Dem lawmakers cry foul as Hochul guts AI safety bill amid Big Tech pressure
New York State Assemblyman Alex Bores, D-73, who is leading an effort to enact tighter safety regulations in the state for the country’s largest artificial intelligence developers, has attributed pressure from Big Tech to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to rewrite his bill. Just before President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at undercutting state-level AI regulations, news broke that Hochul had severely watered down a state-level bill targeting some of the industry’s biggest players, attempting to force them to implement stricter safety measures. Her amendments reportedly mirrored a California measure more favorable to major AI firms. In response to Bores’ work on the bill, the RAISE Act, the progressive state lawmaker who is running for Congress to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., says he has been the target of a $100 million ad campaign bankrolled by some of the biggest leaders in the AI industry, such as OpenAI President Greg Brockman and the major AI venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. TRUMP SAYS EVERY AI PLANT BEING BUILT IN US WILL BE SELF-SUSTAINING WITH THEIR OWN ELECTRICITY “My reaction was, ‘Oh, this is a message to the governor’ — this is not just about defeating me,” Bores told Rolling Stone after Hochul amended his bill. “They want the governor to be intimidated by the idea they might target her next.” “NY can be a leader on critical AI safety, or we can cave to the pressure of the same Big Tech and VC bullies pushing Trump’s AI safety ban,” New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-26, the Senate sponsor of the RAISE Act, said on X. “I know which side I’m fighting on.” The RAISE Act, in its original form, sought to compel a select few of the most advanced AI developers to implement specific safety protocols, including requirements to write detailed safety and security protocols that must then be followed, report incidents of serious harm within 72 hours to the New York attorney general and a prohibition on the release of new models that could pose “unreasonable risk.” But Hochul’s rewrite removed the prohibition on new AI models that could pose “unreasonable” risk, extended the reporting threshold to 15 days and weakened penalties against AI companies, among other revisions that scaled back the bill’s restrictions. KYRSTEN SINEMA WARNS US ADVERSARY WILL PROGRAM AI WITH ‘CHINESE VALUES’ IF AMERICA FALLS BEHIND IN TECH RACE “AI oligarchs want to take over our safety, our workforce and our minds for their own personal profit and power,” Bores told Fox News Digital when reached for comment. “They’ve already bought the White House and are trying very aggressively to try to buy statehouses, too. That can’t happen, and I won’t let it.” Some tech experts, including TechNYC’s Julie Samuels, argue that aligning the RAISE Act with California’s standards is actually a wise move because it will “help create a de facto national standard” that does not exist. When reached for comment, Hochul’s office pointed to an “absence of federal leadership on responsible AI” and asserted that New York has been “leading with commonsense laws to protect children, families and consumers.” “Our approach should be a model for the nation,” a Hochul spokesperson said. “Gov. Hochul has been at the forefront of the innovation economy and remains committed to advancing AI responsibly as she reviews the legislation.” On Thursday, not long after news broke of Hochul’s rewrite, Trump signed an executive order aimed at creating a federal regulatory framework that would undercut state regulatory efforts on AI. During the signing ceremony from the White House Thursday evening, Trump said he thinks there will only be “one winner” in the global AI arms race, likely the U.S. or China. Trump said China holds an advantage because of its centralized regulatory structure, while the U.S. “has to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states,” slowing development of new AI centers. “We want to have one central source of approval,” Trump said. According to senior Trump advisor Will Scharf, more than 1,000 bills aimed at regulating artificial intelligence are moving through state legislatures.
