-GOP senators renew call for DOD watchdog to probe former Joint Chiefs boss Milley for alleged misconduct
-Expert reveals how companies are rebranding 'toxic' DEI policies to skirt Trump-era bans
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Washington Sen. Patty Murray during a Tuesday Senate hearing for allegedly "presiding over the destruction" of Americans' health across her more than 30 years in the upper chamber.
"You've presided here, I think, for 32 years. You presided over the destruction of the health of the American people. Our people are now the sickest people in the world," Kennedy said to Murray during a tense back and forth Tuesday morning.
The Washington Democrat previously exchanged barbs with Kennedy on Wednesday, May 14, when Murray accused him and the Trump administration of delaying critical cancer care for one of her constituents… READ MORE
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The Food and Drug Administration is shifting its annual COVID-19 vaccine approval policies to focus on Americans older than age 65 and other "high-risk" individuals, while increasing the standard of evidence to approve COVID vaccines for low-risk individuals.
"The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk," FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research chief, Vinay Prasad, and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine Tuesday. "These clinical trials will inform future directions for the FDA, but more important, they will provide information that is desperately craved by health care providers and the American people."
Americans over the age of 65 and those considered at high-risk of contracting the virus will be able to receive an annual COVID-19 vaccine this fall, the essay outlined, while vaccines for low-risk Americans will likely face stricter scientific analysis before they are made available to the public. The FDA estimated that about "100 million to 200 million Americans" older than age 65 or considered at high-risk will still have access to vaccines.
Prasad and Makary said in their essay that the U.S. will move away from a "one-size-fits-all" paradigm that promoted COVID-19 vaccines for the vast majority of Americans, stretching from children to the elderly. The shift, they said, will bring America's policies more in line with guidelines in European nations.
"While all other high-income nations confine vaccine recommendations to older adults (typically those older than 65 years of age), or those at high risk for severe Covid-19, the United States has adopted a one-size-fits-all regulatory framework and has granted broad marketing authorization to all Americans over the age of 6 months," the health leaders wrote in the New England Journal.
"The U.S. policy has sometimes been justified by arguing that the American people are not sophisticated enough to understand age- and risk-based recommendations," they wrote. "We reject this view."
The FDA's policy shift will include requiring vaccine manufacturers to gather clinical trial data to justify rolling out new COVID-19 vaccines for Americans at low risk of contracting the virus.
Prasad and Makary held a roundtable discussion on the framework outlined in their medical essay Tuesday afternoon to walk Americans through the policy shift. Prasad explained that health officials under the Trump administration are taking into account that Americans have balked at the FDA's guidance under the Biden administration to receive multiple booster shots, while other Americans demand access to the vaccines.
"We have to admit to ourselves that America is deeply divided on the policy issue of repeat COVID 19 vaccine doses or boosters," he said. "There are some Americans out there who are worried that the FDA has not fully documented and interrogated the safety harms of these products, and they are categorically opposed to these products. There are also some Americans we also have to recognize, who are desperate for additional protection, and they demand these products. But the truth is that most doctors and most of the public are entirely uncertain, and that is reflected in low vaccine uptake of these products."
The pair added during the roundtable that Americans' trust in the scientific community has cratered since the pandemic.
"Survey after survey shows trust in institutions like the FDA and scientists in general, it's rock bottom," Prasad said during the roundtable. "I mean, we have lower trust than Congress, and that's saying something, you know. And we need to rebuild that trust. And part of rebuilding that trust is having conversations like this, writing articles like we've done in the New England Journal, and having a common-sense evidence-based framework for rebuilding that trust."
The pair cited in their article in the New England Journal that "public trust in vaccination in general has declined," including for "vital immunization programs such as that for measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccination, which has been clearly established as safe and highly effective."
President Donald Trump's rallying speech to House Republicans Tuesday morning wasn't enough to convince some holdouts to unite behind his "big, beautiful bill" ahead of a planned vote this week.
Trump urged Republicans to cease infighting on Medicaid reform and state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps at the House GOP’s weekly conference meeting. Several Republicans who emerged said they were still concerned enough to oppose the bill, however.
House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and representatives Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler and Andrew Garbino of New York told Fox News Digital Tuesday they would vote against the bill if changes were not made.
On the other hand, Trump did persuade some people. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of several Republicans to sink a committee vote on the bill Friday, told reporters he would review it and make a "judgment call" ahead of a 1 a.m. meeting to advance the bill through the House Rules Committee.
Norman said Trump did a "fantastic job" and delivered "one of the best speeches I've heard" at the House GOP meeting, and he urged his blue state colleagues to "take the words the president said to heart about SALT."
Norman and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, are both members of the powerful rules panel who have not been shy about their concerns with the current bill. The committee acts as the final gatekeeper before most legislation sees a full House vote.
Roy did not appear to attend Trump's speech but told reporters Monday evening the 1 a.m. Wednesday vote should be postponed.
But the New York Republicans weren't budging after Trump's "big, beautiful" speech, maintaining the bill doesn't go far enough to deliver for middle-class New Yorkers on the SALT deduction cap.
"This is the single biggest issue that I've talked about, and, with all due respect to the president, I'm not budging," Lawler said.
"Between property taxes and income taxes, it blows well past the $30,000 cap with the $400,000 income cap. So, as I've said repeatedly, that is insufficient. We will continue the dialogue with leadership, but as it stands right now, I do not support the bill," Lawler said.
Lawler said SALT is one of the biggest issues affecting his district in New York and campaigned on never supporting a tax bill that doesn't "adequately lift the cap."
"The president can say whatever he wants, and I respect him, but the fact is, I certainly understand my district. I'm one of only three Republican members that won in a district Kamala Harris won, and I did so for reasons," Lawler said.
"We need a little more SALT on the table to get to this," fellow New York Republican LaLota added. "I hope the president's presence motivates my leadership to give us a number that we can go sell back home."
