FIRST ON FOX: Kentucky’s attorney general filed a lawsuit Thursday against e-commerce giant Temu, alleging that its app illegally gives the Chinese government access to Americans’ user data and that the company lifts intellectual property from U.S.-owned companies.

In a complaint filed in Woodford County Circuit Court, state attorneys asked for an injunction against Temu, an Amazon rival with a China-originating parent company, for what they described as "multifold" harms.

Kentucky investigators identified "code-level behaviors" in the Temu app that involved the collection of users' sensitive personal data in a manner that was not secure, in violation of state consumer protection laws, the attorneys said.

PRESSURE FROM SHEIN, TEMU ACCELERATE RETAIL CLOSURES

"These privacy and security harms are compounded both because the Temu app is purposely designed to evade detection … and because Defendants — by their own [acknowledgment] — have a portion of their operations located on mainland China, where cybersecurity laws allow the government unfettered access to data owned by Chinese businesses whenever it wishes," the attorneys wrote.

The complaint alleged that Temu improperly collects users' Wi-Fi and GPS information, as well as camera data without appropriate permission.

The attorneys also alleged that Temu brazenly sells products using stolen intellectual property of large and small brands, including that of Kentucky’s historic horse racetrack in Louisville.

"As of the date of this filing, Temu features dozens of what appear to be unlicensed products claiming to be from Kentucky brands like the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Buffalo Trace Distillery and Churchill Downs," the complaint reads.

TEMU, SHEIN TO RAISE PRICES FOR US CONSUMERS STARTING NEXT WEEK AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CLOSES TARIFF LOOPHOLE

Temu’s parent company is PDD Holdings, which originated in China but moved to Ireland. Before launching Temu in the United States in 2022, PDD Holdings founded Temu’s sister company, Pinduoduo, a Chinese online retailer.

Temu has become known for its heavily discounted products and aggressive advertising strategy, which included three multimillion-dollar animated Super Bowl ads last year. Temu was Apple's most downloaded free app in 2023, according to TechCrunch.

Temu's tagline is "Shop like a billionaire," though its pricing structure has in recent months been disrupted by Trump's trade war with China.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the company's "cheap products and flashy marketing" distract from more insidious problems.

"Their platform can infect Kentuckians’ devices with malware, steal their personal data and send it directly to the Chinese government," Coleman, an elected Republican and former U.S. attorney, said in a statement. "At the same time, they’re eroding trust in some of Kentucky’s most iconic brands, which could lead to job losses and hardship."

The lawsuit is the latest instance of Temu coming under scrutiny, mainly by Republicans, for its ties to China, a top U.S. adversary. Last year, 20 GOP state attorneys general demanded information from Temu's ownership about allegations brought by Congress that its China-based suppliers used forced labor. Temu denied the claim at the time.

Fox News Digital reached out to Temu for comment.

Young people are more likely to vote for left-wing parties - but how could this translate to a real election?

Zohran Mamdani's past comments are once again coming back to haunt his New York City mayoral campaign, as a resurfaced video reveals the socialist candidate floated the "abolition of private property."

"My platform is that every single person should have housing, and I think faced with these two options, the system has hundreds of thousands of people unhoused, right? For what?" Mamdani questioned in a resurfaced video that has been clipped and reposted across conservative social media.  

"If there was any system that could guarantee each person housing, whether you call it the abolition of private property or you call it, you know, just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now," Mamdani said. 

"People try and play like gotcha games about these kinds of things, and it's like, look, I care more about whether somebody has a home," he said. 

UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS EXPOSE RADICAL ANTI-ISRAEL VIEWS OF MAMDANI'S DAD: 'COLONIAL OCCUPATION'

The clip drew widespread condemnation from conservatives, including GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who told Fox News Digital, "He claims to be a socialist, whether it's wanting to abolish private property or wanting to seize the means of production, these are communist ideas right out of the playbook of Karl Marx."

"The fact that too many members of the media, too many members of the Democrat Party, are willing to go along instead of calling him out on it is disturbing, and I think that if the majority of New Yorkers knew what this guy truly stands for and how destructive and dangerous his policies are, there's no way that they vote from, because so many in our city. Led places where socialism and communism destroyed their lives," Malliotakis, whose mother fled communism to the United States from Cuba, said.

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, who represents New York's 17th Congressional District, also took issue with the post. 

MAMDANI'S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 'FIVE-ALARM WARNING'

"Zohran Mamdani’s call to abolish private property is dangerous and un-American," Lawler said. 

"It’s the kind of radical socialist nonsense that would destroy livelihoods in the Hudson Valley and across New York. This will bring economic chaos, and New Yorkers deserve better than out-of-touch extremists pushing communist agendas that threaten our way of life."

"Mamdani’s call to abolish private property isn’t just radical, it’s dangerous," Rep. Claudia Tenney told Fox News Digital. "Stripping this fundamental right would devastate families, close small businesses, and destroy entire communities, all while handing more power to the government. Private property is a cornerstone Constitutional principle. It represents the essence of personal freedom, economic opportunity, and the American Dream. We must defend it."

"Mamdani isn’t offering a housing plan — he’s pushing a communist manifesto. The idea of abolishing private property is fundamentally anti-American and wildly out of touch with the real issues New Yorkers face," Rep. Nick Langworthy told Fox News Digital. "Families are fleeing the City and our State because of high costs, crime, and broken leadership — not because there’s too much freedom. New York City has to decide: do they want a mayor who believes in safety and prosperity, or a communist who wants to seize your home?"

