Author: NOVA Corp

While tens of thousands of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are struggling to make ends meet, some members of Congress appear to be going about their business as usual during the record-breaking government shutdown.

Instead of staying in Washington to resolve the funding stalemate, both chambers commenced a two-week Easter recess over the weekend, a move that is expected to prolong the record-breaking 46-day shutdown until mid-April.

In the meantime, some lawmakers have been spotted on vacation, posing for selfies on congressionally sponsored trips and socializing in ritzy casino bars. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sparked controversy after being spotted by TMZ at Disney World over the weekend. 

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The South Carolina lawmaker was captured holding a “Little Mermaid”-themed bubble wand retailing for $40. Eyewitnesses told TMZ that Graham was holding the toy for a child while she went to the bathroom.

The influential Republican senator was also seen waiting in line with a family to ride Space Mountain and dining at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. 

Graham blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown in a statement to TMZ, adding that he had repeatedly voted for DHS spending bills filibustered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

“I was invited to a meeting in South Florida on Friday with Trump official Steve Witkoff and others to talk about the possibility of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel,” Graham told the outlet. “I went to Orlando to meet friends after. I’m already back in South Carolina.”

“I voted 7 times to fully fund the government. Call a Democrat,” he added.

TMZ’s reporting came after the outlet asked for Americans to send tips about lawmakers on vacation or engaging in leisure during the planned recess period. 

The pictures have sparked outrage, partly because lawmakers — who earn a base salary of $174,000 per year — are still receiving their paychecks, though members can elect to defer their salary until the shutdown ends.

In sharp contrast, certain individuals employed by the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are not expected to receive salaries until DHS funding is restored.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump wants lawmakers to cancel the recess and “to fund and reopen the Department of Homeland Security entirely.”

The embattled Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workforce began to receive back pay on Monday after reporting to work without pay during the first six weeks of the shutdown, following an executive order from President Donald Trump. More than 500 TSA agents quit during the funding lapse, according to senior DHS officials.

FETTERMAN SLAMS DEMOCRATIC ‘MESS’ AS TSA WORKERS MISS PAYCHECKS DURING DHS SHUTDOWN

Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., have called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to cancel recess and call senators back to Washington. However, neither lawmaker was present during the Senate’s pro forma session on Monday. 

Some lawmakers have defended the planned recess, despite the 46-day shutdown having no clear end in sight.

“You know very well that we’re not off,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told reporters Monday. “We’re working every day in our home states. For most of us, this is when we have time to go up and down our state and to meet with our constituents and listen to their concerns.”

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the influential House Oversight Committee, was spotted at a casino bar by TMZ over the weekend at the luxurious Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort.

Garcia’s Vegas visit came after he voted against a two-month DHS funding extension late Friday. The California Democrat had previously voted against a full-year DHS spending bill three times, citing his opposition to funding Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown efforts absent reforms.

“Actually, I don’t mind what TMZ is doing here,” Garcia wrote on X following the images’ circulation. “Like the story says my dad has lived in Vegas for 15 years and I had just finished lunch with him. I try to see him whenever I can.”

“And like I said a few days ago, Speaker Mike Johnson should have never sent us all home,” Garcia added. 

Additionally, Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., is planning to co-host a watch party for the premiere of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” TMZ reported.

The offices of Graham, Garcia and Magaziner did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Some lawmakers are also participating in congressionally sponsored trips abroad during the DHS funding lapse.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., John Curtis, R-Utah, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., traveled to Taiwan as part of a congressional delegation to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan ties.

The group was seen smiling while taking photos with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and other Taiwanese officials on Monday, according to images released on social media by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats.

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Colorado cannot enforce its so-called “conversion therapy” ban regarding conversations between therapists and minors, saying the law likely violates the First Amendment by allowing some viewpoints but not others.

In an 8–1 decision, the high court said the law favors one viewpoint by allowing therapists to affirm a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation, but not help them to change it if they want to.