LaLota said while he is still a "no," he hopes "the president's presence here today motivates some folks in the Ways and Means Committee and my leadership to give us a number to which we can actually say ‘yes.’"
When asked if Trump did enough to ease concerns in Tuesday's meeting, Garbarino, another New York Republican, said, "No. There were no specifics. … It was more of a rally. We need to get this done."
"We share President Trump's call for unity within the House Republican Conference," Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., said in a joint statement after Trump's visit to Capitol Hill.
"We hope his remarks today motivate the Speaker to advance a SALT proposal that delivers meaningful relief for our middle-class constituents, as we have worked in good faith with House Leadership for more than a year," the statement from Kim, Garbarino, Lawler, LaLota and Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., said.
Meanwhile, Trump urged Republicans not to "f--- with" Medicaid in his speech, though different factions came to different conclusions about what he meant.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who was not in the room for Trump's speech, called for more cuts to the entitlement program in an X post Tuesday afternoon but told Fox News Digital he was opposed to the legislation as written.
"I agree with President Trump — we must crush the waste, fraud, and abuse. Liberal states like California and New York are abusing Medicaid — and making you pay for it. Illegal aliens and freeloaders have no right to taxpayer-funded benefits," Ogles said on X.
Other fiscal conservatives, like Ogles, who were in the room, said the bill does not go far enough to reform Medicaid and would also vote "no" in the bill's current form.
"I think it's inappropriate for us to say we're not going to touch it and then leave all of this fraud that's happening in the system," Burlison said.
Harris, the House Freedom Caucus chair, said, "I can't support the bill. It does not eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid. The president called for waste, fraud and abuse to be eliminated. I don't think that's where the bill sits."
Massie, known for being a libertarian, was unconvinced by Trump's appearance, telling reporters that his constituents didn't "vote for increased deficits and Biden-level spending."
He acknowledged that younger members or those who harbor ambitions for higher office would likely fall in line, however.
"I think he probably closed the deal in there," Massie said.
SALT deduction caps and Medicaid remain two of the biggest sticking points in Republican negotiations. SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles and their surrounding suburbs. Republicans representing those areas have argued that raising the SALT deduction cap is a critical issue and that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms.
Republicans in redder, lower-tax areas have said in response that SALT deductions favor wealthy people living in Democrat-controlled states and that such deductions reward progressive high-tax policies.
It was Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that first instituted caps on SALT deductions, setting the maximum at $10,000 for both married couples and single filers.
SALT Caucus members have rejected House Republican leaders' offer to increase that to $30,000.
Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, meanwhile, are pushing for the bill to be more aggressive in cutting waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system, including a faster timeline for implementing work requirements for able-bodied recipients. Currently, the legislation has work requirements kicking in 2029.
They also want to restructure Medicaid cost-sharing to put a bigger burden on the states. Moderates, meanwhile, have been wary of making significant cuts to the program.
House GOP leaders are hoping to hold a full House vote on the bill this week.
FIRST ON FOX: Government watchdog group Democracy Restored is calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate U.S. attorneys in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), accusing them of potentially seeking to undermine Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's efforts to end New York City's driving tax, also known as a congestion tax.
New York City's congestion pricing program essentially assesses drivers a toll for driving on some streets in Manhattan, with the price varying depending on the time of day.
Late in the night of April 23, SDNY attorneys representing Duffy and the Department of Transportation published an 11-page confidential memo in federal court in Manhattan, explaining that the Trump administration's argument to end the NYC driver's tax was weak and included "considerable litigation risk." The next day, the memo was taken down from the public case docket, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District said the filing was a mistake.
In response, officials at the Transportation Department said they would be transferring the case to the DOJ's civil division, according to the New York Times. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOT to confirm the attorneys involved in the mistaken filing were off the case, but did not immediately receive a response.
"It's imperative to know whether this filing was inadvertent, and incompetent, or something worse," Houston Keene, the director of Democracy Restored said. "The memo contains confidential legal advice that just happens to criticize the secretary and department's legal strategy — quite an inconvenient document to have made public for lawyers doing their best for their client."
Democracy Restored said in its letter that more fact-finding must take place, but indicated there are "a variety" of potential ethical and legal violations associated with the mistaken filing, particularly if the act was done on purpose.
While it can not be concluded whether the act stemmed from incompetence, or whether it was purposeful, Democracy Restored points to the "partisan political activity" and involvement in political non-profits by the attorneys involved, suggesting it could shed light on the motivations behind the action.
According to Democracy Restored, the attorneys involved were all registered Democrats and had a history of donating to Democratic political candidates and campaigns. The attorneys' public social media posts also showed them supporting left-wing political groups and acts of defiance against President Donald Trump's executive directives.
"US Attorneys must be nonpartisan and objective in their work and the partisan backgrounds of these attorneys add to the doubts," Keene said. "Far too many questions remain unanswered about this incident. The DOJ must investigate this matter immediately."
In early January, NYC launched its congestion pricing program, or driver's tax, which imposed a $9 daytime toll on most individuals driving their cars into Manhattan's core, south of Central Park. A month later, the Trump administration issued a federal order meant to halt the program by March 21, but the tolls have continued as the result of a federal lawsuit filed by New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the state agency that runs New York City's public transit system.
The Department of Transportation and the MTA subsequently reached an agreement extending the deadline to end the program until at least the fall. Earlier this month, as the legal battle over the matter has continued, New York City and the MTA requested a federal judge block the Trump administration's efforts to squash the program. City officials say the program has significantly reduced congestion, improving travel times due to reduced traffic.
Because the program involves tolls on federal highways, it must have Department of Transportation approval.
The Justice Department declined to comment for this article. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Department of Transportation and the office of the U.S. Attorney or the Southern District of New York, but did not hear back in advance of publication.
FIRST ON FOX: New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver is fundraising off her federal charges for allegedly "assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement" earlier this month at the gates of Delaney Hall, which is a privately-operated Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark.