Trump-backed military right to repair plan stripped from Congress’ final defense bill
The final legislation governing Pentagon spending dropped a bipartisan provision that would have guaranteed the military the right to repair its own equipment, prompting immediate criticism from its authors, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, and Tim Sheehy, R-MT, who accused Congress of siding with defense contractors over service members. Both chambers had passed versions of the reform, and the White House publicly supported the measure, which would have required contractors to provide the Pentagon with the technical data needed to perform repairs in-house — rather than flying out manufacturer technicians at added cost. The final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) omits that mandate, a move Warren and Sheehy say will leave troops facing the same barriers to fixing equipment whenever contractors assert proprietary rights. “For decades, the Pentagon has relied on a broken acquisition system that is routinely defended by career bureaucrats and corporate interests. Military right to repair reforms are supported by the Trump White House, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and our brave servicemembers,” Warren and Sheehy said after the text of the legislation was released. “The only ones against this common-sense reform are those taking advantage of a broken status quo at the expense of our warfighters and taxpayers.” The Government Accountability Office (GAO) repeatedly has warned that the Pentagon’s lack of access to technical data is one of the biggest drivers of soaring sustainment costs, estimating that broader repair rights could save the department “billions” of dollars over the life cycles of major weapons systems. SEN ROGER WICKER: THE PENTAGON NEEDS MAJOR REFORM. NOW IS OUR CHANCE GAO reviews of aircraft, ships and ground vehicles have found that when contractors retain exclusive control over repair information, the military is forced into long-term vendor support arrangements that are far more expensive than in-house maintenance. In several cases, GAO concluded that obtaining necessary data earlier in the acquisition process would have given the Pentagon more flexibility, reduced downtime, and lowered costs for everything from software fixes to depot-level repairs. Sources familiar with the NDAA negotiations claimed that, behind closed doors, lobbyists had persuaded leaders on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee to drop the more aggressive right to repair language. “This is a textbook case of the swamp prevailing at the expense of our warfighters and government efficiency,” one source said. “Does (War Secretary Pete) Hegseth realize that Boeing just knocked the legs out from our warriors?” A spokesperson for the House Armed Services Committee said: “The Committee is committed to addressing the right to repair issue in a manner that ensures our warfighters have the data they need to effectuate repairs while preserving the intellectual property of private industry.” “The FY26 NDAA requires the Department to audit its contracts to determine where they are missing data rights they need and determine whether any missing data rights is the result of a defective law or a defective contract. If the law is defective, the department needs to make recommendations to Congress on how to fix it.” Watchdogs also questioned the weaker compromise. “The provisions are nowhere near strong enough,” said Greg Williams of the Project on Government Oversight. “They help catalog the problem, but they don’t really do anything to solve it.” Williams added that the original proposals “acknowledged the cost and committed to paying fair, reasonable prices to vendors for that intellectual property,” countering industry arguments that the bill would have seized or devalued contractors’ data. CONGRESS UNVEILS $900B DEFENSE BILL TARGETING CHINA WITH TECH BANS, INVESTMENT CRACKDOWN, US TROOP PAY RAISE Industry groups defended their opposition. “This debate is not about ensuring equipment and technology can be repaired in contested environments; commanders already have broad authority to keep mission-critical systems operational,” said Marta Hernandez, spokesperson for the Aerospace Industries Association. “Our concern with the Senate proposal is its sweeping mandate for government takeover of IP — without regard to necessity or cost. ‘One size fits all’ doesn’t work for our troops or for the industry that equips them.” But military officials and watchdogs say that while commanders can authorize emergency fixes, that authority does not give units the technical data, software access, or parts needed to actually perform repairs. They argue that crews remain dependent on contractors even when they have the skills to fix the equipment themselves. Instead of requiring contractors to provide repair data, the final NDAA directs the Pentagon to create a database cataloging what technical information it currently has and to “request options” from contractors when data is missing. Critics say the language has no enforcement mechanism and leaves manufacturers free to refuse, preserving the contractor-controlled repair model the reform sought to change. The Trump administration had backed the reform, with Statements of Administration Policy supporting both the House and Senate versions earlier in the fall. Service secretaries also endorsed the effort, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth issued new acquisition guidance in November instructing the military to plan for “organic depot-level maintenance and repair” in major systems. US COULD LOSE NEXT MAJOR WAR DUE TO PENTAGON’S ‘BROKEN’ ACQUISITION SYSTEM In May 2025, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll publicly pledged that the Army would ensure right-to-repair provisions were included in future Army contracts — aligning the service with the broader congressional push for greater access to technical data. But advocates said a service-by-service approach wasn’t enough and pushed to codify and expand right to repair across all branches to prevent contractors from controlling critical maintenance information. The F-35 program offers one of the clearest examples of how restricted repair rights drive up costs. GAO has found that the Pentagon still lacks key technical data needed to perform many F-35 repairs organically, forcing the services to rely on Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors for everything from software maintenance to component overhauls. That dependence has helped push sustainment costs so high that the Pentagon warns it cannot afford to operate the planned fleet without major changes. GAO reported that greater access to repair
