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MAGA, Inc., the super PAC linked to President Donald Trump, has made its first major midterm buy with $10 million in ad spending to support Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate race, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission.

Paxton and Democrat state Rep. James Talarico are locked in a tight race in which polls continually show the two candidates neck and neck.

The $10 million will go toward digital and TV ads across the state.

FOX NEWS POLL: GOP DIVISIONS SHAPE TEXAS SENATE RACE

Trump’s endorsement earlier this year already helped Paxton beat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary.

“While James Talarico has a record of raising taxes on working families, my Protecting the Texas Promise Agenda cuts costs and makes life more affordable. Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump, for your support,” Paxton wrote on X on Saturday while sharing a post about the ad buy. “Together we will win for Texas and America.”

The decision comes after weeks of speculation over whether the super PAC would put money into the hotly contested race.

Talarico’s campaign also responded to the move, telling Fox News Digital, “Billionaire-backed dark money groups are lying about James Talarico because they’re scared of the people-powered movement we’re building to fix this broken, corrupt political system.”

BERNIE SANDERS DEMANDS DEMOCRATS BAN SUPER PACS FROM PRIMARIES, BLASTS AIPAC, ‘CORRUPT SYSTEM’

Talarico, who has called for higher taxes on the wealthy, called out billionaires heading to the Republican midterm convention starting Wednesday.

“Next week, billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians will gather at a convention in Dallas to clink champagne glasses and toast their own corruption,” he said. 

“They’re paying $20,000 for entry to a Billionaire Ball celebrating corrupt tariffs, billionaire tax breaks, and a new forever war that are all driving grocery costs through the roof. We’ll be doing something different. We’re bringing Republicans, Democrats and independents together to collect groceries for our neighbors who have been screwed over by corrupt politicians.”

Calling him “High Tax Talarico,” MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer told Fox News Digital the Democrat “wants to take money out of Texans’ pockets. MAGA Inc. is going to ensure Texas knows about Talarico’s radical policies and elects Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate.”

TALARICO’S ‘PROUD CAPITALIST’ ABOUT-FACE COLLIDES WITH RESURFACED CALL TO ‘DISMANTLE’ CAPITALISM

Talarico’s campaign has raised $72 million since the campaign began, mostly from small donors, compared to $16.8 million by Paxton’s campaign, according to the Texas Tribune.

The two anti-Talarico ads slam his policies on taxes and rural hospitals while touting Paxton’s support for doubling the child tax credit, allowing tax breaks for medical expenses and a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers.

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MAGA, Inc. has around $400 million in campaign funds, which Trump called “my money” while speaking to reporters this week, adding, “I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said Lindsay Clancy will still have to pay “the price” for the deaths of her three small children — Cora 5, Dawson 3, and Callan, 8 months — after a mistrial was ruled on Friday.

During a press gaggle in the Oval Office, a reporter asked Trump if he’d been following the murder trial of Clancy, a Massachusetts mom whose defense did not deny that she strangled her children with exercise bands in January 2023, but argued that she was not guilty by reason of insanity. Her attorneys claimed that she suffered from postpartum psychosis, a severe but rare psychiatric condition in which a person is disconnected from reality.

“It’s a horrible tragedy,” Trump shared with reporters. “It’s a horrible tragedy. I see what’s happened, and it looks like it’s a hung jury.”

“I assume there’s going to be another trial. It’s a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can’t be worse. But you’ll find out what the price to pay is. There’ll be a price. It’s going to be [a] mental institution or jail or something,” Trump continued.

LINDSAY CLANCY MISTRIAL DECLARED AFTER JURY DEADLOCKS IN KILLINGS OF HER THREE CHILDREN

The six-week trial, which was supposed to determine whether Clancy was to be held criminally responsible, quickly evolved into a flashpoint in the internet culture war over women’s postpartum mental health and spurred misinformation and conspiracy theories, including false claims accusing her husband, Patrick Clancy, of being responsible for the children’s deaths.

After nearly a week of deliberations, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial when the jury deadlocked 11 to 1: 11 jurors voted to acquit Clancy, while one holdout refused to join them. The jury consisted of 9 women and 3 men.

PROSECUTOR IN INFAMOUS KILLER MOM CASE SAYS WOMEN ON LINDSAY CLANCY JURY MAY BRING ‘STRANGE TWIST’ TO VERDICT

Clancy’s defense attorney requested that the lone juror be removed because a note given to the judge by the jurors said the holdout had doubt but refused to apply it, according to People.

The mistrial invoked a strong reaction from Republican lawmakers, while Democratic lawmakers and leaders — including those from Clancy’s state — have remained mum on the high-profile case.

“Out of 12 people, only ONE had the courage to hold a serial killer accountable for her actions,” Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, posted on X. “That’s not just bravery. That’s a hero.”

“Holdout juror’s going to need security,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Ohio, posted on X. “Sad.”