"As you know, Trump is using his Department of Justice to target political opponents. Less than two weeks ago, I was doing my job and conducting oversight at an ICE facility in my city," the fundraising text obtained by Fox News Digital stated.
"Now, the Trump admin has filed charges against me. This is a first-and it's a flashing red light for our democracy," it continues. "I'm sounding the alarm and asking you to donate now so we can fight these charges and keep speaking truth to power."
Investigators say McIver assaulted two federal agents at the Delaney Hall, according to the charging documents.
Prosecutors say one victim was an HSI agent, and the other was an ICE agent."
Law enforcement says McIver assaulted the agents when she "slammed her forearm into the body of a uniformed HSI agent. & reached out and tried to restrain the agent by forcibly grabbing him." Then, after Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested, McIver allegedly "pushed an ICE officer & used her forearms to forcibly strike the agent."
According to the documents, McIver created a "human shield" and blocked agents from handcuffing Baraka after he ignored numerous warnings to leave the property and told him he would be arrested.
When the HSI agent told the mayor he was going to arrest him, McIver interjected, yelling, "Hell no! Hell no! Hell no!"
The HSI agent then ordered the mayor to put his hands behind his back and displayed his handcuffs. So, McIver and other members of Congress "surrounded the Mayor and prevented HSI from handcuffing him and taking him into custody," according to prosecutors.
In a statement after the charges were announced, McIver said that she is "thankful for the outpouring of support" she’s gotten and that the "truth" will be "laid out clearly in court."
"Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district. We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka," she stated.
"The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight," McIver added.
Baraka had a federal trespassing charge against him that was dropped by acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, but the mayor said he stands in solidarity with McIver.
"Representative LaMonica McIver assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111 (a)(1)," Habba said in a letter shared on X Monday. "That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey, and it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties."
Fox News Digital reached out to the McIver campaign for comments about the texts and both the campaign and her official office about the charging documents. The Democrat represents a deep blue district that includes Newark.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is demanding that former Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz apologize after he called agents "[President] Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo."
Lyons said that "if the governor doesn’t like the laws, he’s free to advocate that Congress change them, but he should refrain from putting ICE officers in danger by likening them to one of the most appalling groups in history."
During a commencement speech at the University of Minnesota law school over the weekend, Walz, a Democrat and the governor of Minnesota, described Trump as a "tyrant" and told students they "are graduating into a genuine emergency."
"Some would say, ‘Boy, this is getting way too political for a commencement address,'" Walz told students during his commencement address on Saturday. "But I would argue, I wouldn’t be honoring my oath if I didn’t address this head on."
He then proceeded to compare the Trump administration’s ongoing deportations of criminal illegal immigrants to the Nazi secret police force of the 1930s and 1940s.
"I’m gonna start with the flashing red light — Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets. They’re in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons. No chance to mount a defense. Not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye. Just grabbed up by masked agents, shoved into those vans and disappeared."
Walz’s comments drew strong condemnation from Lyons, who released a statement on Tuesday in which he pointed out that the commencement fell during National Police Week.
"On the final day of National Police Week — when those brave enough to put on a badge and a uniform mourn their fallen brothers and sisters — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referred to my professional, hard-working ICE agents and officers as ‘modern-day Gestapo,’" said Lyons.
Lyons said that assaults against ICE officers have risen by over 400% from the same time last year.
He placed part of the blame for the rise in assaults against ICE agents on "politicians like Gov. Walz are careless with their politically motivated rhetoric."
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller has also responded to Walz’s statement, saying in a Sunday X post that "this vile anti-American language can only be construed as inciting insurrection and violence."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., clashed in a heated and racially charged exchange over South African refugees on Tuesday – with Kaine accusing Rubio and the Trump administration of prioritizing white South African farmers for refugee entry.
The spat was prompted after the United States last week welcomed dozens of white South African refugees who the State Department said are victims of "government-sponsored racial discrimination" in their homeland. Their arrival comes as the administration has suspended most refugee resettlement programs.
Kaine, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, called the persecution claims "specious," noting that South Africa now has a government of national unity and the agriculture minister is an Afrikaner.
He inferred that the Trump administration was giving preference to Afrikaners because of their skin color.
"Can you have a different standard based upon the color of somebody's skin? Would that be acceptable?" Kaine said before Rubio shot back.
"I'm not the one arguing that, apparently you are because you don't like the fact that they’re white and that’s why they’re coming," Rubio said.
"I’m asking you to say that that would be unacceptable, that would seem to be a very easy thing to say," Kaine said.
"The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow into the United States," Rubio said before Kaine cut across him.
"Based on the color of somebody's skin?" Kaine asked.
"You're the one that's talking about the color of their skin, not me. These are people whose farms were burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin," Rubio said.
President Donald Trump directed the State Department to bump up Afrikaners to the front of the line for resettlement after a law was passed by the South African government allowing it to take private land for public use, sometimes without compensation. Trump claimed the law would be used to target South Africa’s white minority Afrikaner group, descended from Dutch and other European settlers who arrived more than 300 years ago.
Amid his immigration crackdown, Trump said in January the U.S. will only admit refugees who "can fully and appropriately assimilate."
Kaine played down the threat the Afrikaners face and said that the U.S. did not establish a special refugee program for Black South Africans during the apartheid era.
"Now we’re creating a special pathway for white Afrikaner farmers in a country governed by a unity government that includes the Afrikaner parties," Kaine said. "Would you agree, Mr. Secretary, that if we’re interpreting the phrase 'a well-founded fear of persecution', we should apply that standard evenhandedly?"
"I think we should apply it in the national security interest of the United States," Rubio said. "The United States has the right to choose who it allows in and to prioritize that choice," Rubio asserted.
"And should that be applied evenhandedly?" Kaine asked, with Rubio responding, "Our foreign policy does not require evenhandedness."
