Trump helicopter’s radio warnings went unheard before close call with passenger jet, report says
Marine One’s crew made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to notify Reagan National Airport that President Donald Trump’s helicopter was preparing to depart Aug. 4 before it flew near a commercial passenger jet, according to a preliminary federal report released Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report said the crew’s first call to Reagan National’s helicopter-control frequency before departing from the Ellipse was not received. A second transmission was “broken and completely unreadable.” After failing to reach the tower, the Marine One crew tried to relay the required three-minute notification through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but that effort was unsuccessful as well, according to the report. TRUMP EYES NEW WHITE HOUSE LAWN PROJECT THAT COULD RESHAPE PRESIDENTIAL TRAVEL The missed warning meant Reagan National controllers did not receive notice that would have required them to stop departures before the presidential helicopter lifted off. Instead, Envoy Air Flight 3742, an Embraer E-170 bound for Pensacola, Florida, was cleared to take off from Runway 1 as Trump departed the White House aboard Marine One for a planned trip to Los Angeles. The passenger jet was beginning its initial climb as Marine One departed the Ellipse, about 2 miles north of the airport, the NTSB said. The FAA’s preliminary estimate found the aircraft came within about 0.82 nautical miles of one another laterally and roughly 700 feet vertically. No one was injured, neither aircraft was damaged and both flights continued without further incident. FAA PROBES JFK NEAR MISS AFTER ANOTHER RECENT CLOSE CALL FUELS SCRUTINY OF AIR TRAFFIC SAFETY The Envoy flight crew said the jet’s traffic-collision system announced, “Traffic, Traffic,” as the aircraft climbed and accelerated after takeoff. The pilots did not visually spot Marine One but said the helicopter appeared to the right and below their aircraft on the cockpit display. The system did not issue a resolution advisory, a more urgent instruction telling pilots to climb or descend to avoid another aircraft, according to the NTSB report. PILOTS ACCIDENTALLY BROADCAST ‘MEOWING’ OVER REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT FREQUENCY Marine One was eventually able to contact the tower after climbing high enough to establish reliable communications. Controllers then issued a traffic advisory, and the helicopter crew immediately reported having the Envoy jet in sight, the report said. The newly released report also shows the communications concern had been raised just days earlier. HOUSE TO VOTE ON AVIATION SAFETY BILL AFTER DEADLY DC MIDAIR CRASH On July 30, Marine Helicopter Squadron One, known as HMX-1, met with Reagan National tower staff to discuss operations in the area. During that meeting, HMX-1 told controllers that communications had been “spotty,” the NTSB said. Controllers had also raised concerns that HMX-1 crews had not always provided the required three-minute warning before takeoff. The two sides agreed that helicopter crews would use backup methods to reach the tower, including relaying the notification through another aircraft, if direct radio communication failed. NTSB REPORT DETAILS HOW CONTROLLER DECISION AND TECH FAILURES LED TO DEADLY RUNWAY COLLISION That is what Marine One’s crew attempted on Aug. 4, but the message still did not get through. FAA technicians later determined there was not adequate line-of-sight coverage between the radio transmitter-receiver site and the Ellipse, where Marine One was temporarily operating during construction at the White House. The FAA subsequently moved the radios used for the airport’s helicopter-control frequency from a nearby residential neighborhood to the top of Reagan National’s control tower, according to the report. FAA INVESTIGATES AFTER INCOMING PLANE EXECUTES GO-AROUND DUE TO AIRCRAFT LEAVING FROM INTERSECTING RUNWAY The agency later conducted radio checks with two HMX-1 aircraft operating near the Ellipse and reported no deficiencies after the equipment was moved. The FAA and NTSB began reviewing the incident earlier this month and previously characterized the event as a “momentary loss of separation.” “Based on our preliminary safety review, there was momentary loss of separation, after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another,” the FAA previously told Fox News Digital. “The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation.” While the aircraft were estimated to be less than 1.5 nautical miles apart horizontally, the NTSB said the preliminary estimate of 700 feet of vertical separation met the applicable FAA standard. In the relevant Class B airspace, the standard requires either 1.5 nautical miles of lateral separation or 500 feet of vertical separation. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO CAPTURES TENSE MOMENT TWO PLANES NEARLY COLLIDED AT BOSTON LOGAN AIRPORT The NTSB said it is continuing to review surveillance data to calculate and confirm the closest point between the two aircraft. The White House previously said Trump was never in danger. “Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the president in harm’s way,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital. The NTSB told Fox News Digital its preliminary report “is intended to present the factual information developed to date” and does not contain “analysis, conclusions, or findings related to probable cause.” “The investigation remains ongoing, and we are not providing additional comment beyond the information contained in the preliminary report,” the agency said, adding that any safety recommendations would be publicly announced and further findings would be released through its public docket and final report process. Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
Mamdani stands by DSA insider accused of stiffing landlord amid $1.4M townhome makeover
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani repeatedly declined to distance himself from embattled New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair Gustavo Gordillo, after being pressed on allegations that the DSA leader failed to pay thousands in rent on a Crown Heights apartment while his family spent a reported $1.4 million renovating the NYC townhouse where he lives—a contrast critics say is difficult to square with the anti-landlord, rent-abolitionist socialist housing agenda he helps champion. Mamdani said Sunday that people working for a “more affordable life” and a “fairer life” for New Yorkers “should be welcomed into this work.” When asked again Monday whether Gordillo should step down and whether he condemned allegations that Gordillo lied about his employment, the mayor said he welcomed anyone committed to making New York “a city that everyone can belong to.” Meanwhile, asked directly whether he condemned Gordillo’s alleged actions and lying, Mamdani ended the exchange: “Thank you very much.” Gordillo, an Ivy League graduate who as a NYC-DSA co-chair met weekly with Mamdani and his campaign manager as the group coordinated fundraising, field and communications efforts, later served on Mamdani’s Economic Development & Workforce Development transition committee, according to public reporting. He is named in a pending Brooklyn Housing Court case, in which a former landlord alleges Gordillo failed to pay $5,000 in rent on a $2,500-a-month Crown Heights apartment, while his family’s townhouse was undergoing its $1.4 million in renovations, according to the New York Post. Gordillo’s family reportedly bought the Bed-Stuy townhouse in 2019 for $935,000, while Gordillo’s father has said it is for Gordillo and his brother to live in. SOCIALIST BIGWIG BLASTS THE WEALTHY WHILE LIVING IN $1.4M BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE WITH EYEBROW-RAISING BACKSTORY “The Democratic Socialists of America have become the Double Standards of America — demanding transparency, fairness, and accountability from everyone else while ignoring serious questions about one of their own,” Rev. Kevin McCall, a Brooklyn pastor who also assists tenants in New York City Housing Authority complexes, told the New York Post. “The allegations surrounding NYC chapter co-chair Gustavo Gordillo raise troubling questions about whether he misled working-class New Yorkers about where he lived, how he obtained housing, and his labor credentials. DSA leaders and elected officials must answer these questions publicly and call for Gordillo’s resignation,” the Reverend added. NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI STRUGGLES TO DEFINE ‘WORKING CLASS’ Neither Mamdani’s office, the NYC-DSA nor Gordillo, responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. The housing case involving Gordillo remains pending and no judgment has been issued. Questions about Gordillo’s working-class credentials were also central to Monday’s exchange between Mamdani and reporters about Gordillo. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers told the New York Post that its Joint Apprentice Training Committee terminated Gordillo’s electrician apprenticeship in March after a “prolonged absence from and failure to participate in required work and classes.” FRUSTRATED BLUE-COLLAR UNION BOSSES RIP SOCIALIST POLITICIANS, WARN OF LABOR EXODUS FROM DEM PARTY The New York Post reported that Gordillo later sought and received approval for a $95,000 annual salary from NYC-DSA without disclosing the termination to members. The outlet also reported that the Bed-Stuy renovation used nonunion contractors and was hit with a city stop-work order over permit issues—prompting further criticism of a DSA leader who has cast himself as a union electrician and advocate for working people. A source close to the union, according to the New York Post, said Gordillo “didn’t have a strong work record to begin with” and took the job “just for show,” while hogging “a slot from someone who probably really needed the opportunity.”