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis called the mistrial a “miscarriage of justice.”

“The victims deserved far, far better than a kangaroo court,” DeSantis wrote.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who has been incredibly vocal against Clancy’s supporters — who have been gathered outside the courthouse and posted videos showing support online — suggesting Clancy would not have this support if she were Black.

“This case is not about the excuses for why she committed murder,” Mace posted on X. “This is about justice for the three beautiful souls whose lives were taken after their mother strangled them with her bare hands and workout bands.”

PATRICK CLANCY SPEAKS OUT AFTER HUNG JURY IN LINDSAY CLANCY CASE, ADDRESSES PROSPECT OF ANOTHER TRIAL

“12 jurors looked at this onesie,” Mace continued. “Only ONE stood his ground to defend the children.”

But Clancy’s defense argued that she was a devoted and loving mother who was desperately seeking to get help, alleging that the cocktail of medications she was on worsened her mental state. Clancy had been prescribed 13 psychiatric medications — more than 30 prescriptions — in the four months leading up to the murders.

“Lindsay was struggling. We were all very concerned,” said Susan Clancy, Clancy’s mother-in-law. “She was very nurturing, very loving. She was a wonderful mother. Wonderful.”

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Clancy is due back in court Sept. 29 for a status hearing, trial assignment and a defense Rule 25 motion.

Election experts are warning the Supreme Court that affirming a lower court’s ruling could mean that noncitizens, minors, or factitious people listed on state voter rolls could be impossible to remove.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in RNC v. Mi Familia Vote this December and will determine whether a pair of Arizona’s state laws which remove the registrations of noncitizen voters from voter rolls within 90 days of the election and require voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote are in violation of the National Voter Registration Act.

“Citizenship is a qualification for voting. If states are going to enforce that requirement, they have to be able to verify it,” Justin Riemer, president & CEO of Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And when officials find noncitizens on the voter rolls, they should be able to act before an election, not after. We are confident the Supreme Court will agree and reverse the Ninth Circuit’s misguided ruling.”

In an amicus brief filed on Thursday, attorneys from Center for Election Confidence, Inc., Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, Inc., and Honest Elections Project, argued that the Ninth Circuit Court’s ruling that the Arizona laws are an act of “voter suppression” is “absurd” and raises serious threats to state rights.

CLINTON-APPOINTED JUDGE TRIGGERS APPEAL AFTER BLOCKING KEY VOTER CITIZENSHIP LAW

The brief argued that Congress may regulate the mechanics of federal elections, but states have the constitutional authority to set and enforce voter qualifications — a power they argued becomes meaningless if states cannot obtain documentation needed to verify citizenship or remove people who were never eligible to register.

“Since the power to establish voting requirements is of little value without the power to enforce those requirements, it would raise serious constitutional doubts if a federal statute precluded a State from obtaining the information necessary to enforce its voter qualifications,” the brief stated.

The amicus brief pushed back on the Ninth Circuit’s conclusion that Arizona cannot conduct a systematic program to remove noncitizens from voter rolls during the NVRA’s 90-day pre-election period. The federal law generally requires states to complete systematic voter-removal programs at least 90 days before a federal election, while allowing removals during that window for a voter’s request, death, criminal conviction or mental incapacity.

DEMOCRAT NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR SAYS THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS DISCOVERED ON VOTER ROLLS, PURGED

The groups argued that non-citizenship is not among those listed grounds because it concerns someone who was never eligible to register in the first place. They said the restriction is meant to protect eligible voters from erroneous last-minute removals — not to shield people who were never eligible to register.

“If the Ninth Circuit is right that the 90-day limitation on programs prohibits removal on these bases — because the statute has listed exceptions — States could never remove improperly registered individuals who fall within these categories, no matter when the removal happens or whether it is after a systematic inquiry,” the brief said.

“Not just that, but these States could never remove these noncitizens who were never eligible to vote,” the brief continued.

The brief pointed to reported registration errors in New Jersey, Illinois and Oregon as examples of why states need a mechanism to correct allegedly improper registrations. It argues that an unlawful ballot cannot be undone once cast and counted.

DHS APPROVES PLAN TO VERIFY VOTER CITIZENSHIP, MONITOR MAIL BALLOTS AS TRUMP PUSH INTENSIFIES

“American elections are for American citizens only. Period,” Lisa Dixon, executive director of the Center for Election Confidence, said in a statement. “We should all support Arizona ensuring non-citizens can’t register to vote and removing any non-citizens who end up on the voter lists.”

The amici also argued that the Ninth Circuit misread NVRA provisions governing what information is “necessary” for state election officials to assess a voter’s eligibility, and whether a state registration form is “equivalent” to the federal form.

The brief argued that the Ninth Circuit wrongly concluded a voter’s citizenship attestation on a registration form is sufficient proof of eligibility and improperly interpreted an “equivalent” state form to mean one that is virtually identical to the federal form.