Rubio also said that Kaine seems to think everyone should be allowed into the country for any reason, and reasserted that the government’s immigration policy should reflect what benefits the United States.
In March, Rubio expelled the South African ambassador to the U.S., calling him a "race-baiting" politician who hates America and Trump after he said the commander-in-chief is leading a global white supremacist movement.
South Africa's foreign ministry has said the accusations of racial discrimination against Afrikaners are "unfounded."
Elsewhere in the hearing on Tuesday, Rubio requested a budget totaling $28.5 billion, which he said will allow the State Department to fulfill its mission while also outlining a bureaucratic overhaul, proposing the recission of $20 billion in duplicate, wasteful and ideologically driven programs. Rubio announced the creation of new consolidated funds that will absorb many U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) functions.
Last month, Rubio announced he was overhauling the agency and shuttering more than 130 offices around the world in order to streamline operations and align the department more closely with the administration's foreign policy objectives.
Rubio said that all the changes will not be universally welcome, but the intent of the changes is to make the agency more efficient.
"It is not to dismantle American foreign policy and it is not to withdraw us from the world, because I just hit 18 countries in 18 weeks, that doesn't sound like much of a withdrawal," Rubio said.
"We are engaged in the world, but we're going to be engaged in a world that makes sense and that's smart. And that isn't about saving money, it is about ensuring that we are delivering to our people what they deserve. A foreign policy that makes America stronger, safer and more prosperous."
He also discussed various foreign affairs matters, including the Ukraine-Russia war, which he said can only end through a negotiated settlement.
"Neither side can win militarily," Rubio said.
Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is passing on a potential statewide bid for governor or the Senate and instead will seek re-election in a key swing congressional district that Republicans are working to flip in the 2026 midterm elections.
"I have decided the best way to continue serving the people of Maine is to do my part to restore balance in Congress by helping to win back the House of Representatives. My focus will remain on checking the extremes and putting working-class families first," Golden said Tuesday morning in a social media post, as he announced his re-election.
Golden, a U.S. Marine veteran who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is a moderate Democrat who often bucks his own party in Congress.
He has held the seat in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, which is one of the most competitive in the nation, since first winning it in 2018.
Golden won re-election by a razor-thin margin last year in the district, which is the second-most rural in the U.S. and the largest east of the Mississippi River. And President Donald Trump carried the district in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections by nine, seven and 10 points.
"While the election is still 18 months away and I remain focused on my responsibilities to my constituents and my family, I also know the path to the GOP majority runs through Maine," said the 42-year-old Golden, who had been floated as a potential gubernatorial or Senate candidate.
But the top Democrats in House leadership countered that "Jared’s dedication to representing all of his constituents — no matter their party affiliation — makes him uniquely suited to once again win one of the toughest seats in the country for Democrats to hold."
"He’s also helping Democrats flip Republican seats in competitive districts throughout America,"House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Chairman Pete Aguilar (CA-33) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01) added in a joint statement.
Challenging Golden is former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is a major Trump supporter and ally.
"I am going to do what it takes to make sure no one like Paul LePage blusters his way into Congress," Golden said in his announcement.
LePage, in his first interview after announcing his candidacy earlier this month, told Fox News Digital, "I never, ever had any aspirations to go to Washington until now."
"Donald Trump, I think, is doing what is necessary in addressing the debt this country is facing. And I think that's a big, big thing for me," LePage said as he was interviewed in Lewiston, the Maine city where he was born and raised.
LePage — the brash and blunt politician who won over blue-collar workers struggling with economic woes, which helped the Republican businessman win election and re-election in the blue-leaning state — was one of the first major GOP elected officials to endorse Trump when the president first ran for the White House nearly a decade ago.
"I have a friend in the White House right now. I know President Trump. I think I can have an audience of President Trump. I know several of his secretaries very well. And so I think this is a good time. It's a good time for me to go help," LePage told Fox News.
The family of a U.S. Air Force veteran who was wrongfully detained in Venezuela since November 2024, on Tuesday, said he was released.
Joseph St. Clair, a four-tour Afghanistan War veteran from Hansville, Washington, first went missing in November while getting PTSD treatment in Colombia.
"This news came suddenly, and we are still processing it—but we are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude," said Scott and Patti St. Clair, Joseph's parents.
The details surrounding St. Clair's release were not disclosed. The St. Clair family declined to comment further to Fox News Digital.
The family also thanked President Donald Trump, as well as his administration, for securing St. Clair's release. Trump, Ambassador Ric Grenell, Adam Boehler and Sebastian Gorka, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, had worked to secure Joseph’s release.
"We remain in prayer and solidarity with the families of those who are still being held," the St. Clairs added. "We will never stop loving and supporting them as they continue their fight to be reunited with their loved ones."
In February, St. Clair's father got a call from the Colombian consulate telling him neighboring Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro's regime had his son hostage.
With the addition of St. Clair, at least 37 Americans have been released from hostage situations in six countries – Afghanistan, Belarus, Venezuela, Israel, Russia and Kuwait — since Trump took office.
St. Clair is the seventh American to be released from Venezuela since January. Six others were released from the South American nation on Jan.31, 2025, after Grenell met with Maduro.
The Milwaukee judge accused of helping an illegal immigrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement is back in the spotlight — this time because of the liberal federal judge presiding over her trial.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, 85, was randomly assigned to preside over the jury trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who was indicted earlier this month for allegedly shielding an illegal immigrant from ICE in her courtroom. Adelman, a former Democratic lawmaker and outspoken judge, faces mounting criticism and scrutiny of his record as he handles the high-profile case.
Adelman spent 20 years as a Democrat in the Wisconsin state Senate before then-President Bill Clinton nominated him in 1997 to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Though the judge hasn’t been active in politics for years, critics note recent rulings and writings in which he’s taken aim at President Donald Trump, Chief Justice Roberts and others.
Some fear this continued political bias could risk his impartiality in presiding over Dugan's trial — or at least the perceptions of it, in the eyes of Trump allies. Adelman did not respond to a request for comment.