Soros prosecutor in danger of being removed after grieving mom’s desperate alarm: ‘Can’t believe this’
A Democratic prosecutor backed by George Soros faces a recall effort after an angel mom urged voters in her county to remove him from office “before another family pays the price.” Earlier this year, Stephanie Minter, 41, was stabbed and killed at a bus stop in Fairfax County, Virginia. An illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, Abdul Jalloh, is accused of killing her. Jalloh had a lengthy criminal record, including convictions for malicious wounding, identity theft, trespassing and assault. He also had a prior charge of forcible rape. The case comes as violent and sexual crime has increased in Fairfax County and has renewed scrutiny of Democratic Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. Descano won office with significant financial backing from the Soros family’s Justice and Public Safety PAC. So far, the recall effort led by the victim’s mother, Cheryl Minter, has collected more than 12,000 signatures. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Minter said she is calling for Descano to be removed from office because she believes “had they actually prosecuted these people, then Stephanie would still be alive.” SOROS-BACKED DA’S LAX ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POLICIES LED TO ‘PREVENTABLE’ BUS STOP STABBING MURDER: COMPLAINT Under Virginia law, organizers must gather valid signatures from registered voters equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last election, file a detailed petition alleging specific legal grounds and prove those grounds in circuit court before a judge can remove the prosecutor. In her petition, Minter pointed to Jalloh’s more than 30 arrests and criminal charges and said that “again and again, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano let him walk.” Jalloh had been arrested more than 30 times and faced dozens of charges before Minter’s killing; some cases were dropped, while others resulted in convictions and jail time. “Thirty times the system had a chance to stop him. Thirty times,” she said, adding, “I think about that every single day. This was not an unavoidable tragedy. It was the predictable consequence of decisions made by Descano.” Speaking with Fox News Digital, Minter explained, “Stephanie was my world. She was my only daughter. She was so much to me.” Minter said her grief motivated her to take action. She said her daughter’s killing opened her eyes to what she sees as a broader problem, saying Stephanie’s death is “not an isolated failure.” She believes Descano’s prosecutorial leadership is a common thread in the stories of many victims in Fairfax County. While she lost her daughter, she said it is not too late to protect other families in the county. In response, Laura Birnbaum, a spokesperson for Descano’s office, told Fox News Digital, “Our office is prosecuting Abdul Jalloh for the murder of Ms. Minter.” Birnbaum noted that Jalloh was “indicted last week and his trial is set for January 2027.” She said the office is “unable to comment further on an ongoing prosecution.” WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES Beyond Fairfax County, Minter said she has learned of “so many sanctuary states that seem to be leaning toward the same thing and releasing [criminals].” She said she hopes the Descano recall effort will send a broader message to all sanctuary and soft-on-crime politicians across the country. “This isn’t just localized,” she said of the recall effort. “It’s important for so many states and so many cities.” She called for “simple solutions” to the problem of repeat criminals across the U.S. “Either [the criminal] does his time, or he gets out of here, and he doesn’t come back,” she said. “That’s the way I look at it.” DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED BY DHS FOR ‘HUNTING DOWN’ PROPERTY OWNERS LEASING TO ICE: ‘UNHINGED’ SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Ultimately, Minter said that what motivates her to keep going is the memory of the daughter she lost. “Her heart would want this to happen,” she said. “If it happened to one of her friends or somebody she knew or even didn’t … That keeps me going enough to keep pushing forward.”