The decision stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian therapist, who argued her conversations with youth clients were a form of protected speech. The Colorado government had said the conversations amounted to professional conduct that the state was allowed to regulate.

SUPREME COURT SKEPTICAL OF “CONVERSION THERAPY” LAW BANNING TREATMENT OF MINORS WITH GENDER IDENTITY ISSUES

At issue in the case was a law Colorado passed in 2019 that banned what the state government described as conversion therapy.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, saying the question before the high court was a “narrow one” and that Chiles did not seek to toss out the Colorado law but rather consider whether it could apply to therapy that was strictly conversational.

“The First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country,” Gorsuch wrote. “It reflects instead a judgment that every American possesses an inalienable right to think and speak freely, and a faith in the free marketplace of ideas as the best means for discovering truth. However well-intentioned, any law that suppresses speech based on viewpoint represents an ‘egregious’ assault on both of those commitments.”

SUPREME COURT REJECTS SOUTH CAROLINA’S BID TO ENFORCE TRANSGENDER BATHROOM BAN

In the lone dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the majority “plays with fire in this case” and that she feared “the people of this country will get burned.”

“Before now, licensed medical professionals had to adhere to standards when treating patients: They could neither do nor say whatever they want,” Jackson wrote. “Largely due to such State regulation, Americans have been privileged to enjoy a long and successful tradition of high-quality medical care.”

Two dozen states and Washington, D.C., have laws in place that are similar to Colorado’s that could be affected by the Supreme Court’s decision.

Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jim Campbell, who argued the case on behalf of Chiles before the Supreme Court in October, called the ruling a “significant win.”

“Kids deserve real help affirming that their bodies are not a mistake and that they are wonderfully made. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today is a significant win for free speech, common sense, and families desperate to help their children,” Campbell said in a statement. “States cannot silence voluntary conversations that help young people seeking to grow comfortable with their bodies.”

Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report. 

A masked agitator was caught on video graffitiing the side of a federal building in Los Angeles with the message “kill your local ICE agent,” along with two targets.

The agitator, who was wearing a scarf that covered their neck and face save for their eyes, was seen spray-painting the message as several thousand protesters marched in the “No Kings” protest in downtown Los Angeles.

The graffiti message led many, such as conservative commentator Greg Price, to respond that such threats are the reason U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers must remain anonymous during operations. Price commented on X that “this is why ICE agents wear masks… because they’re perfectly okay with people like this being able to harm and kill them.”

ICE also responded, posting on its official X account that “if you threaten ICE, or their families, you WILL face the full force of federal law.”

HOMELAND SECURITY VOWS DEPORTATION OPERATIONS ‘WILL CONTINUE’ AS ICE AGENTS HELP TSA, AGENCY DEFUNDED

The agency added that “our courageous men and women face death threats, just like this, every day.” It vowed that “individuals making the threats will be held accountable.”

Another, Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet, reacted, “The Mostly Peaceful are at it again.”

Conservative independent journalist Nick Sortor called the message “INFURIATING.” He asked, “Why the H*** are they being allowed to wreak havoc totally unchecked,” predicting, “It’s only going to get WORSE when the summer gets here.”

This comes as the Department of Homeland Security is experiencing a lapse in funding from a partial government shutdown due to disagreements in Congress over immigration enforcement tactics. Democrats have made renewed funding for ICE and Border Patrol contingent on several reforms. Among their demands, some Democrats are pushing to bar federal immigration officers from wearing masks during operations.

AIRPORTS BEG FLIGHT PASSENGERS TO CHANGE THEIR TRAVEL HABITS AFTER DHS SHUTDOWN JAMS LINES

In February, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., urged Republicans to order the unmasking of ICE agents, describing the step as one of many “guardrails” needed to protect the public and earn their support in resolving the DHS shutdown. 

White House border czar Tom Homan has defended the use of masks and other facial coverings by ICE officers as necessary to protect agents from a rise in assaults and violent threats reported by DHS.