In 2020, Adelman published an article for Harvard Law & Policy Review, titled, "The Roberts Court’s Assault on Democracy" that set off a torrent of criticism from Trump allies and court commentators alike.
The article accused Chief Justice John Roberts of breaking with his Senate confirmation testimony in 2005 — instead ushering in a "hard-right majority" on the Supreme Court, and "actively participating in undermining American democracy."
Adelman also took aim at Trump, whose temperament he said "is that of an autocrat," but who he said "is also disinclined to buck the wealthy individuals and corporations who control his party."
Adelman used the article to advocate for "righting the ship" of the high court, in part by embracing an approach similar to the Warren Court — known both for its landmark civil rights rulings and a slew of other progressive decisions.
Adelman was later admonished by the Civility Committee for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals for his remarks in the article.
They found his remarks did not violate prohibited political activity under the Canons of Judicial Conduct, but issued the following rebuke:
"The opening two sentences regarding the Chief Justice and the very pointed criticisms of Republican Party policy positions could be seen as inconsistent with a judge's duty to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and as reflecting adversely on the judge's impartiality," the committee said.
Adelman later issued a public apology for those remarks.
Adelman was also at the center of a major case involving Wisconsin's voter ID law, which sought to make it harder for citizens to vote.
He blocked the law from taking force ahead of the elections — a decision that was later reversed by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which again issued a sharp rebuke of his ruling.
In "our hierarchical judicial system, a district court cannot declare a statute unconstitutional just because he thinks (with or without the support of a political scientist) that the dissent was right and the majority wrong," the appeals court said, noting that Adelman did not rely on any Supreme Court precedent to base his decision.
In light of his previous remarks and progressive rulings, court-watchers expect his behavior here to be closely scrutinized.
It's unclear whether his behavior could assuage the concerns of longtime critics — among them, Mike Davis of the Article III Project, and conservative scholar Josh Blackman, who took aim at Adelman's 2020 remarks in a blog post at the time.
This is due in part to the canons of judicial ethics, Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley noted in an op-ed for The Hill.
"Because of these ethical principles, judges are usually highly restrained in their public comments, particularly about political or ideological matters," he said.
Dugan's trial comes at a time when Trump and his allies have blasted so-called "activist" judges who they see as acting politically to block his agenda — suggesting her trial, and Adelman's behavior — will be under especially close scrutiny.
But others noted that federal judges often take great caution to avoid the appearance of political bias, even more so in public remarks, understanding that doing so could violate the canons for judicial behavior.
Many also see their roles on the court as a serious job that requires them to be impartial arbiters of the law — looking to precedent, rather than politics — as their guide.
In presiding over Dugan's case, experts hope Adelman will do the same.
"When I have served on panels with sitting federal judges, they often balk at even discussing the scope of constitutional rights out of concern for these canons," Turley noted in the an op-ed. "Federal judges are expected to speak through opinions in court decisions rather than in editorials or law review articles."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is instructing the Pentagon to launch a comprehensive review into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
President Joe Biden removed U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, following up on existing plans from the first Trump administration in 2020 with Taliban leaders to end the war in the region.
Thirteen U.S. service members were killed during the withdrawal process due to a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport, and the Taliban quickly seized control of Kabul.
"The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts," Hegseth said in a Tuesday memo. "This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation."
As a result, Hegseth is directing Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell to spearhead a special review panel to evaluate previous investigations and to "analyze the decision making that led to one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments."
"This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation," Hegseth said in the memo.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded questions from the children of journalists and White House officials to celebrate Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day on Tuesday.
The children's questions focused mainly on President Donald Trump, with Leavitt being forced to reveal the president's favorite flavor of ice cream, what super power he most wants to have, and whether he likes to give hugs.
"Oh, does he like to give hugs? You know, I think he does. I have seen him give many hugs to children and his family and our beautiful first lady. So, yes, I do think he likes to gives hugs," Leavitt told her first questioner.
"What is the funnest part about your job, and the hardest part?" the next child asked.
"I think the most fun part about my job is doing things like this with all of you in the briefing room and answering so many great questions. I think that the hardest part of my job is also doing things like this in the briefing room and answering all of these questions," she responded, to laughter.
"And reading the news is a big part of my job every day. I wake up and read the newspaper and watch the news and listen to all of the things that your parents are reporting on in the news, and that's a big part of my job every day," she added.
The next child asked about Trump's favorite food, and Leavitt said he prefers steak to anything else.
Leavitt informed the next child that Trump's favorite ice cream flavor is a classic ice cream sundae.
"If the president could have a superpower, what would it be? That is a very good question," Leavitt responded to the next child. "I think if he had a superpower it would be to just snap his fingers and solve all of our country's problems just like that, because he likes to get things done very quickly but sometimes it takes a little bit longer.
"Like today, he had to go to Capitol Hill to convince people to vote for his one big beautiful bill. I bet if he had a superpower he would snap his fingers and get it passed immediately, but Life doesn't work that way, unfortunately," she added.
First lady Melania Trump also spent time with kids outside the White House. Many of them could be seen wearing dark blue hats that said "Gulf of America" in bright red letters.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is instructing the Pentagon to launch a comprehensive review into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
President Joe Biden removed U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, following up on existing plans from the first Trump administration in 2020 with Taliban leaders to end the war in the region.
Thirteen U.S. service members were killed during the withdrawal process due to a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport, and the Taliban quickly seized control of Kabul.
"The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts," Hegseth said in a Tuesday memo. "This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation."
As a result, Hegseth is directing Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell to spearhead a special review panel to evaluate previous investigations and to "analyze the decision making that led to one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments."
"This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation," Hegseth said in the memo.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired back at Sen. Chris Van Hollen after the Maryland Democrat said he regretted voting for Rubio as President Donald Trump’s chief foreign affairs adviser, leading to a fiery exchange during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Rubio testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the State Department's budget proposal when Van Hollen used his time to tear into the State Department for revoking visas of those found disrupting college campuses or committing acts of violence.
