Trump’s ‘STOP’ message to Putin echoes Biden’s ‘don’t’ from 2022
President Donald Trump’s message for Russian President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” airstrikes on Ukraine echoes a comment made by former President Joe Biden in 2022 in which he repeatedly warned Putin against using chemical or nuclear weapons in the conflict. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday as Russian airstrikes rocked Kyiv. Three years ago, during an interview with CBS News, Biden was asked, “As Ukraine succeeds on the battlefield, Vladimir Putin is becoming embarrassed and pushed into a corner — And I wonder Mr. President what you would say to him if he is considering using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons?” “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t,” Biden responded. “It will change the face of war unlike anything since World War II.” RUSSIA IS ‘READY TO MAKE A DEAL’ ON UKRAINE WAR, LAVROV SAYS The Thursday attack on Ukraine killed at least 10 and injured at least 90, including children, Ukraine said. Trump’s message to Putin to “STOP!” was criticized on the Friday cover of the New York Post, which featured the headline “Words aren’t enough.” Trump administration officials claimed they had productive talks with Putin, but they have yet to secure a deal that would end the war that has been raging since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. RUSSIAN GENERAL KILLED IN MOSCOW-AREA CAR BOMBING, INVESTIGATORS SAY Recently, several members of the administration suggested that the U.S. could end its efforts to secure a peace deal if Ukraine and Russia do not start making significant moves toward ending the war. White House envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow on Friday to meet with Putin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also told CBS News that the Kremlin is “ready to reach a deal” to end the war. In an excerpt of an interview that is set to air in full on Sunday, Lavrov said he agreed with Trump’s assertion that talks between Ukraine and Russia were “moving in the right direction.” However, Lavrov added there were “some specific points, elements of the deal, which need to be fine-tuned,” but did not explain what was being negotiated. Lavrov also apparently made it clear to CBS News that Russia would not give up Crimea, which the country seized from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that his country would not recognize Russian control of Crimea, as it would go against Ukraine’s constitution. Trump slammed Zelenskyy over the “inflammatory” remark and said in a post on Truth Social that the comment was “very harmful” to peace efforts. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
REAL ID sees nationwide state government compliance ahead of deadline, but it wasn’t always that way
While all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories are all currently in compliance ahead of the federal deadline of May 7, REAL ID was once roundly opposed by several state governments. As soon as two years after the law’s 2005 passage by President George W. Bush, several state leaders had already expressed objections to complying with the nationwide standard. Then-Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, called REAL ID a “harebrained scheme” in a 2008 NPR interview. “[W]e are putting up with the federal government on so many fronts, and nearly every month they come out with another… unfunded mandate to tell us that our life is going to be better if we’ll just buckle under on some other kind of rule or regulation,” Schweitzer said. NO ‘REAL ID’ APPOINTMENTS OPEN IN NEW JERSEY AS RESIDENTS SOUND OFF: ‘GET WITH THE TIMES, NJ’ “And we usually just play along for a while, we ignore them for as long as we can, and we try not to bring it to a head. But if it comes to a head, we found that it’s best to just tell them to go to hell and run the state the way you want to run your state.” One year prior, Schweitzer signed a law banning Montana’s DMV from enforcing REAL ID stipulations, calling it a “threat to privacy” in a letter to then-Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, also a Democrat. Not too far west in Washington state, fellow Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire signed similar legislation that required the feds to appropriate $250 million to cover the unfunded mandate. “[E]ven worse, it doesn’t protect the privacy of the citizens of Washington,” Gregoire claimed when signing the bill. On the Republican side, then-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed a law in 2008 halting PennDOT’s implementation of REAL ID. “Neither the governor nor the Department of Transportation or any other Commonwealth agency shall participate in the REAL ID Act of 2005 or regulations promulgated thereunder,” Act 38’s text read. The policy was later reversed by Act 3 of 2017, signed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. ‘MASS SURVEILLANCE’: CONSERVATIVES SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP ADMIN’S REAL ID ROLLOUT Meanwhile, New Jersey has the lowest reported compliance with REAL ID, according to a CBS News analysis, with only 17% of the population having one – and many complaining of not enough bandwidth for the