Democrats have railed against potential Medicaid cuts since President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Now that his "big, beautiful bill" has passed through Congress, they are making Medicaid a top talking point ahead of competitive midterm elections expected in 2026. 

Republicans, meanwhile, are doubling down on Medicaid reform included in Trump's megabill, which also includes sweeping legislation on taxes, immigration and energy. 

"My policy is if you're an able-bodied worker, get a damn job," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. "If you want government benefits, go to work and get a job."

A provision in the megabill requires able-bodied, childless adults between the ages of 18 and 64 to work at least 80 hours a month to be eligible to receive Medicaid benefits. Individuals can also meet the requirement by ​​participating in community service, going to school or engaging in a work program.

REPUBLICANS PRAISE 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’S' WORK REQUIREMENT FOR MEDICAID: ‘WE’VE GOT TO GET BACK TO WORK’

Fox News Digital asked lawmakers on Capitol Hill if taxpayers should have to pay for Medicaid bills for able-bodied workers who are under 65 and unemployed. 

'RIGHT DOWN THE LINE': MEDICAID REFORM IN 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' DIVIDES LAWMAKERS BY PARTY

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said in both Arkansas and Georgia, where work requirements have already been imposed, it ended up costing taxpayers more money to administer the work requirements. 

"We're talking about a very small population, and in the two cases where they tried it, it ended up, number one, disqualifying people who met all the requirements but gave up on the paperwork. These aren't people that are used to filling out a lot of paperwork every month. And it also cost the state a lot to administer," King said. 

The New England Journal of Medicine found that Arkansas' Medicaid work requirement from 2018 to 2019 "found no evidence of increased employment … and a significant loss of Medicaid coverage among low-income adults."

Similarly, the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute (GBPI) reported that 80% of the $58 million spent in the first year of Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program went toward administrative costs. 

But Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., emphasized that Republicans "want these programs to be around for the people who need them." She said Medicaid reform is about "strengthening and preserving these programs at the rate that they're growing."

"These programs were intended to be safety nets, not hammocks that people stay in, and the success of these programs should be measured by how many people we get off of them," Britt said. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., agreed, telling Fox News Digital, "What you don't want is for somebody to become dependent. I'd tell people: safety nets should bounce you to your feet. They shouldn't be like flypaper in which you stick and can never get off."

"We're not saying, 'Hey, we're not throwing you out.' All right, but you gotta go get a job. You either get a job, or actually you can even volunteer, all right? And that will satisfy the requirements for work," Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., explained. 

But Democrats who spoke to Fox News Digital continued to push back against the work requirements included in the "big, beautiful bill." 

"I think people [who] are able to work, trust me, they'd rather work than to get the piddling dollars that they get from Medicaid. It's insulting to suggest that a person would rather sit at home rather than work and get this meager amount of money. All of this has just been totally expanded to fit a narrative that allows them to cut into those people who really deserve Medicaid," Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said. 

And Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif., said, "We need to be able to have an infrastructure in this country that supports the elderly and the sick and the widows and the child. This bill, it violates all those basic principles."

Fox News' Peter Pinedo contributed to this report. 

Leading Democrat Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says President Donald Trump should release the Epstein files, but is silent on why former President Joe Biden did not anytime in his four years in the Oval Office.

Democrats have seized on the issue since the case became a political controversy for the Trump administration. However, despite their current calls for transparency on the case, the Biden Justice Department also failed to release additional documents on Epstein. 

Asked by Fox News Digital whether she thought the Trump administration should release the Epstein files, former House Speaker Pelosi responded, "Absolutely."

Fox News Digital then asked, "Why do you think Biden didn’t do it for four years?" to which Pelosi simply turned around and began walking away.

 TRUMP DIRECTS AG BONDI TO WORK ON UNSEALING GRAND JURY TRANSCRIPTS IN EPSTEIN CASE: 'WE ARE READY'

Fox News Digital pressed, "Do you know why they didn’t do it? Do you think they should have?" However, Pelosi ignored the reporter and stepped into a car.

Pelosi served as House speaker, one of the most powerful positions in the country, from 2019 to 2023, two of those years occurring when Biden was in the Oval Office.

Other Democrats have similarly struggled to answer why a president of their party did not release the files as they demand action now.

On Thursday, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was pressed on the issue by "Morning Joe" co-host Joe Scarborough, but he could not give an answer.

"But, Congressman, you could have gotten that from '21 to '25, when Democrats controlled the DOJ. Why — it was a crisis then. It’s a crisis now. Why didn’t Democrats call for it from '21 to '25?" Scarborough asked. 

"So, I mean, you’d have to go back and look specifically at particular prosecutorial decisions and what was taking place in terms of the other cases. So, I don’t know, we could try to reconstruct that record," Raskin replied. 

DEMOCRATS HIT ROCK BOTTOM AS PARTY PLUMMETS TO ALL-TIME LOW: POLL

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., was also caught off guard when a CNN anchor challenged her on why she never called for transparency on Epstein while Biden was president, despite her hammering the Trump administration over the case.

"I would have been happy to raise it then as well. Frankly, we were focused on so many different pieces," Jayapal replied. 

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas told Fox News Digital, "What I think is really rich is this, Epstein dies in 2019 and the Biden administration does nothing for four years, absolutely nothing."

"I didn't hear any Democrats call for it. And, you know, I never heard the legacy media on TV saying one thing about it either. And suddenly, it's a code blue. Suddenly, every Democrat and the legacy media wants to see these reports. I think that's hypocritical," he said.

Marshall went on to say that "beyond that, there may be a lot more going on than meets the eye."

TWICE-DEPORTED MIGRANT RAPIST FREED AS DEMS FACE HEAT FOR SANCTUARY POLICIES

While noting that he does not have any special information, he said, "I think something else is going on that may be affecting national security," and "I think President Trump deserves a little bit of grace here. But hopefully, at the end of the day, everything will be released. I'm all for the transparency."

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., said that while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi may not need to release all the files, "if there's information in those files that shows that somebody committed a crime, that there's somebody that she has knowledge of that knowingly had sex with an underage girl, they need to be prosecuted and I would hope that she would be doing that."

"Pam Bondi made quite a show out of what she had, and we need a better explanation than what we've got," said DesJarlais.

He suggested that a bipartisan panel be given access to the files for review.

"Do you need to release everything? I don't know. But anything that's criminal, I think, needs to be exposed," he said.

TRUMP DIRECTS AG BONDI TO WORK ON UNSEALING GRAND JURY TRANSCRIPTS IN EPSTEIN CASE: 'WE ARE READY'

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital, "I'm sure that the president is going to want to release whatever he can release."

Johnson went on to say, "I am concerned about the chain of custody" of the files.

"The Democrats have had control of these files. What have they added? What have they deleted? I don't know. I have no idea. I'm as curious as anybody else," he said, adding, "I'll trust the Trump Justice Department to do what is right."

President Trump has been in office for six months, delivering on campaign promises, securing his "big beautiful bill" by his self-imposed deadline and taking decisive action on the world stage.

