Rand Paul brings CIA whistleblower to Senate hearing alleging ‘deep state’ COVID-19 conspiracy
A whistleblower is set to testify before the Senate on the alleged cover-up of the origins of COVID-19. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hear testimony from an unnamed longtime CIA employee on Wednesday on allegations that there was a cover-up of the origins of the virus with roots that run deep in the federal government and intelligence community. It’s part of Sen. Rand Paul’s, R-Ky., crusade against former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and his role in examining the origins of COVID-19, his response to the virus and ensuing actions taken by the federal government during the pandemic. EX-FAUCI TOP ADVISOR INDICTED OVER ALLEGED COVID COVER-UP, HIDDEN EMAILS The hearing on Wednesday comes on the heels of the deadline for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to charge Fauci for allegedly lying to Congress about gain-of-function research — controversial research that could boost a virus’ transmissibility and virulence by altering its genetic code — in relation to COVID-19. The statute of limitations to take action against Fauci for that particular issue expired on Monday. “The DOJ may never act, but the American people know the truth: Fauci misled and defrauded this country,” Paul said on X. “I won’t stop uncovering the truth around the great COVID cover-up. That’s why I will have a whistleblower testify before my committee this Wednesday.” RAND PAUL VOWS TO KEEP PRESSURE ON FAUCI AS STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON CRIMINAL REFERRAL EXPIRES MONDAY Fauci has vehemently denied accusations that he lied about the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) role in funding research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China and argued that the research did not meet the level of gain-of-function research. But a longtime advisor of Fauci’s, David Morens, who served as a top advisor at NIAID, was indicted by the DOJ last month and accused of using his personal email account to hide communications related to a controversial coronavirus research grant that involved collaboration with the Wuhan Institute. BIDEN TEAM REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING PREEMPTIVE PARDONS FOR FAUCI, SCHIFF, OTHER TRUMP ‘TARGETS’ Wednesday’s hearing will zero in on the experience of a longtime CIA employee, who Paul told the New York Post would delve into an alleged and ongoing “deep state” conspiracy to cover up the origins of the virus. Paul told the outlet that the whistleblower was assigned to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), where he worked on a group that studied how the pandemic started in Wuhan. “For years, Americans were told to stop asking questions about COVID’s origins,” Paul said on X. “Today, a whistleblower with firsthand knowledge will testify that intelligence officials may have buried evidence, altered conclusions and concealed the truth from the public.”
Vance-led task force cuts off $1.4B from home health, hospice providers suspected of fraud
EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force has withheld $1.4 billion in federal funding from home health and hospice providers nationwide, following a wave of suspensions enacted by an anti-fraud task force targeting operations in California, Minnesota and several other states. Approximately 90% of the suspended providers have not reached out to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency tasked with combating fraud, waste and abuse, since payments have been suspended. Trump administration officials told Fox News Digital that they believe a lack of communication between alleged fraudulent providers and CMS indicates that the providers were not legitimate enterprises. The suspended group includes long-term providers who have been pocketing federal funds for years while failing to communicate with CMS, a senior Trump administration source told Fox News Digital. “The vice president’s task force continues to stop the flow of taxpayer funds before they fall into the hands of fraudsters and deliver savings to the American people,” a spokesperson for Vice President JD Vance told Fox News Digital. “This is great momentum in the fight for the President’s War on Fraud.” LOS ANGELES COUNTY FACES SCRUTINY AFTER ALLEGED WIDESPREAD HOSPICE FRAUD EXPOSED President Donald Trump has made the eradication of systemic fraud a cornerstone of his administration’s domestic policy. On Monday, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz blasted California officials over the state’s hospice crisis, charging that the fraud is “stealing your lives” and pointing to a sophisticated web of international graft. “We’ve got Russian government involvement, we believe, in Los Angeles. We’ve got the Chinese government involved in a big fraud ring in New York,” Oz told guest host Kayleigh McEnany on “Jesse Watters Primetime.” “And, of course, the Cuban connection… pointed out to me by former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. We’ve got twice as many durable medical equipment suppliers — selling wheelchairs and canes — as there are McDonald’s in South Florida. The owners often flee back to Cuba with the money the moment we move in on them.” Last month, Fox News Digital uncovered the suspension of 447 hospices and 23 home health agencies suspected of fraud in Los Angeles alone, with the total theft estimated at more than $600 million. Days later, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) referred 562,000 suspected fraudulent loans — totaling over $22.2 billion — to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection. These loans largely originated from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MINNESOTA’S ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ FRAUD AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S