Newsom says Trump is one of the ‘most destructive’ president of his lifetime: ‘This guy is reckless’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, argued that President Donald Trump is one of the “most destructive” presidents in his lifetime and that the country is becoming “unrecognizable.” The governor made the comments on Wednesday during an appearance on New York Times columnist Ezra Klein’s podcast. “I think Trump is one of the most destructive presidents and human beings in my lifetime,” Newsom said. “I think this republic is at real risk, this country being unrecognizable. And I have no patience for people that want to indulge it.” GAVIN NEWSOM WINNING EARLY ENTHUSIASM FROM LIBERAL HOLLYWOOD DONORS AHEAD OF 2028: REPORT Newsom also criticized financial, educational and political entities for “bending the knee to this president.” “I can’t stand the crony capitalism,” the California Democrat continued. “I can’t stand the universities have done that, the law firms that have done that, individual corporate leaders that have done that, other governors, maybe Democrats and Republicans, that have been complicit at this moment.” Several elite universities, banking companies and law firms amended policies this year in the face of threats from the Trump administration, including potential loss of federal funding for the educational institutions. Newsom, who has been floated as a potential top Democrat candidate for the 2028 presidential election, has been a vocal critic of Trump dating back to his first term in the White House. He said he had “softened” on the threat of Trump ignoring constitutional restrictions and attempting to run for a third term. “This guy is reckless,” Newsom said. “We’ll not have a fair and free election if we don’t continue to fight. I’m the future ex-governor. Who the hell knows what happens the rest of my life? Except one thing I know that matters in the rest of my life is I have to look at my kids in the goddamn eye. I mean that seriously.” The governor’s critique of Trump this year has included social media rants mimicking the president’s writing style, such as using all capital letters and nicknames. Newsom has also mocked Trump with AI-generated videos, including one depicting the president, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller in handcuffs crying. NEWSOM HAS STRONG FEAR THAT ‘SON OF A B—-’ TRUMP WILL SUSPEND 2028 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION The jabs at Trump are just one side of the back and forth between the two politicians, as the president has also repeatedly attacked Newsom, including blaming him for the wildfires that swept through Southern California in January and supporting White House border czar Toman Homan’s threat to arrest the governor amid federal immigration raids in Los Angeles over the summer.
Black Lives Matter OKC leader charged with wire fraud, money laundering in alleged $3.15M embezzlement scheme
The executive director of Black Lives Matter (BLM) Oklahoma City (OKC) has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering after federal prosecutors say she diverted more than $3.15 million in returned bail checks into her personal bank accounts over a five-year period, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday. Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, of Oklahoma City, is accused of routing money intended for the group’s bail fund and social justice programs into accounts she controlled between June 2020 and October 2025. The indictment says Dickerson used the money “for her personal benefit,” including travel to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, “tens of thousands of dollars in retail shopping,” more than $50,000 in food deliveries, a vehicle and six real properties. According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release covering the indictment, BLM OKC raised more than $5.6 million beginning in 2020, including major grants from the Community Justice Exchange, the Massachusetts Bail Fund and the Minnesota Freedom Fund. BLACK LIVES MATTER’S $6M CALIFORNIA HOUSE DRAWS SCRUTINY Those organizations routed most of the money through the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), which served as BLM OKC’s fiscal sponsor and required that all funds be used for tax-exempt purposes permitted under Section 501(c)(3). AFGJ also prohibited real estate purchases without its approval and required BLM OKC to fully account for expenditures upon request. Prosecutors say Dickerson instead deposited at least $3.15 million in returned bail checks into her personal accounts “rather than into BLMOKC’s accounts” and used interstate wires to submit two annual reports to AFGJ that “did not disclose” her personal use of funds. Those reports said the organization’s money had been used only for tax-exempt purposes. Dickerson served as the group’s executive director beginning in at least 2016 and had access to BLM OKC’s bank, PayPal and CashApp accounts, according to the indictment. FLORIDA DESIGNATES MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND CAIR AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, DESANTIS SAYS Prosecutors allege the misconduct began during the period when national bail funds allowed BLM OKC to retain portions of returned bail money to build a revolving bail fund or support its stated mission. In 2022, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, a separate national organization not affiliated with BLM OKC, came under scrutiny after New York Magazine reported that it had