Mamdani’s latest tax pledge ‘makes no sense’ and will only exacerbate Florida ‘exodus’: former mayor
The former Republican mayor of Boca Raton is speaking out against the economic and tax policies of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and warning that reports of business owners and job creators fleeing to red states like Florida are likely to continue. “I didn’t have to be a soothsayer to know that when you elect a Democrat socialist with far left ideas that are just intent on taxing, taxing, taxing and have plans that have no hope of passing, you’re going to cause more capital to flee,” Scott Singer, running for Congress as a Republican in Florida’s 25th District, told Fox News. Mamdani has faced heavy criticism over his “tax the rich” platform since taking office, including from Citadel CEO and billionaire Ken Griffin, who recently pledged to increase his investment in Florida in response to new taxes on the wealthy imposed by the new socialist mayor. Singer, who predicted a business exodus from New York City to Florida in an interview with Fox News Digital in October, says the “exodus is going to continue naturally.” NYC LOST HIGH EARNERS AND BILLIONS IN INCOME, WITH MIGRANTS REVERSING POPULATION DECLINE: REPORT “People have already gotten wise and crazy statements like taxing people just because we can, and putting surtaxes on what are already the highest tax rates in the country, and thinking people aren’t going to move is a bad idea,” Singer said. “It’s not going to work, and people are going to continue to move.” Mamdani recently celebrated a proposal to tax luxury second homes owned by the ultra-wealthy, a plan expected to generate at least $500 million annually. “It makes no sense from a policy standpoint,” Singer said. “A part-time resident in New York City who’s already paying tons of property taxes at a rate that Mamdani wanted to increase, what, 11% more? They’re not using any services. So why would people continue to invest there? All they’re going to do is drive more capital away, depress values, and create fewer job opportunities.” CHICAGO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN KEN GRIFFIN TURNS ON A CITY, NOW MAMDANI MAY FIND OUT The right path forward, according to Singer, is “creating job growth, lowering taxes, shrinking government and allowing the free market to continue to attract jobs to attractive places.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. Mamdani claimed last month that threats of the city’s wealthiest residents leaving the city over high taxes are “imagined.” “For all of the discussion of the imagined exodus that would take place were we to tax the wealthiest New Yorkers by the appropriate amount — I say imagined because before I was a mayor I was a state legislator, and I was part of an effort to increase taxes on millionaires at that time — we were told the same thing then — and what we find now is that we have more millionaires today than we did at that time even after having passed that tax,” Mamdani said. New York City’s population declined in 2025, the year before Mamdani took office, resulting in a net loss of about 12,000 people. The drop follows post-pandemic gains of 70,000 in 2023 and 163,000 in 2024, driven largely by increased immigration, including asylum seekers, according to an April 20 report from the Citizens Budget Commission. Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report
WATCH: Left-wing LA mayor faces reality TV challenger’s blunt takedowns in heated mayoral debate
Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Republican challenger Spencer Pratt, and Democratic Socialists of America-aligned city councilwoman Nithya Raman squared off in a heated nonpartisan debate on Wednesday as the city heads toward its June 2 mayoral primary. The debate, hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52, centered on questions of public safety, affordability and immigration. Conservative commentators on social media, as well as some on the left, generally felt that Pratt exceeded expectations as he jumps into politics following his history as a reality star on “The Hills.” Fox News Digital took a look back at the top moments of the debate, including Bass confronting top issues such as the Palisades fires that tore through Southern California in 2025. CALIFORNIA MAYOR WANTS TO GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE ‘ALL THE FENTANYL THEY WANT’: ‘NEED TO PURGE THESE PEOPLE’ “First off, Inside Safe, I like to say Inside Safe makes all of us outside, unsafe,” Pratt said near the midpoint of the debate. Inside Safe is a municipal program spearheaded by Bass intended to take people out of homeless encampments and bring them into temporary or permanent indoor housing. A city report found that it spent $300 million on the project, which assisted roughly 6,000 people, 40% of whom have since ended up back on the streets. “The reality is, no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super meth,” Pratt continued. “They are on fentanyl. The DEA statistic says 93% of this is a drug addiction problem. I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with [Raman] and we can find some of these people she’s going to offer treatment for. She’s going to get stabbed in the neck.” LA-AREA MAYORS PLEAD WITH TRUMP ADMIN TO STOP ICE IMMIGRATION ARRESTS Near the end of the debate, moderator Enrique Chiabra asked the three candidates a straightforward question. “I want to ask you all three if this is a