Homan admitted, “I don’t like the masks, either,” but said, “These men and women have to protect themselves.”

In an interview with Fox News Digital last year, a special agent working deportations, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said immigration enforcement officials “wouldn’t wear masks if they didn’t care” about their families. 

‘AMERICANS FIRST’: ICE SWEEPS UP CHILD PREDATORS, RAPISTS ACROSS US AS MULLIN TAKES HELM OF DHS

The agent said increased protests and resistance from politicians have made carrying out their duties difficult. They also said attempts to dox agents have made many worry about their families’ safety.

DHS has criticized efforts to unmask ICE agents as “irresponsible, reckless and dangerous.” The agency has said, “To be crystal clear: we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban.”

The House Democrats’ campaign committee chair charges that “skyrocketing” gas prices sparked by the Iran war are “another broken promise” by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene told Fox News Digital that House Democrats will keep spotlighting gas prices as part of their affordability messaging as they aim to win back the chamber’s majority from Republicans in this year’s midterm elections.

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. topped $4 per gallon on Tuesday, according to national averages from AAA and GasBuddy, the highest level in four years.

The surge in gas prices comes amid the monthlong attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel. In response, Iran has targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply to a halt and sending global fuel prices sharply higher.

FOX BUSINESS: GAS PRICES TOP $4 PER GALLON

The White House says the surge in prices is temporary.

“When Operation Epic Fury is complete, gas prices will plummet back to the multiyear lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday.

OIL HAS SURGED SINCE THE IRAN CONFLICT BEGAN, BUT GAS PRICES MAY NOT BE DONE RISING

Leavitt emphasized that “President Trump remains committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance, lowering costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families.”

The gas price surge is giving Democrats more political ammunition to target the GOP.

“BREAKING: National Gas Prices Skyrocket to $4 Per Gallon,” read the headline from an email Tuesday morning from the Democratic National Committee.

The DCCC last week launched digital ads showing prices at the pump going up and an image saying “D.C. Republicans Did That!” Sources say to expect another round of ads on gas prices in the coming weeks.

FIRST ON FOX: SPEAKER JOHNSON’S ALLIES LAUNCH $10 MILLION AD CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHTING TRUMP TAX CUTS

DelBene argued that “Trump went into this war without thinking through the implications, and we’ve seen gas prices skyrocket across the country, on top of prices going up for families, housing, food, healthcare, all going up because of actions taken by this President and Republicans in Congress.”

As they fight to hold their slim majorities in both the House and Senate, Republicans are battling stiff political headwinds, as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms. They also face a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns over persistent inflation, an unpopular war with Iran, and Trump’s underwater approval ratings.

A spotlight on inflation helped fuel sweeping victories by Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections, when they won back the White House and Senate and successfully defended their slim House majority.

A laser focus on affordability by Democrats has fueled a slew of victories and overperformances in 2025’s off-year elections and in special elections in the 14 months since Trump returned to the White House.

“Affordability is a huge issue,” DelBene emphasized. “Folks are angry, they’re upset, and they’re struggling, and they need folks who are going to actually stand up and look out for them.”

TRUMP BOOSTS HOUSE GOP’S WARCHEST AS MIDTERMS IN BATTLE FOR CHAMBER’S MAJORITY

DelBene argued that “this is yet another broken promise from the President saying that he’s going to lower costs on day one. That’s been a broken promise… And he promised no forever wars, that he wouldn’t get involved in a conflict like this.”

But DelBene’s counterpart at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) welcomes the fight over affordability.

NRCC’s chair, Rep. Richard Hudson, in a Fox News Digital interview, pointed to tax cuts in the Working Families Tax Cuts, the name of the sweeping GOP domestic policy bill passed along party lines and signed into law by Trump last summer.

With the tax filing deadline quickly approaching, Hudson said, “Folks who work overtime, folks who work for tips, they’re going to see a lot more money in their pocket thanks to no tax on tips, no tax on overtime.”