purchased a $6 million California property using donor funds. Internal memos showed senior leaders discussing how to manage questions about the house, which the group said was intended to serve as creative and community space. The reporting ignited debate at the time over financial transparency and oversight within national BLM-associated organizations. When contacted about Dickerson’s charges, a Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation spokesperson said BLM practices a “model of decentralized leadership.” “The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation operates independently from local chapters, and the local chapters operate independently of the Foundation. The Foundation remains committed to transparency and integrity, and disrupting what philanthropy looks like in service of Black people,” the spokesperson said. A federal grand jury returned a 25-count indictment Dec. 3 charging Dickerson with 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years for each money-laundering count, along with potential fines of up to $250,000 per charge. All charges are merely allegations and Dickerson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation. Fox News Digital has reached out to Black Lives Matter OKC and the Alliance for Global Justice for comment. Fox News correspondent David Spunt and Fox News Digital’s Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
Trump announces pardon for Colorado clerk: ‘Simply wanted to make sure that our elections were fair’
A former Colorado clerk convicted of attempting to breach voting systems in hopes of proving President Donald Trump’s claims of election malfeasance in 2020 will receive a pardon. Trump announced his pardon for Tina Peters on Truth Social, saying she has been sitting in prison for the “crime” of demanding honest elections. “Democrats have been relentless in their targeting of TINA PETERS, a Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our elections were fair and honest,” he wrote. “Today I am granting Tina a full pardon for her attempts to expose voter fraud in the rigged 2020 presidential election!” TRUMP ISSUES SWEEPING PARDONS FOR 2020 ELECTION ALLIES — WHAT THE MOVE REALLY MEANS The president doesn’t have the power to pardon someone for state crimes. “We’re not surprised by President Trump shouting into the wind and issuing a meaningless pardon for his friend and fellow election denier Tina Peters,” Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib told Fox News Digital. “The President has no legal authority to demand her release. Murib noted that Peters was convicted by a Colorado jury, not a federal court. “She was convicted by a jury of her peers on state charges and she should remain in state custody,” Murib said. “For a president who obviously doesn’t respect the rule of law, this is not surprising. Nobody is above the law, not even the president’s friends.” Brita Horn, chairman of the Republican Party of Colorado, urged the state to follow Trump’s lead. “We trust the President has done his due diligence in this matter in the name of justice,” Horn told Fox News Digital. “We call upon Colorado to follow the direction of President Trump and this pardon.” Earlier this week, a federal judge refused to release Peters, 70, from prison. She has been serving a nine-year sentence after a state jury convicted her of participating in a scheme to breach the Mesa County voting systems. She filed a lawsuit seeking her release earlier this year, arguing that her free speech rights had been violated, but Judge Scott Varholak rejected the motion Monday. TRUMP ISSUES FRESH PARDONS FOR JAN 6 DEFENDANTS, INCLUDING WOMAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING FBI ON SOCIAL MEDIA “Ms. Peters raises important constitutional questions concerning whether the trial court improperly punished her more severely because of her protected First Amendment speech,” Varholak wrote. “But because this question remains pending before Colorado courts, this Court must abstain from answering that question until after the Colorado courts have decided the issue.” Peter Ticktin, Peters’ attorney, said he was formally notified of the pardon Thursday. “Tina Peters deserves justice,” he wrote on X. “I have formally notified President Trump urging a presidential pardon and outlining why Tina is a necessary witness in exposing election misconduct. What happened to her was a travesty, and it’s time to set it right.” In a Dec. 7 letter to Trump, Ticktin said Peters’ trial was a “travesty” where she was not permitted to raise her defense. Trump said Peters was languishing in prison despite Democrats pushing soft-on-crime policies that allowed criminals to walk free, saying they had been “relentless” in targeting her. “For years, Democrats ignored violent and vicious crime of all shapes, sizes, colors, and types. Violent criminals who should have been locked up were allowed to attack again,” he wrote. “Democrats were also far too happy to let in the worst from the worst countries so they could rip off American taxpayers. Democrats only think there is one crime – not voting for them! “Instead of protecting Americans and their tax dollars, Democrats chose instead to prosecute anyone they can find who wanted safe and secure elections.” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis previously vowed not to pardon Peters as part of any deal with Trump, saying she needed to be held accountable. “Tina Peters was convicted by a jury of her peers, prosecuted by a Republican District Attorney, and found guilty of violating Colorado state laws, including criminal impersonation,” Polis wrote on X. “No President has jurisdiction over state law nor the power to pardon a person for state convictions. This is a matter for the courts to decide, and we will abide by court orders.” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold later released a statement, saying: “Tina Peters was convicted by a jury of her peers for state crimes in a state Court. Trump has no constitutional authority to pardon her. His assault is not just on our democracy, but on states’ rights and the American constitution.”
