100 day sprint to the midterms kicks off as Republicans and Democrats clash for control across the country
The 2026 midterm elections are 100 days away as Republicans and Democrats will battle in Congress and statehouses across the country for control over the future of the country in what is expected to be a contentious and expensive campaign season. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress, controlling the House with a razor-thin 218-212 edge, with one independent and four vacancies, and the Senate with a 53-47 advantage, including two independents who caucus with Democrats. With every House seat and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, Democrats need a net gain of just six House seats to reclaim the speaker’s gavel and four Senate seats to win back the upper chamber, making even a handful of competitive races capable of reshaping the balance of power in Washington. The latest Fox News Power Rankings suggest a tough road ahead for Republicans as they go up against the historical headwind of the party not in power usually performing well in midterm elections, but the GOP will be bolstered in the House by redistricting wins in states like Florida and Texas. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT MAJOR CHANGE AMID ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISCONTENT “We are in a prime position to win it in November,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News this week. “Under Biden we had some of the highest inflation ever. Gas prices were high. And this president has gone to bat for average Americans every single day, starting with ‘Working Family Tax Cuts,’ no tax on tips, overtime, social security. The fact that he’s been going to bat for the American worker, bringing record setting investments. The fact that he closed the border down.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), has been focusing on the economy and affordability in its messaging over the last few days as they promote Democrats in House races. “From groceries to gas to health care, House Republicans have bled Americans’ wallets dry with their cost-raising agenda,” DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said in a press release. “Voters are exhausted by all the bad news vulnerable House Republicans have created, and the DCCC is working to make sure voters know they can hold Republicans accountable on Election Day.” If the election were today, 53% of voters would back the Democratic candidate in their House district and 46% the Republican,” a Fox News poll released this week showed. That 7-point edge is just outside the poll’s margin of error. Democrats were up by 5 points in April. Notably, 53% is the highest percentage either party has received on the generic House ballot in Fox News polling since 1996. But helping the GOP in the battle for the House majority: the mid-decade redistricting fight over the past year between the two parties, which handed Republicans a net gain of roughly 10 additional right-leaning congressional districts. DSA MEMBER LEADS DEM PRIMARY IN MIDWEST BATTLEGROUND BUT TRAILS LIKELY GOP NOMINEE: POLL In the Senate, Republicans are looking to hold on to seats in Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine with record amounts of spending already pouring into those states as Democrats hope to capitalize on the historic, economic, foreign policy and anti-incumbent mood among voters. The upcoming November clash comes as the Democratic Party deals with a socialist wave of candidates taking more and more control and winning primary races across the country, causing headaches for establishment Democratic leaders like Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the top two Democrats in Congress. Just 50% of voters have a positive view of capitalism, down from a high of 57% in 2019, Fox News polling shows. For socialism, it’s 30% favorable, up from 27% last year but below the 32% who said the same in 2021. The Democratic Socialists of America are viewed positively by 31%. By an 11-point margin, more Democrats have a favorable opinion of socialism (52%) than capitalism (41%), while by a 50-point margin, more Republicans have a positive view of capitalism (61%) than socialism (11%). GOP RIFT GROWS AS THUNE HITS BRAKES ON TRUMP’S ELECTION BILL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN Republicans are hoping to capitalize on the socialist rise within the Democratic Party, particularly after the socialist victories in New York City that rocked the political landscape in recent months. “Democrats want to export New York’s ‘commie corridor’ to a state near you, bringing crippling tax hikes, dismantled law enforcement, and bloated government spending with it,” NRSC national press decretary Bernadette Breslin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Americans will reject Democrats’ socialist spending spree this November and elect Republicans committed to advancing an affordability agenda that keeps the American Dream within reach.” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital that Republicans have the “momentum” and over the next 100 days, House Democrats will “spend every day trying to explain away their radical socialist record and why they opposed tax relief for working families, stronger border security, voter ID, and countless common-sense policies Americans overwhelmingly support.” The RNC enters the final 100 days before the 2026 midterms with a significant financial advantage over its Democratic counterpart. According to the latest Federal Election Commission filings, the RNC has roughly $125.5 million in cash on hand, compared to about $14.9 million for the Democratic National Committee, which is also carrying approximately $18 million in debt. While Democrats remain competitive through their congressional campaign committees and strong fundraising by individual candidates, the national party apparatus currently favors Republicans by a wide margin. “So why does the DNC have less cash on hand than some expect?” DNC Chair Ken Martin wrote in a memo this week. “Because we made a conscious decision to invest money in the work required to win in 2025, 2026 and beyond. We are converting the cash we raise into electoral assets: more people, earlier organizing, better technology, and stronger state parties.” Martin continued, “That answer may be unsatisfying to people who believe the purpose of a political party is to accumulate the largest possible bank balance until