state to handle the number of applications. On Wednesday, Kentucky Republican state Sen. Jimmy Higdon, wrote to DHS asking for an extension to the May 7 enforcement date, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. State compliance with REAL ID means that a state has met the federal security standards outlined by DHS for the actual issuance of drivers’ licenses. Since all states have done so, they are considered compliant. Because the program is optional for the licenseholder – due to the alternatives, like passports – an insufficient proportion of residents not having REAL IDs does not affect statistical state compliance. REAL ID requirements, endeavored out of a post-9/11 national security law from then-Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., dictate that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will no longer accept a photo-ID that does not have a star in the upper corner denoting verification, unless it is a passport. To become verified, Americans must provide Social Security information or other personal identifiers. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The law’s implementation date has been delayed several times, due to COVID and concerns about varied state compliance and states’ abilities to summon the necessary resources to meet federal standards. Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the current governors of the three states referenced: Democrat Bob Ferguson of Washington, Republican Greg Gianforte of Montana and Democrat Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
Sunshine State Dem announces switch to no affiliation: ‘Democratic Party in Florida is dead’
Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo — who had been serving as state Senate Democratic Leader — announced that he is switching to no party affiliation. State Sen. Lori Berman has been tapped to replace Pizzo as Senate Democratic Leader. During a speech on Thursday, Pizzo declared that “the political party system here in Florida is nearly dead.” He asserted that the “Democratic Party in Florida is dead,” adding that “there are good people that can resuscitate it. But they don’t want it to be me.” He also said the Republican Party has many problems. DEMOCRAT REP. WILSON URGES PEOPLE TO CALL, THREATEN LAWMAKERS OVER UPTICK IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DETENTIONS Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried lambasted the state lawmaker. “Jason Pizzo is one of the most ineffective and unpopular Democratic leaders in recent memory, and his resignation is one of the best things to happen to the party in years,” Fried asserted. “His legacy as leader includes continually disparaging the party base, starting fights with other members, and chasing his own personal ambitions at the expense of Democratic values. “Jason’s failure to build support within our party for a gubernatorial run has led to this final embarrassing temper tantrum. I’d be lying if I said I’m sad to see him go, but I wish him the best of luck in the political wilderness he’s created for himself. The Florida Democratic Party is more united without him.” TRUMP HAILS FLORIDA DEM’S DECISION TO DITCH PARTY, JOIN GOP: ‘THANK YOU HILLARY!’ Florida state Reps. Susan Valdés and Hillary Cassel both announced they were switching from Democrat to Republican last year. Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who had served as a Republican, announced a switch to no party affiliation in 2018, though he was no longer in office at that time. But now Jolly has just changed his registration to Democrat, according to Politico. DESANTIS WELCOMES FLORIDA STATE LAWMAKER TO REPUBLICAN PARTY AS SHE DITCHES DEMOCRATS Jolly has said he is “very seriously considering a run for governor,” according to the outlet.
California floats plan to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars amid housing crisis
A new bill in the Golden State would allow homeless community college and state university students to sleep in their cars during the blue state’s housing crisis. A Public Policy Institute of California report found California has among the lowest homeownership rates and the most expensive housing in the U.S., with rent about 50% higher than the national median. The California bill seeks to provide a short-term solution to the state’s decades-long housing strife. Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a progressive California Democrat with a doctorate in social work, proposed a bill in March that would require the chancellors of the California state universities and the governing board of each community college district to develop an overnight parking program with “basic needs coordinators and campus security” by late 2026. CALIFORNIA MAYOR WANTS TO GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE ‘ALL THE FENTANYL THEY WANT’: ‘NEED TO PURGE THESE PEOPLE’ “This bill confronts a harsh reality to many of our students who are sleeping in their vehicles or other displaced settings as they are unable to find affordable housing, and that’s jeopardizing their education,” Jackson said. “What I am proposing is practical, immediate relief, overnight parking programs that turn campus lots into safe, temporary havens while the state works on lasting