The president was sworn into office Jan. 20, and the Trump administration has operated at warp speed since Day One.

Key tenets of Trump’s first 100 days included imposing harsh tariffs on Chinese imports, starting and continuing peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and cracking down on border security amid a mass deportation initiative. 

CONGRESS SENDS $9B SPENDING CUTS PACKAGE TO TRUMP'S DESK AFTER LATE-NIGHT HOUSE VOTE

The next chapter of the second Trump administration began, with the House of Representatives, as promised, passing Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill," before Memorial Day, sending it to the Senate for weeks of negotiations.

The Senate made its changes, approved the legislation and kicked it back to the House just in time for the lower chamber to pass the bill before Trump's self-imposed Fourth of July deadline. 

The president welcomed House and Senate Republican leadership to the White House July 4 for a signing ceremony on his landmark legislation, which included key provisions that would permanently establish individual and business tax breaks included in his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporate new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay. 

Trump's second administration has also focused on the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was run by Elon Musk. DOGE proposed cuts to programs that the Trump administration chalked up to wasteful and excessive government spending.

Congressional lawmakers prepped a rescissions package — a bill to codify those DOGE cuts into law. Congress passed that package by its deadline. 

TRUMP JUGGLES CHINA FRAMEWORK TRADE DEAL, LA'S ANTI-ICE RIOTS AND ISRAEL'S IRAN STRIKE IN 21ST WEEK IN OFFICE

Trump signed the package Friday, which blocks $8 billion in funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the remainder of the fiscal year. The dollars had been allocated by Congress for the duration of fiscal year 2025.

As for Musk, his "special government employee" window expired, and he returned to the private sector. Shortly after, Musk started a short-lived feud with the president, who chose not to prolong the tensions. Trump only hit his former ally briefly, and carried on with business as usual, leaving Musk to a lonely rant on social media.

Meanwhile, on the world stage, the president ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. 

Trump's historic precision strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June hit their targets and "destroyed" and "badly damaged" the facilities’ critical infrastructure — an assessment agreed upon by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Israel and the United States. 

But Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently issued his latest threat against the U.S. and "its dog on a leash, the Zionist regime (Israel)," saying that Iran's attack on U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was just the beginning of what Tehran could throw at Washington. He warned that "an even bigger blow could be inflicted on the U.S. and others."

Iran has until the end of August to agree to a nuclear deal with the United States and its allies, Fox News has learned. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom set the de facto deadline, according to three sources with knowledge of a call Wednesday among the officials. 

If Iran fails to agree to a deal, it would trigger the "snapback" mechanism that automatically reimposes all sanctions previously imposed by the United Nations Security Council. 

The sanctions were lifted under the 2015 Iran deal. 

IRAN FACES AUGUST DEADLINE TO ACCEPT COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR DEAL OR FACE RENEWED UN SANCTIONS

In his first six months as president, Trump also signed a sweeping order blocking travel to the U.S. from nearly 20 countries identified as high-risk for terrorism, visa abuse and failure to share security information.

The travel restrictions — announced under executive order 14161 — apply to nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, all deemed "very high risk" due to terrorist activity, weak or hostile governments, and high visa overstay rates. 

Domestically, the president has focused efforts on securing the border, with border crossings at a record low.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported the lowest number of border crossings in recorded history in June. Nationwide, there were 25,228 CBP encounters, the lowest monthly number the agency has recorded, including a "historical low" of 8,024 apprehensions. Encounters include legal ports of entry, whereas apprehensions are arrests of those coming into the United States illegally. 

As for tariffs, the Trump administration had leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods following the president's reciprocal tariff plans in April, when China retaliated against the U.S. with tariffs of its own. China and the U.S. reached a preliminary trade agreement in May, which Trump said China violated in a Truth Social post at the end of May.  

An agreement was reached between the U.S. and China in June, which includes China supplying rare earth materials to the U.S., and that Trump will "work closely" with Chinese President Xi Jinping "to open up China to American Trade."

"Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China," Trump said in June. "Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!). We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent!" 

The president also celebrated the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday with a massive parade in Washington June 14 — kicking off a yearlong extravaganza leading up to America’s 250th birthday.

Outside the White House, Trump administration agencies have delivered on promises. 

OBAMA ADMIN 'MANUFACTURED' INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE 2016 RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTS SHOW

The Department of Education unveiled plans to scale down its workforce, terminating nearly 1,400 Education Department employees. The Supreme Court upheld Trump's move.

The Justice Department released the audio of former President Joe Biden’s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur. Hur was investigating Biden for alleged improper retention of classified records.

Congressional lawmakers had been demanding the audio of that interview be released since 2024, after the transcript of Biden’s interview was littered with mistakes and revealed significant memory lapses.

The Department of Justice also has started an investigation into Biden's pardons his final days in office to determine whether they are valid. Fox News Digital has learned the pardons, in his final weeks in office, were signed by autopen, with just one signed by hand — the pardon for his son Hunter. 

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Trump has also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public any relevant grand jury testimony relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case. 

Over at the FBI, CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, intelligence officials and political appointees are in the process of declassifying all records related to the Trump–Russia investigation, also known as "Crossfire Hurricane."

Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan are under criminal investigation relating to their actions tied to the Trump–Russia probe.

Fox News' Emma Colton, Diana Stancy, Elizabeth Elkind and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

It's been a week of dismissals, disagreements and backbench bust-ups, writes Laura Kuenssberg.

Edwin J. Feulner, a prominent figure in the American conservative movement and co-founder and former president of the Heritage Foundation, died on Friday at the age of 83.

Feulner served as the organization's president from 1977 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2018. He was well known for transforming the once-obscure think tank into one of the most influential policy powerhouses in Washington, D.C.

He was its longest-serving president after helping to create the Washington, D.C.-based think tank in 1973.

"Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order," Heritage President Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby said in a joint statement. "His unwavering love of country and his determination to safeguard the principles that made America the freest, most prosperous nation in human history shaped every fiber of the conservative movement—and still do."

DAVID GERGEN, TRUSTED WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR TO 4 US PRESIDENTS ACROSS DECADES, DIES AT 83

The group had organized Project 2025, a controversial initiative that offered right-wing policy recommendations for the second Trump administration. Feulner co-wrote the initiative's afterward and he and Roberts met with President Donald Trump ahead of last year's election. Feulner was also on Trump's transition team ahead of his first term.

Under his leadership, Heritage instituted a new model of conservative policy advocacy. This helped shape Reagan-era reforms and pushed market-based ideas into political mainstream. Feulner has remained active through Project 2025 and a transition plan for a second Trump term which is drawing praise and criticism for its hardline policy proposals.

An author of nine books and a former congressional aide, he was also involved in various other conservative organizations.