Trump administration offers $5M reward for capture of fugitive Los Choneros gang leader
The Trump administration is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the leader of Los Choneros, a gang the State Department designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in September. The State Department’s Narcotics Reward Program announced the reward Thursday for Ecuadorian fugitive Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, also known as “Churron,” because the gang he belongs to is allegedly responsible for trafficking drugs and guns into the U.S. and carrying out extreme acts of violence. The 29-year-old was charged with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution and using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to a superseding indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York brought the charges, and the superseding indictment was unsealed in June. TRUMP WARNS US MAY LAUNCH LAND OPERATIONS INSIDE VENEZUELA ‘VERY SOON,’ SAYS REGIME SENT ‘KILLERS’ TO AMERICA “As alleged, Bermúdez Cagua is a top lieutenant within the leadership of Los Choneros, an extremely violent foreign terrorist organization responsible for pumping drugs into the United States, causing harm to our communities and wreaking havoc in his homeland of Ecuador,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. of the Eastern District of New York said. “The significant reward being offered by the State Department underscores our resolve to bring Los Choneros’ leadership to justice in a U.S. courthouse and eradicate such organizations.” Alleged co-conspirator José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” 46, was extradited to New York in July 2025. The Department of Justice said he is an Ecuadorian citizen who also faces international drug trafficking and firearms charges. Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, also known as “Topo,” 35, is an alleged co-conspirator in the superseding indictment and is in custody in Ecuador. COAST GUARD HELICOPTER SNIPER TAKES OUT NARCO-BOAT ENGINES IN STUNNING EXCLUSIVE VIDEO “We will use every tool in our arsenal to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,” Chris Landberg of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said. “We are offering a reward of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Bermúdez Cagua.” The indictment alleges that Los Choneros was one of the most violent transnational criminal organizations operating out of Ecuador. The group’s network moved multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, funneling shipments through Central America, Mexico and the U.S., among other locations, the indictment alleges. MODEL, DJ LINKED TO VIOLENT TREN DE ARAGUA GANG LEADER SANCTIONED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION The alleged co-conspirators are accused of directing and ordering acts of violence to advance the organization’s goals. The State Department designated Los Choneros as an FTO in September 2025. “Bermúdez Cagua is a high-ranking narco-terrorist whose actions have fueled the flow of cocaine into the United States and sown chaos in Ecuador,” U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrance Cole said. “The DEA is resolute in its mission to turn up the pressure and bring this dangerous individual to justice.” The DEA encourages anyone with information about Bermúdez Cagua’s whereabouts to contact the agency at [email protected] or +593-988-292-235. All information will be kept confidential.
Minnesota investigation: The shadowy money system Somalis rely on — and terrorists can exploit
The massive and sprawling $1 billion welfare-fraud schemes engulfing Minnesota are now casting fresh scrutiny on an old, opaque money-transfer network used by Somali Americans to send remittances back to their loved ones and friends — a system U.S. officials have warned can be siphoned or taxed by the terrorist group al-Shabaab. Known as hawala, the centuries-old system moves money without banks, wiring infrastructure or standard documentation, yet it remains a lifeline for families in Somalia, where a national banking system barely exists. The system works by having a sender give money to an agent in the United States, who then instructs a partner in Somalia to pay the recipient directly, with no money ever physically crossing borders. Hawala functions as an alternative remittance system, relying on trusted agents rather than banks. It is fast, inexpensive and reaches remote regions of Somalia where no formal banking system exists. For many Somali Minnesotans, hawala-linked payouts are the only practical way to support relatives overseas. MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS VOW NEW CRACKDOWN AFTER $1B FRAUD MELTDOWN THEY SAY WALZ LET SPIRAL But U.S. officials are sounding the alarm on the system, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing last month that the Treasury Department has opened a formal investigation into whether Minnesota taxpayer dollars doled out in the various schemes were diverted into financial channels that may benefit al-Shabaab which imposes taxes, extorts businesses or controls trade routes. The House Oversight Committee has also launched its own inquiry into the fraud and the potential terror-finance risks, while Minnesota State Sen. Jordan Rasmusson said the concern is serious. “Because there’s more than a billion dollars that’s been stolen and a significant portion of those dollars have been directed overseas, there are concerns this money could be either directly or indirectly funding terrorist organizations like al-Shabaab,” Rasmusson told Fox News Digital. Remittances are essential for survival in Somalia, where millions rely on money from relatives abroad to meet basic needs in a country where corruption and extremist taxation shape everyday economic life. Each year, according to the global poverty-fighting organization Oxfam, Somalis living in the United States send about $215 million home each year. Globally, the Somali diaspora sends approximately $1.3 billion, equivalent to 15 to 20 percent of Somalia’s total economic output, according to recent World Bank estimates. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota chapter (CAIR-MN), told Fox News Digital previously that for many Somali Minnesotans, these payments are part of their monthly budgets. “Most families like my family, we still send between 10 to 15, or even 30 percent of our income to loved ones back home,” he said. ‘HE HAD YEARS TO STOP THIS’: GOP LAWMAKERS BLAST WALZ OVER MASSIVE MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME Somali Americans are among the poorest demographics in the United States, yet many face intense pressure to send large parts of their income abroad, even while struggling themselves. The result is a community financially stretched at both ends with hundreds of millions of dollars flowing through a system that becomes vulnerable once funds reach Somalia. The warnings revive long-standing fears in Minnesota, where roughly 20 young Somali Americans left in the late 2000s to join al-Shabaab — including Shirwa Ahmed, who became the first known American Islamist suicide bomber in 2008. Last year, Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS after twice trying to travel to Somalia. In Minneapolis‘ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, known as “Little Mogadishu” due to its dense Somali population, Fox News Digital observed at least three wire-transfer storefronts in the area on Wednesday, while the only brick-and-mortar bank was an Associated Bank branch. Inside the wire-transfer storefronts, workers declined to speak on the record. Those money wire stores operate legally in the United States and are licensed money-service providers. They have never been accused of wrongdoing and are not hawala shops and their role is to initiate the U.S. side of the transfer. They function similarly to Western Union counters, collecting cash from customers and sending the transaction data overseas. The hawala system typically begins only after the money reaches Somalia, where limited banking options mean local agents pay out remittances from their own cash reserves and settle accounts privately. Experts say this Somalia-side leg of the process is where transfers often shift into hawala networks, becoming vulnerable to corruption or extremist taxation in regions controlled by al-Shabaab. Anna Mahjar-Barducci, a Middle East analyst with the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), explained why hawala dominates Somalia’s economy. “Hawala reaches places Western Union cannot. Much of Somalia, especially rural areas, has no formal banks or Western Union locations, but hawala agents exist almost everywhere,” she told Fox News Digital. NUTRITION PROGRAM’S LAWSUIT TRIGGERS MN EDUCATION DEPT TO EASE OVERSIGHT, OPENING DOOR TO MORE FRAUD In practical terms, she said, money never crosses borders. A hawaladar in the sending country collects the funds and a counterpart in Somalia immediately pays out the equivalent amount from their own cash reserves, she said. Behind the scenes, operators later settle debts privately through offsetting transactions, trade arrangements or bulk cash shipments — mechanisms regulators cannot monitor, she said. Mahjar-Barducci said al-Shabaab’s taxation system is concentrated in south-central Somalia, where the group maintains control or co-governance over rural districts, key transport routes and local markets. Its influence is far weaker in northern Somalia and is largely absent in the autonomous regions of Somaliland and Puntland, with only a limited presence in pockets on the outskirts of major cities like Mogadishu. However, she noted that even mobile-money systems are vulnerable and that al-Shabaab can compel local shopkeepers to pay a monthly “license” fee and a percentage of every transaction they process. “In general, in Somalia, corruption affects daily life. Many people need connections or small payments to get services or jobs,” she said. “The diaspora sender typically is unaware of the exact tax,” she added, noting that even legitimate remittances can lose value through hidden fees, coercion or extremist-controlled toll points. When
The Speaker’s Lobby: What Congress’ December script means for healthcare next year