solutions.” Almost three out of five California community college students are housing insecure and one in four are homeless, a survey conducted by the Community College League of California in 2023 found. CALIFORNIA CAREER POLITICIAN BARBARA LEE WINS MAYOR RACE IN EMBATTLED OAKLAND “We are in a housing crisis. We are in a homelessness crisis, and it’s not an either or approach. It’s a both and all of the above approach,” Jackson said. Many legislative proposals in California this year seek to fund student housing or cut through building regulation red tape, but Jackson aims to provide immediate relief for college students grappling with the housing crisis. Jackson, who acknowledged stakeholders’ disapproval of his bill, proposed a similar one during last year’s legislative session, but it failed. Its 2025 version, however, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee this year. The bill has yet to face its first committee review and is already grabbing national attention as conservatives and progressives question what’s happening to California’s housing market. “After wrecking affordability in California, Democrats have nothing left but bad ideas,” California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement. “They’re now proposing to let students sleep in cars because they can’t fix the housing crisis they created. This isn’t innovation. It’s desperation from a party that spent decades raising costs, blocking new housing and wasting billions on programs that failed. Letting students live in parking lots isn’t a solution. It’s proof their policies have completely collapsed.” When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Newsom’s office said it does not typically comment on pending legislation. “California is bucking not only national increases but reversing long-term trends in the state from decades of inaction prior to this administration. California’s progress in addressing homelessness is outperforming the nation,” a Newsom spokesperson said. Newsom’s office, citing 2024 records, stressed that homelessness is increasing nationwide by more than 18%, while California’s national trend is closer to 3%, lower than 40 other states. Newsom also touted the state’s more than 71,000 year-round shelter beds, which a spokesperson said is double the amount created during the 5-year period prior to the Newsom administration. But that hasn’t stopped the criticism of Jackson’s bill. Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt slammed the policy on “America’s Newsroom.” “The problem in California is there are not enough homes and apartments. It’s a supply problem created over 50 years of no-growth, left-wing policies that are anti-housing. The solution is not to create homeless encampments, and each one of these will become that,” Hewitt said. “People are going to enroll in the community college for 18 bucks a credit, and then they’re going to put their car in the community college parking lot.” Hewitt said these are the types of polices that drove people like him out of California “because it’s simply a broken state” with a “deep blue supermajority” and no ideas about how to build houses. “Newsom should spend more time governing and addressing California’s housing crisis, so students don’t have to sleep in cars & less time launching his own podcast. [I don’t know] how he sees himself as a 2028 contender when he has totally FAILED to address voters’ top issue: AFFORDABILITY,” Brendan Hartnett, a progressive policy advisor, added on X. Hartnett was referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast, which features a revolving door of Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, in an attempt to show he is open to “criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another.” The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 presidential election that Democrats didn’t prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough.
Trump admin cheers ‘important steps’ as Paraguay targets Iran and its terror proxies
The Trump administration is applauding a major move by a key South American ally in the global fight against terrorism. On Thursday, the U.S. State Department issued a statement congratulating Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña for officially labeling Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization – a decision the U.S. calls a critical blow to Iran’s terror network in the Western Hemisphere. “The United States welcomes President Santiago Peña’s designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. In addition to the IRGC designation, Paraguay also expanded its 2019 designations of the armed wings of Hezbollah and Hamas to include the entirety of both organizations. The Trump administration hailed it as a firm stand against Iranian-backed extremism. NUCLEAR WATCHDOG URGES ‘TRUST BUT VERIFY’ THAT IRAN ENGAGES IN GOOD-FAITH NEGOTIATIONS “Iran remains the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world and has financed and directed numerous terrorist attacks and activities globally, through its IRGC-Qods Force and proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” Bruce said. The decision is particularly significant in the Tri-Border Area, the region where Paraguay borders Argentina and