Dems pull out all the stops to keep Obamacare subsidies fight alive after vote to reopen government
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced a long-shot plan to force the House of Representatives to vote on a three-year extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies. During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, Jeffries said Democrats would submit a discharge petition that, if successful, would bring the subsidies to a vote in the chamber over the objection of GOP leadership, giving Democrats a way to continue pursuing their shutdown demands. “The House Democratic position is going to be the House Democratic position,” Jeffries said shortly after leaving the meeting. “We believe that the American people — given the Republican refusal to act and find a bipartisan path forward — should be given the same level of certainty that Republicans have continued to give the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected.” JEFFRIES REVEALS LAST-MINUTE MOVE TO EXTEND COVID-ERA SUBSIDIES AS HOUSE SHUTDOWN VOTE LOOMS The three-year window for the proposed extension coincides with the duration of President Donald Trump’s second term, which ends in 2028. In response to the plan, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said the discharge effort was an ill-conceived attempt to give a new lease on life to a program that was always supposed to be temporary. “There’s a reason Democrats set these inefficient subsidies to expire. COVID ended — it’s time these insurance company credits do, too. Republicans have real solutions to lower premiums for hardworking families, and they don’t include bailing out insurance companies that are increasing prices,” Scalise said. The whip also slammed the high health insurance costs that the Obamacare tax credits subsidize. “Democrats created the healthcare mess with Obamacare that has resulted in 80% increases in premiums. Now their only solution to those skyrocketing premium increases is to bail out insurance companies with billions in taxpayer subsidies. These COVID subsidies are rife with waste, fraud and abuse,” Scalise said. MODERATE DEM UNDERCUTS JEFFRIES ON OBAMACARE COMPROMISE AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WEARS ON The petition, which Jeffries said Democrats would likely submit later on Wednesday, would require 218 votes to succeed. Democrats hold 213 seats — soon to be 214 seats with the addition of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva. Even so, Democrats would need the assistance of at least four Republicans to force consideration of the subsidies. Democrats have sought the extension to the credits since the government plunged into a government shutdown on Oct. 1. Democrats, led by Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., refused to consider spending legislation without first extending the subsidies in some way. Congress first passed them as an emergency response to COVID-19 in 2021. Democrats fear that the expiration of those subsidies at the end of the year could leave millions of Obamacare policyholders with significantly higher premiums overnight. Now that Congress looks poised to escape the shutdown — without any action on the subsidies — Democrats have pulled out all the stops to put the extension on the floor. Earlier this week, they attempted to pass it as a unanimous consent agreement. On Tuesday, Democrats submitted an extension as an amendment to legislation to reopen the government. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, said she supported the most recent attempt. “I support a three-year extension. I was supportive — I thought it was a very reasonable thing that the Senate did, which was a one-year extension,” DeLauro said, referring to a plan floated by Schumer in the Senate. OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES AT CENTER OF DEM SHUTDOWN FIGHT ‘FUEL’ HEALTHCARE COST INFLATION, CONSERVATIVES SAY Republicans rejected the one-year extension proposal. Rep. Melanie Stansburry, D-N.M., said Democrats had upped their demands when it became clear Republicans wouldn’t agree to a shorter timeline. “What I can say is that the original negotiating position of Democrats in the House and Senate had been a two-year extension that was obviously rejected,” Stansbury said. “I certainly support it and will be signing it.” In the event the discharge petition collects the needed 218 votes, it’s unclear when it will reach the floor for consideration. The House of Representatives will entertain funding legislation on Wednesday night that would end the ongoing, 43-day shutdown.