LATEST CRACKDOWN The SBA noted these files were flagged for suspected fraud during the Biden administration but were never sent to the Treasury Department for recovery. “The task force has made clear that the Biden administration’s policy of giving direct cash payments to fraudsters is over,” a senior White House official told Fox News Digital. In April, the head of a California hospice advocacy group warned congressional lawmakers that industry fraud is flourishing across the state. Sheila Clark, president and CEO of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA), questioned how these “ghost” providers managed to evade regulators for so long. “You’d be amazed at how many hospices… you can walk up to the door in California and there is nobody there. You can see five months’ worth of mail stacked up,” Clark told the House Ways and Means Committee during an April 22 hearing. “And yet, they passed a survey. How did that happen?” “How do you put a hospice in a burrito stand? How do you put a hospice in a retail store?” she quipped. “That all had to be vetted through licensure, certification and accreditation.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently announced the arrest of five individuals linked to an alleged multimillion-dollar hospice scheme that reportedly raked in $267 million through fraudulent billing to Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. The Trump administration has intensified its focus on the abuse of taxpayer funds following last year’s arrests connected to the “Feeding Our Future” scheme in Minnesota — a massive “sham meal” operation that allegedly defrauded the government of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Senate Republicans balk at $1B White House ballroom request: ‘You made that number up’
Senate Republicans are having a hard time stomaching an eye-popping funding request that, in part, would fund security enhancements for President Donald Trump’s ballroom. Republicans in the upper chamber still aren’t completely on board with a $1 billion request from the Trump administration and Secret Service tucked into their immigration operations funding package, and many are wondering how exactly that figure was created. “It was one thing when private dollars were building it,” Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said. “If you’re asking me for a billion dollars, I have some really hard questions. If I were a businessman and an employee came and said, ‘I have a project, and it’s a billion dollars,’ I’d say, ‘You made that number up,’ right? Like, where did the number come from?” ONCE TOUTED AS PRIVATELY FUNDED, REPUBLICANS SNEAK IN TAXPAYER CASH FOR TRUMP’S BALLROOM PROJECT Curtis’ skepticism came as Republicans were headed for a closed-door briefing on the request from Secret Service Director Sean Curran, who provided a high-level breakdown of the funding in a one-pager obtained by Fox News Digital. Curran’s explanation wasn’t enough for several Republicans, who left the meeting still wanting more detailed information on exactly how the funding, which is part of the broader reconciliation package meant for immigration enforcement, would be used. “They need to go back and get us more details about exactly how they arrived at the figure,” Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said afterward. Curran presented lawmakers with a high-level breakdown of how the money would be spent, which included $220 million for “White House complex hardening.” TRUMP ADMIN DEFENDS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM AS NATIONAL SECURITY MATTER That category, like the legislation released by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, dictated that the funding would fund “above and below ground” security enhancements for Trump’s ballroom, which the administration argued would “afford needed protection for the president, his family, and visitors, along with the below-ground, highest-level security functions.” Those enhancements would include bulletproof glass, drone detection technology, chemical filtration and detection systems and “a host of other national security functions.” An additional $180 million would go toward a White House screening center for visitors. The remaining $600 million would go toward Secret Service training, enhancing protection for Trump and other officials, and other security measures including countering drones and other aerial incursions. “What was clear today is this whole statement, ‘It’s a billion dollars for a ballroom.’ Anyone who prints that is printing something they know is a lie. That’s not true,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. “It’s not a billion dollars for the ballroom.” The entirety of the funding won’t be going exclusively to enhancing security for Trump’s colossal ballroom, so Republicans want more answers on how each dollar will be used. AFTER THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, DEBATE GROWS OVER WHETHER TRUMP ATTACK WARRANTS ANOTHER INVESTIGATION And they acknowledge that the price tag is a hard sell to make in the midst of growing economic issues across the country. “The way I look at it, I look at it like a business guy,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “So it’s an investment, and it’s gonna, you know, you have to explain to the American public, if you’re gonna spend their money, how do you get a return?” Scott, like several other Republicans, is in favor of boosting security for Trump, who faced a third assassination attempt last month, and future presidents. And there is an opportunity to cut the request down, which some Republicans suggested could be an option as they sprint to finish work on the broader $72 billion package. “We want to make sure we’re being responsible with taxpayer dollars and see what is the best vehicle for that, and then making sure that we’re judicious