"Your campaign of fear and repression is eating away at the foundational values of our democracy," Van Hollen said, likening Rubio to the era of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. He added, "And I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you for Secretary of State."
"First of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I'm doing a good job," Rubio replied.
"That’s just a flippant statement, Mr. Secretary," Van Hollen shot back.
Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, interjected, asking Van Hollen to let Rubio respond to his claims without interruption. When Van Hollen asked if he can, in turn, respond to Rubio, Risch said, "Your time is up, Mr. Senator, and woefully used I might add."
Rubio continued, saying that in the case of El Salvador, "we deported gang members … including the one you had a margarita with," referencing Van Hollen’s visit to see deported "Maryland man" Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. "And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and the evidence is going to be clear in the days to come."
Van Hollen then jumped in, shouting to the chairman that Rubio "can’t make unsubstantiated comments like that."
"Secretary Rubio should take that testimony to the federal court of the United States because he hasn’t done it under oath," Van Hollen said before Risch banged the gavel to allow Rubio to continue.
Rubio continued: "About the student visas, let me say this. I don’t deport anybody and I don’t snatch anybody. The State Department does not have officers in the streets snatching everybody. What I do is revoke visas. And it’s very simple. A visa is not a right. It is a privilege."
"People apply for student visas to come into the United States and study. And if you tell me you’re coming to the United States to lead campus crusades, to take over libraries, and try to burn down buildings and acts of violence, we’re not going to give you a visa," he continued.
Van Hollen shot back that Rubio "was just blowing smoke here now."
Rubio responded: "The bottom line is, if you’re coming here to stir up trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa. And if you have a visa, and we find you, we will revoke it."
Rubio said the Trump administration will continue to revoke the visas of those who are here as guests and are disrupting college campuses.
A senior State Department official reacted to the exchange in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Once again, Senator Van Hollen proves that he cares more about illegal immigrants than his own constituents," the senior State Department official said.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a possible prisoner swap involving nine Americans during their phone call this week, The Associated Press reported.
Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov, who previously served as Russian ambassador to the U.S., made the announcement after Trump and Putin spoke for two hours Monday.
Putin and Trump talked about a Russia-U.S. prisoner exchange, which Ushakov said was "in the works" and envisioned Moscow and Washington releasing nine people each. He did not offer any other details.
The State Department did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The development comes following the release of Russian American Ksenia Karelina, who was freed from Russia in April after being detained for more than a year.
Both Trump and Putin described the call on Monday in a positive light, with the Kremlin chief saying it was "frank" and "useful," but it is not immediately clear what results were achieved.
Trump took to social media to praise the call as having gone "very well" and said, "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War."
Putin, in a statement after the call, also noted that "a ceasefire with Ukraine is possible" but noted that "Russia and Ukraine must find compromises that suit both sides."
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett, Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump rallied House Republicans behind closed doors to pass his "one big, beautiful bill" as soon as possible – and to quickly resolve their interparty disagreements in the process.
Trump made a rare visit to Capitol Hill just days before the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a massive bill advancing his agenda on tax, immigration, defense, energy and the debt limit.
It is a reflection of the high stakes that congressional Republicans and the White House are facing, with just razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate.
Trump warned House Republicans to not "f--- around" with Medicaid and state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps, two significant points of contention for warring GOP factions, two people in the room told Fox News Digital.
Two people said Trump targeted Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., on SALT specifically. Lawler, one of just three Republicans in districts Trump lost in 2024, has been one of the most vocal proponents of a higher SALT deduction cap.
"I know your district better than you do. If you lose because of SALT, you were going to lose anyway," Trump said during his remarks, the sources told Fox News Digital.
When asked about those comments by reporters after the meeting, Lawler said, "The issue of SALT is one of the biggest issues impacting my district. It's the reason I won."
"I made very clear when I ran for office back in '22 that I would never support a tax bill that does not adequately lift the cap on SALT," Lawler said.
Meanwhile, three sources in the room said Trump also targeted Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has frustrated both the president and House GOP leaders in the past by bucking the party line. Trump had called Massie a "grandstander" in public comments to reporters minutes before the meeting.
Massie told reporters when asked for his response, "It would be ironic if one of you guys who stopped me, wants to report that I'm a grandstander. Because you are the ones who are performing this, standing. I would be walking."
"I don't think he wants to talk about cutting spending," Massie said of Trump.
SALT deduction caps and Medicaid remain two of the biggest sticking points in Republican negotiations. SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles and their surrounding suburbs. Republicans representing those areas have argued that raising the SALT deduction cap is a critical issue and that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms.
Republicans in redder, lower-tax areas have said in response that SALT deductions favor wealthy people living in Democrat-controlled states and that such deductions reward progressive high-tax policies.
It was Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that first instituted caps on SALT deductions – setting the maximum at $10,000 for both married couples and single filers.
SALT Caucus members like Lawler have rejected House Republican leaders' offer to increase that to $30,000, but Trump told those Republicans to accept what offer was on the table, according to people in the room.
Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, meanwhile, are pushing for the bill to be more aggressive in cutting waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system, including a faster timeline for implementing work requirements for able-bodied recipients. Currently, the legislation has work requirements kicking in 2029.
They also want to restructure Medicaid cost-sharing to put a bigger burden on the states.
Moderates, meanwhile, have been wary of making significant cuts to the program.
A White House official said Trump stressed he wanted complete unity on the bill, and "made it clear he’s losing patience with all holdout factions of the House Republican Conference, including the SALT Caucus and the House Freedom Caucus."
He also urged Republicans to debate SALT "later" while warning, "Don’t touch Medicaid except for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, including booting off illegal immigrants and common-sense work requirements," the White House official said.
However, lawmakers leaving the meeting appear to have taken away very different conclusions.