Data shows flight delays and cancellations rising even as shutdown winds down
As lawmakers work to finalize a deal to reopen the government, aviation officials warn that the effects of the shutdown won’t disappear overnight and could drag into the busy holiday season. Rebuilding schedules, restoring staffing levels and regaining public confidence could take weeks, a reminder of how quickly political gridlock can bring the nation’s airways to a standstill. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ISSUE DESPERATE PLEA AS FAMILIES STRUGGLE WITHOUT PAYCHECKS And as the final days of the shutdown drag on, major hubs like Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty in New Jersey and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta have seen the brunt of flight delays and cancellations among the 30 core U.S. airports, according to FlightAware data. Between Sunday and 1:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, more than 26,000 flights across the U.S. were delayed and another 7,500 were canceled, FlightAware data shows. FLIGHT DELAYS WORSEN AS UNPAID AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FEEL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PAIN Of the four major airlines analyzed — Southwest, United, American and Delta — Southwest has logged the most flight delays nationwide this week, while Delta recorded the highest number of cancellations, according to FlightAware data. The Dallas-based carrier has reported just over 9,000 flight delays so far this week, while Atlanta-based Delta has canceled more than 1,300 flights. Even before the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration was grappling with a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers. With Congress still deadlocked, about 13,000 controllers and 50,000 TSA agents are working without pay. That strain has only deepened as nationwide staffing shortages disrupt air travel, causing tens of thousands of delays and affecting more than 3.2 million passengers, according to airline estimates.
Trump issues sweeping pardons for 2020 election allies — what the move really means
President Donald Trump issued pardons for more than 70 people accused of seeking to overturn the 2020 election results. The move largely has been viewed as a symbolic gesture, as the presidential pardons only cover federal charges and those involved don’t have any federal charges leveled against them. Among those pardoned were Trump allies like former New York City mayor and the president’s former personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who peddled claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” from Trump and is embroiled in a case in Arizona where he faces state charges for election interference. Although the pardons cannot extend to state charges like those Giuliani faces in Arizona, the pardons could pave the way for some to attempt to redeem their reputation, according to Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies. TRUMP PARDONS RUDY GIULIANI, MARK MEADOWS, SIDNEY POWELL, OTHERS INVOLVED IN 2020 ELECTION INTERFERENCE SAGA Olson said that while the pardon itself cannot reverse a disbarment, loss of license or loss of employment, the pardon could provide fuel for the pardon beneficiaries to pursue reconsideration of these consequences. “What other purpose is served by pardoning someone who hasn’t been charged with any federal crime?” Olson said in a Tuesday email to Fox News Digital. “Some of the beneficiaries will treat this gesture as if it vindicates their good name, or establishes that they should not have been disbarred or disgraced. But those are not things a presidential pardon can do.” For example, Giuliani was disbarred in both New York and Washington in 2024. The Manhattan appeals court in New York determined in July 2024 that Giuliani routinely made inaccurate statements about the 2020 election, and the decision said he “baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country’s electoral process.” Even so, Olson said there could be some benefit for those pardoned — even if they don’t face federal charges — in the event it could protect them from prosecution from a future administration. However, those benefits could be limited in this instance, he said. TRUMP COMMUTES GEORGE SANTOS’ SENTENCE, PARDON BLITZ WIPES OUT COSTLY FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS “That angle is less important if the passage of time has meant that prosecution would be barred anyway by relevant statutes of limitation, as is likely to be the case with many charges here,” Olson said. While proponents of the pardons claim that they restore justice, critics have blasted them as an attempt to undermine democracy. “First, Trump pardoned the violent insurrectionists who beat cops. Now, he pardons the key instigators of January 6th,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a Monday social media post. “We need to see this for what it is: An attempt to erase history, so it can be repeated.” BIDEN’S AUTO-PEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING Meanwhile, Giuliani’s team claimed that he didn’t seek a pardon from Trump, but argued that the pardon is grounds for Giuliani to have his bar license restored. “Mayor Rudy Giuliani stands by his work following the 2020 presidential election, when he responded to the legitimate concerns of thousands of everyday Americans,” Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, said in a Monday post on X. “Mayor Giuliani never sought a pardon but is deeply grateful for President Trump’s decision,” Goodman said. “This action further highlights the years of unjust attacks against the mayor and so many others, and reinforces what should now be clear to everyone—Mayor Giuliani deserves to have his bar license immediately reinstated without delay.” GEORGE SANTOS SNAPS AT CNN HOST OVER IDEA TRUMP GAVE HIM ‘FAVORABLE TREATMENT’ The White House did not provide comment to Fox News Digital on why the pardons were issued now, but compared charges Trump allies faced to “communist tactics.” “These great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden administration for challenging an election, which is the cornerstone of