The comments sparked a social media firestorm as well. 

"Yea, this guy is definitely not a communist," Donald Trump Jr., who recently spoke to Fox News Digital about the prospect of Mamdani being mayor, sarcastically posted on X. 

"He is a communist," GOP Sen. Ted Cruz responded to the viral clip on X.

"Like I said he’s a communist," Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen posted on X.

"Yes, you heard that right," New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik posted on X.  "Like the true Communist he is, Commie Mamdani supports the "abolition of private property." This is the NY Democrat Party @KathyHochul you lead and you have failed to condemn this dangerous insanity."

"Meet the new leader of the Democrat party, everyone," GOP Sen. Roger Marshall posted on X. "He's a literal communist."

Since his surprise victory in the Democratic primary rocketed him to nationwide recognition, Mamdani has faced heated criticism and been labeled a "communist" for a variety of positions he has espoused, including on social media where resurfaced clips have come back to haunt him.

MP Diane Abbott is suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation, the BBC understands.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas — who is up for re-election next year and facing a primary challenge from Lone Star State Attorney General Ken Paxton — told NBC News that he has spoken to President Donald Trump about a potential endorsement.

"I’ve talked to him about it a number of times. He is not ready to make that endorsement," Cornyn told the outlet. "I think as we start advertising and closing the gap in the polls, hopefully he’ll see fit to make that endorsement, but we can’t wait." 

"I pointed out to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, the race would be over," the senator noted, according to the outlet.

FIRST ON FOX: RED STATE INVESTIGATING M&MS AND SKITTLES MANUFACTURER FOR ‘DECEPTIVE’ PRACTICES

Cornyn has spent more than two decades in the Senate — prior to taking office in late 2002, he served as Texas attorney general, the post that Paxton currently occupies.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak said that "President Trump’s endorsement is the most powerful endorsement in the modern history of the Republican Party." 

JOHN CORNYN SCORES TIM SCOTT ENDORSEMENT, BUT JOHN RICH CALLS CORNYN ‘THE LINDSEY GRAHAM OF TEXAS’ 

"Senator Cornyn and President Trump are good friends and close allies and Senator Cornyn is proud to have voted with President Trump 99.2% of the time while he has been in office. We respect that the President will take his time to make a decision and in the meantime we are focused on running a first rate, winning campaign, as Senator Cornyn always has."

Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House and to Paxton's campaign for comment.

‘SACRED COVENANT’ – HOW THE PAXTON DIVORCE ROCKS THE BRUISING REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS

Paxton's wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, a Republican, declared in social media posts last week that "after 38 years of marriage" she "filed for divorce on biblical grounds."

FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan House duo is teaming up for a resolution to urge elected leaders in the U.S. to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada."

The legislation, being led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., would condemn the phrase "as a call to violence against Israeli and Jewish people across the world."

"Globalize the intifada," as a call, has been a subject of national controversy since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack by Hamas in southern Israel, though it sparked new tension in recent weeks with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's refusal to publicly condemn it. He reportedly recently distanced himself from the slogan during a private meeting, however.

While the bipartisan legislation does not expressly mention Mamdani, the four-page bill is notably being released a day after his trip to meet with national Democrats in Washington, D.C.

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

"Condemning it should be common sense, but some would rather play politics than tell the truth. The violence and hatred directed at Jewish and Israeli people is reprehensible," Yakym told Fox News Digital. "No one, especially in America, should have to live in fear for their safety, or even their life, because of their religion or ethnicity."

Gottheimer, who is Jewish, said, "'The Intifada’ refers to a horrific wave of terror attacks that killed thousands of Jews. Globalizing it is a direct call for violence against Jews, and it must be condemned."

"I’m against hate speech targeting anyone — and everyone should be. It’s insane and unacceptable to me that this antisemitic rhetoric is spreading rampant across our country," he said.

A moderate Democrat who helps lead the Problem Solvers Caucus, Gottheimer was one of the Democrats present at Mamdani's breakfast event with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Wednesday.

MARCO RUBIO HOLDS FIRST MEETING WITH FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES HELD BY HAMAS

Their legislation cites several instances of violence against Jews in recent months, including the attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Colorado, the fatal shooting of a pair of Israeli embassy staffers in D.C., and arson at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were holding a Passover seder.

If passed in the House, the resolution would affirm that lawmakers believe "globalize the intifada" is a "call for violence against Israeli and Jewish people across the world" that "undermines the safety and security of Israeli and Jewish people in their communities."

It would also declare that "those truly committed to Middle East peace should refrain from affirming, chanting, or displaying the slogan" and "the slogan must be strongly and unequivocally condemned by national, State, and local leaders."

"Globalize the intifada" has become a well-worn refrain at pro-Palestine demonstrations across the U.S., in response to Israel's invasion of Gaza following the Hamas attack.

Others have warned, however, that it's part of an increasingly alarming trend of antisemitic rhetoric that's broken out in the U.S. since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist who won the Democratic primary in the New York City mayoral race, has been slammed by his critics for refusing to condemn calls to "globalize the intifada."

He is not being accused of using the phrase himself, however.

The New York Times reported that Mamdani said in a Tuesday meeting with business leaders that he would "discourage" the use of the phrase.

Like many on the progressive left, he's a fierce critic of Israel's military operation in Gaza.