yes or no question and answer,” Chiabra said. “So there’s an LA council member. He wants voters to decide. He is saying that noncitizens, should they be allowed to vote in local elections. Is this a yes or no, Mr. Pratt?” LA MAYOR BASS PROVIDES CASH PAYMENTS TO ILLEGALS, ISSUES ORDER TO THWART IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT Pratt answered in a single word: “No.” Bass gave a longer answer, differentiating between green card holders and illegal immigrants, pointing out that some cities allow the former category to vote in local elections. Raman, meanwhile, gave an answer that a Los Angeles Times columnist described as “tongue-tied.” “Yeah, I would say again, it does depend in other places, school boards have noncitizens, noncitizens who are residents who vote for these,” she began to say, before a moderator cut her off. Early in the debate, Pratt took a jab at Bass over her handling of the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fires. “To the mayor, Karen Bass, the thousand firefighters that were available, but there [were] no engines for them because of the $17 million that Chief Crowley had asked the mayor for nine weeks before, and Mayor Karen Bass denied it,” Pratt said. “Not to mention Janisse Quinones, who Mayor Karen Bass put into a position of power at the LA DWP. She drained both of these reservoirs that these firefighters needed to put out these fires.” SPENCER PRATT ENLISTS SEN. RICK SCOTT FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE RESPONSE Pratt called Bass’ conduct in the lead-up to the fires “the most dangerous thing that the mayor put us up against.” Raman, who has been struggling to break through in the polls, accused Bass and Pratt during the debate of working together to block her out of the general election. “You’re going to watch today as Mayor Bass and Spencer Pratt attack me because they want to run against each other in the general election,” Raman said, directly addressing debate viewers. “First off, Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together,” Pratt responded. “I blame this person for burning my house and my parents’ house and my town and all my neighbors down.” RESIDENTS IN EXCLUSIVE ENCLAVE DEMAND DEM MAYOR ACT ON CRIME SURGE He went on to point out that Bass’ strong relationship with labor unions and her status as incumbent mayor made her a stronger opponent than Raman, in his view. Pratt concluded his statement by dismissing Raman as a “random council member.” As the debate shifted to public safety, Pratt took an opportunity to slam Raman for historically advocating for decreased police funding. “Councilwoman Raman keeps saying that the police department is over funded –public safety should be our number one priority,” he said. “And we’re going to find all this money when we stop her useless open bed plans. That actually doesn’t put drug addicts in these housing, that we’re spending billions of dollars, and we’re going to actually start checking where this money is going.” Pratt proposed providing more resources to the Los Angeles Police Department to ultimately build the force to 12,500 officers.
Gorsuch highlights staggering decline in civic literacy that prompted him to author new book
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is sounding the alarm on the steep decline in civic literacy in classrooms across the United States — a trend Gorsuch said ultimately prompted him to co-author a new children’s book with the aim of educating the next generation about America’s founding principles. Speaking to Fox News Digital in a recent interview, Gorsuch said his new book, “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration,” was created to address the steep decline in civic education and history in the U.S. among both school-aged children and adults. “Only about 13% of kids today in eighth grade are proficient in American history — [and just] 22% in civics,” Gorsuch told Fox News Digital. “Six out of 10 adults would fail our citizenship test. Those numbers, he said, reflect a “deeply” concerning reality and were ultimately what inspired the book’s creation. AMERICAN STUDENTS’ LACK OF BASIC CIVICS KNOWLEDGE ALARMS EDUCATION ADVOCATES “That’s how [my co-author] hooked me,” Gorsuch said, referring to Janie Nitze, his former clerk and co-author. “She says, ‘You have been complaining about the state of civic education in this country for a long time,’” Gorsuch said. “She’s right. … So, it’s time to do something about it, I figured.” Gorsuch has long sought to improve the state of civic education programs for young people in the U.S. — a goal that predates his nomination as a Supreme Court justice. He recently told Fox News Sunday that the new book took “a lot of inspiration” from former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who famously founded a civics education nonprofit after stepping down from the bench. “As she was leaving the court, she reflected that civic education in this country is a problem,” Gorsuch said of O’Connor’s work. “And for a lot of reasons, it’s simply not being taught anymore.” “So I do think we have a big problem, because we are a creedal nation, again, not based on race or religion, but based on an idea, three great ideas, I think,” he said. “And if you don’t know what they are, the history and the people that made them possible, how can you possibly carry them on?” JUSTICE GORSUCH HIGHLIGHTS HUMANITY, HISTORY IN CHILDREN’S BOOK CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY Gorsuch noted in 2019 that just one-third of Americans could name all three branches of government — a concerning decline, he said, given that the three branches interact and crucially “check” one another against unmitigated overreach. Without this separation of powers, Gorsuch said at the time, promises of freedom “are just words on a page.” “What Madison knew is that people are not angels,” he told Fox & Friends. “And that we need to separate powers that keep us free.” Now, he’s hoping to bring that message to a younger audience. Gorsuch said their goal in writing the book — which features striking, hand-painted illustrations alongside stories of well-known revolutionaries and young people during the Revolutionary War — was to inspire children by highlighting the role they played in shaping the nation, 250 years ago. JUSTICE BARRETT OPENS UP ABOUT ‘AWKWARD’ START ON SCOTUS, SHADOW DOCKET AND MORE IN FORTHCOMING MEMOIR “Young people have been remarkable contributors to our country throughout history,” Gorsuch said, listing teenagers named in the book, who participated in the war directly, or as spies. “We wanted to inspire young people. That was a huge part of it,” Gorsuch said. He stressed that civic education is not a partisan issue on the high court — adding that in fact, the issue is one that unifies all nine Supreme Court justices, regardless of their ideology. “If you polled the nine of us in our conference room,” Gorsuch said of the justices, “one thing we could all agree on is the importance of learning American history.” “Because how else are you going to carry this thing forward? Somebody has to run the zoo,” he said.
Top Spanberger ally targeted in FBI corruption probe has long history of controversy
On Wednesday, the FBI raided the office of a Democratic state lawmaker with a history of financial and ethical controversies. During her more than four decades in politics, Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas has faced controversies ranging from her handling of campaign funds to the way she runs her marijuana dispensary. Federal authorities have been investigating Lucas on suspicion of corruption and illegal marijuana sales for years, beginning under the Biden administration, sources familiar told Fox News Digital. Lucas’ office did not respond to a request for comment sent by Fox News Digital on Wednesday. The raid comes after years of scrutiny over Lucas’ political conduct, business dealings and public behavior. FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN TURNED VA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ABIGAIL SPANBERGER ACCUSED OF ETHICS VIOLATION Lucas has been a central figure in the commonwealth’s redistricting fight and is widely considered the driving force behind Virginia’s new map, which voters narrowly approved but is currently held up in court. When Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, lambasted Virginia Democrats over what he and others have largely characterized as a push to gerrymander the commonwealth for political ends, Lucas issued a profane response that she “f—ing finished” what Republicans started on a federal level. She also has dropped several memes and GIFs on social media condemning former Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Republicans like Rep. Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia Beach — and has enlisted background tracks such as Famous Dex’s “Hoes Mad.” VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT GIVES PROFANITY-LACED RESPONSE TO CRUZ’S CRITICISM OF THE STATE’S REDISTRICTING PUSH One such post includes an artificially generated image of Kiggans and Reps. Ben Cline, Rob Wittman and John McGuire, wearing McDonald’s uniforms, while a dig at Kiggans had the caption “you want fries with that.” Wittman was shown being pulled away from the House Armed Services Committee gavel, the panel for which he is considered the chair-in-waiting. Another meme showed a red-eyed Lucas split next to a U-Haul truck at the governor’s mansion while Youngkin was in office. “She completely controls what’s happening in Virginia right now,” a Republican strategist, commenting on her fervent ambassadorship of the redistricting referendum, told CNN. During her tenure as the top Democrat on the Virginia Senate’s Finance and Appropriations Committee, Lucas has pushed for the expansion of casinos in the commonwealth. Due to her position on the committee, the senator has considerable sway over whether casino projects advance. While trusted to help regulate gambling, Lucas has pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from major players in the gaming industry. Lucas, for instance, reportedly played a pivotal role in advancing an $11 billion casino project being developed by Comstock Holdings in northern Virginia. Comstock Holdings and its top executive are some of Lucas’ largest donors. In November 2023, Comstock CEO Christopher Clemente cut a $100,000 campaign check to Lucas, per campaign finance records. Comstock itself donated an additional $100,000 to Lucas between August 2024 and December 2025. VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS TALK AFFORDABILITY — AND VOTE TO NEARLY TRIPLE THEIR OWN PAY Rivers Casino Portsmouth, which Lucas has repeatedly bragged about helping to establish, has funneled tens of thousands of dollars into her campaign account since opening in 2023. Lucas also accepted $165,000 from the company Pace-O-Matic and its executives as she pushed to