democracy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “Getting prosecuted for challenging results is something that happens in communist Venezuela, not the United States of America, and President Trump is putting an end to the Biden regime’s communist tactics once and for all.” Other prominent figures pardoned include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin announced the pardons Sunday. Trump previously has issued pardons for those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which occurred as Congress was poised to certify the 2020 election results. In January, just hours after his inauguration, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 charged with crimes stemming from the attack. Among those were Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader, who faced a sentence of 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran claims missile power now ‘far surpasses’ pre-war levels after Israeli bombardment
Five months after Israel and the U.S.’ bombardment of Iran’s military and nuclear facilities, Iran claims it now has more missile capacity than even before the 12-Day War. That buildup would have implications far beyond the Middle East: renewed Iranian production could threaten American forces stationed across the region and test Israel’s missile defense limits, potentially pulling Washington into another confrontation if Tehran resumes strikes or proxy attacks. “Iran’s missile power today far surpasses that of the 12-Day War,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently declared, touting what he described as the regime’s rapid recovery from the massive U.S. and Israeli bombardment that struck dozens of military and nuclear sites in June. “The enemy in the recent 12-day war failed to achieve all its objectives and was defeated,” he said. His comments were echoed by Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, who claimed that Iran’s defense industry has not only rebounded but expanded. “Iran’s defense production has improved both in quantity and quality compared to before the 12-day Israeli-imposed war in June,” Nasirzadeh said Monday, insisting that new missiles are rolling off production lines faster than ever. IRAN PRESIDENT ACCUSES US OF ‘GRAVE BETRAYAL’ WITH NUCLEAR STRIKES IN UNGA SPEECH The June conflict — later dubbed the 12-Day War — began when Israel launched a sustained bombing campaign on Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure. The United States joined the operation days later with a series of precision strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Iran’s renewed emphasis on missile production is no surprise given what it learned during the June conflict. “There’s no doubt that after the 12-Day War, Tehran understands the missiles constitute the long pole in its ability to deter and punish attacks,” Taleblu said. “Expect Tehran to therefore concentrate on building back better when it comes to its missile program, which pre-war was already the largest in the region.” He warned that Iran’s accelerating focus on missile development could be the spark for the next regional conflict. “It’s for this reason that the next likely conflict between Israel and Iran may well be brought about by missile concerns, not nuclear,” Taleblu said. TRUMP’S IRAN GAMBLE PAYS OFF AS WWIII DOOMSAYERS NOW PRAISE ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE “Moving forward, I’d pay attention to the ‘missile math’ between Israel and Iran,” he added. “Much now depends on rates of production between Israeli interceptors and Iranian medium-range ballistic missiles.” Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said Tehran’s post-war threats reflect both internal pressure and an effort to regain leverage. After the U.S. bombed Iran’s nuclear sites, Tehran said talks on a renewed nuclear deal were off. Washington has insisted Iran must give up all enrichment capacity, while Tehran claims it will continue enrichment for civil purposes. TRUMP’S IRAN ULTIMATUM STARTED A 60-DAY CLOCK TICKING FOR DECISIVE JUNE STRIKES, BOMBER COMMANDER REVEALS Kuperwasser said Iran’s hardliners are using missile rhetoric to test international resolve. “They are attempting to pressure the international community to ease sanctions and diplomatic isolation by issuing threats of escalation,” he said. “To make these threats credible, and drawing lessons from the war in June, they are working intensively to replenish their arsenal of long-range missiles.” Kuperwasser warned that while Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain, its focus on missile production shows the regime’s priority is deterrence. “Their threats should not be dismissed,” he said. “They must be taken seriously.” Meanwhile, Tehran has already tested several satellite launch vehicles that use the same multi-stage propulsion and guidance systems needed for an intercontinental ballistic missile. Washington has repeatedly accused Iran of using its civilian space program as cover for developing technologies that could deliver nuclear payloads at intercontinental range. Israeli defense officials, in turn, have been racing to expand production of interceptors across the country’s multi-layered air-defense network. The Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow systems were all pushed to their limits during the 12-Day War, when Iran launched hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles toward Israeli cities and military installations. Part of the Israeli response goes beyond replenishing interceptors. The country is now fielding one of the world’s first operational high-power laser air-defense systems. The Iron Beam system has completed acceptance testing and is being delivered to the Israel air force for operational deployment, Fox News Digital reported last month. The system is designed to intercept rockets, mortars, drones and other aerial threats “at a fraction of the cost of conventional interceptors.” For Israel and the U.S., Iran’s latest boasts serve as a warning that the 12-Day War may not have settled much at all: both militaries are now racing to prepare for what they see as the next test of regional defenses, one measured in missile ranges and response times.