Judge sentences Feeding Our Future fraudsters who faked running child nutrition site
A judge in Minnesota sentenced two men to prison on Wednesday for running a massive pandemic fraud campaign. Ahmed Ghedi was sentenced to over five years in prison, and Abdihakim Ahmed was sentenced to four and a half years. Prosecutors say the pair helped run the fraudulent child nutrition site Feeding Our Future, which claimed to be giving food to thousands of children each day in the Twin Cities area. The pair received $7.3 million in COVID relief funds meant to help support the program. Instead, they used the money to buy a car and property, as well as share the cash with a Feeding Our Future employee. EXCLUSIVE: FBI ADDS ALLEGED COVID FRAUDSTER ACCUSED OF TAKING $5M FROM KIDS’ MEAL PROGRAM TO MOST WANTED LIST The judge also ordered the men to pay restitution, with Ahmed to pay $2,242,590 and Ghedi $2,862,451. Their sentencing comes months after the mastermind behind the Feeding Our Future scam, Amee Bock, was sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison in May. Bock ran the Feeding Our Future organization and was convicted of orchestrating $250 million in pandemic relief fraud. Prosecutors told the court the nonprofit functioned as a “cash pipeline,” relying on a web of fake distribution sites, fabricated lists of children and kickbacks. MINNESOTA MAN MARKS FBI’S FIRST ARREST FROM DOJ’S ‘MOST WANTED FRAUDSTERS’ LIST During sentencing, Bock told the federal court, “I understand I failed. I failed the public, my family, everyone.” MINNESOTA FRAUD REPORT ACCUSES STATE AG OF ‘INCOMPETENCE, WILLFUL BLINDNESS OR WORSE’ The sprawling investigation has led to the convictions of dozens of people, many hailing from the state’s large Somali community. The Feeding Our Future scheme spurred the Trump administration’s surge of federal officers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area last winter, which led to violent protests and multiple fatal federal officer-involved shootings. Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Michigan Dem AG turns on El-Sayed over terror attack response, warns of mentality that ‘bothers me a lot’
Michigan’s Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel is voicing concerns about her party’s Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, saying his response to the attempted terrorist attack on a Michigan synagogue appeared to make excuses for “domestic terrorism” as she warns about increasing anti-Israel sentiments in her party. Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general since 2019, spoke at length in an interview with The Atlantic’s David Frum about her position that she doesn’t feel safe as a Jewish person attending her own state party’s convention due in part to “an enormous amount of anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party.” Nessel specifically took issue with El-Sayed’s response to the synagogue attack in Michigan earlier this year when federal investigators say a gunman inspired and radicalized by Hezbollah crashed into the place of worship seeking to kill as many Jewish people as he could. “But, you know, the reaction to it, obviously there’s a lot of people who were quick to call this out. But, you know, I think most concerning, of course, was the statement that our nominee for U.S. Senate made, which was that ‘hurt people hurt people,’” Nessel explained. “And a lot of us perceived that as sort of making excuses for somebody who sought to murder over 100 pre-K schoolchildren. And that’s the kind of mentality that bothers me a lot.” MICHIGAN’S DEMOCRATIC AG REFUSES TO ATTEND UPCOMING CONVENTION OVER HARASSMENT CONCERNS Nessel went on to reflect on how she responded to the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre by visiting a Dearborn mosque, wearing a hijab out of respect and unequivocally condemning Islamophobia. She contrasted that response with El-Sayed’s reaction to the Temple Israel attack. “I didn’t try to get into, like, what were the motivations of the person who killed these people, and did he have mental-health issues?” Nessel said. “Did he have bad experiences with Muslims? I just condemned it unequivocally, and I think that’s what people should have done with Temple Israel. You can’t make excuses for that kind of domestic terrorism.” Nessel credited El-Sayed for his outreach to Jewish leaders in recent months but expressed the belief that he should publicly retract his comments in the aftermath of the attack. ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE REACHES DEADLIEST LEVEL SINCE 1994, NEW GLOBAL REPORT FINDS “I think privately, he will say that he regrets having made those remarks,” Nessel said. “But here we are, it’s almost the end of August, and he still has not withdrawn those statements and said, I misspoke, or, I now recognize the harm that I caused by making those statements. And it has me concerned that he really stands by them.” Nessel urged El-Sayed to acknowledge he was wrong, listen to Jewish stakeholders and publicly change course, as she said she has done when confronted with her own past ignorance. She said she has also urged him to better understand Jewish religious beliefs, pointing to his post-primary reference to “breaking bread with Jews at Passover,” when bread is intentionally not eaten during the holiday. “But I asked, could you learn a little bit more about our religion so that you understand it?” Nessel said. “Could you learn a little bit more than maybe what your bubble is telling you about the history of Israel and its relationship to the Jewish people?” “Because now, when I speak to him, there seems to be a real dearth of like, again, historical knowledge, political knowledge, and religious knowledge about all of those things. And again, I leave room for the fact that all of us have the opportunity to learn more.” Nessel made it clear that she is not planning to support the state’s Republican Senate candidate, Mike Rogers, and that she would “amputate [her] right arm” before voting for him because “keeping a Republican majority in the Senate is incredibly dangerous.” “With Abdul, I will say this: We have a lot in common in terms of our general beliefs and principles and policies,” Nessel said. “And I think it’s important to say that, and I think it’s important to underline and underscore that fact. Trust me; I have much more in common with Abdul El-Sayed than I do with Mike Rogers in terms of my personal beliefs, my political beliefs, my philosophical beliefs about what should happen in the United States, and in the United States Senate.” Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment. In March, El-Sayed released a statement in addition to his controversial video statement that Nessel took issue with, saying he was “horrified and heartbroken” to learn of the synagogue attack. “To my Jewish sisters and brothers, you have a right to worship in peace,” El-Sayed said. “You have a right to send your kids to the synagogue in the morning and know they’ll come home safely at night. And you have a right to know that your religious identity and faith practice are respected. There is no room for antisemitism in America. So today and everyday, I am standing in solidarity with all of us who value our right to pray how we choose to pray against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.” El-Sayed has faced broad criticism from Jewish groups, fellow Democrats and Republicans over his repeated attacks on Israel and AIPAC, as well as his public association with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.