WATCH: Democrats blast Trump Saudi nuclear deal as GOP touts regional alliance
Lawmakers offered strikingly divided reactions to the White House’s announcement of a new nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, with Democrats concerned about accelerating a nuclear program in the Middle East and Republicans emphasizing the need for partnership in the region. “I don’t trust anybody as far as I can throw them, but we’ve got to develop allies,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. “And as long as we can verify them, we have the people there that can verify that they’re using them for the proper uses, then we’re OK.” The Department of Energy released details Wednesday on the agreement, which would support the development of a civilian nuclear energy program in Saudi Arabia by providing U.S. technology and expertise. The agreement also includes safeguards intended to ensure nuclear materials are not diverted for weapons development. IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL HINGES ON IAEA ACCESS TO LONG-BLOCKED ATOMIC WEAPON SITES, EXPERTS SAY Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., blasted the proposal as “outrageous,” and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., argued allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium without strict safeguards could “cause a nuclear arms race.” “The president says what we’re trying to do is to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon, but if Saudi Arabia… does not meet all the protocols, etc., then it could cause an arms race where Egyptians or others in the area want a nuclear weapon,” Meeks said. TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL SPARKS GOP DEMANDS FOR VOTE AS CONGRESS REMAINS IN THE DARK Rep. Mark Alford, R-Miss., said Congress should be central in the decision to pursue any final agreement, while also stressing the importance of having Saudi Arabia as a regional partner. “I think it’s important with any agreement like that that Congress have a role in that and I look forward to reviewing that,” Alford said. “As we continue our conflict with Iran, we need partners in that region who are of the same mindset,” Alford continued. “And Saudi, with its reforms that they’re undergoing right now, gives me great hope and encouragement that we can move forward together in that region to help bring lasting peace.” BOOKER SLAMS TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL AS AN ‘ABJECT SURRENDER,’ LABELS HIM THE ‘BIGGEST LOSER’ WITH ‘EGG ON HIS FACE’ Raskin also raised questions to Fox News Digital about President Donald Trump’s family’s financial ties to Saudi Arabia. “Now the Trump administration allows the Saudis to enrich uranium,” Raskin said. “So, the Saudis enrich the Trumps, and the Trumps allow the Saudis to enrich uranium and then we’re going to have more nuclear weapons in the Middle East to set off another nuclear arms race there.” The agreement comes as the Trump administration seeks to strengthen its partnership with Saudi Arabia while maintaining pressure on Iran over its nuclear program, a balancing act Congress is likely to scrutinize in coming months.
Federal appeals court rejects Trump bid to enforce mail ballot order ahead of midterm elections
A federal appeals court on Saturday refused to let the Trump administration enforce key parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules in 23 Democratic-led states, a setback that could send the administration to the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of this year’s midterm elections. In a 2-1 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request to pause a June ruling blocking several provisions of Trump’s March executive order while the administration appeals. The DOJ previously told the court it could seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court if it did not prevail. The administration argued the lawsuit was premature because federal agencies had not finalized the policies needed to implement the executive order. But the appeals court found the plaintiff states were already facing looming election deadlines and had begun preparing for potential changes. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S ELECTION ORDER AS SAVE AMERICA ACT FIGHT INTENSIFIES “As the district court reasoned, the (executive order) lays out a clear set of rapidly approaching deadlines by which states must coordinate with federal officials and comply with new voting procedures,” the majority wrote. “The Plaintiff States have no practical choice but to respond to the (order) now.” Trump signed Executive Order 14399 in March as part of his election integrity agenda. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to compile lists of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote and provide them to states, instructs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to establish new standards for mail-in ballots and directs the Justice Department to prioritize investigations into state and local election officials who issue federal ballots to people deemed ineligible to vote. ‘ROGUE’ OBAMA JUDGE’S SMACKDOWN OF TRUMP ELECTION RULES PROVOKES OMINOUS WARNING FROM WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY The lawsuit was brought by 23 states and the District of Columbia, led by California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington. The states argue the Constitution gives them primary responsibility for administering federal elections and that the president exceeded his authority by directing federal agencies to impose new voting requirements. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani agreed in June, ruling that several provisions of the executive order likely exceeded the president’s authority and blocking federal agencies from implementing them in the plaintiff states through the Nov. 3 federal elections. Saturday’s ruling does not resolve the underlying legal challenge but leaves Talwani’s injunction in place while the appeal proceeds. The White House and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Court checks Pritzker as Trump administration scores another immigration win
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was dealt a major legal blow Friday after a federal judge gutted key state laws providing in-state tuition, financial aid and scholarships to illegal immigrants, marking another win for the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration agenda. U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn, a Trump appointee serving in the Southern District of Illinois, sided with the Justice Department, ruling that Illinois’ in-state tuition policies, the RISE Act and the Illinois DREAM Act are “unconstitutional and invalid” as they apply to illegal immigrants. The ruling permanently prevents Illinois from enforcing the laws, although McGlynn delayed the order from taking effect for 14 days to allow the state to ask an appeals court to intervene. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES COLORADO OVER IN-STATE TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft celebrated the ruling. “Illinois sought to incentivize illegal immigration on the taxpayer’s dime by treating illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states, in clear violation of federal law,” Weinhoeft said in a statement. “This ruling enforces the statute Congress wrote and stops the State from putting illegal aliens ahead of American citizens.” The decision is the latest victory for the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle state laws extending higher education benefits to illegal immigrants and comes one day after the Justice Department filed a similar lawsuit against Colorado. NEBRASKA ENDS IN-STATE TUITION BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER DOJ DEAL The Justice Department filed the lawsuit against Illinois and a handful of colleges in September 2025, arguing Illinois violated federal law by offering in-state tuition and financial aid to illegal immigrants without making those same benefits available to all U.S. citizens regardless of where they live. McGlynn granted the federal government’s motion for summary judgment and denied Illinois’ motion to dismiss. The ruling invalidates Illinois’ in-state tuition rules, the RISE Act, which provides access to state financial aid for certain students ineligible for federal aid, and the Illinois DREAM Act, which established scholarship opportunities for eligible students. DOJ ESCALATES BLUE-STATE ICE STANDOFF AFTER STATES REFUSE KEY FEDERAL REQUEST Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill. praised the decision on X. “This is a win for Illinois taxpayers and American students who were shut out while Pritzker prioritized foreigners in our country illegally,” Miller wrote. The Justice Department has won or reached settlements in similar cases involving Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Nebraska, with Nebraska agreeing to end in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants as part of a settlement. Lawsuits remain pending against Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and Colorado. In its lawsuit filed Thursday against Colorado, the Justice Department argued the state’s ASSET Act and related policies unlawfully provide lower tuition rates and state financial aid to illegal immigrants while denying those same benefits to out-of-state U.S. citizens. “For three decades, Congress has made clear that Colorado cannot give education benefits to illegal aliens that it does not give to all American citizens,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said. “By granting illegal aliens in-state tuition, Colorado is not only violating federal law but subsidizing education for illegal aliens at taxpayers’ expense. “Our litigation efforts will not cease until we have fulfilled President Trump’s promise that illegal aliens will not obtain preferential treatment over our nation’s own citizens.” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ office defended the state’s policies. “The federal government seizing control of determining in-state tuition across the country is absurd,” a Polis spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital. “In Colorado, we are expanding access to education to provide students with the skills to get good-paying jobs and doubling down on strategies to save students money.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.