Fox News Digital's Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

The federal immigration operations in Los Angeles have created a sense of "political irony" in the Golden State, according to Los Angeles County Republican Party Chair Roxanne Hoge.

The region continues to make waves after anti-ICE riots in June, as well as authorities recently conducting a massive operation on a cannabis farm in Southern California that resulted in a riot, hundreds of illegal immigrant arrests and a child labor investigation into the company. The operation was the result of a criminal search warrant, and the company, Glass House Brands, has denied intentional wrongdoing.

"The political irony of the Trump administration coming in to clean up the mess that the California Democrats has made, is it will make Los Angeles livable, right?" Hoge said.

CALIFORNIA CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR BLASTS NEWSOM WHILE WALKING THROUGH LA RIOT AFTERMATH

"They're gonna end up looking better because the traffic will be easier, ERs will be easy to get to, and people will realize that there isn't a two-tiered justice system," Hoge continued. "If you want to open a restaurant in Los Angeles, you're looking at years before you can get the permits and build something. Just look at the poor people in the Palisades. If you're illegal, Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom have rolled out the welcome mat for you and your cart on the street. And people are noticing that."

In a deep blue area, Republicans generally have an uphill battle, and Hoge said that the message for the party to Independents and "disaffected Democrats" is to "continue to espouse public safety." In November, Los Angeles County voters ousted progressive District Attorney George Gascon and swapped him out with Nathan Hochman, an independent, by a wide margin.

"That really is the number one role of government, and it is the thing that the Democrats have completely failed at," Hoge said. "They own Los Angeles, all of it. The encampments, the inability to run a business, the inability of your kids to get a good education. That all lies on the feet of California Democrats, and we're just going to keep pointing out that we can do better."

The fires in Los Angeles brought heightened scrutiny to California leadership earlier this year, but the attention on them quickly shifted to immigration nationally. Mayor Bass and Gov. Newsom have been vocal opponents of the administration, with the mayor even directly meeting with ICE during a sweep earlier this month near MacArthur Park.

ANTI-ICE RIOTS REVEAL THE LEFT HAS LEARNED NOTHING. IT'S JUST HANDED TRUMP A GIFT

"They need to leave, and they need to leave right now. They need to leave because this is unacceptable!" Bass said at the time, and later said at a press conference that ICE needs to "go home."

"I don’t know if there’s a deal to be made. Like I told you, the deal that needs to be made is for them to go home," the Democrat said at the press conference.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Newsom has also remained firm in his stance against the administration, including a lawsuit against National Guard troop deployment by President Donald Trump over the riots in June.

"For more than a month, [Trump] has been exploiting [the California National Guard] as his political pawns," Newsom posted to X on July 15, as some of the troops were taken off their orders. "Thousands of members are still federalized in Los Angeles for no reason and unable to carry out their critical duties across the state. End this theater and send everyone home."

Hoge said voters should consider the broader issues that stem from the border crisis and illegal immigration, created in her view.

ICE RAMPS UP ARRESTS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS AS RIOTS RAGE IN BLUE CITY: 'YOU WILL NOT STOP US'

"My message is the same to everyone, including disaffected Democrats, of which I was a classic liberal. I'm an immigrant. I came here legally and became a naturalized citizen," Hoge said, adding that Democrats are "taking advantage" of people coming to the country illegally and opening the door to "exploitation by employers," sex crimes, and "all sorts of horrible things."

"I would say just remember that the fruit of the poison tree is the original sanctuary laws," Hoge said.

However, the Republican noted that the political implications are "tough to tell," adding that the left "has the advantage of just playing the same emotional notes over and over."

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"Sometimes people are swayed by that," she added.

Los Angeles is considered a sanctuary city as of November 2024, which acts as a roadblock for the city to be "utilized" or "to cooperate" with the federal government on "immigration enforcement," according to a news release. The policy is currently facing a federal lawsuit.

As for the state of California, the governor's office recently said to Fox News Digital on background that state law "does not impede criminal investigations or sharing of information about an individual’s criminal history. California does not interfere with the federal government’s authority to enforce federal immigration laws with federal resources."

The governor's office noted on background that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has "coordinated" on over 11,000 cases with ICE, including serious crimes. 

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is expected to sit down with House Oversight Committee investigators behind closed doors in September, Fox News Digital has learned.

A House Oversight Committee aide told Fox News Digital that she's one of four high-profile former Biden officials who have scheduled interviews with the panel.

Also expected to appear in the coming weeks are Ian Sams, former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor in the White House Counsel’s Office; Andrew Bates, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Deputy Press Secretary; and Jeff Zients, former White House Chief of Staff, the aide said. 

Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating allegations that Biden's former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president's full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back against those claims.

In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Biden affirmed he "made every decision" on his own.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to advance President Donald Trump's former defense attorney Emil Bove to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, clearing his nomination out of the committee to the full Senate for a vote.

The narrow vote came after roughly an hour of sharp debate from Democrats on the panel, who stormed out of the committee room shortly before the vote was held. Sens. Cory Booker, D-NJ, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-NY, had unsuccessfully urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa to allow for more time to consider Bove's nomination, citing concerns made by a former Justice Department attorney and whistleblower, Erez Reuveni. 

The lack of candor prompted Whitehouse to declare, "there's something rotten in Denmark," invoking Shakespeare and Booker, moments later, to unsuccessfully appeal to Grassley's "decency and decorum."

"Debating the nomination, putting things on the record — Dear God, that's what we are here for," Booker erupted. "What are you afraid of?" 

TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY

In the end, their appeal was unsuccessful, and Booker joined Democrats on the panel in walking out of the room before the vote was held.

The narrow confirmation vote from Republicans on the panel advances Bove's nomination to the full Senate for a vote. It comes as Bove, a hard-charging former federal prosecutor whom Trump installed earlier this year as a senior official at the Justice Department, faces fresh scrutiny over his role in the administration. In recent weeks, a group of former federal judges and several Democrats on the committee have urged senators to reject his nomination.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would serve a lifetime appointment on the federal bench, which has jurisdiction in the districts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Grassley rejected a request Tuesday afternoon from Democrats on the panel to hold a second round of hearings on Bove's nomination, noting that, under the Democrat majority, the panel rejected at least four such requests made by Republicans.

"Many times during the last Administration, then-chairman Durbin said ‘there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans on this committee and another set of rules for Democrats,’" Grassley said. "I agree with this statement and intend to adhere to the precedent of then-Chairman Durbin."

Grassley added that Bove had participated in a lengthy confirmation hearing last month, testifying under oath about whistleblower allegations made by a former Justice Department attorney.

Bove said under oath at the time, "I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order." Grassley also noted that Bove provided members of the panel with 165 pages of written responses to their questions.

"Following a comprehensive review of the additional documents that you published following the hearing and discussed in the media, I do not believe that they substantiate any misconduct by Mr. Bove," Grassley said, outlining plans to move forward with the vote as planned.

HAWLEY URGES DHS SECRETARY NOEM TO DECLASSIFY ALL TRUMP BUTLER RALLY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT DOCUMENTS

"I am not anybody’s henchman," Bove told the committee at his confirmation hearing last month. "I’m not an enforcer. I’m a lawyer from a small town, who never expected to be in an arena like this."

Bove, who spent nearly 10 years as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, previously represented Trump as his personal attorney in two criminal cases following his first term as president. As a prosecutor and at the Justice Department, he has earned a reputation for his fierce — and at times, aggressive — leadership style.

One longtime defense lawyer who crossed paths with Bove in New York told Fox News Digital the nominee was an arrogant "bully" and browbeat people.

At the Justice Department, Bove has also emerged as the man behind some of the administration's most contentious actions, including the decision to drop federal corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, prompting some officials to resign rather than carry out his marching orders.

TRUMP FACES JUDGE BOASBERG OVER MIGRANT DEPORTATION FLIGHTS DEFYING COURT ORDER

These allegations were detailed in part by an explosive whistleblower report last month from former Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni, who also detailed Bove's role in ousting some federal prosecutors involved in the investigations into the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot, and his alleged role in ordering department officials to ignore court orders with regard to the Alien Enemies Act

According to Reuveni, Bove "explicitly plotted to violate court orders" and directed law enforcement officers "to engage in illegal acts," among other things.

Reuveni, a 15-year DOJ veteran who was fired after struggling to defend the Trump administration's deportations in a U.S. court case in Maryland, said in the whistleblower complaint that Bove shocked longtime career officials handling immigration cases by telling them they would "need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you’ and ignore any such court order."

The report prompted new concerns from former judges, including a group of more than 75 former federal and state judges, who urged lawmakers Tuesday to reject Bove's nomination — citing what they described in a letter as his "egregious record" at the Justice Department, according to the allegations from Reuveni.

"These are not actions of someone committed to equal justice under the law," the group said in a letter. "Rather, they reflect a troubling pattern of abusing prosecutorial discretion to shield political allies."

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has worked closely with Bove for years, told Fox News Digital in an interview ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last month that Bove is a "freaking brilliant lawyer," and described  his nomination to the appellate court as a "no-brainer."

Blanche described his colleague as the "most gentle, empathetic, great person that anybody could ever work with." 

Longtime President Donald Trump political foe Democrat California Sen. Adam Schiff was referred to the Department of Justice to face criminal prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud that reportedly stretches back years. 

Schiff, who was elected to the Senate in the 2024 election cycle following decades as a House lawmaker, is under scrutiny after the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to the Department of Justice in May sounding the alarm that in "multiple instances," Schiff allegedly "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property."

FHFA is an independent federal agency that oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. 

This week, Trump publicly lambasted Schiff over the alleged mortgage fraud, while Fannie Mae's financial crimes investigations concluded Monday in a letter to the FHFA that Schiff allegedly engaged in "a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation" on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News Digital previously reported this week. 

WATCH: ADAM SCHIFF SILENT AFTER TRUMP ACCUSED HIM OF MORTGAGE FRAUD

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist," Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday. "And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud." 

"Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020."

Potomac, Maryland, is a suburb of Washington, D.C., located just more than 10 miles away from the nation's capital across the Maryland border. 

FEDERAL HOUSING OFFICIAL SUBMITTED SCHIFF CRIMINAL REFERRAL TO DOJ OVER MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS

Trump and Schiff have long been political foes, which was underscored during Trump's first administration when Schiff served as the lead House manager during the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020 and when Schiff repeatedly promoted claims that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia

Fox News Digital took a look back at the timeline of Schiff's Maryland home, and when the public was first made aware in 2023 of allegations that Schiff claimed a more than 3,000-square-foot home in the suburbs of Washington as his primary residence, while taking a homeowner’s tax exemption on a small condo in his home state of California. 