"Whether he was bringing together the various corners of the conservative movement at meetings of the Philadelphia Society, or launching what is now the Heritage Strategy Forum, Ed championed a bold, 'big-tent conservatism,'" Roberts and Andel-Gaby wrote. "He believed in addition, not subtraction. Unity, not uniformity. One of his favorite mantras was 'You win through multiplication and addition, not through division and subtraction.' His legacy is not just the institution he built, but the movement he helped grow—a movement rooted in faith, family, freedom, and the founding. "

"His 'Feulnerisms' still resonate in the halls of Heritage—where they will always be remembered. 'People are policy,' for instance— the heartbeat of his mission—to equip, encourage, and elevate a new generation of conservative leaders, not just in Washington, but across this great country," the statement continued. "And we still remember his adjuration to never be complacent or discouraged: 'In Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats.'"

'DUCK DYNASTY' STAR MISS KAY MAKES 'UNBELIEVABLE' HEALTH TURNAROUND AFTER BELOVED HUSBAND'S DEATH

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Roberts and Andel-Gaby vowed to honor Feulner's life by "carrying his mission forward with courage, integrity, and determination."

"Thank you for showing us what one faithful, fearless man can do when he refuses to cede ground in the fight for self-governance," the leaders said of Feulner.

Heritage did not disclose Feulner's cause of death.

Feulner is survived by his wife Lina, as well as their children and grandchildren.

At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday formally moved to unseal long-secret grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case, citing what it called intense public interest in the notorious sex trafficking investigation.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche submitted the motion in Manhattan federal court, urging a judge to release the transcripts from Epstein’s 2019 grand jury proceedings and those from the prosecution of Epstein’s convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, as part of a new transparency push by the department.

Earlier this month, the DOJ and FBI issued a memorandum describing an "exhaustive review" of their Epstein investigative files. That internal review sought to determine if any evidence could justify charging additional individuals, but it concluded that "no such evidence was uncovered" against any uncharged third parties. 

Since the memo’s July 6 release, officials say, public interest in its conclusions has remained high.

DOJ REJECTS GHISLAINE MAXWELL’S APPEAL IN SCOTUS RESPONSE

While the department maintains it stands by the memo’s findings, the filing emphasizes that "transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration." Given the intense public interest, the DOJ told the court it is moving to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts to shed light on its investigative work in the Epstein matter.

The DOJ said it will work with prosecutors to redact all victim names and personal identifying information from the transcripts before any release. 

"Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims," the motion assured.

Epstein, 66, was indicted by a New York grand jury July 2, 2019, on sex trafficking charges. Just over a month later, on Aug. 10, 2019, he died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial, and the case was dismissed.

LEGAL PATHWAY CLEARLY EXISTS FOR TRUMP'S REQUEST TO MAKE EPSTEIN GRAND JURY TESTIMONY PUBLIC

Epstein’s longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, was indicted by a grand jury in 2020 on multiple counts related to trafficking and coercing minors.

She was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Maxwell’s convictions were upheld on appeal in 2024, and she is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review her case.

Grand jury proceedings are ordinarily secret by law, or as the motion says, "a tradition of law that proceedings before a grand jury shall generally remain secret." But the filing notes this tradition "is not absolute."

Federal courts have recognized "certain ‘special circumstances’" where releasing grand jury records is appropriate even outside the usual exceptions, like when a case holds significant public or historical importance.

The DOJ argues Epstein’s case is exactly such a special circumstance given its unparalleled notoriety.

"Public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter," the motion notes. 

The motion points out that a Florida judge last year ordered the release of some Epstein grand jury records after concluding the financier was "the most infamous pedophile in American history" and that the facts of Epstein’s case "tell a tale of national disgrace."

By the DOJ’s account, the sealed grand jury transcripts are "critical pieces of an important moment in our nation’s history," and "[t]he time for the public to guess what they contain should end." 

The motion stresses that Epstein’s death means any privacy interests on his side are now "substantially diminished." And even though Maxwell is still fighting her conviction, prosecutors said the extraordinary public scrutiny around the Epstein saga justifies pressing ahead with unsealing now.

For these reasons, the DOJ is urging the court to conclude that the Epstein and Maxwell cases qualify as matters of public interest and to grant the unsealing of the grand jury transcripts while lifting any protective orders. 

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The unsealing would shine unprecedented light on one of America’s most notorious criminal cases, a move the department says is legally justified and necessary in the name of public accountability.

The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Mike Ruiz contributed to this report.

During a celebratory dinner at the White House with a number of Donald Trump's GOP allies, including several Republican lawmakers from Congress, the president signaled that 10 more hostages in Gaza would be "coming very shortly."

The dinner was largely focused on touting the achievements Republicans have had over the last six months, but while praising his administration's work on foreign policy, Trump commented about the hostages. 

"Gaza – we got most of the hostages back," Trump said when his comments turned to the Middle East. "We're going to have another ten coming very shortly. And we hope to have that finished pretty quickly," the president added.

TIM WALZ QUESTIONS WHY DEMOCRATS COME OFF LIKE THEY'RE AGAINST PEOPLE BEING SUCCESSFUL

So far, the U.S. has brought home five total American hostages captured by Hamas, three of whom were alive, two of whom were dead. Two Americans reportedly still remain in captivity, in addition to dozens of other non-Americans.

The rest of Trump's address Friday night mostly included praise for Congressional Republicans over their work passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with the president stating he doesn't "think anybody's ever come close to" passing such sweeping legislation with such a small majority. 

In particular, Trump thanked by name Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, Republican Policy Committee Chair Shelly Moore-Capito, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham.

"Nobody's done so much, so fast. And probably you could say, with so few votes," Trump praised. "You stayed in session for a marathon ten consecutive weeks, and that's the longest of any Senate in 15 years. And you held over 400 votes, more than any Senate in 35 years. And they were successful votes. And just a few weeks ago, we had the biggest victory of them all. When you passed the one big beautiful bill." 

The president also lauded Republicans for all the work they have done on immigration, border security, foreign diplomacy, speedy cabinet nominations, deregulation and spending cut efforts, calling out Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff specifically for their work on U.S. foreign diplomacy.

AMERICANS WEIGH IN ON TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL': POLLS

Top of mind Friday night was the GOP recission package as well, which Trump praised the passage of. Trump did not indicate when he would sign the GOP bill, but did note that "we have numerous other recissions coming up, adding more, many more $10 billion dollars to it."

Meanwhile, Trump also predicted that, in 2026, the GOP majority "is going to be stronger in both the House and the Senate." Typically, conventional wisdom predicts that the party that won the presidency will not typically perform as well two years later during the midterm elections. 

"I don't understand why they say that when you win the presidency, you always almost automatically lose the midterms, because nobody's had a more successful period of time than we have," Trump told the crowd of attendees at the White House Friday evening. "Based on that, we should do great."

Trump added Friday that "We achieved more in six months than almost any administration could accomplish in eight years."

"And we're going to have a lot of good six months left. We're going to have a six and another six and another six. So we'll keep going," he continued. "Over the next year and a half, we'll have an incredible record to share with the American people," he continued. "As long as we continue to keep our promises to the voters, Americans will continue to stand by our side."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday it plans to reduce its workforce by 23% and close its research and development office. 