legalize gambling machines made by the company. Text messages obtained by the Virginia Mercury in June 2024 indicate that local officials viewed Lucas as a key powerbroker when it came to approving gambling projects. Lucas’ pot shop was also subject to a journalistic investigation, given that Virginia still outlaws cannabis in most forms. According to the commonwealth’s cannabis regulatory agency, medical marijuana is legal, as well as possession in a private residence and public possession of up to 1 oz. Sales of “adult-use” cannabis and pop-up shops are illegal, as is driving under the influence of the drug or transporting it in a rideshare. LEGAL GROUP ACCUSES VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OF FELONY AFTER HOSTING DEM POLITICAL RALLY FOR FREE With that, the cannabis shop co-owned by Lucas and located next to her senatorial office in Portsmouth has long received scrutiny. A Virginia Mercury investigation showed some “Lucky Charms”-labeled bars contained the substance Delta-9 THC, which it said conflicts with Virginia’s ban on sales but allowance of small-scale possessions. Lucas has advertised her shop on X, writing in a 2022 post that she was a “78-year-old grandma who legalized pot and now has her own cannabis (sic) store. And I’m the last thing standing between The GOP and total control of Virginia. That’s worth an [retweet].” She followed that up with a message saying, “did I mention my store is on High Street in Portsmouth,” with a GIF of former President Barack Obama dropping a microphone. The Virginia Mercury’s investigation found “rampant mislabeling” among dealers across the commonwealth, and the professor said findings from Lucas’ store were in line with the 66 total samples collected statewide. Lucas had also been accused of fomenting unrest during a George Floyd protest in her home city of Portsmouth. Lucas and several protesters were charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument exceeding $1,000, following a June 2020 protest at a Confederate monument. Protesters tore heads off of some of the monument’s statues, according to The Associated Press, and at one point, a statue was toppled to the ground, seriously wounding a protester. Lucas’ charges were eventually dropped, but she had also called for Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene to resign amid the fallout. Greene later said she had been fired and would be suing over her termination – after she considered the situation a conspiracy in which people drew hundreds of others to the site to commit “felonious acts.” SCANDAL-PLAGUED VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL’S WIFE REPORTEDLY DONATED TO FUND THAT FREED ACCUSED CRIMINALS, MURDERERS An account from the AP quoted Lucas as telling police officers responding to the unrest that “they are going to put some paint on this thing and y’all can’t arrest them… [they’re] gonna do it and
Longtime Dem Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles to resign months into new term
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, 73, said Thursday she will resign effective June 30, a surprise move less than six months after the five-term Democrat won reelection to lead the nation’s 14th-largest city. “Serving as Charlotte’s mayor has been the honor of my life,” Lyles, 73, said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer and other local outlets on Thursday. “I am proud of our record navigating various challenges, strengthening our economy, investing in our neighborhoods, and building a foundation for Charlotte’s continued success during a time of rapid growth.” “As in all things politics, I am sure there will be speculation as to why I am making this decision now,” the statement continued. “Simply put, I am going to spend time with my grandchildren. Like many of us, I have missed some moments with them and intend to not miss anymore.” Lyles easily won reelection in 2025 after facing questions over whether she would run again, and there were growing questions about her recent visibility and active leadership of the city. CHARLOTTE’S ‘PRO-CRIME’ POLICIES UNDER FIRE AS CAREER CRIMINAL CHARGED WITH KILLING COMMUTER: EXPERT The Charlotte Ledger reported that Lyles had been missing more City Council meetings than usual after years of regularly presiding over them. She also had not attended most monthly zoning meetings for several months — possibly longer. WFAE reported that some in the community, private sector and city government had raised concerns about Lyles’ health and whether she could continue carrying out the responsibilities of the office. The outlet reported that Lyles had appeared confused at times during procedural discussions, including at one recent council meeting when she had to be reminded that she needed to cast a tiebreaking vote. Asked Monday at the Government Center by a WFAE reporter whether she intended to complete her term, Lyles declined to answer directly. CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT’S STATE CASE STALLS AMID MIND CONTROL CLAIMS — BUT UNCLE SAM SAYS NOT SO FAST “We will see,” she said, just days before her resignation. The station reported that Lyles was then escorted away from the reporter by an assistant and later by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer. Her resignation will leave the Charlotte City Council to decide who completes the remainder of her term. Lyles has served as Charlotte’s mayor since 2017 after previously serving on the City Council.