with that money,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, the funding request is a small piece in a broader package meant to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years through the budget reconciliation process. Whether the ballroom security and Secret Service funding actually stays in the package is an open question, given that the entire package will be reviewed under the Senate’s strict Byrd Rule guidelines that dictate what can and can’t make it into the reconciliation process. And Democrats are planning to push hard against the security funding, arguing that the money would be better spent elsewhere on affordability issues. “The bottom line is, this ballroom is a disgrace,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “The Republicans know it. Let’s see if they have the guts to do what they know is right, both substantively and politically, and tell Trump we don’t need a God — we don’t need a damn ballroom.”
House Republican misses another week of votes as health absence strains thin majority
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a GOP lawmaker who has been absent from Washington for more than two months, will miss votes again this week, his office confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Congressman Kean is still attending to a personal health matter, and we appreciate the outpouring of support,” Dan Scharfenberger, Kean’s chief of staff, said in a statement Monday. “He will be returning to a regular full schedule soon.” Kean, 57, has not specified when he plans to return to work or the nature of his health issue. His office has insisted for weeks that he would resume his congressional responsibilities “soon.” The New Jersey Republican has not voted since March 5, according to GovTrack, a website that monitors congressional activities. During that time, he missed all 70 roll-call votes in the lower chamber, including legislation to end the government shutdown and extend a critical warrantless surveillance tool. JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE Kean’s absence has an outsize impact on House Republicans’ razor-thin majority as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford to spare just a handful of votes on party-line bills. Democrats have also struggled to maintain full attendance in recent weeks. Johnson said in April that he spoke with Kean on the phone and expects him to make a full recovery. “Tom is one of the most dedicated and hardest-working members of Congress, and I am grateful for all he does and will continue to do to serve New Jerseyans and our country,” Johnson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. DEMOCRAT TINA SHAH CALLS TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN A ‘NO BRAINER’ IN COMPETITIVE NJ HOUSE RACE Kean’s prolonged absence from Washington comes as he faces a potentially difficult re-election battle in one of the country’s most contested districts. House Democrats’ campaign arm is expected to aggressively target the swing seat and four Democratic candidates are vying to take him on in a crowded June primary. The New Jersey Republican has no GOP challengers and is running for a third House term with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as a “toss-up” after downgrading the race in favor of Democrats last year. Kean’s office has continued to post on social media while he recovers from the undisclosed medical issue. “The Congressman’s team continues to serve the people of New Jersey uninterrupted,” Scharfenberger said in a statement.
James Talarico enlists Barack Obama to help win over black voters after contentious Texas primary
Former President Barack Obama appeared in Texas to help shore up support among Black voters for Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on Tuesday. Talarico has struggled to shore up support among the Black community after a heated primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. Crockett won Black voters by a huge majority, but nevertheless lost the primary thanks to Talarico’s support among white and Latino Democrats. Winning in Texas remains a long shot for Democrats, but Obama appeared at a campaign event for Talarico on Tuesday, ordering tacos from the candidate’s favorite local restaurant in Austin, Taco Joint. Also present was Gina Hinojosa, a state-level politician challenging Gov. Greg Abbott. “Do you know our outstanding next governor and senator?” Obama asked one table of patrons, according to The New York Times. RISING STAR TALARICO TOPPLES PROGRESSIVE FIREBRAND CROCKETT IN HIGH-STAKES TEXAS SENATE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY Talarico’s struggle with Black voters came to a head in the March primary against Crockett, when he was accused of calling Rep. Collin Allred, R-Texas, “mediocre.” “James Talarico told me that he signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable and intelligent black woman,” Morgan Thompson, a political commentator and one-time supporter of Talarico’s said in a video at the time. Allred then amplified the incident with a video on X, saying he had steam “coming out my ears.” CROCKETT DISPUTES OPPONENT’S DENIAL OF ‘MEDIOCRE BLACK MAN’ COMMENT, CALLS OUT ‘WELL-INTENTIONED WHITE FOLK’ “I understand that James Talarico had the temerity and the audacity to say to a Black woman that he had signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, meaning me, not a formidable, intelligent, Black woman, meaning Jasmine Crockett,” Allred said, adding that Talarico shouldn’t compliment Black women while “tearing down Black men.” “We’ve seen that play before. We’re sick and tired of it,” he said. Talarico told the Times that Thompson’s recollection of his comment was a “mischaracterization.” “In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre,” he told the outlet in a statement. “I would never attack him on the basis of race.”