Mamdani ignites online firestorm after mourning death of inmate charged in grisly murder: ‘WTF are we doing?’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew ire from conservatives on Tuesday for mourning the death of a man who was awaiting trial on murder charges. “I am deeply saddened by the death of a New Yorker in City custody at a jail on Rikers Island early this morning,” Mamdani posted on X. Clarence Woodward, the man Mamdani was referencing, was arrested in 2024 and charged with murder, manslaughter and assault in connection with an unprovoked meat cleaver attack at a Bronx laundromat. At the time, Woodward had 27 prior arrests and had received parole just a month prior to the alleged killing. Woodward had pleaded not guilty to the charges and had not been convicted. “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones as they grieve this loss. We do not yet know the cause of death, but we do know that too many New Yorkers have died on Rikers Island. The Department of Correction and its oversight partners will investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. Our administration is fully committed to the critical work of creating better conditions in our city’s jail system and closing Rikers Island as quickly as possible.” WOKE LANGUAGE OVERHAUL WOULD STRIP THE WORD ‘INMATE’ FROM NEW YORK CITY’S ENTIRE JAIL RULEBOOK As of Thursday morning, Mamdani’s post has been viewed over 3.2 million times, with the majority of comments expressing outrage over Mamdani offering condolences to the inmate. “I wonder if he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the murder this guy committed,” New York City Councilwoman Vicky Paladino wrote. “Can’t find a tweet about that one.” “He’s sad that someone who murdered an innocent American with a meat cleaver is dead,” conservative commentator Eyal Yakoby posted. “What are we even doing?” DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS SEIZE THE MOMENT WITH EXTREME, ANTI-AMERICAN VIEWS THAT BADLY TARNISH THE PARTY “Commie Mamdani is ‘deeply saddened’ that a guy who murdered a guy with a meat cleaver had a medical emergency in jail,” failed Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt said in response to the post. “We cannot have leaders who weep for murderers. WTF are we doing?” “A father of two was hacked to death with a meat cleaver after his killer was repeatedly paroled,” GOP strategist and attorney Mehek Cooke posted on X. “And you think the real villain is the jail?” The criticism comes weeks after Mamdani faced similar backlash for visiting Rikers Island, where he spoke with inmates during a World Cup semifinal watch party in July. While conservatives on social media were unhappy with Mamdani’s statement, officials and community activists have long raised concerns about the conditions on Rikers Island. Many, for instance, point out that many of the individuals being held there are awaiting trial and thus entitled to a presumption of innocence. “Our people are dying while under the custody of the Department of Corrections from medical neglect, physical abuse and unsafe conditions,” one community activist said in June 2025 about Rikers Island. “People shouldn’t keep dying in the same facility while awaiting a fair trial,” the chief research editor of Rolling Stone magazine wrote on X. DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE CALLED FOR MASS RELEASE OF CRIMINALS DURING PRISON ABOLITION WEBINAR New York City has been legally committed since 2019 to closing Rikers and replacing it with four smaller borough-based jails, a plan Mamdani has pledged to accelerate. Critics argue the move would leave the city with fewer jail cells and make it more difficult to tackle crime. “On the same day Mamdani was mourning a murderer who had a medical emergency in jail, another murderer was out taking more innocent lives after NYC leftists cut him loose early despite at least a dozen prior arrests and a history of violent crime,” Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts posted, referencing a parolee police were seeking in connection with two deadly robberies in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Mamdani’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
House GOP subpoenas doctor behind ‘Have My Baby in Miami’ birth tourism business