Rubio heads to Rome with Trump’s Iran clash looming over Pope, Meloni talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio previewed a high-profile trip to Rome from the White House briefing room Tuesday, delivering sharp warnings to Iran and flashing easy command of the podium that drew praise from conservative allies online. “The trip is really not tied to anything other than the fact that it would be normal for us to engage, and other secretaries of State have done that in the past,” Rubio said at the White House press conference on Tuesday of his trip to Italy. The briefing came two days before Rubio is set to visit the Vatican and Italy for meetings amid heightened tensions between President Donald Trump, Pope Leo and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the U.S.-Iran conflict. Rubio used the briefing to defend the administration’s posture toward Tehran, downplay the timing of the Italy visit and signal that Washington is not backing off its pressure campaign. RUBIO TO VISIT ITALY, VATICAN AMID TROOP DRAWDOWN CALL, TENSION WITH TRUMP, POPE LEO: REPORTS “The message to Iran … these guys are facing real catastrophic destruction to their economy, generational destruction to their economy, generational destruction to the wealth of their country imposed on themselves by the actions that they’re taking,” said Rubio of Iran on Tuesday. “They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they’re going,” Rubio quipped, referencing Ice Cube’s rap song, “Check Yo Self.” Rubio, a Catholic, is expected to meet with Pope Leo on Thursday morning, at a time when the pontiff has criticized the Trump administration’s Middle East peacemaking efforts. RUBIO OVERHAULING ‘BLOATED’ STATE DEPARTMENT IN SWEEPING REFORM “There has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” the pope said in April. “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population.” RUBIO’S TRUMP ADMIN JUGGLING ACT GROWS AS MEME-WORTHY ROLE LIST BECOMES REALITY The comments were seemingly in reference to one of Trump’s Truth Social posts, where he wrote, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!” Trump told reporters on Wednesday in the Oval Office he only has one message for the Pope. “I can tell you this, that as far as the Pope is concerned, and it’s very simple. Whether I make him happy or I don’t make him happy, Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. And he seemed to be saying that they can. And I say they cannot, because if that happened, the entire world would be hostage. And we’re not going to let that happen,” he said. TRUMP MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM GIORGIA MELONI AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO RESORT Rubio will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been distancing herself from the U.S. amid mounting domestic and political pressure over the widening Middle East conflict. The meeting comes as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on NATO allies to align with the U.S. against Iran, including ordering the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany — a drawdown expected to unfold over the next six to 12 months. Meloni said Tuesday she would not support any effort to reduce the U.S. military presence in Italy, drawing a contrast with Trump’s broader push to reposition American forces in Europe. Italy remains a key U.S. security hub in Europe, hosting nearly 13,000 active-duty American troops across six bases as of the end of 2025. Rubio heads to his high-profile meetings fresh off of social media commenters and conservative leaders applauding how well he stepped in for Karoline Leavitt behind the podium after she took maternity leave late last month. The secretary joked with reporters, fielded questions in multiple languages and delivered pointed warnings to Iran, giving supporters a glimpse of the presence he will likely carry into the Rome trip. “Marco Rubio is showing the nation & the world what we’ve known about him for decades,” said Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez on X. “Rubio is one of the most eloquent, articulate, & incredibly capable statesmen of our times.” “President Trump made an EXCELLENT choice in him. He proves it every single day,” he added.