Brazil, which has long been considered a financial hub for Hezbollah-linked operatives. The State Department said Paraguay’s action will help cut off the Iranian regime’s ability to fund terrorism and operate in Latin America. “The important steps Paraguay has taken will help cut off the ability of the Iranian regime and its proxies to plot terrorist attacks and raise money for its malignant and destabilizing activity,” Bruce added, highlighting the Tri-Border Area as a critical front in this effort. TRUMP TEAM HOLDS ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ FACE-TO-FACE NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN, WILL MEET AGAIN NEXT WEEKEND The Trump administration said it plans to build on this momentum and continue working with allies to confront Iran’s global influence. “The United States will continue to work with partners such as Paraguay to confront global security threats,” Bruce said. “We call on all countries to hold the Iranian regime accountable and prevent its operatives, recruiters, financiers, and proxies from operating in their territories.” This isn’t a one-off. Since his first term, Trump has made confronting Iran’s terror apparatus a cornerstone of his foreign policy. In 2018, he pulled the U.S. out of the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), calling it “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.” Now, the Trump administration is back at the negotiating table, but on its own terms. Two rounds of nuclear talks have already taken place this month, with a third scheduled for later this week. A senior administration official said the discussions have made “very good progress,” though the details remain closely guarded. As Bruce emphasized, Washington is calling on “all countries” to follow suit in holding “the Iranian regime accountable.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The United States does not currently have a permanent Ambassador to Paraguay. Instead, Amir Masliyah holds the position of Chargé D’Affaires. Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
NY AG’s office hires attorney that repped Hunter Biden to defend Letitia James against fraud accusations
The New York Attorney General’s Office has hired high-powered attorney Abbe Lowell to defend Attorney General Letitia James against fraud accusations being levied against her. The office confirmed it hired Lowell, who has represented high-profile political figures on both sides of the aisle, including Hunter Biden, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, former Sen. Bob Mendez and Bill Clinton. It is unclear whether taxpayer dollars are going towards James’ defense, as the attorney general’s office stopped answering questions once Fox News Digital began asking about how Lowell would be compensated. Lowell will represent James as a private citizen, not as part of Winston & Strawn LLP, where he is a partner. HUNTER BIDEN HIRES ALEX MURDAUGH’S LAWYER IN LATEST COURT CASE; ABBE LOWELL OUT U.S. Federal Housing Director William Pulte is requesting the Department of Justice investigate James and consider prosecuting her for allegedly falsifying bank documents and records in order to garner more favorable loans. Lowell, who hung up on Fox News Digital when reached by phone, sent a letter to the DOJ Thursday urging them to reject Pulte’s request for prosecution. Local reporting from the Times Union said the attorney general’s office indicated the decision to hire Lowell to defend James was, in part, based on their allegation that the Trump administration is pushing a politically motivated criminal referral in response to James bringing a civil case against Donald Trump last year for allegedly inflating asset values to obtain favorable loans. Lowell, in his letter to the DOJ that was directed to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, referred to Pulte’s criminal referral as “the latest act of improper political retribution” from Trump. NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CLAIMS DOJ’S MORTGAGE FRAUD ACCUSATIONS ARE ‘BASELESS’ “The stunning hypocrisy of President Trump’s complaint that the Justice Department had been ‘politicized’ and ‘weaponized’ against him is laid bare as he and others in his administration are now asking you to undertake the very same practice,” Mr. Lowell wrote. In his letter, Lowell points to instances where Trump has called for revenge, and instances where the president has personally attacked James. Lowell also went after the allegations, including that James listed a home in Virginia as her primary residence while serving as a state official in New York. According to Lowell, James had no intention of using the property as a primary residence and her indication of this in a power-of-attorney letter was a mistake. Lowell pointed out there were other documents where James indicated to her lender that the Virginia home would not be her primary residence. A second accusation of fraud against James accuses her of inflating the number of livable units in a multifamily Brooklyn residence to receive better interest rates. Lowell accuses Pulte of disregarding updated documentation listing the residence as a four-unit multifamily residence, and instead pointing to a certificate of occupancy from 2001.