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“Once again, far-left activists are using the courts to twist federal law into a straitjacket that prevents states from securing their elections,” Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project, said in a statement to Fox News. “The Honest Elections Project urges the Supreme Court to side with Arizona and preserve the tools states need to ensure that elections are decided only by American citizens.”

In just over a week, former staffers for John Fetterman, D-Pa., are planning to go public with inside details after expressing what they called disgust at his work as a legislator.

“We’re a group of former campaign & Senate staffers for John Fetterman who are disgusted with what he’s become. If you were troubled by yesterday’s Wall Street Journal story… trust us, that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” the group wrote in a post to X.

“It’s even worse than you thought.”

The new social media account, which is calling itself “Former Fetterman Staffers” (FFS) alleges it will reveal additional unflattering details of the embattled senator’s office as he also faces blowback over Wall Street Journal reporting chronicling his reluctance to engage in the basic duties of his office.

FETTERMAN FACES DEM REVOLT AS BOMBSHELL REPORT FUELS PUSH TO OUST HIM: ‘DISGRACE’

The FFS acronym notoriously also stands for “for f—s sake.”

“We’ve come together to share our stories (and screenshots) to show Pennsylvanians exactly who their Senator is,” the anonymous X account continued. “Set your calendar for September 14th — the day the Senate is back in session — for our first drop.”

Fetterman routinely blew off constituent meetings, neglected legislative review and declined to make in-state public appearances, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Thursday, drawing immediate backlash online.

“There is a lot I could say about this report of John Fetterman’s pathetic behavior as a senator,” Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., said on X. “But between the laziness, disrespect, and willingness to carry water for a foreign government, it shows us something we already know: this man has no sense of duty.”

“John Fetterman is a disgrace,” Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said in a post of his own. “Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job.”

Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who is the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, also condemned Fetterman’s behavior.

“This report is horrifying, but not new to many of us in PA. John barely showed up as [Lieutenant Governor] and is constantly MIA as our senator,” Kenyatta wrote.

“When he’s not on FOX cheerleading Trump & endless wars, he is attacking the very neighbors who gave him a chance. 2028 can’t come soon enough,” he continued.

DNC VICE CHAIR ATTACKS DEMOCRATIC SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN: ‘YOU’RE A MESS’

Conor Lamb, a former Pennsylvania congressman who ran against Fetterman in the 2022 primary for the party’s nomination, called on Fetterman to resign.

“John, if there is a decent bone left in your body, just quit. It’s an insult to decent people in our state for you to treat them and the office this way,” Lamb wrote, referring to an instance where Fetterman blew off a meeting with paralyzed military veterans.

As reactions continue to pour in, Former Fetterman Staffers, the new group on X, told viewers that they would set a deadline for some of its upcoming revelations.

“Set your calendar for September 14th — the day the Senate is back in session — for our first drop. (Let’s be honest, maybe the 15th: he’ll skip Monday’s votes),” the group said.

Despite raising questions and rage towards Fetterman, some observers condemned the staffers for what they called a lack of loyalty.

“So disloyal. He gave you jobs and opportunities and advanced your careers, and you publicly turn on him and set up an X account to attack him?” Marc Thiessen, a political pundit and former White House speechwriter for the Bush Administration, wrote on X.

“Honorable thing, if you disagree, is to resign quietly and work for someone else you prefer. You are pathetic,” he continued.

Mark Morgan, political director for the Republican Governors Association, echoed Thiessen’s thinking, blasting the group for its anonymity.

“Staff rule #1: it’s not about you Staff rule #2: Your boss had the courage to put their name on a ballot. If you’ve chosen to become a click-seeking bottom feeder, at least have the courage to put your own name on it,” Morgan said.

EMBATTLED REP TONY GONZALES ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RESIGN AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS

“I’m disgusted by anonymous leakers, actually,” Harmeet Dhillon, Trump’s assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, also chimed in.

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Fetterman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Dan Driscoll’s departure as Army secretary has brought new scrutiny to the Trump administration’s sweeping changes at the Pentagon, with Democrats and some Republicans warning that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s approach is creating instability among the military’s top leaders.

But the president replacing senior military leaders is nothing new. Presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Harry Truman have removed commanders when they lost confidence in their leadership, disagreed over strategy or wanted a different direction.

What stands out about the current moment is the pace of the turnover — and the debate over whether the administration’s changes are putting the military on a stronger footing or creating leadership gaps along the way.

COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE US ARMY IN EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN THEATER IS UNEXPECTEDLY STEPPING DOWN

North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Hegseth is “creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks” while ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed of Rhode Island said, “Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished, and competence is secondary to personal allegiance.”

Under Trump’s second term, at least 20 military leaders have departed over a combination of clashes, including over Hegseth’s leadership, military strategy, as well as disagreements over DEI, according to a CBS report.