Rudy Giuliani out of ICU, continuing to recover in hospital: ‘He’s winning this fight’
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is out of the ICU but will continue to spend time in the hospital before being discharged, according to a spokesperson for the former politician. “The mayor and his family appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers sent his way,” Ted Goodman, a political strategist who launched a livestream program with Giuliani, said in an update posted to social media on Wednesday. “Mayor Giuliani—the man who took down the Mafia, saved New York City, and ran toward the towers on September 11th—is the same fighter he’s always been, and he’s winning this fight,” he continued. Goodman added that the “power of prayer is working” and the former mayor “feels it,” encouraging people to keep them coming. RUDY GIULIANI’S PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER GIVES UPDATE ON HIS CONDITION Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized in critical but stable condition on Sunday because of severe breathing issues. On Monday, Giuliani’s doctor, Maria Ryan, told Fox News correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that he began feeling ill after returning from a trip to Paris, with his breathing deteriorating to the point that he required hospitalization and was placed on a ventilator. Ryan said his condition turned critical, prompting a priest to be called to his bedside to perform last rites. But by Tuesday, his condition had improved enough for doctors to remove him from the ventilator. He is now breathing independently and able to speak. RUDY GIULIANI HOSPITALIZED IN CRITICAL BUT STABLE CONDITION: ‘HE’S FIGHTING’ Ryan said she expects Giuliani to make a full recovery. “He’s a fighter — the way he was yesterday in such a critical condition, he did have a priest come anoint him,” Ryan said. “And all the prayers from around — it’s like a miracle. This guy’s got 9 lives, today he’s doing much better.” Giuliani has faced a number of health challenges in recent years but has remained active in public life. Earlier this week, Goodman noted Giuliani’s health history following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when he was exposed to debris while responding at Ground Zero, later leading to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease. He had also been seriously injured in a car crash in New Hampshire in August of last year, leaving him with a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and other injuries. President Donald Trump said after learning of Giuliani’s hospitalization on Sunday that he was the “Best Mayor” in New York City’s history. “Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalized, and is in critical condition,” Trump said, in part. Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
California immigration judge sues DOJ, alleging she was fired for being a registered Democrat, a woman over 40
A California immigration judge who was terminated by the Trump administration is alleging in a lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) that she was fired because she is a registered Democrat and because of her affiliations with immigrant-rights groups. The 14-page lawsuit, filed by Kyra Lilien, names the DOJ and acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche as defendants. Lilien claims she was not retained past her probationary period due to a number of factors, including being a woman over the age of 40, being fluent in Spanish and her associations with the Hispanic community. JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S MASS DISMISSALS OF PROBATIONARY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Kevin Owen of Gilbert Employment Law in Maryland, one of Lilien’s attorneys, told FOX San Francisco she didn’t fit their mold and that the actions taken against her were impermissible and unlawful. The lawsuit alleges that her termination violated Lilien’s civil and First Amendment rights. Lilien was initially appointed to serve at the San Francisco Immigration Court on July 23, 2023, before being transferred to the Concord Immigration Court in February 2024. In total, she served nearly two years, which is the standard probationary period immigration judges serve under Justice Department policy before their appointments are typically converted to permanent roles. The lawsuit names nearly 30 other immigration judges from around the country who were either fired or not converted from probationary periods, including 14 from the Concord and San Francisco immigration courts. The filing states that immigration judges who were not converted or were terminated around the same time as the plaintiff were overwhelmingly female. Fox News Digital has reached out to Lilien’s attorney, the DOJ and the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). GROUP OF DEI WORKERS SUE TO STOP TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS Throughout her employment and during her probationary period, Lilien met or exceeded all performance standards, according to the lawsuit. She received satisfactory assessments — the highest possible rating — in her probationary period reports for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. As a judge, Lilien denied 34% of asylum claims brought before her, according to data from TRAC Immigration. On July 11, 2025, Lilien received a notice that her probationary period would not be converted permanently, and the message said the attorney general had decided not to extend her term or convert it to a permanent appointment pursuant to Article II of the Constitution. The suit also alleges that Sirce Owen, who was serving as the acting EOIR director at the time, issued controversial memoranda in early 2025 that demonstrated hostility toward immigrant advocacy groups and certain hiring practices. Owen allegedly characterized these groups in a memo as “extremist leftist organizations” that promote illegal immigration and attempt to undermine immigration courts. He also issued another memo criticizing the appointment practices under the Biden administration. Lilien’s suit states that these memoranda together laid bare management’s hostility toward hiring individuals with immigrants’ rights backgrounds, women, ethnic minorities and others who may be considered “DEI” hires.