“Our policies are making the American people more prosperous, and they’re going to start feeling it more and more,” Hudson emphasized. “And these are promises that President Trump made. These are promises that we’ve kept.”

Fox News’ Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether a New York City Council member and her sister, a top aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul, accepted bribes or kickbacks tied to city funding steered to a migrant shelter provider, according to a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press.

The March 19 warrant seeks evidence of possible criminal conduct involving Councilmember Farah Louis, a Brooklyn Democrat; her sister, Debbie Louis, Hochul’s assistant secretary for New York City intergovernmental affairs; and Edu Hermelyn, husband of Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.

A spokesperson for Hochul said Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week after the governor became aware of the federal corruption probe. Someone answering a phone number associated with Louis ended the call when asked by the AP about the investigation, and the AP reported messages left for Farah Louis and Hermelyn were not returned.

SEC SCOTT BESSENT: HOW TO STOP FRAUD IN MINNESOTA—AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY

According to the warrant, investigators are examining whether the three received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn nonprofit that historically provided in-home care for sick and elderly clients.

As New York City’s migrant influx intensified in 2022, BHRAGS broadened its work to include emergency shelter operations for asylum seekers and other homeless services. Since then, public records show the group has been awarded more than a dozen contracts worth upward of $200 million from the city’s Department of Homeless Services.

“This is political persecution driven by the far-right, targeting immigrants and the leaders who stand with them,” a political insider tied to Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told the New York Post on Monday. “There are no charges at this time, and the facts will ultimately lead to this case being dropped on its merits.”

DEPUTY AG TODD BLANCHE SHEDS LIGHT ON NEW DOJ FRAUD DIVISION TO ADDRESS ‘INSANE’ PROBLEM

An attorney for BHRAGS executive director Roberto Samedy declined to comment to the AP.

The warrant also seeks records of money transfers and communications involving Edouardo St. Fort, a former New York Police Department sergeant who retired in 2023. That same year, records indicate his firm, Fort NYC Security, secured a $3 million contract from the Department of Homeless Services. AP calls and emails seeking comment from St. Fort were not returned.

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The warrant’s existence does not mean charges are imminent. It indicates only that federal investigators convinced a judge they had sufficient grounds to search for and seize potential evidence.

The probe lands amid broader scrutiny over how New York City awarded emergency shelter contracts during the migrant crisis, when the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers strained the city’s shelter system and prompted officials under then-Mayor Eric Adams to rapidly expand housing capacity through outside providers.

Some of those arrangements have drawn criticism from watchdogs and political opponents, who questioned the speed, scale and oversight of the contracting process.

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The figures named in the warrant are all connected to Brooklyn’s Democratic political establishment, which has been rocked by a series of ethics controversies in recent years.

Hermelyn, who once served as a senior adviser to Adams, stepped down after questions were raised about whether his role as a Brooklyn district leader conflicted with rules barring certain dual government positions. He also went on to advise former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Cuomo’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign.

The Trump administration, led by fraud investigation czar VP JD Vance, has prioritized federal law enforcement investigations nationwide.

VANCE SAYS BIDEN ADMIN ‘TURNED OFF’ ANTI-FRAUD PROTECTIONS, DEBUTS NEW TASK FORCE WITH FOCUS ON SOMALI SCHEMES

Just this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Treasury Department announced it is offering whistleblowers a major financial incentive to help expose fraud, directing would-be tipsters to the Treasury.gov website, telling Fox News on Monday that the administration has already received more than 700 leads.

Treasury’s whistleblower page says eligible tipsters can receive between 10% and 30% of monetary sanctions collected for successful actions.

While Minnesota fraud among the state’s Somali community has made headlines thus far thanks to independent journalist Nick Shirley’s reporting, Bessent actually praised that state for having some level of transparency that is not permitted in California or New York.