TRUMP ACCUSES 'SCAM ARTIST' SCHIFF OF LYING ABOUT MARYLAND HOME TO COMMIT MORTGAGE FRAUD

LETITIA JAMES REAPS WHAT SHE SOWS AFTER LEVELING 'LAUGHABLE' CASE AT TRUMP: EXPERT

The investigation into Schiff's mortgages and homes follows a similar mortgage investigation earlier in 2025 focused on New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is also a longtime political Trump foe. The FHFA sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice in April arguing the attorney general appeared to have falsified mortgage records to obtain more favorable loans.

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At the heart of that case is a Norfolk, Virginia, home James purchased in 2023, which she identified on mortgage documents and a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac form as a property that would serve as her primary residence, according to the FHFA letter from April. James is legally required to live in New York as a statewide elected official in the Empire State. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff's office for additional comment on the matter, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. 

The minimum voting age will fall to 16 across the UK as part of a package of election reforms.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee stormed out of an executive committee meeting Thursday moments before the panel voted to advance President Donald Trump's judicial nominee, Emil Bove, to the full Senate floor for a vote.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa before the vote to allow them to consider the allegations against Bove made by a former Justice Department attorney, Erez Reuveni, in a whistleblower report.

Booker invoked Rule 4 of the committee rules in trying to push for additional debate time, which Grassley declined to acknowledge before ordering the vote — prompting the Democrat members of the panel to abruptly exit the hearing room.

Shortly before walking out, Booker took aim at Grassley. "What are you afraid of?" he erupted, after Grassley tried to speak over him and hold the vote. "Debating this [nomination], putting things on the record — Dear God," he said, "that's what we are here for."

"This lacks decency, this lacks decorum, it shows that you will not hear from your colleagues," Booker said to Grassley in another attempt. "You are a decent man," he said, imploring him to allow a small window of additional time for the panel to debate before pushing through with the committee vote. 

"Why are you doing this?" Booker pressed again. 

 "What are they saying to you," he said, referring to the Trump administration, "that is making you do something to violate the decorum, the decency and the respect of this committee to at least hear each other out?" 

President Donald Trump announced earlier this year the nomination of senior Justice Department official and his former defense attorney, Emil Bove, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, a controversial choice that comes as the president continues to attack so-called "activist" judges for blocking his agenda.

His path to confirmation in the full Senate chamber remains rocky, and comes amid mounting concerns over the allegations made in the whistleblower report.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

FIRST ON FOX: Army Secretary Dan Driscoll called a set of training slides that deemed pro-life groups as terrorist organizations a "grievous error" that he'll work to ensure doesn't happen again, in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. 

"This characterization was not only inaccurate but also deeply inappropriate," Driscoll wrote to a group of attorneys for the American Center for Law and Justice, who represented the pro-life groups affected. 

Thousands of soldiers at Fort Bragg were trained in counter-terrorism and security practices with slides that listed groups such as National Right to Life and Operation Rescue alongside recognized extremist organizations, and even pointed to pro‑life license plates as potential warning signs. The practice went on for seven years, until 2024. 

"Equally concerning was the previous administration’s inadequate response to this serious incident. Its failure to provide full transparency or take responsibility for such a grievous error is wholly unacceptable." 

HEGSETH ABRUPTLY PULLS PENTAGON OFFICIALS FROM 'GLOBALIST' ASPEN CONFERENCE

Driscoll said the Army has since reviewed all security training materials, including anti-terrorism training, and removed the slides that referenced pro-life groups, along with a slew of pro-animal and green groups like PETA, as "terrorist organizations." 

"Please be assured that I am firmly committed to rigorous oversight of all Army training materials to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future." 

‘EYES IN THE SKY’: ARMY DRONE EXPERT EXPLAINS US STRATEGY ON INNOVATION AS GLOBAL CONFLICT LOOMS

Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and Reserve affairs, said that the training deck, which was used to teach 9,100 Army soldiers, was "inconsistent with Army’s antiterrorism policy and training." 

The training module was used to instruct soldiers on what to look out for when guarding points of base access. 

She claimed there is "no evidence" to suggest the individual who created the slide deck did so to "deliberately subvert" Army policy or to "further a personal viewpoint." 

The slides caused a stir among congressional Republicans, who demanded answers from Army officials in a hearing last year and took issue with Schaefer’s assurances the slide did not represent a personal viewpoint. 

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"It’s downright ridiculous to claim the slide deck doesn’t ‘further a personal viewpoint,’ but there have been no consequences for the employee who ran anti-life training sessions at Fort Liberty that clearly violated Army policy," Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital in September. 

It’s not clear if anyone involved in the slide’s production and use has been fired or reprimanded. 

The Doge cost-cutting team is seeking data-sharing agreements with all of the councils Reform UK controls.

The National Urban League is sounding the alarm, asserting that there is a "state of emergency" in the country.

The organization's "State of Black America" report for 2025 titled "State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack," takes aim at the Trump administration.

"Almost daily, since January 20, 2025, the federal government, at the direction of the White House, has set fire to policies and entire departments dedicated to protecting civil and human rights, providing access to an equal education, fair housing, safe and effective healthcare, and ensuring that our democratic process is adhered to across the nation," the report claims.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP ADMIN STRENGTHENS RELIGIOUS ACCOMODATIONS IN FEDERAL WORKFORCE

White House spokesman Harrison Fields pushed back in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"These so-called civil rights groups aren't advancing anything but hate and division, while the President is focused on uniting our country, improving our economy, securing our borders, and establishing peace across the globe," Fields said in the statement. "This is the same vision for America that a record number of Black Americans supported in the resounding reelection of President Trump. The Democrats have sold out Black voters to appease their base, which consists of illegals, the pronoun police, purple-haired lunatics, and radical anti-Semites."