Democrat Rep. Wilson urges people to call, threaten lawmakers over uptick in illegal immigration detentions
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., urged people to call and threaten congressional lawmakers over the Trump administration’s immigration policies following a visit to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Wilson visited ICE Krome Detention Center in Miami before holding a news conference on Instagram Live. “So I’ve been giving out the phone numbers to the House of Representatives and to the Senate,” she said. “It’s one number that number you call and you threaten it, and you say, this is wrong. This is not America. This is not what we stand for. We need a change. You have to do that. It’s going to take the people. We’ve done it.” FEDERAL JUDGE ALLEGES ‘WILLFUL AND BAD FAITH REFUSAL’ TO COMPLY IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION CASE “We need the people. We needed an uprising where people are taking to the streets and the phones and writing letters. That’s what we need,” she added. Before going into the ICE facility, Wilson said she expected to see criminals with “cases tattooed with gold teeth.” “I wanted to see where were these dangerous people that they had picked up off the street and put them in a detention center,” the representative said. “I didn’t see that. I saw hard working men. Some more literate than others. I even saw some who are mentally disturbed and have mental issues.” Wilson, who has feuded with President Donald Trump in the past, also blamed the Laken Riley Act for the increase in migrant detentions. Trump signed the bill into law days after taking office. It directs ICE to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer. TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE ORDERS ADMINISTRATION TO RETURN SECOND DEPORTED MIGRANT The law also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration. The bill was named after Riley, a nursing student who was killed while jogging on the University of Georgia campus by an illegal immigrant. Jose Ibarra, who had previously been arrested but never detained by ICE, was sentenced to life in prison for the killing. “The Laken Riley Act has caused an increase in detainees, and these are people who have… you could have been here forever,” said Wilson, who said that illegal migrants can get arrested “walking across the street, jaywalking, or shoplifting, they will detain you and bring you right here.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Wilson’s offices in Washington and Florida.
Trump world fires back at Politico over report White House may lift sanctions on Russian assets
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are pushing back against a report saying they have discussed lifting sanctions on Russian energy assets, calling the anonymously sourced article from Politico “totally fictitious” and “fake crap.” The outlet released a report citing internal White House officials Thursday, indicating Witkoff and Rubio had been in discussions about potentially lifting energy-related sanctions as part of a wider peace negotiation to end the war in Ukraine. “This is false,” Rubio and Witkoff said in a joint statement released by the White House. “Neither of us have had any conversations about lifting sanctions on Russia as part of a peace deal with Ukraine. This is just totally fictitious and irresponsible reporting from Politico, a fifth-rate publication. If they have an ounce of journalistic integrity, they will fully retract this piece of fiction.” The report from Politico claimed “five people familiar with the discussions” said Witkoff has been a “main proponent” of lifting sanctions against Russian energy assets, including the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, one of the country’s main natural gas pipelines that goes to Europe. TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL The Politico report claimed Rubio has tried to derail the efforts, saying there is an ongoing rift between U.S. energy export proponents and those who want to improve ties with Russia. When reached for comment, a Politico spokesperson said the outlet stands by its reporting. “There isn’t even a kernel of truth to this story – Politico was played by their ‘sources’ yet again,” Witkoff said in a separate statement posted by his X account after the report was published. “It’s embarrassing that they print this type of fake crap.” “More bulls— from the liars at Politico smearing Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff with pure fake news,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. “How do they get away with continuing to run these fake stories????” TRUMP HAS HIS OWN DEADLINE, ‘NO ALLEGIANCE TO ANYBODY’ IN UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL “I hope Politico has good defamation insurance coverage,” Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee wrote on social media. “Or maybe I don’t.” “Politico is a C-rated tabloid, fraught with poor sourcing and a TDS epidemic, pretending to be serious news,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly added. “This story is one of many pathetic tall tales that have been debunked, but their reporters are too desperate to report fake drama to discern truth from fact.” Sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline were established during the first Trump administration and waived by President Joe Biden a few months after he entered office. However, Biden reinstituted the sanctions after Russia’s decision to enter into war with Ukraine. US–RUSSIA FLASHPOINT LOOMS OVER PUTIN’S PLANS FOR AFRICAN NAVAL BASE The energy sector has played a central role in the ongoing negotiations for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S. has reportedly proposed taking control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and is pushing to ink a critical minerals deal to help repay America’s military assistance. The U.S. has also reportedly floated the idea of taking over Ukrainian natural gas pipelines to help with the repayment. Russia and Ukraine recently ended a U.S.-brokered temporary truce, agreeing not to attack each other’s energy infrastructure, earlier this month. But the negotiations reached a critical point after Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. is prepared to walk away from further ceasefire negotiations if the two sides do not strike a deal. Vance’s remarks were followed up by a post on Truth Social by the president, who blasted Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to accept the annexation of Crimea as part of a peace deal. “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” Trump said of Zelenskyy in his post. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on this story but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Texas wildlife refuge renamed for murdered 12-year-old, Jocelyn Nungaray, unveils signage: ‘Her life mattered’