Biden judge blocking Ethiopian deportations despite SCOTUS ruling clashed with ICE before
A Biden-appointed federal judge on Friday became the second jurist in Massachusetts to block the Trump administration’s effort to end temporary protected status for migrant groups, fueling a growing clash over whether lower courts are ignoring a recent Supreme Court ruling that narrowed their authority over such decisions. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of the District of Massachusetts issued an administrative stay in African Communities Together v. Mullin, temporarily preserving TPS protections for Ethiopian nationals while the court considers whether plaintiffs may pursue constitutional claims in light of the Supreme Court’s June ruling. In a 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, the Supreme Court significantly narrowed lower courts’ authority to block DHS decisions designating or terminating TPS. SUPREME COURT’S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO ‘DIE AND SUFFER’ ATTORNEY WARNS Murphy’s ruling drew a swift response from DHS General Counsel James Percival, who accused him of “mutiny” against the Supreme Court and revived criticism of the judge’s May 2025 order halting a deportation flight to South Sudan. DHS blamed Murphy for leaving ICE officers stranded at a U.S. military base in Djibouti, where officials said they faced malaria exposure and the threat of rocket attacks from terrorist groups in neighboring Yemen. “Remember when that district judge rerouted a plane with child rapists headed for South Sudan? The judge made ICE land in Djibouti to face Malaria and terrorist rocket attacks from Yemen,” Percival wrote on X. “Fun fact: it was the very same Judge Brian Murphy who entered a lawless TPS order today!” Murphy’s order Friday comes amid a months-long legal fight over the Trump administration’s effort to end Ethiopia’s TPS designation. The litigation began after then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem determined in December 2025 that conditions in Ethiopia no longer justified Temporary Protected Status and announced the designation would terminate. Under the department’s notice, Ethiopia’s TPS designation was set to expire after a 60-day wind-down period, with protections ending on Feb. 13, 2026, before Judge Brian Murphy intervened. SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS Earlier this year, Murphy sided with the challengers, granting their motion to postpone DHS’s termination of Ethiopia’s TPS designation after finding they were likely to succeed on claims that the department failed to follow the procedures Congress established for ending TPS. But litigation was upended on June 25 after the Supreme Court ruled in Mullin v. Doe that lower courts generally cannot hear Administrative Procedure Act challenges to DHS decisions designating or terminating TPS. Since the Administrative Procedure Act formed the legal backbone of the plaintiffs’ challenge, the Trump administration argued Murphy’s injunction had been undermined and should be lifted. However, the Supreme Court left open whether constitutional claims could still proceed, leading the plaintiffs to revise their complaint to focus on those arguments. BLUE STATE LEADERS ERUPT AFTER SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ENDING TPS PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIANS, SYRIANS Murphy’s ruling comes just hours after another judge in the District of Massachusetts, Senior U.S. District Judge Patti Saris, temporarily halted the Trump administration’s effort to terminate TPS for South Sudan. Saris issued an administrative stay preserving protections while she considers whether plaintiffs may amend their lawsuit following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Like the Ethiopia case, the South Sudan challenge was brought by African Communities Together along with individual TPS holders. Saris said her order was simply meant to temporarily maintain the status quo while the court considers the case and was “not a ruling on the merits.” The tandem rulings led to calls for the Trump administration to ignore the lower court’s ruling. “These Democrat operatives in robes do not have the power to do this,” Mike Davis, a conservative legal activist and founder of the Article III Project, wrote on X. “The Supreme Court just made that crystal clear. So it’s time to ignore these clearly lawless orders.” “These puny little district court judges have been overruled so many times by the supreme court, especially on immigration, I think it’s time for the president to take his constitutional oath seriously, and ignore them,” Ann Coulter, a conservative political commentator, wrote on X. Murphy has repeatedly clashed with the Supreme Court over the Trump administration’s immigration policies, with the justices twice siding with the administration in its challenge to his orders restricting deportations of illegal aliens to countries that are not their homelands. The Biden administration first granted Ethiopians temporary protected status in 2022, declaring that war and a worsening humanitarian crisis had made it unsafe to return them to their home country. Then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pointed to ongoing armed conflict, widespread violence, human rights abuses and food insecurity, among reasons for the basis of the designation. The protections took effect on Dec. 12, 2022, and were later extended through Dec. 12, 2025. DHS estimated approximately 26,700 Ethiopian nationals living in the United States could qualify for TPS. Fox News Digital reached out to African Communities Together for comment.
Maine Democrats crown Troy Jackson as Platner replacement as fresh scrutiny clouds Senate reset