Singham-backed, pro-China group drops huge sum on Manhattan HQ as feds probe shadowy network
NEW YORK — The People’s Forum Inc., a pro-China nonprofit that has been funded by Shanghai-based Marxist mogul Neville Roy Singham, bought a rundown building in Manhattan for $5.15 million and is now urging supporters to raise another $5 million to renovate the building — and to turn it into a “permanent home” for its far-left organizing efforts in the U.S. The fundraising drive comes as lawmakers and federal officials investigate Singham’s network over what they have described as a foreign-aligned influence operation promoting Chinese Communist Party narratives in the U.S. Scrutiny of China’s influence has intensified in recent days, including the resignation of a California mayor who agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. The People’s Forum, a central organization within the Singham network, says it serves as a hub for more than 200 organizations and has helped coordinate left-wing protests across the U.S. since its founding in 2017. The group told supporters on X Friday that it is urgently seeking to raise $2 million from individual donors by a December 2026 deadline, its first major fundraising target since it launched a broader $5 million campaign in September. The group hasn’t publicly disclosed the address of the new building, but property records obtained by Fox News Digital show it purchased a three-story building at 137 W. 14th Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood for $5.15 million in December 2024. Sources familiar with the transaction told Fox News Digital that the W. 14th Street building is the new nonprofit’s new headquarters. The details of the transaction and the records documenting the sale are being reported here for the first time. The records don’t detail how the purchase was financed. FAR-LEFT NONPROFITS IN THE HOT SEAT AS LAWMAKER EXPOSES THEM FOR ‘SOWING CHAOS’ IN US The fundraising and expansion drive comes as Congress is investigating what lawmakers have described as a “foreign-aligned influence network” tied to Singham. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said the nonprofit’s funding structures raise “significant concerns” about “foreign influence or control.” According to a Fox News Digital investigation, Singham has funneled $285 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, and Justice, State and Treasury Department officials are investigating financial activity tied to the network, including $22.5 million in funding directed to the People’s Forum. Since 2017, the Singham network has led volatile protests across the country, with organizations including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition, CodePink and BreakThrough News working with the People’s Forum to organize demonstrations and coordinate messaging, Fox News Digital has reported. The People’s Forum, which brags about publishing “over 25 revolutionary texts” and organizing “over 6,000 events,” said on its website that it initially relied on support from a “generous donor” to establish its operations in 2017, but that new cash injections are desperately needed. “Our initial donation is running out,” the organization wrote in a September appeal, adding that it now faces a “critical new stage.” The organization said the new building “right now is just a shell” and would require millions in renovations to become operational. The narrow, mixed-use property appeared vacant when Fox News Digital visited the location on Tuesday. PHOTOS: Swipe to see more exterior images The storefront, previously occupied by a curtains and shades business, was painted black, with its signage removed, and the front windows covered by a dark tarp. The entrance doors appeared to be covered with brown paper, and a metal fire escape runs along the exterior, tan-colored facade. Property records describe the building as a roughly 2,580-square-foot lot with a footprint of approximately 25 feet wide by 96 feet deep. “We need your help to make this urgent project come to reality,” the group wrote on Friday amid a renewed fundraising drive, sharing images of the building’s interior in disrepair, including exposed wires and other structural damage. The purchase and fundraising push reflect the group’s effort to expand its organizing infrastructure, raising questions about the scale and reach of its operations. PHOTOS: Swipe to see more interior images CHINA’S AMERICAN MAO: INSIDE SINGHAM’S BLUEPRINT TO ‘WAGE WAR’ FOR A ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’ The group previously said the decision to purchase the new building was driven in part by the need to replace its current leased space and create what it described as a permanent base that “cannot be threatened by landlords or political attacks.” The building previously sold for about $4.3 million in 2022, meaning the People’s Forum paid $850,000 more just over two years later. City records also show the building has active violations, including issues tied to elevators and the boiler system, with about $20,000 in civil penalties currently outstanding, suggesting the building requires substantial repairs. “The condition of disrepair in this