Army takes control of federal land along New Mexico border to increase security, protect the environment
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum visited New Mexico on Tuesday to announce the U.S. Army will take control of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border, the latest attempt to curb illegal immigration and trafficking. The 109,651 acres of federal land will be transferred to the Army for three years, subject to valid existing rights, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of the Interior. The move comes after President Donald Trump last week signed a memorandum, “Military Mission for Sealing the Southern Border of the United States and Repelling Invasions,” directing the secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture and Homeland Security to take control of federal lands “reasonably necessary to enable military activities.” The switch in jurisdiction will allow the government to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources in the region, while helping the Army support U.S. Border Patrol operations in securing the border and preventing illegal immigration, according to the Department of the Interior. NAVY DEPLOYS ANOTHER HOUTHI-FIGHTING WARSHIP TO NEW US SOUTHERN BORDER MISSION “Securing our border and protecting our nation’s resources go hand in hand,” Burgum said in the statement. “The American people gave President Trump a mandate to make America safe and strong again.” Burgum said the change reflects Interior’s commitment to public safety, national security and responsible stewardship of public lands. TRUMP ORDERS MILITARY TO TAKE CONTROL OF FEDERAL LAND AT SOUTHERN BORDER The Army requested the transfer on “an emergency basis,” so they could increase regular patrols by federal personnel. Trump declared a national emergency earlier this year along the southern border. The Army will also be able to build infrastructure to prevent illegal immigrants, human traffickers and narcotics from crossing the border. The department noted the crisis along the border is not limited to national security and law enforcement concerns, but also “presents an environmental crisis.” Nearly two dozen federally endangered species live in the region, which was previously managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The region also contains cultural sites that range from small artifact scatters to large multiroom pueblos, which could be harmed by repeated foot traffic, unregulated vehicle use and the creation of informal trails or camps, according to the statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP High-traffic illegal crossings could lead to soil erosion, damage to fragile desert vegetation and critical wildlife habitat, loss and damage to cultural resources, increased fire risk and pollution from trash and human waste. The department acknowledged some of the land transferred to the Army is essential to the livelihoods of local communities and said the Bureau of Land Management will work with the Army to ensure “some” uses will continue to support local grazing and mining.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Leak source located?
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -CDC eyes narrower COVID-19 vaccine guidance ahead of 2025–2026 season -Top Republican warns families of ‘largest tax hike in history’ next year if Trump budget fails –Biden to address disability advocates in first major speech since leaving White House A top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave, according to a Defense Department official. Reuters first reported Caldwell had been placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure” of information amid an investigation into Pentagon leaks. An official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Reuters’ reporting is accurate but declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. Caldwell previously worked at restraint-minded think tank Defense Priorities and Concerned Veterans for America, a group formerly led by Hegseth. A foreign policy realist, he has argued that the U.S. should dramatically reduce its footprint in Europe and pull out forces in Iraq and Syria…Read more ‘NEED TO COMPLY’: SCOTUS should hold Trump admin in contempt over deported Salvadoran migrant DEPORTATION BATTLE: Trump admin defies court over Maryland deportation, ignites legal showdown ‘SUPPORTING SICKNESS’: Trump says Harvard should lose its tax exempt status, be treated as ‘political entity’ amid funding dispute CHECKMATE: Trump admin strikes deal for new state-of-the-art border checkpoint in California ROLLING BACK: Trump directs agencies to follow Supreme Court rulings, as he continues to rein in administrative state ‘HIGHER SECURITY’: Top Trump agency reveals key reason why REAL ID will be enforced DISMISSED: Judge greenlights DOJ’s motion to drop gun case against Salvadoran, accused MS-13 leader BEST BROS: El Salvador’s Bukele after friendly White House meeting with Trump: ‘I miss you already, President T’ ‘BAD MEDICINE’: Schumer calls on Leland Dudek, acting commissioner of SSA, to resign GREENE DAY: Marjorie Taylor Greene brings town hall to Harris-won Georgia county, shrugs off possible ‘outbursts’ CASH DASH: House Republican campaign arm touts ‘unstoppable momentum’ with record fundraising haul ‘BIG BOOST’: GOP senator reveals why Trump’s ‘complete and total endorsement’ will be crucial for his midterm race COMEBACK KID: First Mexico-born rep targets indictment-plagued Democrat in House GOP comeback bid ‘DEEP DIVISIONS’: AOC tells rally goers don’t let Republicans ‘trick’ them into identity politics, stoking racial divisions ‘KAMALA’S PLAYBOOK’: Social media erupts after AOC debuts another ‘strange’ accent at rally: ‘Kamala’s playbook’ WAR OF THE WORDS: Left-wing lawmaker calls Trump MAGA’s ‘buffoon of a leader’: ‘Thank me later’ DEPARTMENT DISMANTLED: Shapiro leads lawsuit against Trump admin for pulling COVID-era school funding BILLION-DOLLAR BAILOUT: Newsom signs $2.8B bailout for healthcare program overrun by illegal immigrants BY THE NUMBERS: ICE using Social Security records to aid Trump push to deport illegal immigrants VISA CRACKDOWN: ACLU of Indiana sues Trump admin, claims DHS violated rights of foreign students Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
‘Cancel vacations’: Judge gives Trump admin two weeks to prove they aren’t in contempt of court
A federal judge told Trump lawyers they must expeditiously comply with her requests in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador last month, as she weighs next steps in the politically charged case. U.S. Judge Paula Xinis told Trump administration lawyers Tuesday that they will have two weeks to comply with discovery requests in the case of Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident deported to El Salvador last month in what Trump officials have acknowledged was an “administrative error,” demanding the government spend time detailing with what, if any, steps it is taking to facilitate his release and return to the U.S. “Cancel vacations, cancel other appointments,” Xinis told lawyers at the Tuesday evening hearing. She also said she would issue an order in writing directing the government to show her how they have complied with her order to facilitate the release of Abrego-Garcia from El Salvador. After the two-week period, she will weigh the discovery submissions and determine whether or not the government acted in good faith — or whether there is evidence that could preempt potential contempt proceedings. JUDGE BOASBERG POISED TO HOLD TRUMP ADMIN IN CONTEMPT, TAKES DOWN NAMES OF DHS OFFICIALS: ‘PRETTY SKETCHY’ Xinis stressed at the outset of the hearing that, in her view, the Supreme Court had “already spoken” in ordering the U.S. to facilitate the release of Abrego Garcia and resume his immigration proceedings as if he were never removed. “We’re going to do it in a targeted way, but we’re not going to spend a lot of time doing it,” Xinis said of the discovery process, which she stressed will move fast. Lawyers for the Justice Department said in response that they objected to her view of the Supreme Court’s ruling, and the expedited discovery — an objection she dryly quipped in response she would note for the record. “Just so everyone knows what my current thinking is, Abrego Garcia already won his injunctive proceedings,” Xinis told Trump lawyers at the outset of the hearing. “We’re here today to talk about scope of the remedies.” “You made your jurisdictional arguments. You made your venue arguments,” Xinis told Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign. “You made your arguments on the merits. You lost.” Just minutes before the hearing, DHS acting General Counsel Joseph Mazzara said in a court filing that, should he be returned to the U.S., DHS would take him into custody and remove him to another third country, citing his alleged MS-13 membership. The hearing comes after government lawyers failed to comply with multiple directives updating the court on his location and custodial status, as well as efforts taken to facilitate his return — a lack of compliance Xinis previously described as “extremely troubling.” FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING Xinis planned to weigh these developments as the court considers next steps in the case, including whether to pursue civil contempt proceedings against the administration. Lawyers for Abrego Garcia argued Tuesday that there is no evidence to show the Trump administration has taken any steps to date to facilitate his return to the U.S. as soon as possible, as ordered by Xinis and upheld by the Supreme Court last week. “The Supreme Court order requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” his lawyers wrote. To date, they noted, the government’s updates “do not indicate that any steps have been taken to comply” with the federal and Supreme Court rulings. The administration’s apparent refusal to act — or even to clarify Abrego Garcia’s location — has pushed the case to a boiling point, raising the prospect that Xinis could move to hold the Trump administration in civil contempt. FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING The hearing is the latest in a flurry of legal battles centered on Trump’s ability to deport certain migrants from the U.S. to El Salvador. Most recently, two federal judges in Texas and New York agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration‘s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act law to immediately remove some migrants from U.S. soil, siding with plaintiffs’ contention that allowing removals under the law would likely cause immediate and irreparable harm. In Brownsville, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. cited a “substantial likelihood” that the individuals in question “could not be returned to the United States” if deported. In addition to filing incomplete status updates and refusing to answer questions about Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts or efforts to secure his return, Trump officials suggested at the White House on Monday that the U.S. lacks the authority to bring him back. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT Asked Monday about progress in returning Abrego Garcia to U.S. soil, Trump officials said his return was “up to El Salvador” and that the U.S. would “provide a plane” — appearing to ignore a court order to facilitate his return. “That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters. “That’s not up to us.” This contention was backed by other Cabinet officials, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and by Salvadorian President Bukele himself. “How can I return him to the United States? Like if I smuggle him into the United States?” Bukele told reporters Monday during a sit-down with President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials. “Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous,” he said. As of this writing, the Trump administration has not returned any of the individuals who have been sent to El Salvador’s sprawling, high-security prison, including any Venezuelan nationals who may have been mistakenly identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, as well as Abrego Garcia.
Arkansas moves to ban ‘junk food’ from SNAP program: ‘Definition of crazy’
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a plan to restrict the types of food that can be purchased with food stamps, becoming one of the first governors to seek federal permission to ban items like soda and candy from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). At a news conference at the Arkansas Capitol Tuesday, Sanders said her administration had submitted a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that would prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for soft drinks, artificially sweetened candy and snacks made with flour, while expanding eligible items to include hot rotisserie chicken, which is currently excluded. “Right now you can use food stamps to buy a soft drink or a candy bar from a gas station, but you can’t use them to buy an Arkansas-raised hot rotisserie chicken from a grocery store,” Sanders said. “That’s the definition of crazy.” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised Sanders’ move in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Gov. Sanders is confronting childhood disease head on, and it starts with what families consume,” Rollins said. “Today’s waiver announcement is a welcome one, and I look forward to moving through the approval process swiftly. I encourage more states across the nation to follow the bold lead of states like Arkansas as we Make America Healthy Again.” KENNEDY APPLAUDS ‘VISIONARY’ INDIANA GOVERNOR’S MAHA EXECUTIVE ORDERS The waiver request is part of the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” or MAHA agenda, which seeks to address chronic disease and healthcare costs by reforming federal nutrition programs. “We finally have a president who, along with Secretary Rollins, has put a laser focus on solving America’s chronic disease epidemic,” Sanders said. “Reforming food stamps is a great place to start.” Trump’s policies on food and health are taking the spotlight in his second administration, with a shift toward state-driven solutions focused on prevention rather than treatment. The MAHA initiative is led in part by Rollins and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who also appeared Tuesday at a similar SNAP reform announcement in Indiana. Speaking in Arkansas, Rollins praised the state’s leadership. “What we are doing here today is affirming the value of federalism in all aspects of governance,” she said. “No federal bureaucrat can understand the needs of Arkansas families better than their own governor.” Rollins added that SNAP reform was a key issue for Trump. “This is one of the things he campaigned on, and this is what the American people voted for,” she said. Sanders said the program, originally designed to fight hunger, has been twisted by outdated regulations and perverse incentives. “One third of our state has diabetes or is prediabetic,” she said. “We’re paying for it on the front end and the back end.” The waiver would affect nearly 350,000 Arkansas residents enrolled in SNAP and is scheduled to take effect in July 2026 if approved. According to Sanders, 23% of SNAP spending, or $27 billion per year, is used on soft drinks, candy and desserts, while the state spends $300 million annually treating chronic illness through Medicaid. WHOLE MILK SHOULD BE BACK AT SCHOOLS, EXPERTS SAY: ‘NUTRITION SCIENCE HAS EVOLVED’ “This is not about taking anything away,” she said. “It’s simply saying that taxpayers are no longer going to cover the cost of junk food like candy and soft drinks.” Rollins praised Arkansas’s SNAP reform plan as a bold step toward improving public health, calling Sanders “courageous” for addressing childhood disease through nutrition. “We are working to realign USDA and every taxpayer dollar around what is the best and most effective spend,” Rollins said. Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam noted that the same state agency running SNAP also manages Medicaid. “In one program, we’ve subsidized foods that we know make people less healthy. In the other, we’re devoting significant resources to treating the same conditions brought on by unhealthy food,” she said. “This makes no sense.” Critics, including the Food Research and Action Center, have argued the restrictions are punitive and unsupported by data. Trade groups representing beverage and candy manufacturers have also criticized the move. As reported by The Associated Press, American Beverage accused officials of “choosing to be the food police,” while the National Confectioners Association called the plan “misguided.” Sanders addressed concerns about food costs, noting her administration’s work to eliminate the state grocery tax. “I think you’d be hard-pressed to say that you’re gonna be better off having purchased a pack of Skittles and that your hunger is gonna be satisfied after that purchase,” she said. Rollins stressed that funding levels for SNAP would not change. “It just opens up the opportunity to buy better and more healthy food moving forward,” she said. The Arkansas waiver request was formally submitted Tuesday and includes a 30-day public comment period. The USDA and the governor’s office are expected to begin coordination on implementation details this week. “We’re hopeful that this gets done very quickly,” Sanders said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Gov. Sanders’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Soaring Medicare prescription drug prices targeted in Trump’s new executive order
President Donald Trump is seeking to combat soaring prescription drug prices in a new executive order he signed Tuesday. The order instructs Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) to standardize Medicare payments for prescription drugs — including those used for cancer patients — no matter where a patient receives treatment. This could lower prices for patients by as much as 60%, according to a White House fact sheet. Likewise, the order also calls to match the Medicare payment for certain prescription drugs to the price that hospitals pay for those drugs — up to 35% lower than what the government pays to acquire those medications, the White House said. The order also takes steps to lower insulin prices. Specifically, the order calls for lowering insulin prices for low-income patients or those that are uninsured to as little as three cents, and injectable epinephrine to treat allergic reactions to as low as $15, coupled with a “small administrative fee,” according to a White House fact sheet. ‘SEED OIL-FREE’ RESTAURANTS AND FOODS GET HEALTHY STAMP OF APPROVAL Additionally, the order attempts to drive down states’ drug prices by “facilitating importation programs that could save states millions in prescription drug prices,” as well as bolstering programs that assist states secure deals on sickle-cell medications in Medicaid, the fact sheet said. The order also requires DHS to seek comment on the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, which the Biden administration authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act and allows Medicare to directly engage in hashing out prescription prices with drug companies. “The guidance shall improve the transparency of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, prioritize the selection of prescription drugs with high costs to the Medicare program, and minimize any negative impacts of the maximum fair price on pharmaceutical innovation within the United States,” the order said. Drug prices have significantly ramped up in recent years. Between January 2022 and January 2023, prescription drug prices rose more than 15% and reached an average of $590 per drug product, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Of the 4,200 prescription drugs included on that list, 46% of the price increases exceeded the rate of inflation. Previous efforts under the first Trump administration to curb prescription drug prices included installing a cap on Medicaid prescription drug plans for insulin at $35. RFK JR DARES GOVERNOR OF AMERICA’S FATTEST STATE TO DO REGULAR PUBLIC WEIGH-INS Meanwhile, Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese imports to the U.S. could mean that healthcare costs are particularly susceptible to price increases. Market research group Black Book Research found that 84% of experts predict that prices for medical treatments and drugs will rise due to the tariffs, according to a survey released in February. Additionally, Trump signaled Monday that tariffs on the pharmaceutical were headed down the pipeline. “We don’t make our own drugs anymore,” Trump told reporters Monday. “The drug companies are in Ireland, and they’re in lots of other places, China.” Trump signed the executive order Tuesday, along with others that seek to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing Social Security benefits, and another one calling to investigate the impact of imported processed mineral on national security. Tuesday’s executive order comes days after the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told states Thursday that the federal government would cease assistance to states to fund nonmedical services geared toward things like nutrition for those enrolled in Medicaid. Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