BANGOR, Maine – Maine Democrats on Saturday quickly coronated Troy Jackson as their party’s Senate nominee — following this month’s spectacular implosion of ex-candidate Graham Platner — in the high-stakes Senate showdown with longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Jackson, a former state Senate president, was elected in a landslide at the Maine Democratic Party’s nominating convention in Bangor. He was on a glide path to the nomination after winning the vast majority of the voting delegates chosen last weekend by Democrats in the northern New England state’s 16 counties. Jackson’s top rivals in the race to replace Platner backed him after dropping out of the race the past few days, leaving only one long-shot candidate for delegates to also consider at the convention. He defeated Saundra Pelletier, a pharmaceutical company CEO, by a 566-5 margin in Saturday’s vote. The Senate race in Maine, where Collins is the only GOP incumbent running for re-election in a state President Donald Trump lost in the 2024 election, is one of roughly a dozen midterm showdowns across the country that will determine if Republicans hold onto their slim majority or if the Democrats win back control of the chamber. WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS “Are you ready to defeat Susan Collins? Well, then let’s unite this party. Let’s build the largest working class movement Maine has ever seen. And let’s win this fight,” Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from the remote northern tip of Maine and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago, said in convention speech just ahead of the delegate vote. While Jackson quickly raised over $1 million for his burgeoning Senate campaign and coalesced party support, there are some potential warning signs. Following reports this past week digging into Jackson’s alleged temper and workplace conduct, reported claims of mortgage improprieties as well as other potential liabilities including his past strict anti-abortion stance, there are concerns by some in the party that following the Platner implosion, Democrats have landed another unvetted nominee. “This is a bit of a rocket vetting process,” a Democratic strategist who works on Senate races, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital. “Maine Democrats have seemingly made their choice and they’re just going to have to ride with it.” A veteran Democratic consultant who also asked for anonymity said that “it’s very clear that Democrats should not be looking to Maine to flip the Senate.” “The good news is that we have upset opportunities in places like Texas, Iowa, and Alaska,” added the consultant, who works with centrist Democratic Senate candidates. Platner, a military combat veteran and oyster farmer who was backed by progressive champion and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont soon after he launched his bid last August, saw his campaign quickly catch fire. Two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who was heavily recruited by longtime Democratic Senate leader Sen. Chuck Schumer to run for the Senate, suspended her campaign this spring after trailing Platner in fundraising and in the polls. FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TROY JACKSON, WHO’S ABOUT TO REPLACE GRAHAM PLATNER AS THE DEMOCRATS’ SENATE NOMINEE But even as Platner steamrolled the Democratic establishment and crushed the competition last month in Maine’s primary to capture the nomination, he had already been forced on defense in the wake of a slew of scandals. Platner dropped out earlier this month, amid calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to immediately exit the race following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside. Jackson, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, campaigned alongside Platner during the primary. And he quickly made the case that he was the best equipped candidate to grab the mantle of the progressive and populist movement that had backed Platner. Similar to Platner, Jackson is running on a platform aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as “Medicare-for-all,” abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and he opposes military aid to Israel at a time that Democrats are increasingly divided on support for America’s longtime Middle East ally. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Jackson, who also had Sanders’ support as he ran for governor, is currently backed in his Senate campaign by Our Revolution, the group born in 2016 out of Sanders’ first presidential campaign. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a leading progressive in the House and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, was a top Platner backer. Khanna quickly moved his support to Jackson in this month’s sprint to succeed Platner. And Jackson enjoys strong support from labor unions in Maine. The labor backing, along with support from Platner’s former allies, helped Jackson capture the overwhelming majority of county-selected delegates last weekend. The 500 delegates chosen last weekend, along with 101 selected by the state party, voted in Saturday’s convention. Republicans argued that Democrats stacked the deck to back Jackson as Platner’s replacement. “This coronation is proof that Democrats are willing to shove socialism down the throats of Maine voters, even if it means spitting in the face of Democracy to do it. Troy Jackson is a Platner apologist, a radical Bernie Bro, and a walking red flag displaying all the warning signs of the early days of the Platner campaign,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Kristen Cianci charged in a statement to Fox News Digital. Cianci called Collins “a proven leader with unimpeachable character.” Collins, as she runs for a sixth six-year term in the Senate, is facing a rough political climate for Republicans, amid GOP President Donald Trump’s underwater approval ratings, persistent inflation and what polls indicate is an unpopular war with Iran. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The senator, known as a moderate Republican who at times has voted against Trump, last month received
Letitia James faces scrutiny after New York City spends $81,700 per homeless person amid shelter scandals
New York Attorney General candidate Saritha Komatireddy is accusing Letitia James of failing to hold New York’s nonprofit homeless shelter providers accountable despite years of audits, investigations and scandals involving billions of taxpayer dollars. The criticism comes as a New York State Comptroller report in March found New York City spent roughly $81,700 per unsheltered homeless person in fiscal year 2025, with spending on street homelessness more than tripling since 2019 as the city’s homeless population climbed 78%. Komatireddy described the situation as a crisis, arguing that government spending has surged while outcomes have deteriorated. NY AG HOPEFUL BLASTS LETITIA JAMES AS MEDICAID FRAUD RECOVERIES COLLAPSE: ‘SHE’S NOT DOING THE JOB’ “So there really are questions about what has happened to that money and why that’s happening,” Komatireddy told Fox News Digital. “The person who should be asking those questions, the person who should be investigating, is the attorney general. But Letitia James has totally failed New Yorkers when it comes to holding homeless shelter nonprofits accountable so that they actually help the homeless.” Her criticism follows years of investigations by the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York State Comptroller and federal prosecutors that uncovered allegations of fraud, self-dealing, kickbacks, conflicts of interest, excessive executive compensation and weak