National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial declared in the report, "The notion that we are living through a ‘state of emergency’ is not rhetorical flourish. It is an honest reckoning with a government increasingly determined to sacrifice its founding principles—equality, liberty, and justice—rather than accept the truth of a diversifying nation and deliver equitable opportunity to all."

DOJ INVESTIGATING MINNESOTA HIRING PRACTICES IN LATEST CLASH WITH WALZ

The report claims that the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department has been twisted "into a tool for political retribution."

"Under its new leadership, the Civil Rights Division has been hollowed out and repurposed— transforming from a guardian of justice into a tool for political retribution," the report asserts. "The radicalization of the DOJ is more than bureaucratic rot—it is an existential threat to civil rights enforcement, allowing discrimination to flourish unchecked under the false guise of ‘reverse racism.’"

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REFINES EEOC APPROACH TO TRANSGENDER WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS

The report, which includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. and several other U.S. lawmakers among the list of contributors, speaks favorably about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

"In short, DEI policies don’t just level the playing field in education and employment; they fortify democracy itself. By expanding opportunities, ensuring equitable access to information, and creating leadership pipelines, DEI helps guarantee that every American—not just the privileged few— can contribute to the nation’s future," the report declares.

NEW YORK, NY - Donald Trump, Jr., born and raised in New York City and heavily involved in the real estate market there, spoke to Fox News Digital about the prospects of the nation’s largest and most recognizable city possibly electing socialist Zohran Mamdani as its next mayor. 

"If what possibly could happen in November happens, I mean, it's scary and, you know, perhaps that's what New York needs," the president’s son told Fox News Digital in New York City on Wednesday.

"Maybe it has to fail to be able to come back, to be able to, you know, put the nail in the coffin of these ideas that have failed so many times around the world."

Trump Jr., who was at the New York Stock Exchange ringing the bell for the IPO of his latest business venture "GrabAGun," told Fox News Digital that he expects a mass exodus from New York City to Florida if Mamdani is elected mayor. 

MAMDANI'S FATHER SITS ON COUNCIL OF ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP TIED TO TERROR, LEGITIMIZES ROLE OF SUICIDE BOMBERS

"In New York, I think the stat I remembered, it was from like 10 years ago, but it was something like 18,000 people pay 80% of New York City’s city tax," Trump Jr. said. "Well, those people are all very mobile. They can go wherever they want. This new mayor could possibly be the greatest marketing campaign for Florida ever to exist."

Trump continued, "But what happens to New York then? And as a lifelong New Yorker, as someone who grew up here, someone who changed the skyline here with my father for many years before he got into politics, that's a scary notion, but perhaps it's exactly what America needs. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, and I think if this communist mayor gets elected, rock bottom is what New York's going to see."

MAMDANI'S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 'FIVE-ALARM WARNING'

1789 Capital founder and President Omeed Malik, Trump Jr.’s partner who orchestrated the special purpose acquisition merger of Grab-A-Gun, told Fox News Digital he believes Mamdani is just a "young version" of NYC’s former progressive mayor Bill de Blasio.

"If you didn't see it on the writing on the wall with de Blasio I don't know what to tell you," Malik said. "I definitely don't want those people in Florida because if you haven't already moved out of here you've got the wrong politics."

Mamdani burst onto the national political scene last month after winning the Democratic Primary for New York City mayor despite being a self-avowed "Democratic socialist" and bringing a track record of calls to defund the police, anti-Israel statements, and socialist economic principles to the ballot box.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment. 

Like his son, President Trump referred to Mamdani as a "communist" this month, warning that New York City will "never be the same" if he's victorious in November.

"I'm not getting involved, but I can tell you this: I used to say we will not ever be a socialist country," Trump said. "Right. Well, I'll say it again. We're not going to have — if a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same."

Just 19% of voters questioned in a new national poll give Democrats in Congress a thumbs up on how they're handling their duties, with 72% disapproving.

That's an all-time low since Quinnipiac University first began asking congressional approval questions in their surveys 16 years ago.

The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since November's elections, when Republicans won back control of the White House and the Senate and defended their fragile House majority. And Republicans made gains among Black, Hispanic and younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party's base.

HEAD HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING

Since President Donald Trump's return to power earlier this year, an increasingly energized base of Democrats is urging party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president's sweeping and controversial second-term agenda. Their anger is directed not only at Republicans, but at Democrats they feel aren't vocal enough in their opposition to Trump.

And that's fueled a plunge in the Democratic Party's favorable ratings, which have hit historic lows in several surveys this year.

FOUR MONTHS INTO TRUMP'S SECOND TERM, DEMOCRATS REMAIN DEEPLY PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THEIR PARTY

The trend is reflected in the new Quinnipiac poll, which was conducted July 10-14.

Just 39% of Democrats approve of the way Democrats in Congress are handling their jobs, with 52% disapproving and 9% not offering an opinion.

"The approval numbers for Democrats can be characterized as flat out terrible," Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.

While the approval ratings for Republicans in Congress aren't as "terrible" as the Democrats, they're nothing to brag about.

Only a third of voters questioned in the poll said they approved of the way congressional Republicans were handling their duties, with 62% giving them a thumbs down.