The loss of more than 3,000 employees comes after layoffs and incentives to leave the agency amid the Trump administration’s broad effort to streamline the federal government. 

"Under President Trump's leadership, EPA has taken a close look at our operations to ensure the agency is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment while Powering the Great American Comeback," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. 

USDA FIRES FOREIGN WORKERS FORM ADVERSARIAL COUNTRIES, INCLUDING CHINA, IN NATIONAL SECURITY PROTECTION MOVE

"This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars."

The EPA said the cuts will save the government $748.8 million.

As part of the restructuring, the EPA said it plans to open a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions to replace the Office of Research and Development, saying the new office would allow it to focus on research "more than ever before."

This comes a week after the Supreme Court issued a ruling clearing the way for the administration to conduct mass layoffs.

Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees, called the research and development office the "heart and brain of the EPA." 

STATE DEPARTMENT TO BEGIN MASS LAYOFFS OF ABOUT 1,800 EMPLOYEES IN COMING DAYS

"Without it, we don’t have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment,'' Chen said. "Its destruction will devastate public health in our country."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the EPA for comment. 

This announcement also comes two weeks after 139 employees signed a "declaration of dissent" claiming the Trump administration was hurting the agency’s mission. 

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The administration claimed the employees were "unlawfully undermining" the president’s agenda. 

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

New York City’s leading mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist, is raising eyebrows once again for appearing to suggest prisons are not important in a recently resurfaced video.

Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman and the Democratic nominee for mayor, made the comments in a 2020 interview while running for state office.

Asked whether he thought prisons were obsolete, Mamdani responded, "I think that frankly – I mean – what purpose do they serve? I think that we have to ask ourselves that."

MAMDANI SPARKS FIRESTORM WITH RESURFACED COMMENT ON ABOLISHING PRIVATE PROPERTY: 'HE'S A COMMUNIST'

The Democratic mayoral candidate added, "I think a lot of people who defend the carceral state, they defend the idea of it and the way it makes them feel. They’re not defending the reality of it and the practices that are part and parcel of it.

"Because if you actually break it down and ask people how many people come out of the prison system better than they went into the prison system, how much harm is actually being prevented versus created, I think when you ask these kinds of questions, people don’t always have clear answers."

Mamdani added that, when discussing the prison system, "What they always want to pivot to is, ‘What are you going to do about murderers? What are you going to do about rapists?'

DEMOCRATS HIT ROCK BOTTOM AS PARTY PLUMMETS TO ALL-TIME LOW: POLL

"Sometimes you have to ask them, ‘What are you doing about them right now?’" he added. "We need a system of justice that will repair the harm that has been caused and address it in a serious way because right now we don’t have it, and it makes everyone more unsafe."

Mamdani also claimed "the power of the executive is almost limitless here in New York State" and criticized then-New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo for refusing to "let people out and letting people go home."

Mamdani, who has promised to overhaul New York City and launch massive new government programs, has been endorsed by progressive politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. 

NEW YORK LEADERS REPORTEDLY HESITANT TO ENDORSE ZOHRAN MAMDANI FOR MAYOR 

As the Democratic nominee in heavily blue New York City, Mamdani is the likely frontrunner to unseat the current mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent. Mamdani is also facing off against Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and activist Curtis Sliwa, who is the Republican Party nominee.

Mamdani is seen by many as a controversial candidate, partially due to his socialist policy proposals and heavy criticism of the state of Israel. He has declined to say whether Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state and initially refused to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada." However, he recently began distancing himself from the phrase. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign but did not receive a response.

In a landmark nomination that reshapes nearly two centuries of tradition, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte has been tapped to serve as the next superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

If confirmed by the Senate, he will become the first Marine to hold the top post in the Academy’s 180-year history.

The move was announced Friday by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as part of a broader slate of military leadership nominations. Borgschulte currently serves as the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs at Marine Corps Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. He is a 1991 graduate of the Naval Academy.

The nomination comes amid an unexpected leadership shuffle. Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, who assumed command of the academy last year, has been nominated for reappointment and reassignment to the Pentagon. She is slated to become the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, strategy, and warfighting development (N3/N5/N7), pending Senate approval and a congressional waiver.

HEGSETH ANNOUNCES NAVY OIL TANKER NAMED AFTER GAY RIGHTS LEADER RENAMED AFTER MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER

"I’m honored to be nominated," Davids said in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to serve alongside America’s strongest warfighters."

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan praised both officers. He called Borgschulte a "decorated combat leader" with "strategic insight" and commended Davids for her "strategic vision" and "operational depth." 

Phelan also noted the significance of the nomination, calling it a powerful signal of "naval integration" as a Marine prepares to lead the Navy’s flagship officer training institution.

s, founded in 1845, has long been led exclusively by Navy officers. The nomination of a Marine marks a sharp departure and a signal of evolving priorities in joint leadership and force development.

Phelan described the Academy as one of the most "consequential institutions in American public life" and said Borgschulte’s leadership will help shape officers "for an increasingly contested world."

TRUMP NOMINATES SEASONED MILITARY LEADERS TO HEAD VITAL GLOBAL COMMANDS

Borgschulte was commissioned in 1991 after graduating from the Naval Academy and has held multiple command and combat roles throughout his career. In his current position, he oversees the personnel policies, readiness and force structure of the Marines.

Davids, a 1989 graduate of the Naval Academy, made history as the first woman and the first Hispanic to serve as superintendent. Her tenure at the academy appears to be ending prematurely.

Superintendents are traditionally expected to serve three-year terms and then retire. A Department of Defense (DOD) news release did not provide an explanation for the sudden change, and her next assignment requires a waiver from Congress. Her next role would typically require a post-retirement transition, which she has not yet completed.

Davids’ husband, Rear Adm. Keith Davids, retired last year as commander of Naval Special Warfare. The couple met at the Academy while they were both plebes.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy regarding the timeline of the leadership transition. The nomination is now in the hands of the Senate with no official date yet for confirmation or change of command.

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Borgschulte’s nomination is part of a broader DOD leadership shake-up that includes nominations for new service vice chiefs and combatant command heads across the military.

The Navy referred Fox News Digital to the DOD release on the matter when asked for further comment.

Microsoft said it will cease using China-based computer engineering teams for work on Pentagon cloud systems and other classified systems after an investigation this week led to national security concerns at the highest levels over a program that Microsoft has used since 2016.

A ProPublica report released Tuesday accused Microsoft of allowing China-based engineers to assist with Pentagon cloud systems with inadequate guardrails in an effort to scale up its government contracting business. 

The report got the attention of GOP lawmakers and the Trump administration, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisting Friday that foreign engineers from "any country … should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DOD systems." He added that the Defense Department would be "looking into this ASAP."

After Hegseth's indication that the Pentagon would be looking into the matter, Fox News Digital reached out to Microsoft, which responded that it would be ceasing its use of China-based computer engineers providing assistance to sensitive Defense Department cloud "and related" services.