Parnell told Fox News Digital that the Pentagon is “unified behind” Hegseth’s vision.

“Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War and, at President Trump’s direction, has ushered in a new era of Peace Through Strength. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs,” added Parnell. “Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way.”

Presidents dating back to Abraham Lincoln have removed senior military leaders when they believed a change in personnel was necessary — a longstanding feature of civilian control of the military, not a new invention of the current administration.

Then-President Barrack Obama accepted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resignation in 2014 after the president concluded that new Pentagon leadership was needed amid disagreements over the administration’s strategy against ISIS, Syria policy and the management of the Defense Department.

PENTAGON FIRES BACK AFTER MARK KELLY ACCUSES PETE HEGSETH OF TARGETING WOMEN AND BLACK MILITARY OFFICERS

Reports at the time indicated the departure was a forced resignation.

Following Hagel’s departure, Obama said the former Defense Secretary had “guided the department through this transition” and that it was “an appropriate time for him to complete his service.” He praised Hagel for helping modernize the military’s strategy and meet Obama’s concern for longterm threats such as China’s rise and Russian aggression.

Harry Truman removed five-star Army general and one of the most prominent U.S. commanders of World War II Douglas MacArthur.

The two men clashed over the Korean War with Truman wanting to avoid spreading conflict to China while MacArthur advocated for the opposite.

One early example came during the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln removed Gen. George McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac after growing frustrated with his cautious approach to fighting Gen. Robert E. Lee. Lincoln later removed Ambrose Burnside after the Union’s defeat at Fredericksburg and replaced him with Joseph Hooker.

RENEWED PATRIOTISM AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FUEL ARMY’S BIGGEST RECRUITING SURGE IN YEARS

Trump named Adam Telle as acting secretary of the Army Thursday, calling him “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all” and saying he would assume the role immediately after Driscoll’s resignation.

Telle previously was the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. 

Driscoll’s exit comes after reportedly butting heads with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over concerns with the administration about the Army’s transformation and readiness, including his belief that Hegseth had hindered those efforts.

Vice President Vance said Thursday Driscoll was a “very good friend” of his and was a “great secretary of the Army.”

Vance acknowledged that he agreed with Hegseth, that there is a need to “have a culture shift at the Department of War.”

US ARMY HITS 2026 RECRUITING GOALS FOUR MONTHS EARLY, PETE HEGSETH ANNOUNCES AT WEST POINT COMMENCEMENT

“Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.

“The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” she added.

Trumps entered his first administration with the message of peace through strength seeking to reinvent global perception of America while also modernizing the military such as creating the U.S. Space Force.

During his first term, Trump had two Senate-confirmed defense secretaries, including Jim Mattis, who resigned in 2018 after Trump announced plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, and Mark Esper, whom Trump fired in 2020 after disagreements that included the military’s role in responding to domestic unrest.

“Changes in civilian leadership at the military-service level aren’t unusual. During President Trump’s first administration alone, the Army had two Senate-confirmed secretaries, Mark Esper and Ryan McCarthy, while Robert Speer and McCarthy also served as acting secretaries during leadership transitions,” a senior Pentagon official told Fox News Digital.

“There’s a reason the law is structured this way,” the official added. “The Department of the Army operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Army is specifically responsible for ensuring Army policy is consistent with the President’s and Defense Secretary’s national-security policies and that their decisions and instructions are implemented effectively and on time.”

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Trump came back during his second term with an aggressive approach to rebuilding the American military, tightening fitness requirements, axing DEI policies, overhauling weapons acquisition, building up recruitment and refocusing the force on combat readiness and lethality.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Friday filed an emergency appeal urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the new congressional map backed by President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders to be used in November’s midterm election.

The appeal comes after Missouri’s high court blocked the redistricting map and ordered a statewide vote in November on whether to keep it.

Hanaway asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the state high court’s decision immediately.

“We have just appealed yesterday’s catastrophic ruling to the Supreme Court of the United States. We look forward to the Court’s prompt review of this critical matter, as our ability to hold timely and lawful congressional elections hangs in the balance,” Hanaway, a Republican, said in a statement.

MISSOURI HIGH COURT BLOCKS GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS; TRUMP BLASTS ‘RIDICULOUS’ RULING

State law sets a Tuesday deadline to make changes to the November ballot. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who hears appeals of cases from the region and can decide alone or refer to the full court, asked opponents of the new map to respond to the appeal by Monday.

The Missouri high court ruling on Thursday was among the latest rulings in a national redistricting battle backed by Trump. The GOP had aimed to use Missouri’s new congressional map to help win an additional seat and hold onto its slim House majority.

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

Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until primary Election Day last month to reject the petition, arguing that Missouri’s constitution does not allow referendum petitions on congressional redistricting. A lower court sided with Hoskins, but the state Supreme Court overturned his decision.

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

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

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

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

Hanaway said no other court has ordered congressional maps after a primary but before a general election.

