permanent ceasefire. 

“Strangely, the Russians, the Chinese, the Taliban, the Venezuelans, when you start getting into hostage discussions, they tell the truth and they stick to what they promise. You can do a handshake deal with the Taliban, and they’re going to follow through,” Carstens said. “The Iranians. Absolutely not.”

While Carstens remains confident that U.S. negotiators can secure the return of the six Americans, he stated that Iran is unlike any other foreign government he’s worked with and can’t be trusted.

MORNING GLORY: THE US-IRAN NEGOTIATIONS IN ISLAMABAD BECAME REYKJAVÍK 2.0

He said the Iranians are the sort of negotiators likely to pull a “fast one” right up until the last moment.  

“You cannot trust the Iranians up until the last second,” Carstens said. “If you were landing a plane in either Geneva or even Tehran, to get your Americans, you better be out there with a clipboard making sure that the people coming on the plane are the people that you bargained for.”

Only two of the American hostages have been publicly identified: Kamran Hekmati, 61, and Reza Valizadeh, 49.

Hekmati is a Jewish American who also holds Iranian citizenship. He was imprisoned 11 months ago after being charged and convicted of visiting Israel in the past 10 years.

Like Hekmati, Valizadeh holds dual Iranian and American citizenship. He previously worked for the U.S.-funded Radio Farda, covering corruption and election manipulation in Iran. Valizadeh was arrested in September 2024 during a visit to see family and was sentenced after being convicted of working with a hostile government.

SEN TIM SHEEHY: GOLD STAR FAMILIES DESERVE JUSTICE. THIS $15B FROM IRAN IS A START

Carstens suggested it was unlikely there was any time for the Americans and Iranians to discuss the release of the six Americans during the 21-hour marathon peace talks in Pakistan earlier this month. 

MEET IRAN’S HARDLINE SPEAKER WHO THREATENED TO BURN US FORCES — REPORTEDLY TEHRAN’S POINT MAN FOR TALKS

“I think the Iranians are going to be smart enough to keep these people healthy and ready to throw on to a negotiating table,” Carstens said. “The question in my mind during these negotiations is not whether they’ll be at risk or pulled off, but rather, what’s it going to take, and how will we, the United States, value them [the hostages]?”

President Donald Trump does not mention the release of American hostages in his four objectives for ending the Iran war. Carstens is calling for the return of the hostages to be a fifth objective.

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“Let’s make this an official ask, and when we go in, not only ask for it officially, but hold ourselves accountable to getting the job done,” Carstens said. “The good news is Trump has a great record in bringing Americans home.”

A senior White House official told Fox News Digital that future peace talks with Iran are under discussion, but nothing has yet been scheduled.

“President Trump is always concerned about Americans detained abroad, which is why he has brought over 100 individuals — a record number — home from around the world,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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

Amid ongoing hostilities with Iran, Democrats brushed off past calls from some figures in their party for U.S. armed forces to “refuse illegal orders,” even as they broadly maintained that President Donald Trump’s use of the military is on shaky footing without lawmaker approval.

“The troops are in no way to blame for this illegal war. Responsibility lies solely and simply with the president,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.

“We support the troops always. They’re following orders,” Rep. Daren Soto, D-Fla., said. “This is about a debate of whether we should be there or not.”

The comments come just months after six members of Congress with military backgrounds urged service members to disregard unconstitutional directives.

GOP BLOCKS BOOKER-LED PUSH TO CURB TRUMP’S MILITARY AUTHORITY IN IRAN

“You must refuse illegal orders,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “Don’t give up the ship.”

The six lawmakers included: Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.

The lawmakers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment when asked about what those calls meant in the context of the conflict with Iran.

ONE MONTH AT WAR WITH IRAN — CAN WASHINGTON DEFINE VICTORY?

Efforts to pass a war powers resolution that would curb Trump’s military powers in Iran have failed amid a steep partisan divide over whether the president’s actions fall within what the Constitution permits without congressional approval.

A war power resolution that would have forced Trump to remove U.S. forces from Iran failed in the House of Representatives in a 213-214 vote on Thursday.

Democrats, citing the War Powers Act of 1973, note that the law requires a president to secure approval from lawmakers before engaging in a conflict that goes past 60 days.

FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS, SAYS TRUMP’S MILITARY STRIKES ON IRAN HAVE ‘MADE THE WORLD SAFER’

“The president says it’s an ‘excursion’ which it’s not,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said. “We have to call it for what it is. It is a war.”

Republicans and other advocates for the conflict have noted the war with Iran hasn’t hit that mark yet.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in rebuffing challenges to the president’s authority.

DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO GRIND SENATE TO A HALT TO FORCE PUBLIC IRAN HEARINGS

“I’ve been the only Democrat who has supported Epic Fury,” Fetterman said, referring to the Iran conflict’s operational name.

“And now we’re 48 days into this. None of this has been illegal,” he added.

Even so, Democrats have blasted the president for dragging the country into a conflict that they say is far from a meaningful resolution.