DHS blasts Chicago mayor for comparing raid leader to segregationists, accusing him of ‘terror’
EXCLUSIVE: After Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson put Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino on blast for his “Operation Midway Blitz” immigration raids in the Windy City, DHS hit back saying the Democrat should worry more about Chicagoans being maimed by illegal immigrant gangbangers and drug traffickers. At his latest press conference, Johnson appeared to equate Bovino’s behavior with terrorism, saying the North Carolina native is someone who “provokes terror on people,” and condemned immigration enforcement raids and their spread on federal social media as akin to “grotesque” imagery of racist behavior like lynchings and anti-desegregation scenes from the 20th century. “Mayor Brandon Johnson is once again demonizing ICE and CBP law enforcement are facing a more than 1,000% increase in assaults and 8,000% increase in death threats against them,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital when asked about Johnson’s comments. “Mayor Johnson has shown time and time again he does not care about the innocent American lives taken at the hands of gang members, murderers, drug traffickers, and rapists who have no right to be in this country,” McLaughlin said. OPERATION MIDWAY BLITZ COMMANDER REBUTS PRITZKER’S ‘CRAZY RHETORIC,’ WARNS IT COULD LEAD TO VIOLENCE After a reporter joked about Bovino’s “Midway Blitz” team posing at Chicago’s “Bean” sculpture — and another quipped that agents were saying “Little Village” instead of “cheese” while taking photos in the heavily Hispanic neighborhood — Johnson scoffed, saying the North Carolina–born commander “should just go away.” “Here’s someone who has provoked terror on people,” Johnson said, before condemning the way Bovino comported himself as he left Illinois federal court swarmed by protesters screaming, “F— you, Greg,”, “F— you, fascist,” and calling him a “p—y.” Johnson also shared a photo of Bovino posing with agents at the “Bean” and called the picture “wicked and vile.” DHS responded by sharing images of recently-arrested violent illegal immigrants and proverbially corrected the mayor, saying they should be the ones considered “wicked and vile.” BORDER PATROL CHIEF FIRES BACK AFTER CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS HIM ‘BARBARIC’ OVER TEAR GAS CLASH “I’ve seen a lot of bad behavior from human beings over the course of my study of just history,” Johnson told reporters. “Even when he was on his way into federal court, he paraded down the street and saluted individuals,” he added, furrowing his brow. “And then [DHS goes] on social media and put hip-hop music to their terror in Black and Brown communities. That’s not even a dog whistle anymore. That’s some real racist jacked-up stuff that he is engaged in.” BORDER PATROL CHIEF FIRES BACK AFTER PRITZKER CALLS FEDERAL OPERATIONS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL INVASION’ Johnson went on, claiming President Donald Trump is a “brittle man” and that Bovino is acting “under the direction of his king.” “This president has unleashed Bovino to unleash tear gas on police officers and babies. And then they have the temerity to take a picture in front of one of our public assets,” he said of the “Bean” scene. “There are horrific pictures that exist within America, in American society, graphic ones, from lynchings to Black children being prevented from entering into a public institution,” Johnson said. Former Arkansas Democratic Gov. Orval Faubus and ex-Alabama Democratic Gov. George Wallace both barricaded schoolhouses to prevent desegregation in the mid 20th century, leading Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, respectively, to federalize the National Guard. “What Bovino and the Border Patrol are executing right now have the same grotesque proclivity as those who have worked incredibly hard to dehumanize, historically, people who have been placed in the margins.”