This December on Capitol Hill appears to follow a familiar script. There’s a deadline for Congress to act on (insert issue here). And if lawmakers don’t move by Jan. 1, then (insert consequence here). So, everyone on Capitol Hill clamors over pathways to finish (given issue). Lawmakers and staff are at the end of their wits. Everyone is worried about Congress successfully fixing the problem and getting everyone home for the holidays. There’s always the concern that Congress will emerge as The Grinch, pilfering Whoville of Christmas toys. But lawmakers often wind up toiling with the diligence and efficiency of Santa’s elves, plowing through late-night, overnight and weekend sessions, usually finishing (insert issue here) in the St. Nick of time. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THURSDAY’S BIG SENATE VOTES ON HEALTHCARE This pattern is always the same. With few variations. This parliamentary dance of the sugar plum fairies frequently centers on deadlines for government funding, the debt ceiling and tax policy. Such was the case when the Senate passed the first version of Obamacare on Christmas Eve morning in 2009. Republicans skated on thin ice to finish their tax reform package in December 2017. Lawmakers moved expeditiously to approve a defense policy bill in late 2020, then made sure they had just enough time on the calendar to override President Trump’s veto of the legislation before the very end of the 116th Congress in early January 2021. The deadlines sometimes veer into the political. There was a crush to finish articles of impeachment on the House floor for both presidents Clinton and Trump in December 1998 and December 2019, respectively. And, so, after everyone got this fall’s government shutdown worked out of their systems, lawmakers were far from prepared to address its root cause. Democrats refused to fund the government unless Congress addressed spiking healthcare premiums. Those premiums shoot up on Jan. 1. And no one has built enough consensus to pass a bill before the end of the year. Yet. But it’s only mid-December. And everyone knows that the congressional Christmas legislative spirit can be slow to take hold. Some of that holiday magic may have officially arrived Thursday afternoon after the Senate incinerated competing Republican and Democratic healthcare plans. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pushed a three-year extension of the current Obamacare subsidies with no built-in reforms. “This is going to require that Democrats come off a position they know is an untenable one and sit down in a serious way and work with Republicans,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said of the Democratic proposal. Thune characterized the Democrats’ gambit as “a political messaging exercise.” MODERATE REPUBLICANS STAGE OBAMACARE REBELLION AS HEALTH COST FRUSTRATIONS ERUPT IN HOUSE Republicans even mulled not putting forth a healthcare plan at all. It was the group of Senate Democrats who ultimately helped break a filibuster to reopen the government last month that demanded a healthcare-related vote (not a fix, but a vote) in December. So, that’s all Thune would commit to. “If Republicans just vote no on a Democrat proposal, we’ll let the premiums go up and Republicans don’t offer anything. What message is that going to send?” asked Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “I know what people in Missouri will think. They’ll look at that, and they’ll say, ‘Well, you guys don’t do anything. You’ve just let my premiums go up.’” It may yet come to that. So, there’s a holiday healthcare affordability crisis. “People are looking now at exactly what’s ahead for them, and they’re very, very frightened,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. But most Senate Republicans coalesced around a plan drafted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Michael Crapo, R-Idaho, and Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La. The bill would not renew Obamacare subsidies. Instead, it would allow people to deposit money into a healthcare savings account and shop around for coverage. “Our plan will reduce premiums by 1% and save taxpayers money,” boasted Crapo. “In contrast, the Democrats’ temporary COVID bonuses do not lower costs or premiums at all.” With skyrocketing prices, Republicans are desperate to do something, even if it’s a figgy pudding leaf, as they face competitive races next year. COLLINS, MORENO UNVEIL OBAMACARE PLAN AS REPUBLICANS SEARCH FOR SOLUTION TO EXPIRING SUBSIDIES “It has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with people in Ohio and across America who need to be able to afford access to healthcare,” said Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, appointed Husted to succeed Vice President Vance after he left the Senate. So, 2026 will be Husted’s first time on the ballot for the Senate. There was some chatter that Republicans might allow for a limited extension of the Obamacare aid so long as Democrats agreed to abortion restrictions in exchange. “Off the table. They know it damn well,” thundered Schumer. So, the competing plans needed 60 yeas to clear a procedural hurdle. But that also meant that both plans were destined to fail without solving the problem before the end of the year. “We have to have something viable to vote on before we get out of here,” lamented Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. That’s why some Christmas congressional calendar magic often compels lawmakers to find a last-minute solution. “Every legislator up here would like to be home for Christmas,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. “That pressure is what forces us to come together.” CONGRESS FACES HOLIDAY CRUNCH AS HEALTH CARE FIX COLLIDES WITH SHRINKING CALENDAR We’ll know soon if everyone buckles down to harness soaring premiums after days of political posturing. “This should have been done in July or August. So, we are up against a deadline,” said Hawley. And procrastination by lawmakers may yet do them in. “Healthcare is unbelievably complicated,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D. “You’re not going to reform it and bring down costs overnight.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is now promising a separate, still unwritten healthcare bill for the floor in the coming days.