White House slams Ivy League institutions for ‘egregious illegal behavior’ amid Trump feud with Harvard
The White House blasted Ivy League institutions for “egregious illegal behavior” as the Trump administration goes head-to-head with Harvard University to install changes to the academic institution’s governance and admissions process. After Harvard refused to comply with a series of requests from the Trump administration to reform various practices on campus, the administration revealed Monday that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for the institution. When asked why federal funding is so available to institutions like Harvard, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it’s one President Donald Trump has often brought up himself. “It’s a question the president has obviously raised in his discussions, in negotiations with not just Harvard, but also Columbia and many other Ivy League institutions,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. TRUMP ADMIN SLASHES OVER $2.2B IN FUNDING TO HARVARD AFTER SCHOOL DEFIES DEMANDS “We have the antisemitism task force, which the president promised and delivered on,” Leavitt said. “The antisemitism task forces across the government, representatives from various federal agencies who meet on a weekly basis to discuss the question that you just raised. And I think a lot of Americans are wondering why their tax dollars are going to these universities when they are not only indoctrinating our nation’s students, but also allowing such egregious illegal behavior to occur.” However, Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said in a Monday statement that the Trump administration tacked on additional requests that go beyond addressing antisemitism on campus, and the institution would not comply because the demands were unconstitutional. Specifically, Garber said the new requests “direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” including auditing viewpoints of student, faculty and staff members on campus, and eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, offices and initiatives at Harvard. “It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner,” Garber wrote. “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement.” The Trump administration’s Department of Justice unveiled the Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism in February, which aims to eradicate bias on campuses that have experienced incidents targeting Jewish students since October 2023. HARVARD WON’T COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN’S DEMANDS AMID THREATS OF CUTTING FEDERAL FUNDING The task force evaluates conduct on the following campuses: Columbia University; George Washington University; Harvard University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern University; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California. “Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the task force said in a statement Monday. “The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. “It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support,” the statement said.
White House criticizes ‘rogue’ judge upholding parole program ‘completely abused’ by migrants
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed “rogue” judges during a press briefing Tuesday after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking the legal status and work permits of more than 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. On Tuesday, Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Peter Doocy asked Leavitt why President Joe Biden was allowed to establish the program “with the stroke of a pen” but Trump was being stopped from ending CHNV the way it started. “I spoke to White House counsel’s office about this this morning because, obviously, another rogue district court judge is trying to block the administration’s mass deportation efforts with this latest injunction,” Leavitt said. She also slammed the Biden administration, accusing former officials of abusing the U.S. parole system “to fast-track legal status” for illegal immigrants. JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP FROM REVOKING LEGAL STATUS FOR 530,000+ MIGRANTS WHO FLEW INTO US VIA BIDEN PROGRAM “We will continue to focus on deporting as many individuals as we can,” Leavitt added. Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote in her order blocking the Trump administration that each of the more than 530,000 migrants needed to have an individualized case-by-case review. DHS’ KRISTI NOEM SAYS TRUMP ADMIN WILL RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF 7 MILES OF SOUTHERN BORDER Officials with the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration said Talwani’s ruling essentially prohibits Trump from using his own executive authority to revoke parole that Biden granted when he was in office. “It is pure lawless tyranny,” a Trump administration official told Fox News. Under a Biden-era program known as CHNV, migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela were allowed to enter the U.S. via humanitarian parole after receiving advance travel authorization. The program permitted up to 30,000 nationals per month to enter the country. Republicans opposed the program and urged the Biden administration to shut it down. Several House lawmakers signed a letter at the time to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling for an end to CHNV as the U.S. faced “an unprecedented crisis” at its southern border. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and Louis Casiano and Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Top Hegseth advisor Dan Caldwell placed on administrative leave by Defense Department