“No court in American history has ever given such an extraordinary remedy, which inflicts unprecedented chaos on Missouri,” her office wrote in the appeal. “Looking forwards, the State is genuinely unsure whether it can switch its governing congressional map in time to run a timely federal election.”

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

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Congressional districts are typically redrawn at the start of each decade, based on new census data, but Trump’s mission to tip the scales in favor of Republicans in the midterm election sparked a mid-decade redistricting battle that spread to more than a dozen states across the nation.

Trump called Thursday’s ruling “ridiculous” and argued it was unconstitutional, saying there will not be enough time to change the map before November’s elections. Missouri’s governor said he is “extremely disappointed” in the decision “by unelected judges and their lack of respect for the legislative process.”

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust division was directed earlier this week to pause all work with the Canadian government as the trade dispute between the neighboring nations intensifies, according to a report.

The chief of the antitrust division’s international section, Lynda Marshall, ordered officials on Wednesday to halt all cooperation on cases and engagement on policy issues with Canadian authorities, without providing a reason for the directive, according to emails obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

Section chiefs in the antitrust division were also instructed in another email on Friday to provide lists outlining areas of cooperation with Canada by the end of the day, according to the newspaper.

NEW YORK GOV HOCHUL REJECTS TRUMP’S ‘LAKE AMERICA’ RENAMING WITH BLUNT MESSAGE

The DOJ disputed the report, saying in a statement that the “alleged direction was never given to anyone.”

The division was asked to “temporarily hold off on a scheduled meeting on a specific investigation until the DOJ’s antitrust team had more time to prepare,” the department said.

This comes as the U.S. and Canada, which have been close allies for decades, continue to spar over President Donald Trump’s trade war against Ottawa and subsequent targeting of the U.S.’s northern neighbor, which most recently included the president’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”

Although the renaming only applies to the U.S. federal government, while Canada, other international bodies and U.S. states are not forced to follow the rebranding, the order adds to the ongoing tensions between the two countries that arose following Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025.

The trade war has led to tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in cross-border trade.

TRUMP RENAMES LAKE ONTARIO ‘LAKE AMERICA’ AMID INTENSIFYING US-CANADA TRADE DISPUTE

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The Canadian government said it would impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. beginning Sept. 8 in response to the Trump administration’s new 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, which took effect last month.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada “will match Washington’s new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses.”

The Wall Street Journal and Reuters contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows federal agents executing a sweep linked to a multi-state Department of Justice (DOJ) probe that has resulted in criminal charges against individuals for illegal voting, falsifying citizenship status and other election fraud related charges in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

The charges arrive as part of a highly publicized nationwide surge by the Trump administration to hunt down election-related crimes ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Over the past year, the Justice Department has filed lawsuits against nearly 30 states to force the surrender of confidential voter rolls, while simultaneously repurposing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)—an agency historically focused on cartels and terrorism—to spearhead a search for unlawfully registered non-citizens.

“Despite the media and Democrats claiming it never happens, the evidence of non-citizens registering to vote in our elections continues to pile up,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. “Any non-citizens found registering to vote and voting in our elections will be held accountable. Only Americans should be electing American leaders.”

‘RAW MATERIAL FOR ELECTION FRAUD’: EXPERT FLAGS VOTER-ROLL PROBLEMS FAR BEYOND ONE STATE

The Justice Department announced Friday that five people—including two illegal immigrants and two non-citizens with legal status—had been federally charged with unlawfully casting ballots, falsifying citizenship status, fraudulently registering to vote and aiding and abetting during the 2022 and 2024 elections. 

Some of the arrestees, according to a DOJ press release, could face up to more than a decade in prison if found guilty of providing a false statement of citizenship in order to vote and other election fraud charges they are facing. Fox News Digital obtained footage of the arrest of one of those individuals, Katya Rodriguez, 30.

An illegal alien from Mexico living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Rodriguez was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to illegally voting as an alien in the 2024 election. In particular, she is facing allegations of providing a false statement of citizenship to vote, fraudulent registration and voting as an alien, according to a DOJ press release, and could serve a maximum 11 years in prison, a term of supervised release, and be forced to pay a fine.

SPANBERGER FACT-CHECKED AFTER TRUMP MAIL-VOTING WARNING RAISES MILITARY BALLOT FEARS

The Trump administration’s federal enforcement action comes just weeks after New Jersey officials disclosed a massive state software error that mistakenly registered nearly 6,600 non-citizens to vote, with roughly 400 casting ballots. 

Meanwhile, Homeland Security announced earlier this summer that an audit of public voter rolls had identified more than 250,000 registered noncitizens in just four states: California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada.

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Just days ago, internal directives revealed by CNN showed Homeland Security Investigations launching a coordinated “voter fraud surge” into nine key states—including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—to hunt down non-citizens suspected of election interference. The handful of arrests announced Friday are among the latest enforcement actions.