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is subpoenaing a doctor allegedly behind a sprawling birth tourism scheme based in Florida. It comes as Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, is setting his sights on a new target after his crackdown on the Smithsonian Institution made headlines and thrust fresh scrutiny onto its teaching of American history. Gill’s task force on investigating institutional abuses, which is part of the House Oversight Committee, is now gearing up for a hearing on the practice of birth tourism — something the White House sounded the alarm on just this month. As part of the hearing, Comer sent a subpoena to Dr. Wladimir Lorentz of Have My Baby in Miami, a South Florida business that’s aimed at helping foreigners give birth in the United States. The hearing is expected to take place Sept. 1. Comer accused Lorentz of refusing to voluntarily appear via his attorney, and in a letter sent with the subpoena on Tuesday, Comer said Lorentz’s attorney argued he could not speak with the committee due to a pending criminal probe being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. “As the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of a company doing business as ‘Have My Baby in Miami,’ your knowledge regarding the company’s marketing practices and direct observations relevant to the birth tourism industry is vital to the immediate investigation,” Comer’s subpoena letter read. SEN ERIC SCHMITT SEEKS TO END BIRTH TOURISM, REVOKE CITIZENSHIP FOR BABIES OF FOREIGN DIPLOMATS “Furthermore, given the national security concerns raised by birth tourism, delaying the hearing or deferring your testimony to some unknown date in the (potentially far) future would be an extraordinary action that would curtail the Committee’s ability to glean valuable information that will inform its oversight and further its legislative goals.” Meanwhile, Gill echoed Comer’s concerns over national security. BIRTH TOURISM FIGHT SHIFTS TO US ‘TROPICAL MATERNITY WARD’ WITH HISTORY OF CHINESE EXPLOITATION “A growing industry is openly marketing American citizenship to foreign nationals who travel here for the express purpose of giving birth on U.S. soil. This abuse of our immigration system also raises serious national security concerns, particularly given the number of birth tourists traveling from adversarial nations like China and Russia,” the House GOP firebrand said. His panel’s Sept. 1 hearing is also expected to feature testimony from Dr. Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies. The medical director and owner of a company called International Maternity Services, Dr. Julio César Novoa, was also invited. TEXAS GOV ABBOTT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON ‘BIRTH TOURISM,’ SAYS US CITIZENSHIP NOT FOR SALE Gill’s new task force, which was founded this year, has largely focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across various sectors of American life. He’s held hearings on whether the Smithsonian’s teaching of U.S. history involved overly ideological and political leanings, and whether DEI plays a role in running the American Bar Association (ABA). Birth tourism is the colloquial term for the general practice of foreign nationals coming to the U.S. on temporary visas for the purpose of having a child who then automatically becomes an American citizen. President Donald Trump targeted birth tourism in a recent executive order after the Supreme Court struck down his efforts to curb birthright citizenship writ large. He also signed an order banning specific categories, such as children born to foreign government workers, from automatically getting U.S. citizenship. Have My Baby in Miami is just one company that appears to make it more accessible for foreigners to give birth in the U.S. Its website and social media pages appeared to be disabled as of Thursday. But a YouTube page that appears to be associated with the business states, “Many people have questions about how to have a child in the United States, and we can help clarify how to deliver in Miami, how to live in the United States during your pregnancy, how to have a baby in the United States, how much it costs to deliver in the United States and how to go through pregnancy in the United States.” “Children who are born in the United States, with rare exceptions, have US citizenship,” the summary states. An October 2025 article by Local 10 in Florida appears to have obtained information from the now-deleted pages, including that the company reportedly touted that it helped deliver 2,000 babies. It’s not yet clear if Lorentz will appear. But defying a congressional subpoena could risk criminal charges. Fox News Digital reached out to his lawyer for comment.