"He's just like, listen. I think where we're at with the bill is good, and to keep pushing for more will be difficult," Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said of Trump's Medicaid comments.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., similarly said, "I think he's referring to members who want to change the approach that the Energy & Commerce Committee has taken."
"He thinks they've taken a good, balanced approach to preserve the program, enhance the program, while narrowing the scope and hunting out waste, fraud, and abuse," Hill said.
Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital, "I think the president will not mind changes that…decrease waste, fraud, and abuse in the bill."
However, it is unclear how much Trump's message moved Republicans who were skeptical of the bill previously.
Harris came out of the meeting insisting the House-wide vote should be delayed, so House Republicans could take more time to negotiate the bill.
Additionally, SALT Caucus Republicans like Lawler, as well as Reps. Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino of New York, indicated to reporters they would oppose the bill as currently written.
Some last-minute changes are expected to be made to the legislation before a 1 a.m. House Rules Committee meeting to advance the bill. The powerful panel acts as the final gatekeeper to most legislation before a House-wide vote.
However, it is unclear now if changes will be made to SALT deduction caps or Medicaid after Trump urged Republicans to clear up both fights.
Republicans are working to pass Trump’s policies on tax, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt all in one massive bill via the budget reconciliation process.
Budget reconciliation lowers the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, thereby allowing the party in power to skirt the minority — in this case, Democrats — to pass sweeping pieces of legislation, provided they deal with the federal budget, taxation, or the national debt.
House Republicans are hoping to advance Trump’s bill through the House by the end of this week, with a goal of a final bill on the president’s desk by the Fourth of July.
ALLENTOWN, PA – President Donald Trump supporters and Americans for Prosperity (AFP) protesters lined the streets outside Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna's town hall in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday night.
However, three pro-Trump protesters who wandered inside the half-empty town hall found unlikely common ground with the Silicon Valley Democrat, who is considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
Before taking the stage for his remarks, Khanna listened to the Trump supporters' concerns and told them about the legislation he proposed last week to codify Trump's executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug prices.
Khanna has secured three co-sponsors for his bill, including GOP Reps. Paulina Luna and Andy Biggs.
While some Democrat attendees looked on disapprovingly at the polite political debate breaking out at the back of the town hall, Khanna encouraged the Trump supporters to pull up a seat and stick around for his remarks. The Trump supporters did just that.
"I love it," Khanna told Fox News Digital ahead of his speech. "I love the First Amendment. They're peaceful. I walked by them. They were very civil. That's democracy, and they're welcome to come in."
When Khanna took the stage, he thanked the Trump supporters for their conversation and spotlighted how Americans can find common ground on lowering prescription drug prices amid persistent political violence in the United States.
Khanna said he was appreciative of the conversation in light of a terrorist attack on a fertility clinic in California earlier that day, the arson attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro's home last month and the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania last year.
Khanna's Allentown event was the first of two "Benefits Over Billionaires" town halls hosted in Republican-held congressional districts in swing state Pennsylvania this weekend. While Khanna was a long way from his home district, he was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Bucks County.
Republican Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Brian Fitzpatrick, both likely to face competitive challenges to hold their House seats in 2026, represent the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County districts Khanna visited this weekend.
"He should be back home in his own district doing a town hall with his constituents, but I think he's campaigning for president most likely, so he's trying to get his name ID out there all across the country," Mackenzie told Fox News Digital before knocking on doors with AFP on Saturday.
Mackenzie accused Khanna of "going around, mugging for the cameras, trying to get clicks on social media and trying to boost [his] own profile," as he defended his own accessibility to his Pennsylvania constituents.
However, Khanna deflected Mackenzie's accusation about posturing for a political future when pressed by Fox News Digital.
"This is about saving the jobs at the Mack plant. This is about making sure we don't cut Medicaid. This is about making sure people aren't getting hurt in this community and around the country," Khanna said.
Democrats have railed against proposed Medicaid reform as a key component of Trump's "big, beautiful bill," but Mackenzie said his constituents are more concerned about eliminating waste, fraud and abuse from the program.
The California congressman, who spoke with members of the United Auto Workers union ahead of his town hall, called on Mackenzie and Trump to save at least 250 Pennsylvanians' jobs at Mack Trucks in the Lehigh Valley.
"The president's trying to bring back manufacturing. How about we just stop manufacturing from leaving? We need action here, and I wanted to highlight that," Khanna said, explaining his trip to Mackenzie's district.
While Khanna took aim at Mackenzie for the Mack Truck layoffs, an AFP digital ad truck outside the event spotlighted Mackenzie's support for extending Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as activists doubled down on support for their elected Republican leaders.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Washington Sen. Patty Murray during a Tuesday Senate hearing for allegedly "presiding over the destruction" of Americans' health across her more than 30 years in the upper chamber.
"You've presided here, I think, for 32 years. You presided over the destruction of the health of the American people. Our people are now the sickest people in the world," Kennedy said to Murray during a tense back and forth Tuesday morning.
"What have you done about it? Kennedy shot back. What have you done about the epidemic of chronic disease?"
As the two continued talking over one another, the subcommittee chair, Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, asked Kennedy to "hold back and let the senator ask the questions."
"Mr. Secretary, I'm asking you a question about child care," Murray continued. "I'm asking you who made the decision to withhold child care and development block grant funding?"
"That was made by my department," Kennedy responded.
Kennedy appeared before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday morning to answer questions related to HHS' budget proposal for fiscal year 2026. The hearing comes just after Kennedy joined lawmakers in both a Senate hearing and a House hearing, both of which included fiery exchanges between Kennedy and Democrat lawmakers.
Murray continued in her questioning that the HHS was making vast cuts to scientists at the agency, which Kennedy dismissed, citing that he does not "trust" Murray's information.