Michelle Obama reveals ‘infuriating’ moment on Air Force One that still haunts her
Former first lady Michelle Obama revealed on a recent episode of her podcast that she was left infuriated by a moment on Air Force One in 2009 when she debated whether to wear Bermuda shorts while on vacation — which ultimately led to controversy. “The fact that we had to spend time thinking about that kind of stuff in ways that my husband didn’t — it was really infuriating,” Obama said during an episode on her podcast, “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” which she co-hosts with her brother. “Then an article, a negative article, still happened.” The former first lady explained that in August 2009 she and the former president were set to depart Air Force One for a hike in the Grand Canyon while on their first vacation since the inauguration earlier that year. While she fretted over what attire would be appropriate for a first lady and not draw public criticism, Barack Obama did not need to put effort into thinking about his outfit, she recounted. “It was 100 degrees,” Michelle Obama remembered of the conversation. “Barack — I was like, ‘Well, what are you wearing?’ He was like, ‘Well, I’m gonna throw on some sneakers, I’m gonna take my jacket off and roll my sleeves up’ because that’s what men can do. White shirt, no collar, no tie. That was how he changed.” BROADCAST BIAS: FROM CAMELOT TO WHINE-A-LOT, MICHELLE OBAMA CLAIMS SHE’S MISTREATED Michelle Obama said she debated whether to wear hiking shorts or a dress before landing on wearing Bermuda shorts. “I can’t wear hiking shorts there, and I can’t wear a dress to hike,” she said. “That would be crazy. People would call me ‘disconnected’ and ‘un-American.’ I’m at the Grand Canyon in a tea-length dress with flats? I was like, ‘That’s not how people go to the Grand Canyon.’” “I eventually opted for the thing that felt mostly me,” Michelle Obama continued. “And it was the Bermuda shorts. Because if we’re going on a hike, this is how a normal person would go on a hike.” MICHELLE OBAMA TELLS COLBERT SHE FEELS ‘LOST’ ABOUT CURRENT WHITE HOUSE NORMS AND STANDARDS UNDER TRUMP The former first lady did face backlash for the attire, as pundits at the time criticized that a first lady wearing shorts while departing Air Force One was too casual, with outlets running headlines such as, “Who Wears Short Shorts? Michelle Obama,” “First lady’s shorts draw some long, hard looks,” and “Michelle Obama: The Shorts Heard Round the World.” KAMALA HARRIS MENTIONS MICHELLE OBAMA ONLY THREE TIMES IN 300-PAGE BOOK. HERE’S WHAT SHE SAID Michelle Obama said in 2013 that she would not wear shorts again on Air Force One after the 2009 outfit caused “a huge stink.” She explained at the time that she made the more relaxed choice because “we’re on vacation.” First lady Melania Trump also has faced backlash over her wardrobe attire, including in 2017 when she wore a baseball cap and jeans to visit Texas after Hurricane Harvey that was viewed by some critics as too casual, and again in 2018 when she wore a green jacket while on a trip to visit the border that read, “I really don’t care. Do u?” Melania Trump later told the media she wore the jacket as a message to the liberal media and other critics: “I want to show them that I don’t care,” she told ABC News in 2018. Fox News Digital reached out to Michelle Obama’s office Tuesday for additional comment on the matter but did not immediately receive a reply.