TEMU SUED BY KENTUCKY FOR ALLEGEDLY GIVING CHINA ‘UNFETTERED' ACCESS TO USER DATA

"In response to concerns raised earlier this week about U.S.-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for U.S. government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DOD government cloud and related services," Frank Shaw, chief communications officer at Microsoft, said.

"We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the U.S. government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed."

The ProPublica report released earlier this week, which spurred Microsoft's action, cited current and former employees and government contractors who worked on a cloud computing program deployed by Microsoft in 2016. The program, meant to meet federal contracting regulations, used a system of "digital escort" chaperones for global cybersecurity officials, such as those based in China, meant to create a security buffer so that they can work on agency computing systems. DOD guidelines require that people handling sensitive data be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

CHINA'S SPYING IN CUBA SPARKS ALARM ON CAPITOL HILL AFTER FRESH SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW SURVEILLANCE BUILDUP

According to sources who spoke to ProPublica, including some who had intimate familiarity with the hiring process for the $18-per-hour "digital escort" positions, the tech employees being hired to do the supervising lacked the adequate tech expertise to prevent a rogue Chinese employee from hacking the system or turning over classified information to the CCP.

The sources elaborated that the escorts, often former military personnel, were hired for their security clearances more than their technical abilities and often lacked the skills to evaluate code being used by the engineers they were supervising.

HEGSETH ABRUPTLY PULLS PENTAGON OFFICIALS FROM ‘GLOBALIST’ ASPEN CONFERENCE

Microsoft used its escort system to handle sensitive government information that falls below "classified," the ProPublica report indicated. That includes "data that involves the protection of life and financial ruin." At the Defense Department, the data is categorized as "Impact Level" four and five, which ProPublica reported includes materials directly supporting military operations.

People in China are governed by sweeping laws compelling government cooperation with data collection efforts.

Before Microsoft's announcement Friday that it would be ceasing its use of China-based engineers for sensitive Defense Department programs, the company defended its "digital escort" program, noting all personnel and contractors with privileged access must pass federally approved background checks. The company also pointed to a response from the Defense Information Systems Agency, which said that "digital escorts" are used "in select unclassified environments."     

"For some technical requests, Microsoft engages our team of global subject-matter experts to provide support through authorized U.S. personnel, consistent with U.S. government requirements and processes," a company spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "In these instances, global support personnel have no direct access to customer data or customer systems."

The spokesperson added at the time that Microsoft adheres to the federal security requirements outlined by the Defense Department and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program established in 2011 to address the risks associated with moving from entirely government-controlled servers to cloud-based computing.

"We establish layers of mitigation at the platform level with security and monitoring controls to detect and prevent threats. This includes approval workflows for system changes and automated code reviews to quickly detect and prevent the introduction of vulnerabilities," the spokesperson said. "This production system support model is approved and regularly audited by the U.S. government."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon to inquire whether Microsoft's action changes its planned investigation but did not receive a response by publication time.

Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, a critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, is being mocked for pushing a story about an LA woman being kidnapped by ICE that ended up allegedly being an elaborate hoax.

The Department of Homeland Security posted on its official X account on Friday, "Mayor, you pushed a HOAX. There is still time to delete this."

This comes after Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, according to the DOJ.

On July 1, Bass posted a link to a local news story about Calderon’s supposed kidnapping, commenting, "She’s a mother from L.A. — taken out of her car on her way to work, and then held in a warehouse as officers hoped she would ‘self-deport.’

"No hearing. Just fear," Bass added. "This doesn't make anyone safer."

TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES 'SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES' FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS

After the charges went public, DHS slammed Bass for her comments, saying, "Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was NEVER arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters—this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from Los Angeles."

RNC Research, a page run by the Republican National Committee, also chimed in, commenting on X that "Karen Bass spreads a false story demonizing ICE agents."

According to the Justice Department, Calderon claimed to have been kidnapped by masked, uniformed men in unmarked cars at a Jack in the Box parking lot June 25. She claimed to have been forcibly taken to the border and presented to an ICE staffer who demanded she sign self-deportation papers. Calderon said that when she refused to sign the document, she was taken to a warehouse to be held indefinitely.

The Los Angeles Police Department launched a missing person investigation and notified DHS, which, after determining Calderon was not in its custody, launched its own investigation.

NEWSOM SAYS IT’S TIME FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ‘GROW UP’ IN REBUKE OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT

During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number.

According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderon’s alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger.

The affidavit states that "when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story," Calderon and others lied to federal agents and "attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts" by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement.

According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 at a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others.

ILLEGAL ALIEN WHO RAPED, IMPREGNATED HIS OWN DAUGHTER AT GOVERNMENT-RUN SHELTER LEARNS PRISON SENTENCE

Calderon's daughter also attempted to raise money from Calderon's alleged kidnapping by creating a GoFundMe page. 

A spokesperson for GoFundMe told Fox News Digital the page was removed and that the family did not access any of the money raised.

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Calderon is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges.   

Fox News Digital reached out to Bass’ office for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is demanding an investigation into Belmont University after leaked recordings of a university faculty member admitting the school has maintained its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives but "just change[d] on how we talk about it" despite federal directives to end the programs deemed by many to be discriminatory.

In undercover recordings, the same official can be heard admitting the school also enrolls illegal immigrants and hides that information from external entities, which Ogles suggested could violate state law against knowingly harboring illegal aliens for profit. 

"Belmont University claims to be a Christian institution grounded in Biblical principles, but its administration is injecting anti-gospel DEI ideology into its curriculum," Ogles told Fox News Digital. 

"President Trump has rightly demanded that colleges and universities dismantle the DEI cartel or lose federal funding. Belmont officials, however, have been caught on camera bragging about their ‘clever’ scheme to rebrand DEI and continue pushing the same radical agenda under a new name."

‘LOVE BREAKING RULES’: RED STATE DEAN OUSTED AFTER ADMITTING ON HIDDEN CAM SHE WAS SECRETLY PUSHING DEI

Belmont is just one of the latest schools to come under fire for allegedly trying to skirt federal funding repercussions by re-branding DEI programs and policies. An investigation in April by conservative parental rights group Defending Education found that despite the president's executive directives, there are still 383 "currently active" DEI offices and programs with 243 universities maintaining institution-wide DEI offices or programming. 

In addition to tracking those DEI offices and programs that are still active, the group's investigation also highlighted dozens of universities that have taken steps to rebrand or reorganize their DEI efforts as opposed to shutting them down like others have done.   

Ogles pointed to Belmont's Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging (HUB), which engulfed the university's DEI efforts in 2022, as an example of how the school has rebranded its DEI efforts. 

"The HUB is hope, unity and belonging. That's DEI. Let's be real," Jozef Lukey, Belmont's assistant director of student success and flourishing, said in an undercover recording cited by Ogles. "We always try to just adapt to what's happening around us. But that doesn't mean, like, what we're focusing on completely stops. We just changed the terminology and the language that we keep moving forward.

MAJOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS; INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT

"We're always going to keep doing what we're doing. The work never stops. We just change on how we talk about it."