“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to safeguarding the integrity of our nation’s election systems and ensuring that allegations of unlawful voting, fraudulent registration, and other election-related crimes are thoroughly investigated,” said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon. 

“The American people deserve confidence that our elections are protected from fraud and criminal exploitation, and that those who seek to undermine the law are held accountable,” he continued. “As reflected in these cases, HSI special agents worked alongside our federal partners to identify alleged criminal conduct, follow the evidence, and support prosecutions that reinforce public trust and uphold the rule of law.”

President Donald Trump’s legal representation is demanding an answer to a key question in the civil suit that almost cost him $464 million.

In a letter filed with the New York Supreme Court on Thursday, Trump’s representation is arguing that James failed to comply with a court order that required her to present “the preservation practices” and “its preservation efforts.” The demand is the latest objection Trump’s attorneys have used to argue that the case, which is being reconsidered, is full of errors.

Trump’s attorneys believe James may have key evidence she hasn’t turned over — communications with Michel Cohen, a former attorney for Trump.

DELETED EMAIL DETAILS ALLEGED TRUMP-TARGETING PUSH INSIDE LETITIA JAMES’ OFFICE: ‘FIND AND PURSUE CRIMES’

“In seeking the discovery, defendants rely on a January 16, 2026 article by Cohen, published on the online platform Substack in which he asserted that, in meetings with lawyers from [James’s] office, he had ‘felt pressured and coerced to only provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government’s desire to build the cases against and secure a judgement and convictions against President Trump,” a court filing reads.

Cohen was a star witness in the civil suit.

During trial, he helped build the case that Trump had routinely misrepresented the value of his properties and testified that Trump had given him target net-worth numbers to meet.

Although the judge denied the request for additional discovery, the process where parties disclose relevant information about the case, he did require James to detail the process it has used to maintain and preserve information.

Trump’s attorneys maintain James failed to do so.

“[New York Attorney General’s Office] also carefully avoids representing one way or the other whether any requested materials in fact exist, and, if they do, whether NYAG has confirmed that they are being preserved,” they wrote.

“Instead of actually complying with the Order, NYAG has simply recited in general terms that her ‘standard litigation hold procedures’ have been in place since the investigation phase of this matter.”

The back-and-forth is the most recent development of the civil suit James brought against Trump in 2022, accusing him of habitually inflating the value of his property to a fraudulent extent.

LETITIA JAMES FACES SCRUTINY AFTER NEW YORK CITY SPENDS $81,700 PER HOMELESS PERSON AMID SHELTER SCANDALS

After being found liable, Trump was ordered to pay $355 million plus interest in disgorgement and was banned from applying for loans from any New York bank or financial institution for three years.

He was also banned from serving as an officer or director of any New York company for two years.

Although an appeals court later vacated the monetary penalties, James has appealed to reinstate them. Trump, for his part, has argued the case is fundamentally flawed and that it should be thrown out in its entirety

Earlier this month, Trump’s lawyers cited five key disqualifying weaknesses.

They argue that Attorney General James lacked the authority to bring the case, noting that the case involves private commercial transactions rather than harm to the public. They also contend that Trump’s valuations reflected subjective estimates that lenders independently evaluated rather than fraudulent misrepresentations.

“The only supposed ‘victims’ here are a handful of ultrasophisticated banks and insurers that have never claimed to be injured, were eager to do business with President Trump and his family, and made over $100 million from these transactions,” the appeal states.

They further argue that the prosecution’s premise of overvaluation is based on the misguided idea that real estate has one objective value and that deviations from that value must be fraud.

“Under that breathtakingly broad theory, NYAG can second-guess any business transaction in this State on almost any imagined grounds,” attorneys wrote.

And, on the penalties, Trump’s representation argues that the $450 million disgorgement is excessive, unlawful and even unconstitutional.

Finally, the appeal argues that the politically charged nature of the case, on its own, should have been enough to halt its consideration.

“NYAG cannot point to a single Section 63(12) enforcement action against similarly situated developers (or any other type of defendant) based on practices comparable to those alleged here,” the filing states, referring to the state law Trump was accused of violating.

On the matter of its disclosures, James’ office pointed to its own letter in response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital, contending that it had met its disclosure requirements.

TRUMP BACKS REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TO OUST LETITIA JAMES AMID ONGOING MORTGAGE FRAUD FEUD

“Insofar as Defendants have sought or are seeking more information about OAG’s specific preservation efforts, OAG objects to the demand for this extrajudicial discovery,” the letter reads.

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“Moreover, OAG has completely satisfied its obligations under the Court’s Order for OAG to identify the preservation practices that existed and applied and continue to exist and apply.”

After a scathing report that called into question Sen. John Fetterman’s willingness to do the basic duties of a senator, some of his Democratic colleagues in Pennsylvania are eyeing ways to dislodge him from the upper chamber.