Newsom silent on violent Berkeley protest of TPUSA at California university
Two days after agitators violently disrupted a TPUSA event in Berkeley, California, the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has yet to issue a public comment on the matter. The incident unfolded on Monday night on the campus of UC Berkeley at a Turning Point event featuring actor Rob Schneider and author Frank Turek, a Christian mentor of the organization’s late founder, Charlie Kirk. Left-wing agitators swarmed Zellerbach Hall, where the event, which was the last stop on the “This is the Turning Point” tour, was held. Four students at the university were arrested, according to The Daily Californian, which omitted the suspects’ names from its report. They were described as females between the ages of 20 and 22. Each was reportedly charged with felony vandalism. The UC Berkeley Police Department confirmed that two other men were arrested during the night’s activities. FETTERMAN FIRES BACK AT NEWSOM AFTER SHUTDOWN CRITICISM, REFUSES TO ‘PLAY CHICKEN’ WITH THE LIVES OF AMERICANS Christopher Joseph Benton, 48, who is unaffiliated with the school, was arrested for trespassing, resisting or obstructing an officer and being unlawfully present on campus, all misdemeanors. Jay Eduardo Maytorena, 22, listed as a current or former student, was arrested for trespassing and resisting or obstructing an officer. Several of the skirmishes at the event went viral, including a man caught on video beating a Turning Point USA supporter who was arrested and charged with violent crimes. Police said that upon further investigation, the second man involved in the fight was attempting to rob the victim of his necklace. “After speaking with the involved parties and corroborating information through open-source media footage, officers determined that one of the men—Jihad Dphrepaulezz (a 25-year-old Oakland man) had stolen the other man’s chain from around his neck,” police said. “The other man was attempting to get his chain back from Dphrepaulezz.” GAVIN NEWSOM TELLS DEMOCRATS THEY ‘WALKED AWAY’ FROM MASCULINITY CRISIS IMPACTING MEN AND BOYS Newsom, who is in Brazil attending the COP 30 climate conference, has not posted about the disruption of the event, which conservatives have labeled as an assault on free speech. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Newsom famously sat down for an interview with Kirk before the conservative commentator was murdered, and the two briefly touched on free speech while discussing TikTok. Newsom raised concerns about teachers “policing speech” in classrooms. “Grateful this level of attention being paid to what happened to our students last night at UC Berkeley,” Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet posted on X. “No one attending a peaceful event should be subjected to the type of harassment and attacks we saw last night. The Antifa thugs who did this MUST be stopped.” The Department of Justice announced it is investigating the campus chaos. “Mob assault and thuggish intimidation of attendees exercising their First Amendment rights are unacceptable,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a post announcing the probe on X. The DOJ has demanded that the school preserve all records related to security and campus preparation for the Turning Point event. In a lengthy statement provided to Fox News Digital, UC Berkeley strongly condemned all violence and threats that may chill freedom of speech. It also said it will cooperate with the federal investigation. “The University is conducting a full investigation and intends to fully cooperate with and assist any federal investigations and the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify the outside agitators responsible for attempting to disrupt last night’s TPUSA event,” the statement said. “UC Berkeley will take all appropriate steps to safeguard the right of every member of our community to speak and assemble freely.” Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Red-state university ripped for offering entry-level job to foreign workers, not grads: ‘Woke mind virus’
EXCLUSIVE: An Indiana Republican lawmaker is speaking out against Indiana University after the school posted a job listing advertising the position to be filled by an H-1B visa holder, rather than a graduate or Indiana resident. “One of the whole points of a state university is to educate the next generation so they can get jobs here in Indiana and, amazingly, that same school then turns around and says, ‘Except when we hire people, we’re going to hire people from foreign countries instead of our own graduates,’” state Rep. Andrew Ireland told Fox News Digital. In a Tuesday post on X, Ireland took issue with a job posting on the IU website for a “marketing generalist” that pays $68,000 per year that was classified as a “notice of intent to hire H-1B/E-3 Employee 2.” His criticism quickly spread on social media and Ireland told Fox News Digital it was “frustrating” to see the “flagship” university in the state offer that job to a foreign worker rather than a student or graduate of the school. CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS COAST TO COAST At the same time, Ireland told Fox News Digital the job posting is “not a surprise.” “I think more than 220 H-1B applications were filed this year for opportunities with different universities and colleges in the state of Indiana,” Ireland explained. “These are public universities, public institutions, or the state government in some cases itself, that are using H-1B visas to fill positions. But frankly, very few of which seem to be actually technical or unique in nature. There’s no specialization to a marketing generalist or a librarian, a marketing instructor. Some of these roles are being filled right now in the state of Indiana with H-1B workers.” Ireland, a graduate of Indiana University, said there has been a “longtime struggle” with the university’s “political bend” and reflected on a situation when he was a student where he says a journalism professor suggested to him that GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, who Ireland worked for as a student, was “the devil.” “I got thick skin, you can give it to me as much as you want,” Ireland told Fox News Digital. ‘But I think it’s really indicative of what’s going on on campus there at Indiana University and many other schools across the country, is that I think you really do have the infection from the woke mind virus.