After Ogles' public complaints, his office said, faculty and students have reached out to attest to the school's ongoing DEI initiatives. One professor allegedly shared a mandatory form for faculty members requesting to revise or propose a new course, which requires a "Diversity Impact Statement" outlining how the course supports "historically underrepresented populations."

Another source, according to Ogles' office, shared screenshots of an email chain showing Belmont intends to keep its faculty DEI committee for the next academic year.

Belmont has insisted attempts to portray the school as having a "shadow operation" are wholly inaccurate. 

"We are deeply saddened that these videos portray Belmont as having a 'shadow operation,' as nothing could be further from the truth. It’s also disappointing that Rep. Ogles and others perceive such an approach as being representative of Belmont University’s character and values," the university told local outlet Fox 17.

UNEARTHED CHAT SHEDS LIGHT ON COZY TIES BETWEEN JUDGES, CLIMATE ACTIVISTS, RAISING ETHICAL CONCERNS 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the school maintained it is "in compliance with federal laws." 

"We are aware of comments from government officials and maintain that the university is in compliance with federal laws," a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We look forward to working together with the Tennessee delegation to address any concerns about legal compliance."

In an email allegedly sent to the Belmont University community, university President L. Gregory Jones doubled down on the school's compliance with federal laws and argued HUB was established to "inspire the campus community to fully live in light of Christ's resurrection," adding it is not a DEI office even though the university's website described it like that when it was established in 2022. The email included references to counseling services for people who may be feeling uncomfortable as a result of the allegations the school is facing.

The school did not respond to allegations from Ogles and others that the school is admitting and harboring illegal immigrants for profit. 

"We definitely have to navigate very carefully and just cautiously just because we just don't ever know, especially with like the ICE raids that are happening in the city that impacts our campus," Lukey was caught saying in the undercover recording.

"We do have undocumented students here. Yeah. Oh, yeah. We don't communicate to anybody externally who's undocumented, who isn't. And, so, like, yes, we know who it is. Faculty don't really know. How could they? Unless it's indicated in the system somewhere."

According to Ogles, such a move could potentially violate Tennesee's Senate Bill 392, which was passed recently and criminalizes 501(c)(3) institutions, known colloquially as nonprofits, for harboring illegal aliens for profit.

Ten Americans are returning to the U.S. after being released from custody in Venezuela, the Secretary of State said on Friday. 

"Thanks to President [Donald] Trump’s leadership and commitment to the American people, the United States welcomes home ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. "Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than any other country in the world. It is unacceptable that Venezuelan regime representatives arrested and jailed U.S. nationals under highly questionable circumstances and without proper due process. Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland."

Rubio also thanked the State Department, inter-agency partners, and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.

"Our commitment to the American people is clear: we will safeguard the well-being of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad and not rest until all Americans being held hostage or unjustly detained around the world are brought home," he added. 

TRUMP'S TREASURY DEPARTMENT TARGETS DANGEROUS VENEZUELAN PRISON GANG WITH SANCTIONS ON 6 TOP LEADERS

He said the U.S. also welcomes the "release of Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees that were also released from Venezuelan prisons. The Trump Administration continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. The regime’s use of unjust detention as a tool of political repression must end. We reiterate our call for the unconditional release of remaining unjustly and arbitrarily detained political prisoners and foreign nationals."

The release is part of a prisoner swap in which Bukele agreed to release hundreds of Venezuelans being held in a maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in return for Salvadoran prisoners being held in Venezuela. 

RUBIO RECALLS TOP US DIPLOMAT FROM COLOMBIA AFTER 'BASELESS' STATEMENTS FROM OFFICIALS

The U.S. sent the Venezuelans to El Salvador in March through the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members without going through immigration procedures. Many of the deportees’ families and lawyers denied the gang connections. 

"Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA)," Bukele said. "Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes." 

Bukele added that the "operation is the result of months of negotiations with a tyrannical regime that had long refused to release one of its most valuable bargaining chips: its hostages. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of many officials from both the United States and El Salvador, and above all, thanks to Almighty God, it was achieved. In this, as in other matters, I remind you: patience and trust."

The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs posted a photo of the hostages on social media along with the message: Ten Americans are are their way home from detention in Venezuela! Thanks to @POTUS @SecRubio @usembassyve @aboehler and many others for your support bringing Americans home."

Christian Casteneda, whose brother Wilbert, a Navy SEAL, was arrested in a Caracas hotel room last year, said in a statement: "We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime."

Lucas Hunter, whose family said he was kidnapped by Venezuelan border guards in January, was also among the 10 Americans released.

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"We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal," his younger sister Sophie Hunter said in a statement. 

This comes months after U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair's was released from Venezuelan custody in May after being held there for around six months. 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

After meeting with leading New York City mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani, Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., issued a lukewarm statement through a spokesperson about the meeting and did not endorse his party's nominee.

Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman and self-proclaimed socialist who has promised to overhaul New York City and launch massive new government programs, has been endorsed by progressive politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. 

Despite winning the Democratic Party’s nomination over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo by a wide margin, Mamdani has yet to be endorsed by the party’s top leaders, Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Jeffries and Mamdani met in New York City for about an hour Friday.

After the meeting, Politico reporter Nicholas Wu posted a statement from Jeffries spokesperson Justin Chermol that called it "constructive" but did not include any mention of an endorsement.

AOC WELCOMES SOCIALIST MAMDANI TO NATION'S CAPITAL AS DEM LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS

Chermol said "the meeting between Leader Jeffries and Assemblyman Mamdani was constructive, candid and community-centered, with particular focus on affordability.

"Leader Jeffries and Assemblyman Mamdani discussed a variety of other important issues, including public safety, rising antisemitism, gentrification and the importance of taking back the House in 2026."

According to Chermol’s statement, the two "agreed to reconvene shortly, alongside other members of the New York City congressional delegation and a few high-level community leaders."

MAMDANI SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA FRENZY WITH VIRAL CLIP DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENS IF HE RUNS OUT OF MONEY

Mamdani is seen by many as a controversial candidate, partially due to his socialist policy proposals and heavy criticism of the state of Israel. Mamdani, who is Muslim, has declined to say whether Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state and his initial refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada." However, he recently began distancing himself from the phrase. 

On Thursday, Jeffries told reporters "as has been the case with every single high-profile endorsement decision that I've made in the past, I have a sit-down conversation, and then I take it from there."

The meeting with Jeffries comes after Mamdani’s recent visit to Washington, D.C., where he attended a breakfast hosted by Ocasio-Cortez and mingled with some of the party’s most powerful players. Since then, he secured the endorsement of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who serves as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.

BIPARTISAN HOUSE RESOLUTION AIMS TO CONDEMN PHRASE THAT'S CREATED FIRESTORM FOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI

Mamdani is running to unseat the current mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent. He is also facing off against Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and activist Curtis Sliwa, who is the Republican Party nominee.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Friday it had fired dozens of foreign contract workers from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. 

The cuts of about 70 workers followed a national security review for U.S. food safety. 