Blumenthal called on the administration to provide lawmakers with more information about a possible timeline for resolution and more details about the conflict’s status.

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“One of the complaints — and it’s bipartisan — we don’t have any accurate information about how the blockade is going, what the costs of the war are, even in a classified setting,” Blumenthal said.

Although Trump has said U.S. and Iran talks are working towards ending the conflict for good, it remains unclear if ceasefire talks will render a permanent cessation of hostilities.

Analilia Mejia, a one-time labor organizer backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, is headed to Congress.

Mejia, running on a platform that emphasized Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage with the first $40,000 tax-free, a wealth tax, abolishing ICE and holding President Donald Trump and his administration accountable, convincingly defeated Republican candidate Joe Hathaway in Thursday’s special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

With her nearly 20-point victory, Mejia will fill the final eight months of the term of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the more moderate Democratic representative who stepped down from Congress in November after winning New Jersey’s gubernatorial election.

Mejia, who is likely to align herself with the so-called “Squad” of younger, diverse and progressive House Democrats, called herself the “sassy new member of Congress” in her victory speech.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

The special election came as the GOP clings to a fragile House majority. Republicans would have relished the opportunity to pick up the seat, but they faced a steep uphill climb to flip the suburban district Sherrill won by 15 points in her 2024 re-election and carried by roughly the same margin in last year’s gubernatorial election.

Hathaway, a former Randolph Township mayor and current council member who was unopposed for the GOP congressional nomination, aimed to paint Mejia as too far to the left for the district. He told Fox News Digital the choice for voters was “between a common sense, practical independent leader who’s gotten things done at the local level in New Jersey and knows the issues, contrasted with someone who’s running on pure ideology, far left-wing ideology, Squad-backed ideology.”

“I think we have the right math, the right bipartisan coalition to come together to win this thing on April 16,” an optimistic Hathaway predicted.

But Hathaway came up far short, given the rough political climate facing Republicans and the traditional headwinds for the party in power.

THIS PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZER WINS SPECIAL ELECTION, EARNING TICKET TO CONGRESS

Mejia, on Thursday night, pushed back against the claims she’s a radical.

“My opponent has spent his whole campaign calling me names and saying my ideas are too radical. But we know, that is a mind trick, on brand for a spin doctor, but easily countered if you just open your eyes,” Mejia said. “It is not radical to say that one of the wealthiest nations in the world should do more to protect the health of its people.”

Here’s a closer look at Mejia and where she stands on the issues.

Who is Analilia Mejia

Mejia was born in New Jersey and is the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants.

After working as a union organizer, Mejia served as national political director on the 2020 Sanders presidential campaign. She later worked in the Department of Labor in former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Mejia pulled off an upset in the February Democratic primary, narrowly edging out a more moderate rival, former Rep. Tom Malinowski, in a field of 11 candidates. While Mejia was the clear choice of the party’s left flank, the rest of the field divided the moderate and center-left vote.

Besides the backing of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, Mejia was also endorsed by other top progressive leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

PROGRESSIVES NOTCH ANOTHER WIN OVER DEMOCRATIC MODERATES AS SANDERS-AOC ALLY NEARS CONGRESS

Mejia’s nomination victory was another big boost for the left against the establishment since now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, sent shock waves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.

Immigration

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

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

After her primary victory, Mejia gave credit to her stance on immigration in the wake of backlash against the Trump administration following the January fatal shootings in Minnesota by federal agents of two U.S. citizens protesting immigration operations.

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

Supreme Court

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

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

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

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

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

Student Loan Debt

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

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

Taxes and Minimum Wage

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

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

“With the cost of living rising every day, it’s time to raise the minimum wage at the national level to $25/hour,” Mejia emphasized on the campaign trail.

Israel

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

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

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

But the AIPAC strategy backfired, because Mejia is much tougher on Israel than Malinowski.

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

Jewish voters make up a key part of the district’s electorate, and Hathaway, in the only debate in the general election, claimed Mejia was antisemitic, noting she has said Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

“She blamed Israel for the attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7,” Hathaway said. “I think Jewish individuals across this district, Republican or Democrat, are very afraid of this kind of rhetoric.”

Mejia pledged to “protect the rights of Jewish constituents” and said her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza should not be conflated with antisemitism.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mejia said, “Joe Hathaway’s inability to distinguish between criticism of a government or government official and bigotry is troubling and disgusting in equal measure.”

Mejia last week wrote that she was “honored” after being endorsed by the liberal pro-Israel political group J Street PAC. But her acceptance of the endorsement triggered pushback on the left, with the North Jersey Democratic Socialists of America calling her move a “heel turn.”

Hathaway told Fox News Digital, “I’ve spoken to more members of the Jewish community who have told me they’ve never voted for a Republican in their life, who are going to vote for me in this race. I mean, that shows you where the Jewish community is on the importance of this race and how they are not aligned with Mejia … and her platform.”

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It appears Hathaway was right: Some towns with heavy Jewish populations swung significantly to the right in Thursday’s election.

But it wasn’t nearly enough to help Hathaway blunt Mejia’s overall support.