building will take millions of dollars to renovate,” the group said in the Friday post. It has so far raised around $570,000 for the renovations, according to its website. PHOTOS: Swipe to see more interior images FAR-LEFT NONPROFITS IN THE HOT SEAT AS LAWMAKER EXPOSES THEM FOR ‘SOWING CHAOS’ IN US The People’s Forum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing it to receive tax-deductible donations under U.S. law. While the property is owned by the People’s Forum, city filings show David Chung, the group’s organizing director, signed a property ownership certification tied to the building in October 2025. Chung, who was born in South Korea and grew up in New York City, has also been identified in prior Fox News Digital reporting as directing protest activity in New York City. In one protest, he referred to supporters as “comrades.” He has also appeared at protests where he referred to the “brutality of this imperialist system” in the U.S. and led chants of “Free Palestine,” according to a video posted by the organization. In a caption accompanying the video, the group described the conflict in Gaza as a “genocide.” The group said it has “trained over 40,000 people” through political education programs, positioning
Platner called PTSD excuse ‘bulls—‘ in 2020 post, now cites his own struggle to explain online controversies
Democrat Graham Platner has leaned into his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to explain a bevy of incendiary social media posts prior to his Senate run in which he justified political violence and insulted law enforcement. But the progressive darling suggested PTSD and the trauma from multiple combat deployments are not an excuse for offensive behavior in a since-deleted post obtained by Fox News Digital. Platner, 41, made the comment on the Reddit forum r/SocialistRA in 2020, five years before emerging as a potent challenger to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in November’s midterm elections. Using a handle that did not identify him, Platner criticized a report in the Portland Press Herald about two former police officers who admitted to killing porcupines with their batons while on duty. One officer, a Marine veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan, attributed his actions to PTSD from his overseas deployment. DELETED POSTS URGING VIOLENCE HAUNT DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE RACE “Don’t buy into that bulls—. I did 4 tours in the infantry to Iraq and Afghanistan, saw all kinds of awful things, have a PTSD diagnosis and STILL manage not to beat defenseless animals to death for fun,” Platner, a Marine and Army veteran and oyster farmer, wrote in a social media post. “That’s just cops giving excuses for their garbage behavior,” he added. Platner’s activity on the subreddit r/SocialistRA and other Reddit forums was first reported by CNN. All the Reddit posts were deleted months prior to the left-wing populist launching his Senate run. Throughout the campaign, Platner has sought to tie his past offensive remarks to PTSD he developed after multiple overseas deployments, which he has called the darkest chapter of his life. He has argued the statements are not representative of who he is today, but reflect someone who was “having a very difficult time settling into a society that he felt betrayed by and left behind by after having a fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.” “This was a time in my life where I was struggling deeply,” Platner said in a video posted to social media in late 2025. “I got out of the Army in 2012, I had PTSD, I had depression, I had all of the things that come with serving in a war, two wars that I eventually began to not believe in at all.” “It left me feeling very unmoored. It left me feeling very disillusioned, very alienated and very isolated,” he added. “And I think, like a lot of people, I went on the internet to post stupid things and get in fights and find some form of community in some way, some outlet for my feelings.” GRAHAM PLATNER BLAMES NAZI TATTOO ON MILITARY ‘CULTURE,’ DRAWS BACKLASH FROM GOP VETERANS In 2013, while discussing a video promoting female underwear designed to prevent rape, Platner wrote in a since-deleted message, first obtained by The Washington Post, “Rape is a real thing. If you’re so worried about it to buy Kevlar underwear you’d think you might not get blacked out f—ed up around people you aren’t comfortable with.” And in 2018, he appeared to justify political violence to achieve “economic justice,” in a since-deleted post reported by Politico. But many of Platner’s most controversial remarks came as recently as five years ago, when he suggested that PTSD was not a shield for “garbage behavior.” In 2020, Platner wrote that white people living in rural America are “actually” racist and stupid and that all law enforcement officers are “bastards,” in since-deleted Reddit posts reported by CNN. The following year, Platner said he “got older and became a Communist” in a since-deleted post. The Maine Democrat has also faced scrutiny over a chest tattoo of a Nazi-linked symbol that he had for most of his adult life after getting it in 2007 while out drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. ‘THE VIEW’ LADIES SLAM MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE OVER NAZI SYMBOL TATTOO, SAYING IT’S ‘NOT JUST A WHOOPSIE’ Platner has expressed remorse for some of the online posts and covered up the tattoo, saying he did not know what the symbol of the skull-and-crossbones meant. Some reports that Platner denied indicate that he knew about the tattoo’s association with Nazi Germany. Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment. The blockbuster Senate contest in the blue-leaning state is pivotal to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., long-shot bid to retake control of the upper chamber. Platner told Fox News Digital in an interview Monday that he would not support Schumer remaining Democratic leader — part of a growing chorus of progressives who want new leadership in the upper chamber. The presumptive Democratic nominee has also argued that backlash from his past social media posts will fail to halt his campaign’s momentum. Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, 78, attempted to spotlight Platner’s comments about rape in campaign advertising, but the negative spot did not appear to damage his standing among Democratic primary voters. Mills, who was backed by Schumer, dropped out of the race in late April after significantly trailing Platner in public polling. “The Democratic establishment tried to use all those attacks against me and failed miserably,” Platner said as he referred to the Mills campaign’s negative spots before she exited the race. “Now the Republican establishment is going to try to use the exact same attacks, and that will also fail miserably.”
Texas Republicans see opening to raid Wall Street as NYC’s left-wing agenda rattles finance giants
EXCLUSIVE: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson blasted New York City’s leadership for “punishing success” and joined Gov. Greg Abbott in pitching Texas as a place where Wall Street firms can hang their hats. His pitch for “Y’all Street” over Wall Street comes as a steady stream of financial firms have in recent years expanded operations in Texas. They were drawn there because of the lower taxes and fewer regulations, a trend Johnson says is accelerating even more under New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The trend toward moving big business out of big blue cities has the potential to redraw the map of American finance, determining which jurisdictions capture high-paying jobs, investment, tax revenue and influence. The Republican mayor of Dallas told Fox News Digital that the latest clash between City Hall and Wall Street heavyweights only reinforces his concerns. CHICAGO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN KEN GRIFFIN TURNS ON A CITY — NOW MAMDANI MAY FIND OUT “The recent back-and-forth between Mayor Mamdani and Ken Griffin exemplifies exactly what I have been saying publicly for some time: New York City, under its current leadership, does not believe in rewarding success,” Johnson said. “New York City believes in punishing success,” he told Fox News Digital, adding that Dallas, by contrast, embraces successful companies and the leaders who built them. The clash between Mamdani and Griffin has quickly become a flashpoint in the broader debate over New York’s economic direction, with the Citadel founder warning that tax hikes, anti-business rhetoric and crime risk are pushing firms out. The feud intensified after Mamdani posted a viral video outside Griffin’s condo promoting his plan to tax second homes in NYC worth more than $5 million. NYC GROCERS SOUND ALARM ON MAMDANI’S SUPERMARKET PLAN: “WE’LL LOSE CUSTOMERS The dispute highlights a growing rift between New York City’s progressive agenda and the financial sector that has long powered the entire state’s economy — a divide only sharpened by Mamdani’s push for higher taxes on corporations and top earners. Experts warn that this, along with expanded DEI initiatives, rent freezes and tighter regulations, risk driving businesses away from the center of the world’s financial markets. Texas has already emerged as a major destination for firms in recent years, with companies like Goldman Sachs expanding their footprint in Dallas and JPMorgan Chase growing its workforce across the state. Meanwhile, the Texas Stock Exchange is preparing to launch in Dallas to rival legacy markets. At the same time, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are expanding into the state — underscoring the Lone Star State’s rise as a financial powerhouse. The state’s broader economic strength has also been a draw for outsiders. Texas reported a record $24 billion budget surplus in 2025, reinforcing its reputation as a fiscally stable, business-friendly environment. Johnson argued Dallas is not just benefiting from the trend, it’s helping lead it. “Dallas’s pro-businesses approach is fueling this shift,” Johnson said, adding that “Y’all Street” is emerging as a major center for financial services. “Instead of demonizing those who have achieved the American dream, we embrace our local business leaders as partners in building a better city, a city of genuine opportunity for everyone.”