A USDA spokesperson said the contract workers came from "countries of concern" and will "no longer be able to work on USDA projects."

The workers had been with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the research arm of the USDA, Thomas Henderson, who represents the union for some of the research workers, told Reuters.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVES DECISIVELY TO BLOCK CHINA FROM 'WEAPONIZING' AMERICAN FARMLAND

ARS does research on areas of importance to American farmers, such as pests, food safety and climate change.  

Most of the contract workers were vetted Chinese post-doctoral researchers, with some even arriving to work this week to find out their badges no longer worked. 

Earlier this month, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced in a new plan to keep U.S. farmland safe that contracts with any workers from China, North Korea, Iran and Russia should be canceled, and nationals from those countries wouldn’t be allowed to buy farmland in the U.S. 

All ARS project publications are also expected to be reanalyzed and those co-authored with researchers from the four countries will be denied, Ethan Roberts, an ARS employee who is also the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3247 union, told Reuters. 

BROOKE ROLLINS: FARM SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY

The workers won’t be able to be replaced until the Oct. 15 federal hiring freeze is lifted. 

That will force some research projects to be halted, Henderson said, citing a project to develop a vaccine for a deadly toxin that occurs in undercooked beef. 

"We don't have the talent now to progress on these research projects. It's setting us back by years, if not decades," he told Reuters. 

The agency is down about 1,200 workers through downsizing efforts this year. 

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the USDA for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: A $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded children's nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic has been described by FBI Director Kash Patel as "one of the worst" in Minnesota history.

The FBI director told Fox News in a statement that 70 people in Minnesota have been indicted for their role in the sprawling "Feeding our Future" fraud scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exploited a federal program designed to reimburse states for the cost of feeding children. 

Conspirators falsely claimed to have served millions of meals during the pandemic, but instead used the money for personal gain. Of the individuals indicted, 38 have pleaded guilty, FBI officials told Fox News Digital. More than a dozen of the individuals are awaiting criminal trial, with the next trial beginning in August.

"Stealing over $250 million from hungry kids during a pandemic to fund mansions and luxury cars is as shameless as it gets," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. "I’m proud of the FBI and our partners for dismantling this web of corruption, holding dozens accountable, and sending a clear message: if you exploit the most vulnerable, we will find you and bring you to justice."

DEMOCRAT AGS SUE TRUMP FOR 'UNCONSCIONABLE' FREEZE ON $6.8B IN K-12 SPENDING

Conspirators charged in the scheme are accused of fabricating invoices, submitting fake attendance records, and falsely distributing thousands of meals from hundreds of so-called food distribution "sites" across the state — taking advantage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision to waive, for the duration of the pandemic, many of its standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program — including relaxing its requirement for non-school based distributors to participate in the program.

Charging documents show that roughly 300 "food sites" in the state served little or no food, with the so-called "food vendors" and organizations fabricated to launder money intended to reimburse the cost of feeding children.

FBI officials told Fox News that the investigation and resulting trials and indictments continue to impact the state, and have already touched off legislative reform in Minnesota.

They added that the investigation into the fraud remains ongoing, and that additional charges are expected, though they did not immediately share more details.

FEDERAL JUDGE EXTENDS ARGUMENTS IN ABREGO GARCIA CASE, SLAMS ICE WITNESS WHO 'KNEW NOTHING'

The next trial in the state is scheduled to begin on August 11.

"Stealing from the federal government equates to stealing from the American people — there is no simpler truth," FBI's special agent in charge, Alvin Winston, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

"The egregious fraud unveiled in the Feeding our Future case epitomizes a profound betrayal of public trust. These individuals misappropriated hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to nourish vulnerable children during a time of crisis, redirecting those resources into luxury homes, high-end vehicles, and extravagant lifestyles while families faced hardship," he added. 

"We will uncover their schemes, dismantle their networks, and ensure that they are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," he said. 

Illegal alien Ronald Joseph was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to raping and impregnating his own teenage daughter while living at a government-run Massachusetts migrant shelter.

Joseph, a 44-year-old Haitian national, was living in a government-run hotel in Marlborough, Massachusetts, when it was discovered he had repeatedly raped his own daughter, resulting in the 14-year-old girl becoming pregnant.

Though the crimes were committed between 2023 and 2024, Joseph was not arrested until Jan. 31, 2025, when he was charged with aggravated rape of a child and held without bail.

In a statement Thursday, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Marlborough Chief of Police David Giorgi confirmed Joseph pleaded guilty to aggravated rape of a child for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old victim. According to the statement, Judge Kenneth Salinger of the Massachusetts Superior Courts sentenced Joseph July 11 to 12-15 years in prison.

MEXICAN WOMAN IN US ILLEGALLY CHARGED WITH FAKING HER OWN ICE ‘KIDNAPPING’

The statement said, during the investigation, an extensive ultrasound was conducted, which placed the time of conception within the timeframe when the child and Joseph were living together at the shelter. 

After the baby was born, mouth swabs were taken and tested from the victim, her child and Joseph, which determined it was 23 trillion times more likely than not that Joseph was the biological father of his daughter’s baby. 

According to The Boston Globe, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also filed an immigration detainer against Joseph. The outlet reported an ICE spokesperson saying that Joseph entered the U.S. in May 2023 without valid paperwork but was granted entry into the country and given a date to appear before an immigration judge.

Earlier this year, Jon Fetherston, a former Massachusetts state employee who was running the Marlborough shelter when the crime was uncovered, told Fox News Digital that when he confronted Joseph, the Haitian migrant grabbed and attacked him.

A report by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, obtained by Fox News Digital, further confirmed that after Joseph was informed he would lose access to his daughter, he "got very agitated and started yelling" at Fetherston, stating that "this was all his fault, and he was to blame."

DEMOCRATS SPENT THOUSANDS IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS TO VISIT ILLEGAL KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA: REPORT

Fetherston told Fox News Digital that as soon as Joseph heard he was losing custody of his daughter, he "reached across the table and grabbed me and got angry with me and started cursing and yelling and screaming and swinging at me because he realized what was happening."

Rather than arrest Joseph immediately, Fetherston said he was directed by authorities to order the immigrant a Lyft ride to another shelter in Worcester County. 

"I'm going to be honest. The entire experience has shaken me to my core," said Fetherston.

After Joseph’s sentencing, Fetherston told Fox News Digital "the arrest of Ronald Joseph is not an isolated incident," but rather "it’s the byproduct of a reckless, opaque and mismanaged system that has operated without accountability for far too long."

FEDS CHARGE 3 MORE MEN IN MARYLAND MS-13 RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING MURDER: 'REIGN OF TERROR'

"Crimes occurring within these state-funded shelters have been intense, frequent and deeply concerning to the general public," said Fetherston. "From sexual assaults to drug trafficking and violent behavior, the state has failed both the migrants and the Massachusetts taxpayers."