Trump plan sells ‘Gold Card’ visas for $1M; critics warn of pay-to-play that could be abused
The new “Trump Gold Card” will include the same vetting process any typical visa applicant must go through, except it’s going to cost a hefty fee. Under the new pay-to-play immigration framework launched Wednesday, individuals will be allowed to obtain lawful entry into the United States, assuming they can pay — and pass — the $15,000 vetting process and have an extra $1 million to fork over. Businesses will also be allowed to participate, costing them $2 million per person. At an economic roundtable at the White House Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previewed the new Trump Gold Card program ahead of its launch later that same day. EXCLUSIVE: MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LEAVE US IN RECORD-BREAKING YEAR UNDER TRUMP POLICIES, DHS SAYS “So, for an individual it’s $1 million. And for a corporation it’s $2 million,” Lutnick said. “And, as the president said, for a corporation, they spend $2 million, they can then have an employee — fully vetted, the best vetting the government has ever done — $15,000 vetting to make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America, absolutely qualify. And then the company can keep them here, and they have a path to citizenship. “Obviously, they have to be perfect people in America and, having passed the vetting after five years, they’ll be available to become citizens. And then the corporation can put someone else on the card. So, for a company that can keep putting people on the card, one person per card, and for an individual, it’s $1 million, and it’s a gift to the United States of America to … help America be great again under Donald Trump.” Trump followed up, saying “it’s really two gifts,” noting that not only will it bring “billions” in revenue to the United States, but it will also help the country retain “some tremendous people” that would otherwise be forced to leave the United States. Just the $15,000 vetting cost of the Trump Gold Card for individuals dwarfs the typical application and administrative fees for a visa or green card. DETAINED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL FACE $5K ‘APPREHENSION FEE’: BORDER PATROL CHIEF For most temporary visas, the State Department’s fees are typically a couple hundred dollars, with potentially a few extra hundred dollars in fees owed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) depending upon the person and the type of visa needed. Green cards typically require a couple thousands dollars, sometimes as much as $3,000, according to the State Department’s fee schedule. On one hand, Trump has promised the toughest border security in history. On the other, his new Gold Card invites wealthy foreigners to cut to the front of the line if they can afford a seven-figure “gift” to Washington, representing a stark shift that seemingly turns U.S. immigration into a luxury product. Among the concerns swirling around the president’s new Gold Card program is it could be taken advantage of by cartel bosses and Russian oligarchs. “President Trump can’t help trying to act like a king. From new ballrooms and gilded Oval Office decor to over-the-top foreign trips filled with pomp and circumstance to a lavish Qatari plane, his grift knows no limit,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said in September ahead of Wednesday’s official launch. “He’s bringing that same ego-driven approach to our immigration system with an illegal pay-to-play scheme that undermines our values and rewards wealth over hard work, talent and a love for America, “We need a fair and orderly immigration system that preserves our safety and national security, attracts the best and brightest and maintains our status as a beacon of hope for the most vulnerable. Instead of creating policies that help American businesses and families, President Trump is rolling out the welcome mat for Russian oligarchs and cartel bosses.” Trump allies have praised the program. “This landmark program fulfills President Trump’s promise to attract the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and investors to America while guaranteeing they have skin in the game,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said of the new program. “The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the Department of Commerce to facilitate the rollout of President Trump’s Gold Card program.” The White House did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment in time for publication.
Speaker Johnson says second Venezuela boat strike ‘entirely appropriate’ after seeing classified video
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the military’s actions in the Caribbean Sept. 2 were “entirely appropriate” after getting a classified video about the two strikes on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat. “The individuals on that vessel were not helpless castaways. They were drug runners on a capsized drug boat and, by all indications, attempting to recover it so they could continue pushing drugs to kill Americans,” Johnson told reporters. “What the video shows is that these individuals were there. They were able-bodied, they were not injured and they were attempting to recover the contents of the boat, which was full of narcotics.” He said there was “another vessel” in close proximity that the two survivors were “waving their arms” toward so that they could continue onward with “their mission.” HEGSETH ERUPTS OVER WAPO ‘FAKE STORIES’ SMEAR, VOWS TO STOP ‘POISONING OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’ “This is a great threat to us. Every one of these boats that is capsized saves tens of thousands of American lives. This is what the president has prioritized. I think he’s done it with the expectation and the consent of the American people,” Johnson argued. “I’m satisfied with the intelligence, with the way that this was conducted. I think it was entirely appropriate. I think Admiral Bradley is one of the most honorable men serving in the U.S. military. His credentials are exceptional. He’s a man of great integrity, and they followed the law very carefully and closely here.” He said of the second strike specifically, “It followed the law. It followed protocol. It followed our previous missions like this. … I’m fully confident that it was done the right way.” TOM COTTON CALLS ON WASHINGTON POST TO APOLOGIZE TO HEGSETH, BRADLEY FOR ‘SLANDER’ The White House confirmed earlier this month that two strikes were fired at a boat allegedly ferrying drugs from Venezuela. A second strike was conducted after the initial hit left two survivors. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters earlier this month that he watched the first strike live but did not learn of the second strike until later, having left for a meeting in between. The White House said the strike was ordered by Adm. Frank M. Bradley, commander of the United States Special Operations Command. Republicans and Democrats have had vastly different reactions to the strikes, with President Donald Trump’s critics on the left accusing his administration of possibly committing a war crime. Republicans, meanwhile, have largely said the military acted within its rightful scope. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., has signaled he was satisfied with the information he’s received so far while the top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said Thursday the probe was “far from over.” The Senate Armed Services Committee is conducting its own probe into the matter.