“That’s why that young man, Nick Shirley, was able to go to see the scams, because it was: This is the name of the facility; this is the address; this is how much money they got,” Bessent said. “Oh look, it’s an empty storefront. There’s no one here. New York, California are hiding it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Two dozen Republican state attorneys general are backing gun manufacturers in legal battles in New York, including in one case directly challenging New York Attorney General Letitia James’ role in attempting to expand liability against the manufacturers.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led the states in filing amicus briefs Monday in lawsuits brought by Buffalo and Rochester, as well as one brought against James’ office, all of which center on New York’s effort to hold gun makers and sellers accountable for gun violence under a state public nuisance law. The AGs argued New York was infringing on a federal law that protects the firearms’ industry from liability and that the cases carry national implications.

“These cases go far beyond New York,” Knudsen told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. “This is not just a New York thing by any stretch of the imagination. … It affects all of us.” Knudsen said blue states and liberal gun control advocates have repeatedly attempted to “get around” federal law and “go after and bankrupt firearms companies.”

TRUMP ADMIN MAKES NEW CRIMINAL REFERRALS TO DOJ TARGETING NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES

The lawsuits focus on the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which is designed to shield gun makers and sellers from liability when their products are used in crimes. The Republican attorneys general argued in one of the amicus briefs that New York was attempting to sidestep that law with a “vague nuisance statute that specifically targets the firearms industry.”

Knudsen sharply criticized James, who is named in one of the cases, accusing her of pushing an activist agenda while disregarding the PLCAA.

“This is an attorney general who should know better,” Knudsen said. “We should be able to read case law and follow it, but she doesn’t seem to want to do that. Instead, she wants to be an activist. She wants to blame what I would say is probably the most legally regulated industry in America for the poor policies that she’s got going on in her own state.”

An amicus brief was filed with the Supreme Court in the case naming James, National Shooting Sports Foundation v. James, in which the attorneys general urged the high court to step in, warning that New York’s law could allow states across the country to circumvent the PLCAA by building liabilities for gun makers into state laws. 

James has previously defended New York’s 2021 law as a public safety measure and hailed lower court rulings in the case as victories for “the rule of law.”

Knudsen emphasized the stakes of the case for Second Amendment advocates.

“We don’t have a Second Amendment in this country if we don’t have firearms manufacturers,” he said. “This is trying to kill the firearms manufacturing industry in this country one lawsuit at a time.”

A separate amicus brief was filed in district court opposing lawsuits brought by the cities of Buffalo and Rochester, which argued gun manufacturers failed to install sufficient guardrails to prevent gun crimes and that the cities were entitled to damages for those crimes. 

The attorneys general countered that the gun industry is already heavily regulated and should not be held responsible for crimes in the cities that were carried out with guns that were made and sold legally.

REPUBLICANS PUSH CAMPUS CARRY LAWS IN NEARLY A DOZEN STATES AS COLLEGE SHOOTINGS REIGNITE DEBATE

The Montana attorney general also warned that New York’s law reaches beyond the state’s borders and could allow New York to impose liability on gun manufacturers who are based out of state, raising constitutional concerns about interstate commerce.

The Supreme Court could decide to intervene and address the New York law, in part because lower courts have been divided over how to interpret exceptions built into the PLCAA. Knudsen said he expects the justices to weigh in after they already addressed the law in Smith & Wesson Brands v. Mexico, a landmark case decided in favor of gun manufacturers last year.

In that case, Mexico had argued that under the PLCAA, several major gun companies could be held responsible for illegal firearms trafficking and the gun violence that resulted from it. The justices found 9-0 that Mexico did not present enough evidence to make that claim. But the high court’s ruling did not address state laws that serve to counter the PLCAA, such as the one in New York.

The Supreme Court brief focused on James was joined by 24 states: Montana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The district court brief was joined by 23 states: Montana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

They mark the latest in a string of gun-related court interventions from Knudsen, who previously led red states in opposing Hawaii’s carry restrictions and a California magazine ban.

Fox News Digital reached out to Letitia James’ office for comment, as well as an attorney in the Buffalo and Rochester case.