"And you said last week, quote, ‘we were not cutting thousands of scientists," Murray continued. "We are not cutting clinical trials.’ But I want you to know, in the last four months, you fired or pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH staff and terminated more than 1,600 NIH grants. That includes more than 240 clinical trials across the country. So whose decision was it to fire scientists and terminate these NIH grants and the clinical trial?"
"Senator, I don't trust your information with all due respect," Kennedy responded, continuing that Murray's previous remarks in a recent hearing were not correct. "You told me what, three days ago or four days ago, that we had cut a clinical trial in your state and … what you said turned out to be completely untrue. And you knew it was untrue because you corresponded with (Director of the National Institutes of Health) Jay Bhattacharya before that."
"You came here to argue with me," Murray added. "I came here to ask you questions about your budget request. Your budget request is asking us to cut dramatically. But I am also making the point that Senator Baldwin made, that what you are doing right now is enacting your budget, that Congress has not passed, by cutting critical funding across the board."
The Washington Democrat previously exchanged barbs with Kennedy Wednesday, when Murray accused Kennedy and the Trump administration of delaying critical cancer care for one of her constituents.
"Mr. Secretary, one of my constituents … she's a mom of two from Bainbridge Island in Washington state," Murray said in her opening line of questioning Wednesday. "She has been fighting aggressive stage four colorectal cancer for nearly five years now. Her best hope now is a clinical trial she's participating in at the [National Institutes of Health's] Clinical Center."
"But because of the thoughtless mass firing of thousands of critical employees across NIH and HHS that you carried out, Natalie's doctors at that clinical center have told her they have no choice but to delay her treatment by an additional four weeks."
"I can't tell you that now, Sen. Murray," Kennedy responded. "What I can tell you is that if you contact my office tomorrow, I'll look specifically into that."
However, that answer from Kennedy was "not acceptable" to the senator.
"That is not acceptable," Murray shot back, eventually demanding Kennedy provide her an update on Natalie's case within 24 hours. "I want an answer."
Kennedy added during Tuesday's hearing that Murray's constituent had qualified for the clinical trial "this week," adding that "we shouldn't be talking about patients' private information," with Murray agreeing.
Fox News Digital's Alec Schemmel contributed to this article.
Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka is no longer facing a federal trespassing charge over an incident earlier this month at Delaney Hall, a privately operated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in his city.
"After extensive consideration, we have agreed to dismiss Mayor Baraka’s misdemeanor charge of trespass for the sake of moving forward," acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba said in a statement on Monday evening.
"In the spirit of public interest, I have invited the mayor to tour Delaney Hall. The government has nothing to hide at this facility, and I will personally accompany the mayor so he can see that firsthand," she continued.
However, Rep. LaMonica McIver is being charged for allegedly "assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement." Fox News has learned that McIver must turn herself in as soon as possible, though it is up to the magistrate on the specifics of when she must turn herself in and how.
"I am glad that the U.S. Attorney has agreed that this case should be dismissed," he said.
"I have had strong relationships with prior U.S. Attorneys, and I plan to speak with the current U.S. Attorney about issues on which we can cooperate. As to Delaney Hall, I will continue to advocate for the humane treatment of detainees, and I will continue to press the facility to ensure that it is compliant with City of Newark codes and regulations."
"I understand that the U.S. Attorney has chosen to charge Congresswoman LaMonica McIver with assaulting law enforcement," Baraka continued. "Congresswoman McIver is a daughter of Newark, past Newark Council President, a former student of mine, and a dear friend. I want to be clear: I stand with LaMonica, and I fully expect her to be vindicated."
Baraka and three congressional lawmakers – McIver, Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman – were outside the ICE facility earlier this month with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. All four officials then allegedly rushed through the gates past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
"If it was a typical U.S. citizen, and they tried to storm into a detention facility that's housing dangerous criminals or any person at all, they would be arrested," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told "Fox News Live" host Kevin Corke earlier this month. "Just because you are a member of Congress or just because you're a public official, does not mean you are above the law."
Baraka’s arrest triggered a local political firestorm, as he is also in the Democratic primary for governor. He appeared in court last Thursday for a status conference, where the case was expected to proceed to trial at the time for the class C misdemeanor charge. The court appearance led supporters of Baraka to rally outside the Newark federal courtroom, and Habba personally showed up to the conference.
Fox News' Greg Wehner and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.
Nebraska is the first state to receive a federal waiver to ban the purchase of soda and energy drinks under the benefit program for low-income Americans long known as food stamps.
The move, announced Monday by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, would affect about 152,000 people in Nebraska enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps families pay for groceries.
"There's absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks," Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement. "SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there's nothing nutritious about the junk we're removing with today's waiver."
Six other states — Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Indiana, Iowa and West Virginia — have also submitted requests for waivers banning certain foods and drinks or, in some cases, expanding access to hot foods for participants, according to the USDA.
The push to ban sugary drinks, candy and more from the SNAP program has been a key focus of Rollins and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Details of Nebraska's waiver, which takes effect Jan. 1, weren't immediately available. Anti-hunger advocates criticized it, saying it adds costs, boosts administrative burdens and increases stigma for people already facing food insecurity.
The waiver "ignores decades of evidence showing that incentive-based approaches — not punitive restrictions — are the most effective, dignified path to improving nutrition and reducing hunger," said Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the Food Research & Action Center, a nonprofit advocacy group.
SNAP is a roughly $100 billion program that serves about 42 million Americans and is run by the U.S. Agriculture Department and administered through states.
The program is authorized by the federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which says SNAP benefits can be used "for any food or food product intended for human consumption," except alcohol, tobacco and hot foods, including those prepared for immediate consumption.
Over the past 20 years, lawmakers in several states have proposed stopping SNAP from paying for everything from bottled water and soda to chips, ice cream and "luxury meats" like steak.
Until now, USDA rejected the waivers, saying there were no clear standards to define certain foods as good or bad. In addition, the agency had said restrictions would be difficult to implement, complicated and costly, and would not necessarily change recipients' food purchases or reduce health problems such as obesity.