“ ‘3 HEADED MONSTER’: EXPERT REVEALS HOW H-1B VISA PROGRAM IS CRUSHING AMERICAN COLLEGE GRADUATES Ireland continued, “I think there’s a good case to be made that this sort of H-1B abuse certainly plays a part in that, too, where, you know, again, instead of really saying that our own best and brightest here in Indiana should have opportunities, that we really want to focus on merit, we’re going to go and search outside of this country, even for some relatively low-skilled roles. Very frustrating, to say the least.” Fox News Digital reached out to the University of Indiana for comment. The Trump administration has made efforts since January to crack down on H-1B visa abuse, both by putting financial incentives on companies to hire Americans rather than overseas workers and by investigating companies who are potentially abusing the system. Last week, Fox News Digital first reported that Trump’s Department of Labor has launched at least 175 ongoing investigations targeting potential abuses within the H-1B visa program. Ireland says he applauds the Trump administration for “taking the issue seriously.” “But what I’m really focused on as a state lawmaker in Indiana is reining in what we can through state government, our own state institutions that are funded and subsidized by tax dollars to make sure we’re putting our money where our mouth is,” Ireland told Fox News Digital. “If we’re America first, that means that we’re going to hire American workers to fill American jobs, not foreigners. And I think that’s something we can do even without the federal government, regardless of who’s in the White House, that we should really be focused on that here in the state of Indiana.” In terms of what Ireland can do about H-1B visas at the state level in his capacity as a lawmaker, he pointed to the upcoming legislative session in the state and suggested he has some plans in the works. “I’m working to put a bill hopefully together for exactly this issue,” Ireland said. “Short of outright banning H-1B visas, and I think there’s a strong case for that, is at least, require more transparency around this.” “It’s one thing when we’re talking about the Elon Musks of the world. You know these high-skilled foreign individuals who bring a skillset that we simply just don’t have in our own workforce. But I gotta tell you, there’s plenty of people who can make PowerPoints and graphics and post on Facebook for Indiana University. We don’t need to hire somebody for $68,000 a year to do the job that an American worker can do.”
Longest government shutdown in history nears likely end as House moves on funding bill
The end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is finally in sight, with the House of Representatives set to vote on a federal funding bill later Wednesday evening. House lawmakers are set to take a procedural vote in the 5 p.m. hour on whether to allow debate on the measure. If the legislation survives, a final vote is expected in the 7 p.m. hour. The government has been shut down for 43 days as Democrats and Republicans hotly debated the merits of the GOP’s initial federal funding bill, a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending levels through Nov. 21. The vast majority of Democrats are still against the legislation, including House Democratic leadership, but GOP lawmakers across several ideologically diverse factions have signaled confidence in a nearly unified Republican vote. THE 5 LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS IN HISTORY: WHAT HAPPENED, HOW THEY ENDED House Freedom Caucus Policy Chairman Chip Roy, R-Texas, said he heard no dissent on the bill from his band of fiscal hawks. “I’m not going to speak for everybody, but I think there’s general support. So you know, I’m unaware of any opposition of significance,” he told reporters Tuesday night. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said, “Nothing’s ever easy around here. But, look, I didn’t notice any dissent … I think the votes will be there on our side.” BILL TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SURVIVES KEY HURDLE BEFORE HOUSE-WIDE VOTE But with a razor-thin majority, House GOP leaders can only afford to lose two Republican votes at most to pass the bill without relying on any Democrats. “I’m very hopeful,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital when asked if Republicans had the votes to pass the bill. “I think you’re seeing just a few Democrats come to their senses. It should be a lot more.” Meanwhile, the shutdown’s effects on the country have grown more severe by the day. Many of the thousands of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents who had to work without pay were forced to take second jobs, causing nationwide flight delays and cancellations amid staffing shortages at the country’s busiest airports. Millions of Americans who rely on federal benefits were also left in limbo as funding for critical government programs ran close to drying out. At the heart of the issue was Democratic leaders’ refusal to back any funding bill that did not also extend COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. Democrats argued it was their best hope of preventing healthcare price hikes for Americans across the U.S. Republicans agreed to hold conversations on reforming what they saw as a broken healthcare system, but they refused to pair any partisan priority with federal funding. The initial bill passed the House on Sept. 19 but stalled in the Senate for weeks, when Democrats sank the bill more than a dozen times. MIKE JOHNSON SPEAKS OUT AFTER SENATE BREAKTHROUGH ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN However, after weeks of stalemate and the clock running down on their Nov. 21 bill, a new compromise emerged that got support from eight Senate Democrats to carry it across the finish line. The new legislation would extend FY 2025 federal funding levels through Jan. 30, to give negotiators more time to strike a longer-term deal for FY 2026. It would also give lawmakers some headway with that mission, advancing legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration; the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction; and the legislative branch. In a victory for Democrats, the deal would also reverse federal layoffs conducted by the Trump administration in October, with those workers getting paid for the time they were off. A side deal struck in the Senate also guaranteed Senate Democrats a vote on legislation extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., however, has made no such promise in the House. If passed on Wednesday night, the legislation heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for a signature. When asked about the bill on Tuesday, a White House official told Fox News Digital, “President Trump has wanted the government reopened since the first day Democrats shut it down. The action in the Senate is a positive development, and we look forward to seeing it progress.”