The Trump administration has renamed the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas after a Houston girl who, prosecutors said, was brutally killed last year by two Venezuelan illegal immigrants. The park, now known as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, hosted a renaming ceremony on Thursday. The 39,000-acre sanctuary along the Texas Gulf Coast in Anahuac serves as a home for migratory birds and wildlife managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Let this land speak her name. Let its quiet strength echo her spirit. And let it stand as a testament that her life mattered,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during the ceremony attended by Nungaray’s mother. “And that her story, however heartbreakingly brief, needs to be told and retold and never forgotten.” JOCELYN NUNGARAY’S MOTHER REVEALS HORRIFIC TIMELINE OF DAUGHTER’S MURDER IN HEARING ON OPEN-BORDER CRIME During his joint address to Congress in March, President Donald Trump announced the renaming of the refuge to honor Nungaray, showing his signature on an executive order that changed the name of the park. “I had no idea that was going to happen. It was a really big shock and surprise,” Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn’s mother, told FOX 26 at the time. “I was stunned. I didn’t really know how to react. It was very surreal, very bittersweet.” TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER During Thursday’s ceremony, Burgum noted that Nungaray loved animals while offering his condolences to her mother, who did not speak. “May Jocelyn’s family find peace in the tranquility of the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a lasting tribute to a beautiful young soul taken from us too soon,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. Nungaray’s death drew national attention amid criticism of the Biden administration over millions of illegal immigrants, some with violent criminal records and street gang ties, who entered the United States during his presidency. In December, prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty for her accused killers, 22-year-old Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and 26-year-old Franklin Jose Peña Ramos. Both men kidnapped Nungaray and caused her death by applying pressure to her neck, authorities said. They also allegedly sexually assaulted her before leaving her body under a bridge. Search warrants later revealed the men were possibly members of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and entered the U.S. illegally before the slaying.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: DNC’s Wild Hogg Problem
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -What did the Bush administration, 9/11 Commission say about REAL ID legislation? -Ahead of key Supreme Court arguments, here’s which states have passed school choice measures –Democrats’ vice chair gets ultimatum: stay neutral in primaries or step down from party leadership Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin, aiming to quell a raging firestorm in the party, is making it crystal clear the DNC will stay neutral in intra-party primaries. “No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger,” the recently elected national party chair said during a conference call with reporters Thursday. Martin’s comments were directed at DNC vice chair David Hogg, who recently pledged to shell out $20 million through his outside political group, Leaders We Deserve, to primary-challenge some older Democrats in blue districts… READ MORE ‘I AM NOT HAPPY’: Trump tells Putin ‘STOP’ after deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv ‘EXTREMIST RHETORIC’: Trans inmate who killed baby blames Trump admin for alleged assaults in prison TIME FLIES: Trump to hold rally Tuesday in celebration of first 100 days, Leavitt says PUTIN’S NAVAL GAMBIT: US–Russia flashpoint looms over Putin’s plans for African naval base PEACE IS POSSIBLE: A weakened Hezbollah leads some in Lebanon to talk of peace with Israel as U.S. pushes sides together BRAZEN ATTACK: Russia blamed for overnight strike on Kyiv that killed at least nine, injured dozens, including children ‘IDENTIFY, TRACK AND PUNISH’: India vows to hunt terrorists ‘to the ends of the earth’ as tensions with Pakistan rise after deadly Kashmir attack MAX TAX: GOP talks on millionaire tax hike come from party’s populist streak, strategists say DEM DENIAL: Top Dem denies ignoring constituent abducted by Maduro after being lambasted for Abrego Garcia advocacy ‘TIME TO PASS THE TORCH’: Air Force veteran jumps into race to unseat 22-term vulnerable Dem in key race ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: Top union calls cops on itself to orchestrate ‘civil disobedience’ stunt at GOP office FOLLOW THE MONEY: GOP governor hopeful pushes anti-China policy after years of Chinese investments JUDICIAL SHOWDOWN: Federal judge gives DOJ another week in Abrego Garcia deportation case ‘TAX DOLLARS’: Harvard’s endowment holds $7 million per student, still receives $550M from government annually ‘WHAT THE HELL’: Alex Soros fumes at left-wing climate group over ‘Palestine’ obsession ‘NO CHANCE’: Chicago residents react to possible Pritzker presidential run: ‘No chance to win’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.