An explosive report from The Wall Street Journal painted Fetterman as a politician more interested in appearing on Fox News to discuss Israel than meeting with paralyzed veterans from his state, and blowing off a funeral for slain police officers because it would have taken too long.

And members of his own delegation are furious.

REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’D WELCOME FETTERMAN AS GOP EYES BIGGER SENATE MAJORITY

“There is a lot I could say about this report of John Fetterman’s pathetic behavior as a senator,” Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., said on X. “But between the laziness, disrespect, and willingness to carry water for a foreign government, it shows us something we already know: this man has no sense of duty.”

“He is not up for the high office he was elected to — and we in Pennsylvania will do something about it in 2028,” he continued.

Behind the scenes, The Wall Street Journal’s report revealed through leaked text messages between Fetterman and his aides that the lawmaker was unwilling to do some of the core functions of the job, like meeting with constituents.

“John Fetterman is a disgrace,” Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said on X. “Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job.”

In one instance, Fetterman was told by an aide that representatives of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) wanted to meet over concerns about Medicaid cuts. Fetterman asked why he had to keep meeting with CHOP, and the aide noted that they were worried about “vaccines and Medicaid cuts.”

FETTERMAN UNDER FIRE AS GOV SHAPIRO PUSHES WILD CARD SENATOR TO ‘GET BACK’ TO BEING A DEMOCRAT

“Well, I’m not,” Fetterman responded. “I’m convinced they just want free trips to D.C.”

Another instance came when an aide told Fetterman that there would be a dress code at a funeral for three police officers killed in Pennsylvania last year, and that the service was expected to last for three hours.

“This may be a nonstarter,” Fetterman wrote.

Years before his time in the Senate, Fetterman rose to prominence as a progressive who appeared to emulate the formula laid out by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who he backed early on in his runs for the White House.

When Fetterman won his seat in 2022 against Dr. Mehmet Oz, who now runs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Fetterman ran on a platform of universal healthcare, pro-labor policies and higher tax rates on wealthy Americans — key hallmarks of progressive politics.

Since ascending to the Senate, however, his voting record has shown a more moderate flair, and questions are swirling over whether he will jump ship and join the GOP. He’s bucked his party on several occasions since taking office, too.

DNC VICE CHAIR ATTACKS DEMOCRATIC SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN: ‘YOU’RE A MESS’

During the government shutdown fight last year, he joined Republicans as Democrats stayed unified in their push to renew lapsing Obamacare tax credits, has become one of the most vocal proponents of Israel, and helped to confirm some of President Donald Trump’s nominees, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin — notably, he voted against his old political rival Oz.

The desire to boot Fetterman extends beyond just his colleagues in the Pennsylvania congressional delegation.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who is the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, has his sights set on Fetterman, too.

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“This report is horrifying, but not new to many of us in PA. John barely showed up as [Lieutenant Governor] and is constantly MIA as our senator,” Kenyatta said on X.

“When he’s not on FOX cheerleading Trump & endless wars, he is attacking the very neighbors who gave him a chance,” he continued. “2028 can’t come soon enough.”

Fetterman did not respond to a request for comment.

While Americans prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Abdul El-Sayed’s public campaign schedule for that day makes no mention of a remembrance event, but includes a Mexican festival, a farmers market and a county fair.

As of Friday morning, El-Sayed’s campaign website listed staff and volunteers for Grand Rapids’ Fiesta Mexicana, a nearby farmers market and the Allegan County Fair, while El-Sayed himself was scheduled to make a stop on his “Shouldn’t Be This Hard” tour.

After Fox News Digital asked about the lack of a 9/11 remembrance on the public schedule, El-Sayed’s campaign said the Democrat nominee “will be attending a 9/11 remembrance memorial event that day,” though the event was not listed on his campaign website.

FOX NEWS MEDIA ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE 9/11 ANNIVERSARY COVERAGE FROM GROUND ZERO, PENTAGON AND SHANKSVILLE

The events listed on the campaign schedule have a notably more festive tone.

Fiesta Mexicana, for instance, describes itself as “three days of mariachi, folklórico and forty-some vendors” that uses “music, food, dance and good company” to “make sure Mexican culture is known, understood and celebrated in West Michigan — on our own terms.” El-Sayed’s campaign instructs supporters to “bring some Mexican swag” and “go inside to enjoy the music and get some food.”

The Allegan County Fair, meanwhile, features live entertainment, food, games and rides.

El-Sayed’s campaign pointed out, that of the four events flagged by Fox News Digital — Fiesta Mexicana, the farmers market, the county fair and the candidate’s tour event — the Senate candidate would not be attending two of them, though would not specify which ones.

The campaign did not explain why El-Sayed’s website did not list the 9/11 remembrance memorial event on his list of upcoming events, but it did underscore in a comment to Fox News Digital that El-Sayed views 9/11 as a horrific moment in history.