WATCH: Hidden camera catches red-state university admins admitting how they ‘cleverly’ disguised DEI agenda
FIRST ON FOX: Undercover video shows administrators at a North Carolina university detailing how they are continuing their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts despite state and federal efforts to roll back the policies. “It shook things up around here, but fortunately for us, this office is not actually under the DEI office at all, so we’re able to just keep going. We just like switched up our, you know, changed the wording of things,” Pascha Miller, Office of Intercultural Engagement assistant director at North Carolina A&T State University, says in a video obtained by Accuracy in Media. The videos, taken in August and September 2024, came months after the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors voted to essentially ban DEI and focus on “institutional neutrality,” Carolina Journal reported. Michael Eccles, the university’s office manager for the Office of Intercultural Engagement, said in the video, “The word ‘diversity,’ we had to change saying ‘diversity’ to competency.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS COAST TO COAST “Yes,” Eccles said when asked if he would describe that process as “creative naming,” using the word “cleverly” to describe the method. Austin Horne, assistant director of LGBTA programs and services at the Office of Intercultural Engagement, is also seen in the video going a step further. “The Board of Governors did a statute in May that is really like, attacking DEI jobs and restricting some of our language,” Horne said. “It is very intentionally vague is what, you know, the way I read it. But it’s really leaving it up to you know each university to kind of think about it in their own way and consider how much they want to open themselves up to litigation. But, luckily I think there’s only been one position that wasn’t lost, it was just changed here.” The undercover journalist then pressed Horne. “Just to make sure I understand, so for at least A&T, you’ve not had to like, you’ve just changed or maybe got creative, with some of the language?” the journalist asked. “Yes,” Horne responded. “To get around the legislation?” the journalist asked. “Well, it’s not even to get around the legislation, so what the legislation is, is it’s giving us, I want to say it’s 11 rules for what we can and cannot say when we are speaking on behalf of the university, and so some universities like Charlotte have taken that and said these positions can’t function with these rules in place so we’re just going to get rid of them. Every other public university has said they can function, we’re just going to try and shield ourselves from litigation.” The journalist responded, “Just to appease the politicians?” WATCHDOG: HOW UNIVERSITIES ARE REBRANDING DEI TO SKIRT TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN “Yes, it’s very much, it’s so vague,” Horne said. In another clip, Eccles says, “It’s been a little bit of a challenge, but we’re still pushing through and trying to make sure people get what they need.” Miller says in another clip toward the end of the video, “We don’t use DEI anymore, it’s kind of hard not to use the word ‘diversity,’” then laughs along with the journalist and says, “We try not to, you know, just to be safe.” Fox News Digital has reported extensively on universities this year who appear to be simply rebranding their DEI efforts in order to avoid scrutiny from the Trump administration or state governments. Earlier this year, UNC Asheville severed ties with its dean of students after Fox News Digital reported on a video showing her boasting about DEI efforts still taking place but you “gotta keep it quiet.” Fox News Digital reached out to North Carolina A&T State University for comment. “North Carolina’s universities have been captured by lawbreaking radicals, and they require fundamental reform,” Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy in Media, told Fox News Digital. “Any government employee who is caught circumventing laws should never again be allowed to earn a paycheck from taxpayers. And the legislature needs to enact a Kansas-style DEI ban which includes both a reporting mechanism and actual consequences for those who flout the law.”