But just over three-quarters of Republicans (77%) said they approved of the way GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill were handling their jobs, with just one in five disapproving.

Forty percent of respondents approved of how Trump is handling his job as president, with 54% disapproving.

Trump's approval ratings were in positive territory during the first weeks of his second tour of duty in the White House. But the president's poll numbers have been underwater in most, but not all, of the latest national surveys.

Presidential and congressional approval ratings have long been closely watched barometers ahead of a midterm election.

Republicans will be defending their slim House and Senate majorities in next year's midterms, and will also be facing traditional headwinds that hamper the party in power.

FIRST ON FOX: Some House fiscal hawks are cautiously readying to accept the $9 billion spending cuts package passed by the Senate overnight.

The House of Representatives must pass the bill, called a rescissions package, by Friday.

Rescissions packages are spending cuts requested by the White House of funds that Congress already appropriated for that fiscal year. 

It's a process that lets Republicans sideline Democrats by lowering the Senate's threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, but the request must be considered within 45 days. If that window passes, the funds must be re-obligated.

148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS

As of Thursday morning, at least three conservatives – Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C. – signaled to Fox News Digital that they are leaning toward supporting it.

It's good news for House GOP leaders who are dealing with a razor-thin, three-vote margin. 

A group of House conservatives wrote to the Senate earlier this week warning them not to change any part of the original $9.4 billion spending cuts package – though they stopped short of threatening to vote against it.

The Senate version of the bill rolled back a spending cut for an HIV/AIDS research program in Africa after concerns were raised by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, and others.

It wound up passing 51-48 after 2 a.m. on Thursday, with Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting against the bill.

It's highly unlikely the minimal change will stir a significant rebellion, particularly after the White House green-lit the change. But leaders can afford few missteps.

Like the House, the Senate GOP's majority is just three votes – and with all Democrats in both chambers prepared to vote against the legislation, Republicans are counting every vote.

Roy told Fox News Digital he would support the bill on the House floor "if I understand what [the] Senate passed correctly."

Burchett said, "I think so," when asked if he would vote for the bill, and Norman responded, "yes," when asked as well.

TAX CUTS, WORK REQUIREMENTS AND ASYLUM FEES: HERE'S WHAT'S INSIDE TRUMP'S BILL

Of the three, just Norman signed conservatives' letter warning, "In order to facilitate President Trump’s voter mandate, the Senate must pass the entire $9.4 billion of spending cuts in the rescission bill. Weakening any of these provisions would undermine both his leadership and the discipline our budget urgently demands."

The bill would cut roughly $8 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which deals federal grants to NPR and PBS.

It's expected to come before the House Rules Committee sometime Thursday, the final gatekeeper before a chamber-wide vote.

If the House passes it on Thursday or Friday, it heads to President Donald Trump's desk for a signature.

Fox News Digital's Alex Miller contributed to this report.

Lawmakers long opposed to providing aid to Ukraine are now on board, if cautiously. President Donald Trump’s plan to assist the war effort comes with a twist because Washington won’t pay for the weapons sent to Kyiv. 

Months after calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and questioning whether he even wanted to end the war with Russia, Trump has seemingly pivoted his frustrations to President Vladimir Putin. 

Now, the U.S. will provide weapons to Ukraine using European money. 

Even Vice President JD Vance is supportive of the move. 

NATO CHIEF PRAISES TRUMP'S WEAPONS SALES TO ALLIES AS 'SIGNIFICANT' MOVE THAT COULD FORCE PUTIN TO NEGOTIATE

"Vice President Vance completely supports President Trump’s plan to save American taxpayers from indefinitely funding the conflict in Ukraine and remains committed to the president’s goal of ending the bloodshed in Eastern Europe," a Vance spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

"While Joe Biden stupidly sent billions of American tax dollars to Ukraine, President Trump put America first and smartly struck a deal that puts the onus on our allies in Europe to pay for the aid to Ukraine."

Under the Biden administration, Vance struck a different tone. 

TRUMP SAYS US WILL SEND PATRIOT MISSILES TO UKRAINE, ADDS THAT PUTIN 'TALKS NICE AND THEN HE BOMBS EVERYBODY'

"This is not just a matter of dollars. Fundamentally, we lack the capacity to manufacture the amount of weapons Ukraine needs us to supply to win the war," he wrote in a New York Times op-ed last year. "The Biden administration has no viable plan for the Ukrainians to win this war."

Less than two years ago, House Republicans ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy over a "secret side deal" to fund Ukraine. Months later, Speaker Mike Johnson risked the same fate over a Ukraine package that most of his members voted down. 

But last week, Trump abruptly undid a Pentagon review that paused weapons shipments to Ukraine.  Now, with Trump’s new Europe pays model, the weapons are flowing, and the resistance is fading.

After repeatedly criticizing Zelenskyy and casting doubt on Ukraine’s war goals, Trump now says Putin may not be serious about peace. 

"We get a lot of bulls--- thrown at us by Putin," Trump said during a recent Cabinet meeting. "He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

The about-face has given Republican holdouts cover to reframe their positions — even if they remain skeptical. 

"I think they’re going to have to justify it, why now?" said Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who voted against all Ukraine supplemental funding packages. 

"When Biden was doing it, he didn’t know what he was doing. It was just money going to all different directions," he added. "But there'll be a lot of debate on it, as it should be."

The successful strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites were a win for interventionism, some lawmakers say, and have seemingly quieted isolationist sentiment. 