One unexpected price surge most Americans don’t see is raising the stakes for Trump before November
The fuel most Americans rarely think about is becoming a new hurdle for President Donald Trump’s push to make housing more affordable, as the Iran war raises costs for construction sites. With the midterm elections approaching, the diesel surge underscores the political tension facing Trump and congressional Republicans as they promise to bring down housing costs while war-driven energy prices add new pressure to home construction. Builders are already wrestling with expensive financing, labor, materials and costs tied to regulations and permitting that Republicans have pledged to reduce. Because diesel powers the trucks and heavy equipment used throughout the construction process, higher prices can make it harder to deliver the lower-priced homes needed to ease America’s affordability crunch. AMERICA’S HOUSING MARKET COULD RUN OUT OF SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOMES Jim Tobin, president and CEO of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), told Fox News Digital that diesel is “critical to construction.” “Diesel, which our workers use when they’re hauling materials on trucks and moving dirt on sites, has seen a spike, and that has really put a little bit of pressure on home building in the short term here.” Unlike gasoline, which is felt most directly by motorists, diesel powers the trucks hauling lumber, concrete, appliances and other supplies to construction sites, as well as the heavy equipment that prepares lots and builds new homes. The national average price of on-highway diesel climbed to $5.65 a gallon this week, up nearly $2.00 from a year ago, according to data compiled by the Energy Information Administration. Diesel’s year-over-year increase has been far sharper than gasoline’s, with the national average for regular gas at about $4.09 a gallon. The added pressure comes as Trump has made housing affordability a key part of his second-term agenda. In March, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to reduce regulatory barriers that raise construction and homeownership costs, with an emphasis on speeding permitting and expanding supply. THE SURPRISING HIDDEN COST QUIETLY ADDING NEARLY $132K TO NEW HOME PRICES REVEALED But even as the administration targets regulatory costs, builders say other expenses can quickly offset those savings. Tobin said the industry has so far seen only a modest impact from tariffs on construction inputs. But he has begun hearing from manufacturers announcing price increases, particularly those tied to steel and aluminum costs. Diesel adds another layer of pressure by raising the cost of both getting materials to a job site and completing the work once they arrive. The issue is especially significant in fast-growing states across the South and Southwest, where an influx of residents, businesses and capital has fueled demand for new housing. “States that find themselves ahead of the curve are planning those two critical components, infrastructure and housing, together,” Tobin said. “They’re going to be better prepared for growth in the future.” Builders are also grappling with a persistent shortage of construction workers. Tobin said the industry is roughly 250,000 workers short, raising labor costs and contributing to project delays. More homes are needed to ease price pressures, but each increase in the cost of labor, land, materials, financing or fuel makes that task harder. Diesel may not appear on a buyer’s closing documents, but its cost can still be felt long before they get the keys. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Florida becomes first state to block welfare cash for tattoos, vapes and more
Florida is becoming the first state to impose sweeping new limits on how welfare cash can be spent, blocking recipients from using cash-assistance benefits loaded onto EBT cards for purchases like tattoos, theme park tickets, video games, vaping products and other items not generally considered “basic needs” under a plan the Trump administration is urging other states to emulate. Florida’s cash-assistance program, known as Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), is funded through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It is separate from SNAP, the food-assistance program, though families may receive both types of benefits through separate balances on the same EBT card. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) determined Florida’s updated TANF plan to be complete Thursday in a letter sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis and obtained by Fox News Digital. The letter praised the Sunshine State governor for putting “common-sense restrictions” on what it calls inappropriate, luxury and non-essential purchases. MICHIGAN LAWMAKER MOVES TO SHUT DOWN ‘GUARDRAIL-FREE’ CASH HANDOUT PROGRAM FOR NEW MOTHERS “Taxpayer-funded assistance should help families put food on the table, keep the lights on, purchase clothing, provide for their children and overcome barriers on the path toward independence,” DeSantis said in announcing the policy. “We will continue supporting Floridians who genuinely need assistance, while working to improve accountability and transparency so that these programs operate as intended.” Florida had already barred EBT cards from being used or