financial oversight at organizations operating city-funded homeless shelters. Among the highest-profile cases was that of Bronx Parent Housing Network CEO Victor Rivera, who was accused by at least 10 women in a 2021 New York Times investigation of sexual assault or unwanted sexual conduct while they lived in shelters operated by his nonprofit. Weeks later, Rivera was federally indicted on conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering charges tied to an alleged kickback scheme. He pleaded not guilty. SPLC INDICTMENT BUILDS MOMENTUM FOR BESSENT’S TREASURY TO PROBE PARTISAN NONPROFITS A 2024 Department of Investigation review found nepotism, lack of competitive bidding and exorbitant salaries were issues among 51 city-funded shelter providers, including executives earning salaries approaching or exceeding $1 million. The report specifically noted that the attorney general has authority under New York law to challenge improper transactions involving nonprofit organizations. State Comptroller audits also identified millions of dollars in unsupported or improper costs at several nonprofit shelter providers, including CAMBA, Westhab, the Institute for Community Living and Samaritan Daytop Village, with follow-up audits finding that many recommendations remained unimplemented. Komatireddy argued those repeated findings should have prompted broader action by the attorney general’s Charities Bureau, which is responsible for overseeing nonprofit organizations in New York. “The amount of money that’s being spent is really shocking,” she said. “We know that at least one homeless shelter CEO received a million dollars in compensation. Meanwhile, New Yorkers are sleeping on the streets.” “It’s the attorney general’s job to audit and investigate the homeless shelter nonprofits,” she continued. “We have a Charities Bureau in the attorney general’s office whose responsibility is to oversee and supervise all nonprofits in the state, but Letitia James has not been doing that job.” James’ office has publicly announced only a handful of enforcement actions involving nonprofit homeless shelter providers during her tenure. Among them were a 2022 settlement with HELP USA requiring governance reforms following a Charities Bureau investigation into conflict-of-interest issues involving former CEO Alan Altheide and a 2023 lawsuit seeking to dissolve Housing Bridge Inc., alleging its executives diverted charitable assets for personal benefit. JACOB FREY PRAISES SOMALI COMMUNITY AS MINNESOTA FACES RENEWED SCRUTINY OVER FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS Komatireddy called for audits of every homeless shelter nonprofit that receives taxpayer funding. “We need to audit and investigate every homeless shelter nonprofit in New York,” she said. “Make sure the people who are doing a good job are supported, the people doing a bad job are cut off from taxpayer money, and the people committing crimes are prosecuted and put in jail.” The homeless shelter criticism is the latest in a broader campaign argument from Komatireddy that James has failed to aggressively police taxpayer-funded fraud. Earlier this year, Komatireddy criticized James’ oversight of New York’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit after federal officials suspended its funding, alleging the attorney general had adopted “a deliberate leadership choice” to pursue fewer criminal fraud cases and allow investigations to languish. James’ campaign rejected the criticism. “Saritha Komatireddy’s latest line of attack is as hollow as her record of public service,” a campaign spokesperson said. “While Saritha is busy playing politics, New York Attorney General Letitia James has spent over two decades working hand-in-hand with government partners across New York City and state to protect homeless New Yorkers and hold bad actors accountable.”
Hawaii’s Democratic lieutenant governor indicted in state corruption investigation
Democratic Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke was indicted by a grand jury on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and falsifying candidate committee reports stemming from a bribe she allegedly took as a state lawmaker in 2022. The indictment alleges that local businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum offered Luke a $35,000 bribe connected to a COVID-19 testing contract a company he recommended had with the state. Solidum was also indicted as part of the state attorney general’s probe, along with former state representative Ryan Yamane, Hawaii’s Transportation Department official Ford Fuchigami, and Leo Asunción, a former official for Hawaii’s public utilities commission. DEM SENATOR FACES DOJ PROBE AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF SPENDING CAMPAIGN FUNDS ON LUXURY LIFESTYLE All five defendants were swept up as part of state Attorney General Anne Lopez’s January investigation, which was an offshoot of a federal bribery probe. Solidum represented the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, which had contracts with the state to provide COVID-19 testing sites. In January 2022, with his client’s contracts set to expire soon, Solidum met with Luke at a steakhouse and allegedly gave her two $5,000 checks made out to her campaign committee Friends of Sylvia Luke, according to prosecutors. NEWSOM ADMIN FACES QUESTIONS OVER $6.2M DIAPER CONTRACT AFTER TOUTING ‘COMPETITIVE’ PROCESS “By next week, we’ll have 35, so it will be halfway to our 70,” Solidum allegedly told Luke, promising to give her $70,000, according to the indictment. “Oh wow,” Luke allegedly replied, adding, “That’s terrific,” according to the documents. Luke admitted to accepting the two $5,000 checks, but denied taking more than that and also denied any money influencing her lawmaking. MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN ADMITS TO SUFFICIENT FACTS IN JUNE DRUNKEN DRIVING CASE “I never granted special favors to a contributor,” she said in a social media post, adding that she “prized integrity and honesty above all throughout her career.” The indictment also argues that Solidum appeared to be attempting to leverage Luke’s upcoming run for lieutenant governor. Speaking about Luke to another state representative, Solidum said, “All I gotta do is give her more money now,” the indictment alleges. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green called for Luke to resign hours after the indictment. “The lieutenant governor needs to consider formally resigning to address this matter and so that the state of Hawaiʻi can move forward,” Green told local outlet Maui Now on Friday. Fox News Digital contacted the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s offices for further comment.