A top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave, according to a Defense Department official. Reuters first reported Caldwell had been placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure” of information amid an investigation into Pentagon leaks. An official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Reuters’ reporting is accurate but declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. Caldwell previously worked at restraint-minded think tank Defense Priorities and Concerned Veterans for America, a group formerly led by Hegseth. A foreign policy realist, he has argued that the U.S. should dramatically reduce its footprint in Europe and pull out forces in Iraq and Syria. GENERAL WHO HELPED TRUMP DECIMATE ISIS TERRORISTS IN FIRST TERM CONFIRMED AS JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN Last month the Defense Department announced a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information” and said it planned to use polygraphs to determine the source of leaks. “The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy,” DOD Chief of Staff Joe Kasper wrote in a memo. “This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense.” He wrote that “information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure” would be referred for criminal prosecution.” Caldwell did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Andrew Cuomo denied almost $3 million in publicly matching funds for mayoral bid, cites ‘software error’
Former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo was denied nearly $3 million in publicly matched campaign funds by New York City’s campaign finance regulators on Tuesday. The denial of $2.5 million in publicly matched campaign funds followed a frantic email the Cuomo campaign sent out Friday, calling on those who had donated to his campaign to fill out a form to ensure all requirements for the public money were necessarily met. But that effort failed. Public confirmation of the denial was made in a Tuesday press release from the New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB), which indicated that at least 20% of Cuomo’s required disclosures contained documentation errors for contributions. The press release also said that the Cuomo campaign failed to meet its required two-part threshold of total contributions, which must be at least 1,000 different individuals, and contributors, which must amount to at least $250,000, needed to obtain the publicly matched funds. CUOMO LANDS KEY ENDORSEMENT AS COMEBACK BID FOR NYC MAYOR HEATS UP “Our campaign officially announced on March 1, and within 13 days, proudly raised an unprecedented $1.5 million, including $330,000 in matchable funds, from more than 2,800 donors. This surpassed the campaign finance board’s threshold for qualifying for matching funds by the filing deadline of March 13. Since the last filing deadline on March 13, the campaign has amassed an additional $1 million, totaling over $2.5 million raised from over 4,100 individuals,” Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in a statement. “Last Friday, the campaign was informed by the campaign finance board that, due to a technical software error, contributions collected on one of our vendor platforms, NGP, were missing one of the fields required by the Campaign Finance Board, and so while we met the thresholds necessary to receive matching funds, the campaign had to remedy this technical matter.” Azzopardi noted that the “technical software error” had been remedied and the adequate documentation was provided to the city’s campaign finance board. However, the campaign won’t be able to receive matching funds until the next payment period beginning May 12. BILL MAHER SUGGESTS ANDREW CUOMO’S NURSING HOME SCANDAL MAY COST HIS NYC MAYORAL CAMPAIGN Nearly every other top mayoral candidate received payouts Tuesday, according to Politico. However, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams found himself denied $4.5 million in matching funds over the same reasons Cuomo did, in addition to other bookkeeping and compliance mistakes. Polling from Siena College found Cuomo as the front-runner among Democrats, but Adams was not included in the survey results as he will be running for reelection as an Independent. Adams was facing a federal corruption investigation until the Trump administration stepped in and got the case dismissed. As a result of the investigation, one of the NYCCFB’s members, Richard Davis, has recused himself from voting on any matters related to Adams after writing an editorial earlier this year in which he slammed President Donald Trump’s Justice Department for intervening in the Adams case, referring to the move as “ludicrous.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Adams was also denied publicly matched funds during the NYCCFB’s last round of payments announced on March 17.