Joseph is not the only illegal immigrant who has been caught committing crimes while living in a Massachusetts shelter. In December, Dominican national Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, 28, was caught storing an AR-15, ammunition and about $1 million in fentanyl in another state-run hotel in Revere, Massachusetts.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

In May, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat who has been critical of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, announced the state would be closing the remaining 32 shelters this summer. Healey cited a decline in need for the shelters. A statement by her office said the number of families in shelters had dropped below 5,000.

Commenting on the shelter closures, Fetherston told Fox News Digital the plan "raises more questions than it answers."

FROM NEW YORK TO ARIZONA, MIGRANT FACILITIES SHUTTERING IN WAKE OF TRUMP'S BORDER CRACKDOWN

"Where exactly are these unvetted individuals going? Massachusetts has one of the lowest housing inventories in the country. Are we really expected to believe that after two years of failure to house residents properly, the state has suddenly solved the crisis overnight?" he said. "This isn’t policy. This is political gaslighting."

Fox News Digital reached out to Healey’s office for comment but did not hear back prior to publication deadline.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here's what's happening…

- Trump directs AG Bondi to work on unsealing grand jury transcripts in Epstein case: ‘We are ready’

- Congress sends $9B spending cuts package to Trump's desk after late-night House vote

- NYC Democratic socialist Mamdani meets top Democrat with endorsement decision on the line

EXCLUSIVE: ASTORIA, N.Y. - New York City's Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, refused to respond to questions from Fox News Digital about critics calling him a communist and whether he plans to walk back any of his far-left statements. 

Outside his Queens apartment on Friday morning, Mamdani laughed off the questions and did not answer, despite mounting scrutiny as the mayor's race between himself, Mayor Eric Adams, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa heat up.

"Do you have any response to those who label you a communist?" Fox News Digital asked Mamdani. "Do you plan on walking back any statements when you meet with [House] leader Jeffries like seizing the means of production?"

Mamdani repeatedly laughed, but did not answer the questions… READ MORE.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Who is Annie Tomasini? The longtime Biden loyalist subpoenaed to testify about his alleged mental decline

OPENED RECORDS: EXCLUSIVE: DOJ emails show Biden White House communicated over Garland memo

HIDDEN TESTIMONY: Legal pathway clearly exists for Trump's request to make Epstein grand jury testimony public

EVEN PLAYING FIELD: Trump Interior Department moves to dismantle 'regulatory favoritism' for wind, solar projects

WOKE WASTE SLASHED: FIRST ON FOX: DHS cancels $18.5 million in Biden-era grants designated to fund LGBTQ and DEI programs

'ANY AND ALL': Trump directs AG Bondi to work on unsealing grand jury transcripts in Epstein case: ‘We are ready’

'WATCHING CLOSELY': Trump calls for immediate end to ‘unjust’ trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

PLAYING MEDIATOR: State Department said US 'unequivocally condemns' Israeli airstrike in Syria, calls for 'dialogue'

KREMLIN RAGES: Russia says NATO threatens WWIII in latest deterrence plan that could take down Kaliningrad ‘faster than ever’

MOVEMENT LIMITED: Police search former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's home, political headquarters

DANGER ZONE: Regional powers clash after Israel targets Syrian territory in defense of vulnerable Druze civilians

PLEADING FOR HELP: Pro-Israel GOP congressman says military strikes on Syria are 'suicidal' and 'mocking' Trump

SILENT TRUTH: Third ex-Biden WH aide pleads Fifth in House GOP cover-up probe

VIRAL VITRIOL: Stefanik uses viral CEO cheating photo to slam Mamdani, Hochul

CIRCLE OF TRUST: Longtime Joe Biden aide to appear under subpoena after Jill's 'work husband' pleads Fifth

SOCIALIST TAKEOVER: SCOOP: House Republican campaign arm anchors Mamdani to potentially vulnerable Democrats

SIGNATURE SCANDAL: Republican introduces measure to ban autopen use when presidents sign certain items

DEFICIT DEAL: Congress sends $9B spending cuts package to Trump's desk after late-night House vote

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FIRST ON FOX: The State Department says it is working swiftly to distribute tens of thousands of tons of food aid around the globe, pushing back on reports that the U.S. was preparing to incinerate hundreds of tons of stockpiled supplies before they could be delivered.

According to figures shared with Fox News Digital, the agency currently has 59,305 metric tons of in-kind food commodities stored in warehouses across the United States and abroad. 

"We have already programmed all the food expiring before October 2026," a senior State Department official said. "The idea that we have tons of expiring food we are letting go to waste is simply false."

The State Department says it has approved 44,422 metric tons of food to be transferred or reprogrammed through partnerships with the World Food Program (WFP), Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA). That includes 30,000 tons of short-dated food supplies already programmed for delivery to crisis zones like Syria, Bangladesh, and Sudan.

RUBIO OFFICIALLY KILLS USAID, REVEALS FUTURE HOME FOR FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

An additional 12,000 tons of aid is awaiting final reprogramming, a delay the department attributes to a temporary hold by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Title II apportionments — an issue officials say has now been resolved. 

"To the extent there is a delay that is causing operational problems, it is not from the State Department," the official said. "All of the food expiring in the next 16 months is accounted for."

The official also dismissed recent media coverage, arguing that the focus on a limited amount of food near expiration distorts the larger picture. "The very small portion — less than 1% of USAID’s food stockpiles — addressed by the mainstream media was the exception that distracts from a very extensive and orderly process we directed to ensure that all of the food was accounted for in an efficient and strategic manner."

The public defense comes after several outlets reported that the Trump administration ordered the incineration of roughly 500 metric tons of emergency food stored in Dubai as it neared expiration.

According to Reuters, while 622 tons were successfully redirected to countries including Syria, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, another 496 tons — valued at $793,000 — were destroyed, with an additional $100,000 in disposal costs.

The incident occurred as part of a broader restructuring of U.S. foreign aid policy. In early July, the Trump administration officially dissolved USAID, transferring authority over development and humanitarian programs to the State Department. That shift has been accompanied by efforts to rescind billions of dollars in foreign assistance.

A temporary aid pause in January prompted the former State Department inspector general to warn that as much as $500 million worth of food aid was at risk of expiring. However, the department says assistance is now back online under a restructured model.

STATE DEPARTMENT REVEALS PLAN TO DELIVER 'LIFE-SAVING' MEALS TO 1.4M STARVING CHILDREN

With USAID phased out, the State Department is now responsible for managing large-scale aid programs, and it is under pressure to deliver. Lawmakers and aid groups are closely watching to see whether the newly reprogrammed food aid reaches intended recipients.

Democrats seized on the incineration reports during congressional hearings this week, accusing the Trump administration of turning its back on urgent humanitarian needs. The reports were first published by The Atlantic.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the administration’s vision for foreign assistance, saying he was abandoning what he called a "charity-based model" in favor of empowering growth and self-reliance in developing nations.

"We will favor those nations that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves," Rubio wrote, "and will target our resources to areas where they can have a multiplier effect and catalyze durable private sector — including American companies — and global investment."

The new approach is designed to emphasize trade and investment over direct aid, and to position the U.S. to better counter China’s growing global influence.