"I trust the generals right now," Norman said when asked whether he believed more weapons would prolong or shorten the war. "They would do the right thing in Ukraine." 

SENATE MOVES TO REIN IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FLUCTUATING UKRAINE POLICY

Freshman Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, said he still saw Trump’s policy as a return to "realism and restraint." 

"Many people in this country have been burned by an overzealous foreign policy," Gill said. "Getting involved in conflicts abroad without any understanding of what a path to peace would look like, what victory really means. And President Trump is reining that in.

"He's doing things a little bit differently, is getting NATO on board, and that's a good thing."

In March, when the administration paused military aid, Gill had celebrated Trump "driving a knife right through the foreign policy UniParty." 

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., called the new U.S.-NATO plan for Ukraine aid "great." 

"I think more weapons will shorten [the war,]" he said. "We're looking at NATO purchasing weapons from us. That's a good thing right there." 

"Putin needs to understand that our patience is running short. And he needs to understand it's Vladimir Putin against the world," said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.

Last year, Van Orden railed against the Biden administration for failing to provide a plan to end the war. This time, the idea of Europe footing the bill seems to have sold him. 

"Europe has to step up and do the preponderance of their own defense," he told Fox News Digital. 

Van Orden blamed the invasion on European NATO allies failing to meet their 2% goal for defense spending. 

"If the members of NATO had gone to 2% of GDP ten years ago when they promised to, do you think Vladimir Putin would have invaded Ukraine?" Van Orden wondered.

At a White House meeting Monday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said a "very big deal" had been agreed to by Europeans to purchase.

"Billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO … And that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield," Trump said.

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Trump said the package would be comprehensive, including Patriot missile batteries that Ukraine needs for air defenses. 

"It’s everything. It’s Patriots. It’s all of them. It’s a full complement with the batteries," Trump said.

President Donald Trump signed a bill into law on Wednesday that classifies fentanyl-related drugs as more dangerous substances as part of the president’s broader crackdown on the country’s opioid epidemic.

The bill, called the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act, was a Republican-led effort but gained wide bipartisan support in the House and Senate.

It places fentanyl-related substances permanently into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which means crimes related to the illicit drugs will require prison sentences.

More than two dozen Republican state attorneys general previously urged Congress to pass the bill, calling it "vital" to addressing a "cataclysmic surge of overdose deaths" in the United States in a letter to congressional leaders.

SENATE PASSES HALT FENTANYL ACT TO PERMANENTLY RECLASSIFY ALL FENTANYL-RELATED SUBSTANCES

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson told Fox News Digital just before Trump signed the bill that even though laws already impose mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug traffickers who sell fentanyl, the bill addresses fentanyl analogues, which are synthetic opioids similar in structure to the original drug.

"When a Chinese chemist or a Mexican cartel chemist changes one molecule, changes one component of the fentanyl drug, they actually make it difficult for federal prosecutors to go after them," Wilson said, adding that the new law will end what has become a game of "cat and mouse" for prosecutors.

Schedule I drugs are those that have no government-approved medical use. Fentanyl analogues had been temporarily classified under that schedule, but the new bill permanently codifies it.

Opioids and synthetic opioids are the top two causes of drug overdose deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug overdoses declined in 2024 but still remain the leading cause of death for Americans 18–44 years old, according to the agency.

I BLAME BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS FOR MY TEEN'S FENTANYL DEATH AND THANK TRUMP FOR TRYING TO END THIS SCOURGE

Critics of the HALT Fentanyl Act, who include some Democrats and civil rights groups, warned that harmless substances that do not warrant mandatory prison time could get swept up in the "fentanyl analogue" category and that the bill does nothing to address the root causes of substance abuse.

"It's shocking that lawmakers still believe we can police our way out of a public health crisis — despite over fifty years of evidence to the contrary," Liz Komar, counsel at the Sentencing Project, said in a statement.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird supported the stricter sentencing practices, telling Fox News Digital she has witnessed firsthand as the top cop in her state how "those sentences protect victims" and "help get justice for victims, for our communities."

"I really think the only people that could be against [the HALT Fentanyl Act] would be the drug cartels, because they have so much to lose by us cracking down on fentanyl and the money that they make by poisoning thousands of Americans," Bird said.

Among those attending Trump’s bill signing in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday were several of the attorneys general, congressional leaders, immigration groups and families who have lost loved ones to addictions and overdoses.

FATHER WHOSE SON DIED FROM FENTANYL WARNS ‘OVERDOSES CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE’

Gregory Swan spoke about his son Drew, who died from a fentanyl overdose at 24 years old. He was prescribed painkillers after a sports injury, which spurred his addiction.

"It's the honor of my life to be here," Swan said while holding a framed picture of his son. "Drew was — the happiest day of my life was when he was born, and he always called me his hero until the day he died. And his passing ruined, I thought, my life. … There is despair and there's hopelessness. But, we've been able to find some repose in going out and advocating."

The new bill came as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to curb overdose deaths and stem the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

Just one day prior, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting Drug Enforcement Administrator Robert Murphy announced recent major drug bust operations and an update on their seizures of fentanyl, widely known for being highly potent in minuscule doses. Authorities warn that overdoses can occur because more innocuous drugs, such as Adderall, can be laced with it, unbeknownst to the consumer.

The DEA has this year seized over 44 million fentanyl pills and 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, Bondi said, adding that federal authorities have made 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests.

"I want to remind all Americans to exercise extreme caution: a pill can kill," the attorney general said.