“The September 11th terrorist attacks were an evil attack on America’s freedom and he will be joining Michiganders in remembering the 25th anniversary,” El-Sayed’s spokeswoman told Fox News Digital.

BIDEN-WORLD VETERAN ISSUES STARK WARNING ABOUT ABDUL EL-SAYED AS HE CROSSES PARTY LINES

The Michigan Senate hopeful has a complicated relationship with 9/11.

Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, whom El-Sayed had campaigned alongside, caused him a headache early in the campaign when a clip of the streamer saying that America “deserved 9/11” resurfaced. El-Sayed called the statement “dumb,” though did not disavow Piker.

Later, old blogs and social media posts where El-Sayed made controversial statements about the terrorist attacks began to surface.

SANDERS-BACKED DEM BLISTERED FOR MAKING ‘EXCUSES FOR TERRORISTS,’ SLAMMING ‘HIGH AND MIGHTY’ AMERICANS

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Fox News Digital previously reported that El-Sayed equated 9/11 with Jan. 6 and President Donald Trump with Osama bin Laden on a now private blog. In social media posts, he called on Americans to bring the same outrage to the COVID-19 pandemic that they felt for 9/11 and mourned the deaths of those killed in America’s War on Terror.

After a week of ICE raids, the Democrat-dominated City Council of Danbury, Connecticut, voted nearly unanimously to approve non-citizen legal residents serving as police officers.

Under the new guidance, approved in an 18-2 vote, non-citizen legal residents and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients living in Danbury are allowed to serve as police officers in Danbury.

One city council member, Democrat Joe Britton, remarked that the vote “sends a message to our immigrant community at large that you are welcome in Danbury.”

ICE operations in the area resulted in more than 60 arrests, according to local reports. The arrests prompted public outrage in the community, including from city officials such as Britton, who called the raids “frightening.”

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The only two council members to vote against the measure were Republicans, while the council’s 17 Democrats and one Republican voted in favor.

Before the vote, Britton said that “what we have here is an opportunity.” He noted that “though this definitely wasn’t planned to be on the agenda on the end of a federal invasion of immigration officials in Danbury … I do think it’s timely.”

“There is no reason to vote against this, and if you do vote against this, I truly question your moral compass,” he added.

Britton emphasized that this change “is legal, it’s allowed” and said it has been recommended.

Britton told Fox News Digital that “Danbury is an immigrant city, and I believe someone who is lawfully here, committed to our community, and willing to raise their hand and take an oath to protect and serve should have the opportunity to do so.”

He added that “this change does not lower Danbury’s standards for becoming a police officer. It simply allows otherwise qualified lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply and compete for these positions.”

He noted that “every applicant must still satisfy the same training, background, character, and certification requirements required of any other officer,” saying, “This was about expanding the pool of qualified applicants while maintaining the same high standards our residents expect from their police department.”

Similarly, Taylor O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Danbury city government, told Fox News Digital that council “amended its ordinance in accordance with Connecticut’s Police Officer Standards and Training Council, allowing legal permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply to become officers in the Danbury Police Department.”

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O’Brien said that “this standard is followed by over 30 municipalities in Connecticut and several states across the country” and that it “opens Danbury’s applicant pool to otherwise qualified candidates, including legal Danbury residents, who are currently applying to be police officers in other communities.”

In 2020, the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council “partially waived” the citizenship requirement, extending eligibility for law enforcement candidates in Connecticut to lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients, according to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

O’Brien added that Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, a Democrat, “ensures Danbury maintains a rigorous hiring process for our Police Officers,” adding that “this amendment should encourage qualified residents from the Danbury community to apply to serve the City they call home.”

According to the Danbury News Times, Alves himself immigrated to the U.S. as an “undocumented child” and gained citizenship in 2017.

The outlet quoted Alves saying he is “glad the City Council approved” the measure. Alves emphasized that “the standards are not being lowered” and that “every applicant still has to meet the same rigorous background, training, fitness and professional standards required of any Danbury police officer.”

“What we are doing is giving qualified people an opportunity to compete for the job,” said Alves. “For a diverse city like Danbury, it strengthens our recruitment pool and gives us another opportunity to hire talented people who understand and care about the community they want to serve.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Britton for additional comment.

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Last year, ICE arrested two illegal immigrants who were serving as police officers. On July 25, 2025, Jamaican national Jon Luke Evans, who was serving as a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Police Department, was arrested on charges related to unlawfully attempting to purchase a gun. Then, on Oct. 15, Radule Bojovic, of Montenegro, who was serving as a police officer with the Hanover Park, Illinois, Police Department, was arrested during Operation Midway Blitz.

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCHUMER DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER DSA BELONGS IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MARYLAND SHERIFFS SHOULD NOT BE HANDCUFFED BY RECKLESS SANCTUARY POLITICS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE PRIMARY IS OVER; NOW COME THE PRIMETIME MISTAKES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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