accepted for alcohol purchases and transactions at adult-entertainment establishments, casinos and commercial bingo locations several years ago, but the updated plan moves beyond those merchant and location-based restrictions by imposing item-level limits at otherwise eligible retailers, including on purchases for tattoos and other body piercings, entertainment services and products like theme park admission and video games, intoxicants like vapes and other nicotine products, and pornography products. SEE IT: SNAP ADVOCATE DEFENDS TAXPAYER-FUNDED COCA-COLA IN FIERY EXCHANGE WITH GOP LAWMAKER ON WASTE The governor’s press release announcing the change also cites “Psychic and fortune-telling services” among those purchases that will be prohibited. Florida’s separate Healthy SNAP initiative, launched in April, barred recipients from using food benefits on soda, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed prepared desserts. The new action from the Sunshine State, with backing from the Trump administration, applies those same food limits to Florida’s cash-assistance program, which is funded through TANF, while adding restrictions on non-food purchases deemed non-essential. FOOD STAMP FRAUD CRACKDOWN AT USDA WOULD END LOOPHOLE THAT LETS FERRARI, LAMBORGHINI OWNERS GET BENEFITS ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams told Fox News Digital the administration sees TANF as temporary help for families in need, not an unrestricted cash benefit. “When people come to us for those basic needs, we will give them short-term assistance for those needs, but not for superfluous purchases,” he said. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE WELFARE FRAUD AS COMMON, STILL MOSTLY FAVOR PROTECTING BENEFITS OVER CRACKDOWNS Florida distributes its welfare benefits through EBT cards to help eligible families cover basics such as food, clothing, housing, utilities, household goods and personal-care items. The governor’s office says the average participating household receives roughly $250 a month, and Adams stressed that the policy does not reduce anyone’s benefit amount. “No one loses any of their benefit,” Adams said. “What this is saying is, if an individual or a family is going to come to the government to cover their basic needs, it is the government’s expectation that they be used for those basic needs.” The restrictions will be phased in as Florida works with its EBT vendor and participating retailers to block prohibited purchases. Under the final plan, recipients will be allowed to withdraw TCA cash only at SNAP-authorized retailers and financial institutions that accept EBT cards. Adams told Fox News Digital the administration hopes Florida becomes a model for other states. He said 27 states lack EBT location restrictions beyond those required by federal law and that most states do not impose item-level TANF purchase limits. “While Florida is the first state, hopefully it’s not the last state,” Adams told Fox News Digital, adding that ACF plans to highlight Florida’s approach as “a best practice” for other states.
Democrats’ redistricting push in blue state hits legal snag
A Maryland court blocked Democrats from adding a congressional redistricting initiative to the November ballot on Wednesday. The Democrat-backed effort would have allowed Maryland residents to vote on an amendment to the state constitution to let lawmakers redraw district maps ahead of the 2028 elections. The amendment would have removed the requirement that congressional districts be compact and follow “natural boundaries.” Democrats already control seven of Maryland’s eight congressional districts. MARYLAND’S LONE CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICAN BLASTS MOORE’S REDISTRICTING PUSH AS ALLEGED 2028 WHITE HOUSE PLAY The lone Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., represents the district situated on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, and the change would allow Democrats to reshape his district. County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson ruled that Democrats had violated state deadlines for adding ballot measures. Earlier this year, Maryland Democrats passed a law requiring the Maryland secretary of state to certify ballot summaries by July 1, but the amendment was submitted after that date. EXCLUSIVE: OVERSIGHT PROJECT SUES TO BLOCK MARYLAND DEMOCRATS’ REDISTRICTING MEASURE BACKED BY GOV MOORE The Maryland Senate Republican Caucus released a statement praising the ruling on Wednesday. “The case has never been about preventing Marylanders from having a voice, it’s been about ensuring that before voters are asked to amend the constitution, the state first complies with the constitution and the election procedures established by law,” the statement read, according to Fox 5 DC. REDISTRICTING WAR INTENSIFIES AS GOP SUFFERS SETBACKS IN TWO STATES The Maryland ruling is the latest development in a nationwide battle over redistricting that started in Texas. Republicans and Democrats are vying for any and every advantage leading into the 2026 midterm elections. An effort similar to Maryland’s by Democrats was struck down in Virginia earlier this year by the state supreme court. Texas successfully redrew its maps in favor of Republicans, while California did the same in favor of Democrats. Redistricting battles remain ongoing in Georgia and elsewhere.