Schumer’s ‘No. 1 target’ says voters will see her Democrat Senate challenger as too extreme
HARRISON, Maine — As she runs for a sixth six-year term in the U.S. Senate in left-leaning Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is once again a top target for Democrats. “I have been the No. 1 target of Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, not only in this campaign, but the last two campaigns as well. I’m always his No. 1 target,” Collins told Fox News Digital in an exclusive national interview this week. And it’s no different this time around, as Collins seeks re-election in a competitive and high-profile 2026 race that is one of a handful across the country that will likely determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority. Facing Collins will likely be military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race last week after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Platner is supported by progressive Senate champions Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The first-time candidate advocates an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class. Asked if Platner is too far to the left for voters in her northern New England state, Collins said, “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.” A Republican group supporting Collins is already blasting Platner in a new ad over controversial comments he made over a decade ago on Reddit about women and rape and a well-publicized tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. Among the comments is one from 2013, which Platner later deleted, that people concerned about rape should not “get so f—ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.” The candidate apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. Asked if she’ll take aim at Platner over his political baggage, Collins said, “Obviously I’m going to be contrasting my record of achievement and accomplishments with Graham Platner’s approach.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Collins stopped, before saying, “I don’t want to preview too much of our strategy.” But the senator added that she’s “hoping that we can have a campaign that is civil, where we discuss issues and accomplishments. That’s my goal.” Platner, who is running as an outsider, emphasizes that Collins is part of a “broken Washington” and “a generation of politicians who have failed us.” He has described Collins’ moderate Republican image as a “charade,” highlights her support for some of President Donald Trump’s agenda and accuses her of being part of a political system that benefits the wealthy. “She and Republican politicians like her have prioritized the interests of billionaires and corporations over people,” he has charged. Republicans — as the party currently in power in Washington, D.C. — were already up against traditional political headwinds that typically lead to a loss of congressional seats. Add to that the challenging climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings. Asked how she can overcome the blame pointed at Republicans over the high cost of living, Collins noted she’s championed the low-income heating assistance program, which “helps low-income families and seniors stay warm during the cold winter months. I just recently made sure the final tranche of money was released because there is a lot of need in the state of Maine, and the cost of living is high here.” Collins also emphasized her opposition to cuts “in food stamp benefits and in other programs that designed for low-income families because I know how important they are.” DEMOCRATS BUILD MIDTERM MOMENTUM, BUT REPUBLICANS STILL IN DRIVER’S SEAT IN SENATE MAJORITY BATTLE The senator was interviewed at a food bank that expanded with federal funding Collins helped obtain. “It is so satisfying to be here today and to know that I played a very small role, but an essential role, in allowing this food bank to expand its community room, its kitchen, and to help it be even more successful,” she noted. “This food bank is extraordinary. It serves more than 1,000 families every week.” The Democrats’ narrow path to regain control of the Senate flows through Maine, and Collins will once again face an avalanche of attack ads. Pointing to Schumer, Collins said, “Last time he poured into Maine with his affiliated groups, more than $160 million, all in negative ads trashing me and misrepresenting my record. He’s already doing that now.” But she added that, “fortunately, the people of Maine are smart, and they know lies and distortions when they see it.”