Democrat city council sues mayor for allowing ICE into major American prison
The Democrat-controlled city council of New York City is suing Mayor Eric Adams for cooperating with the Trump administration by allowing ICE to conduct immigration investigations at Rikers Island Prison. The city council is asking the court to declare an executive order by the mayor’s office allowing ICE into Rikers Island “illegal, null, and void.” The lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court of New York on Tuesday. In the suit, the city council accuses Adams of engaging in an illegal “quid pro quo” with the Trump administration by allowing ICE into the city prison in exchange for having the federal corruption charges against him dropped. The suit claims that Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, prioritized his own political goals over the city’s “prized sanctuary laws,” calling the executive order “the poisoned fruit of Mayor Adams’s deal with the Trump Administration.” NJ GOVERNOR ACCUSED OF HARBORING VIOLENT ILLEGAL CRIMINALS, DOJ LAUNCHES PROBE “Today, in New York City, a corrupt bargain is taking place in plain view: New York City Mayor Eric Adams … is using his official powers to pay off the Trump Administration for dropping criminal charges against him,” the suit claims. “The ‘purchase price’- which was agreed to in advance and is now being proffered – is the safety and wellbeing of immigrant communities and all New Yorkers whose rights are protected by our City’s prized sanctuary laws.” At issue in the suit is an executive order signed by New York City First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro last week that allows federal immigration authorities to operate an office on Rikers Island to help carry out criminal investigations into drug trafficking, organized violence and migrant gang activity plaguing the city. The order states that the safety of New Yorkers has been jeopardized by violent transnational gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua – gangs designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration – and there is a critical need for federal law enforcement to share “real-time” intelligence with the city’s corrections department and police. The order allows federal law enforcement agencies to share intelligence with the corrections department and NYPD about criminal gang activity among individuals both inside and outside of custody. BORDER CROSSINGS HIT RECORD LOW IN MARCH THANKS TO ‘VIGILANT’ WORK OF AGENTS: REPORT It does not give ICE permission to carry out civil immigration enforcement and arrest people simply for being undocumented. The order was issued the week after federal charges against Adams were dismissed. He had been accused of using his position as mayor to receive luxury travel and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish foreign nationals. Adams insisted the case was politically motivated and was pursued in retaliation for his criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Democrat who is running to unseat Adams, claimed in a Tuesday statement that the order allowing ICE to conduct immigration investigations on criminals at Rikers Island is “a naked attempt by Eric Adams to fulfill his end of the bargain for special treatment he received from the Trump administration.” She said the city council’s lawsuit is an attempt to “protect the rights and safety of all New Yorkers against attacks by the Trump administration—because the city’s mayor won’t stop placing his own personal interests ahead of the people of our city.” ANOTHER PRO-PALESTINE COLUMBIA PROTESTOR DETAINED BY ICE, SANDERS AND DEMS OUTRAGED Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for Adams, responded to the lawsuit by calling it “baseless” and “contrary to the public interest.” “The City Council appears to be spreading misinformation,” Mamelak told Fox News Digital. “So let’s be clear: To maintain the trust of the nearly 8.5 million New Yorkers our administration serves and protects every day — and to ensure there was never even the appearance of any conflict — Mayor Adams delegated all powers, responsibilities, and decision-making related to any action authorizing federal officials to investigate crimes at Rikers Island to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The spokesperson said that Mastro “conducted a thorough and independent assessment — which included multiple visits to Rikers Island, conversations with federal law enforcement and our own Department of Correction officers, and more — and he independently concluded that a federal presence at Rikers to conduct federal criminal investigations is in New York City’s best interest and protects public safety, particularly in our ongoing efforts to target violent transnational gangs now present in our city, including those designated as terrorist organizations.” “Executive Order 50 is expressly authorized by New York City’s local laws — the very laws enacted by the City Council,” said Mamelak. “While we will review the lawsuit, this one seems baseless and contrary to the public interest in protecting New Yorkers from violent criminals. We remain committed to our administration’s efforts to reduce crime and keep New Yorkers safe — we hope the City Council will join us in doing so.” Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.