Marco Rubio spotted in Nike tracksuit aboard Air Force One during trip to China, igniting memes online
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ditched his usual suit for a Nike tracksuit aboard Air Force One, sparking widespread online reactions as images of the unexpected look spread across social media. Photos posted to X by White House communications director Steven Cheung showed Rubio wearing a gray Nike Tech fleece outfit — a notably casual departure from the formal attire typically worn by top U.S. officials during official travel. The moment comes as Rubio travels with President Donald Trump on a high-stakes trip to China, where officials are expected to focus on trade and national security issues, creating a contrast between high-level diplomacy and a social media-driven fashion moment. The outfit quickly drew comparisons to the internet’s so-called “Venezuela Nike Tech” meme, which gained traction earlier this year after images of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro wearing a similar tracksuit circulated online. DAN GAINOR: FROM SECRETARY OF STATE TO SECRETARY OF MEMES, RUBIO WINS OVER MAGA Social media users flooded X with jokes and commentary after the images surfaced. “Is Marco going to be the DJ for the flight?” one X user wrote alongside an edited image showing Rubio standing behind a DJ booth. Another viral meme labeled Rubio “Nicolás Maduro as Marco Rubio,” continuing the comparisons between the secretary of state’s outfit and the now-viral Maduro images. MARCO RUBIO SPOTTED BEHIND DJ BOOTH AT FAMILY WEDDING AS SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS TO VIRAL CLIP Another user wrote, “Okay — did I miss one of Marco Rubio’s new jobs? Sportswear model?” Others dubbed the outfit “the Maduro fit,” while some questioned the casual attire aboard Air Force One. Rubio has also become an unlikely recurring viral figure online in recent weeks. Earlier this month, videos shared by White House officials showed the secretary of state DJing at a family wedding, wearing headphones behind a mixing booth as guests danced around him. Nike Tech fleece tracksuits have surged in popularity online in recent months, fueled in part by the Maduro images that helped turn the minimalist athletic style into an unlikely political meme. While senior officials are typically seen in formal wear during Air Force One travel, Rubio’s off-duty look offered a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse — and quickly became another social media talking point.
Nebraska’s Pillen wins Republican renomination in bid for second term as governor
Republican Gov. Jim Pillen of Nebraska is a big step closer to winning re-election as governor of the red-leaning Great Plains state. Pillen easily topped five challengers in Nebraska’s GOP gubernatorial primary to win his party’s 2026 nomination, the Associated Press reports. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The governor, a practicing veterinarian and chair of Pillen Family Farms who also played defensive back for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team five decades ago, was first elected in 2022. The backing of the outgoing Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts helped Pillen top a crowded field of GOP rivals in the primary before going on to easily win the general election. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY One week after being sworn in as governor, Pillen appointed Ricketts to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant when Republican Sen. Ben Sasse stepped down to become University of Florida president. Pillen will be considered the clear favorite in the general election in a state President Donald Trump carried by 20 points as he won back the White House in 2024. The governor will face off against former state Sen. Lynne Walz, who won the Democratic nomination, the Associated Press reports. Walz crushed perennial candidate Larry Marvin in the Democratic primary.