GOP’s freshman firebrand goes viral targeting ‘utterly intellectually indefensible’ DEI policies
Texas Republican Brandon Gill has emerged as one of the House GOP’s most effective digital communicators, turning pointed committee questioning into viral moments that reach millions at a time when commanding attention online has become nearly as valuable as controlling the House floor. The 32-year-old freshman lawmaker’s talents have quickly elevated his profile within the Republican conference, earning praise from colleagues who view him as a rising conservative voice and potential future leader while helping him build an audience far beyond Capitol Hill. “You can go in there and I can yell and scream at a witness. I can give a massive soliloquy about whatever political views happen to be at the front of my mind that day — but whenever you have a witness on the other side of the witness stand who is sworn in, they can’t lie to you, or they’re not supposed to, it’s a huge opportunity to be able to just ask probing questions about what they believe, what they’re doing with our tax dollars, about ideologies that they are pushing or that the left has been pushing,” Gill said of his strategy. “I think that so much of what the left believes in…is utterly intellectually indefensible. So what I try to do is to ask probing questions that really get to the heart of whatever issue — we can take DEI as an example — try to ask probing questions that strike at the heart of what the left is actually advocating for.” WATCH: BRANDON GILL CORNERS LAW SCHOOL GATEKEEPER WITH DEI QUESTION SHE WON’T ANSWER And Gill’s supporters have lauded him for doing just that. As chairman of the House Oversight Committee’s new Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, he’s already grilled the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the president of the American Bar Association. During one notable moment, Gill clashed with the museum director over an exhibit arguing that Mickey Mouse’s creation was rooted in racism. “The left has weaponized DEI, I think, to politicize American institutions like the Smithsonian or like law schools. And that’s a problem. We’re a country that believes you should receive your just desserts. You should receive what you deserve regardless of the color of your skin. And that is something that everybody ought to be able to get behind,” Gill said. Critics argue Gill’s rapid-fire questioning prioritizes viral moments over nuanced policy discussions. Shaun Harper, a University of Southern California professor who clashed with Gill during a House hearing on DEI, later wrote that the congressman repeatedly interrupted his attempts to provide context, insisting on yes-or-no answers. Supporters, meanwhile, say Gill’s pointed questioning exposes the ideological underpinnings of progressive policies. The Republican millennial grew up on a cattle ranch in West Texas, and currently lives in the town of Flower Mound with his wife and two young children while representing the northern part of the state. DEMOCRATS LURE ‘POLITICALLY HOMELESS’ GEN Z TOWARD SOCIALISM — A COUNTERATTACK IS TAKING SHAPE He’s also one of the most recognizable faces in a wave of young people who are changing the face of the GOP, which had long been known as the party of old age. Gill argued it comes down to the left’s growing number of cultural landmines. “So you have the left forcing, you know, children in high school to believe that men can get pregnant, or telling, you know, college students, who just want to like live a normal life and have a good time that they’re racist, or they have implicit transphobia,” Gill said. “And then you look at the other side of the aisle and Republicans, by and large, are much more laid back. They’re much more nice. They’re not going around calling everybody they see racist or sexist. They’re just normal people.” He continued, “We’re not the party who’s going to deride you and to slander you. We’re the party that I think has much more open arms towards young people.” And among many of his House GOP colleagues, that does indeed seem to be how Gill comes across. Fellow Republicans have called Gill low-key and easy to talk to in person — a far cry from his intense persona in the hearing room. Several have also said they see Gill having a bright future on Capitol Hill. REP GILL CHALLENGES ‘GENUINELY INSANE AND OBJECTIVELY OFFENSIVE’ DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AFTER VIRAL HEARING One House Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told Fox News Digital, “He is a pretty humble guy. I always enjoy talking with him on the [House floor].” “He clearly does his homework and a great job preparing questions and exposing the left in committee,” that Republican said. “I can see him as the next US senator from Texas.” Another GOP lawmaker also complimented Gill’s readiness, and said he would style him as a “future Jim Jordan,” referencing the House Judiciary Committee chair who’s been a leader of the conservative movement for years. Jordan, R-Ohio, also happens to be one of the House Republicans Gill said he looks up to the most. “I would say there’s a few members that I particularly look up to. One of them is Jim Jordan, who’s the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. I think he does a brilliant job of exposing the left, and he’s somebody who just never misses. He always makes his point very clearly and succinctly. Somebody else I look up a lot is Byron Donalds, who is going to be the next governor of Florida, a brilliant guy,” Gill said. Jordan told Fox News Digital that Gill was “an excellent addition to both the Judiciary and Oversight Committees and to our conference.” “He’s got a remarkable ability to relay our message to the American people,” Jordan said. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, of which Gill is a part, praised the young congressman as a “rising star.” “He’s putting the Left in the hot seat, exposing Democrat
GOP lawmaker demands answers after Smithsonian chief urged moving beyond ‘America First mentality’
Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, grilled Smithsonian leadership at a hearing on Wednesday on why the National Museum of American History (NMAH) had dropped mention of “American history” from its mission statement in “You explained that the museum removed the phrase ‘American history’ from the mission statement in order to help people ‘to get out of the America-first mentality,’ Carey said, posing his question to Anthea Hartig, NMAH administrator. “What did you mean by America-first?” he asked. Carey’s line of questioning, made during a Committee on House Administration hearing on Wednesday, comes as Republicans in Congress have made preserving America’s heritage a proxy for larger struggles over national identity and cultural values. ‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST WHINES SMITHSONIAN HEARINGS ARE ABOUT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NOT WANTING TO PAY REPARATIONS Progressive thinkers, such as Hartig, have argued that keeping the darker parts of American history in view should inform an understanding of the country’s past — and help set its policy direction in the present. In response, many Republican lawmakers have voiced deep unrest over efforts to characterize the U.S. as marked by oppression or slavery — such as the New York Times’ 1619 Project. Many conservatives have argued that the American ideals, laid out in documents like the Declaration of Independence, transcend even the country’s most blatant failures to live up to those aspirations; that they are anything but definitive of the American experience. The conversation has also taken on a new focus in President Donald Trump’s second term as the administration has pulled out all the stops in celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary. With calls to “Make America great again” and put “America first,” the administration released a report called “Saving America’s Story.” That report highlighted the American History Museum’s decision to change its mission statement and called out Hartig specifically. SPEAKER JOHNSON WARNS STUDENTS ARE ‘INDOCTRINATED’ TO SEE US THROUGH ‘WRONG LENSES’ AS NATION CELEBRATES 250TH “That shift from history to activism is clearly documented in this report. Anthea Hartig, NMAH’s director since 2019, has explicitly stated that she sees history as a ‘prime tool of social justice’ and one of her roles as connecting ‘research and scholarship to activism and advocacy,’” the report stated. The report also details how Hartig had explained the change to NMAH’s mission statement in a 2024 presentation to a group of undergraduate and graduate history students. “It’s hard to get out of the ‘America First’ mentality …It’s just that, and why we changed our mission when I first came,” Hartig said. “I think it’s a big challenge, especially going into 2026, which will be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 25th year since 9/11, the fifth year since January 6th.” Speaking before the committee on Wednesday, Hartig defended her view, claiming that she had not tried to make history a matter of activism through her leadership at NMAH. “The museum does not take sides in America’s political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions,” she stated. “When historians talk about reframing a traditional narrative, we do not mean erasing it. We mean adding the evidence, voices and objects that earlier tellings left out, so that more Americans can see themselves in the national story. Examining the harder chapters of our history is not the same as hostility toward America.” But Carey, alongside other Republicans, appeared unconvinced. “‘The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.’” Carey cautioned, quoting George Orwell’s cautionary book on authoritarianism, 1984. JOHNSON WARNS AMERICA IS IN ‘BATTLE’ AGAINST MARXISM, CALLS FOR RENEWED FOCUS ON NATION’S FOUNDING PRINCIPLES “Let me get back to my original question — why do you think that ‘American history’ should be erased from the American History museum?” Carey added. Hartig, pressed for time, did not give a response.