Justice Neil Gorsuch breaks silence on violent threats against judiciary, Supreme Court leaks
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch spoke out against rising threats targeting judges, breaking his silence on violence against the judiciary in a sit-down interview with Fox News Digital. Gorsuch’s remarks come amid heightened security concerns for members of the Supreme Court after the 2022 leak of the court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which sparked protests outside justices’ homes and intensified fears about their safety, particularly after the attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Gorsuch emphasized that the current environment — marked by increasingly heated public discourse and breaches of court confidentiality — poses broader risks to the institution. “We have to be able to hear one another,” Gorsuch said. “And violence is never the answer.” JUSTICE GORSUCH HIGHLIGHTS HUMANITY, HISTORY IN CHILDREN’S BOOK CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY His remarks come as members of the federal judiciary have faced heightened security risks in recent years, including an assassination attempt targeting Kavanaugh during the lead-up to the Dobbs decision, when the court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the federal constitutional right to abortion. On June 8, 2022, Nicholas John Roske, a transgender individual from Simi Valley, California, traveled to Kavanaugh’s Maryland home with a gun and ammunition in a checked suitcase. Authorities later found a gun, tactical knife, zip ties, duct tape, a hammer, crowbar, lock-pick tools and other items in Roske’s belongings, according to the Department of Justice. After seeing deputy U.S. Marshals outside the home, Roske walked away and called 911, telling a dispatcher about having homicidal and suicidal thoughts and had come from California to kill a Supreme Court justice. Before the incident, Roske searched online for information about how to harm people — one search read “Does twisting or dragging a knife cause more damage” — and expressed a desire to affect the outcome of the Dobbs decision. Roske was sentenced to eight years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for the assassination attempt. Though Gorsuch stopped short of weighing in directly on specific incidents, he stressed to Fox News Digital that maintaining civil discourse and institutional boundaries are critical to preserving the Supreme Court’s role and the independence of the federal judiciary. “There’s a balance between transparency and [the] confidentiality in our work, right?” Gorsuch said. “I mean, it’s wonderful, I think, that we have the opportunity for people to listen in to our own arguments. You can listen to every word uttered in arguments from the bench today, in real time. “At the same time, we also have to be able to talk with one another privately and discuss our views candidly around the conference table.” Gorsuch suggested these breaches of confidentiality — including the high-profile Dobbs leak, and more recent leaks of confidential Supreme Court memos exchanged by justices in 2016 — risk further eroding public trust in the judiciary. JUSTICE BARRETT TEASES NEW MEMOIR IN ABRUPT CONFERENCE EXIT “You think about how robust our system is, where everybody, all factions come into making laws,” Gorsuch said. “That makes our decisions wiser than you are ever gonna get in a dictatorship or a monarchy or an oligarchy. They’re much more fragile, aren’t they?” At the same time, Gorsuch underscored that maintaining boundaries for the court’s internal deliberations is critical, particularly after high-profile leaks. “There’s a balance between transparency on the one hand … and confidentiality in our deliberations,” he said. “You can read every word I think about a case at the end of the day. … But do we need some confidentiality? Of course.” He warned that losing that balance could undermine both trust in the court and the ability of justices to engage in candid debate behind closed doors, a practice he noted dates back to the nation’s founding. “The framers thought it was very important that they lock the doors when they were discussing the Constitution,” Gorsuch said, adding that James Madison later believed there “would have been no Constitution” without that privacy. Gorsuch tied those concerns to the broader constitutional principle of judicial independence, arguing the judiciary’s role depends on its insulation from political pressure and public backlash. “Why do we have an independent judiciary?” Gorsuch said. “The framers did not want [judges beholden to political forces]. … They said you have to have independent judges so that when you come to court, no matter how unpopular you are, you’re going to get fair, neutral application of the law.” JUSTICE BARRETT OPENS UP ABOUT ‘AWKWARD’ START ON SCOTUS, SHADOW DOCKET AND MORE IN FORTHCOMING MEMOIR Despite ideological differences among the justices, Gorsuch said there remains a shared respect for the Constitution, a dynamic he suggested is essential in an era of growing polarization. “When I sit around the table with my colleagues, and we disagree, the one thing I know is that the person across from me loves this country … as much as I do,” he said. Still, Gorsuch made clear that the tone of public debate — and the rejection of violence — will ultimately shape whether that system endures. “We can debate, we can disagree,” he said. “But we have to be able to do it in a way that respects one another.” Ashley Oliver and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.