“The water bill went up. The light bill went up. Now property taxes — what exactly are we doing here?”

This was one of many cries of worry and frustration voiced by New York City residents at a recent public meeting, where they said Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s policies since taking office have made life more expensive. The backlash is significant as Mamdani, like many Democrats who swept into office in November, campaigned explicitly on making life more affordable for constituents. 

It’s not just in New York. Like Mamdani, Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger campaigned as a vocal critic of Republican economic policies. Now, she is facing voter outrage as costs in the Old Dominion continue to rise, and an economic climate that is increasingly seen as hostile to businesses drives away some of the biggest contributors to the tax base.

The trend underscores mounting political risk for Democrats, who will now need to demonstrate that they’re keeping their promises ahead of the midterms.

In New York City — the world’s financial capital and home to nearly 9 million — rising costs have national consequences.

Residents say Mamdani is backtracking on campaign promises to lower housing costs, pointing to a proposed property tax hike, rising water bills and higher electricity costs as signs that life is only getting more expensive.

With the city’s housing market already under strain, where demand far exceeds available supply, critics say Mamdani’s proposed rent freeze could discourage new construction, tighten inventory and push prices higher over time.

MAMDANI BUDGET POURS MILLIONS INTO DEI OFFICES AND CUTS 5,000 NYPD JOBS

“Economists — whether they are on the right or on the left — essentially are in universal agreement that when the government implements price controls in the rental market, you end up with housing shortages,” said E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation.

Antoni argued the city’s affordability challenges are largely policy-driven. “If we look at the ways in which New York City is more expensive than other places around the country, it is chiefly due to bad public policy that has imposed those costs,” he said, adding that “doubling down on those government failures will only make it worse.”

Edward Pinto, a senior fellow and co-director of the AEI Housing Center at the American Enterprise Institute, said Mamdani’s proposal to freeze rents and increase property taxes in New York would be a “one-two wealth destruction punch.”

MAMDANI’S ESTATE TAX PLAN COULD DRIVE WEALTH OUT OF STATE, CRITICS WARN

“The rent freeze would drive multifamily property values down and the increase in property taxes would drive both multifamily and single-family values down. At the same time, the construction of new supply would contract and property upkeep would diminish as repairs are deferred and improvements are not made,” Pinto said.

For tenants and homeowners, those shifts could translate into fewer housing options and higher long-term costs.

When asked about Mamdani’s latest proposal — an estate tax plan that could pull middle-class families into a levy long aimed at the wealthy — Pinto warned it would deal a new blow to the city.

“This proposal would destroy NYC’s wealth in a different manner,” Pinto said. “This estate tax proposal will mistreat capital and result in the voluntary exodus of NYC residents and their wealth to places like Florida and Tennessee,” he added.

Despite the fact that Spanberger campaigned on affordability in Virginia, lawmakers from her party in Richmond are advancing a sweeping set of tax proposals that will raise costs for residents and businesses.

They propose more than 50 taxes targeting income, investment and everyday economic activity, from joining a gym to bringing pets to the groomers.

“This is part of a broader picture we’re seeing across blue states,” said Jack Salmon, a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University focusing on tax and fiscal policy. “These states seem particularly determined to raise the tax burden on their highest-earning taxpayers.”

At the center are changes to Virginia’s tax structure. One bill would raise top income tax rates to as high as 10%, while another would impose a 3.8% tax on investment income. 

CONSERVATIVE STATES SEE LOWER INFLATION THAN LIBERAL ONES NATIONWIDE, WHITE HOUSE DATA SHOWS

For some high earners, those levies could stack — pushing rates to 13.8% and moving Virginia closer to high-tax states.

Lawmakers are also considering a range of new taxes and fees across the economy, from higher sales taxes and levies on deliveries and rideshare services to taxes on everyday services like repairs, gym memberships, dry cleaning and dog grooming, along with new taxes on large employers.

Adding to the strain are rising energy costs. A Dominion Energy rate hike that took effect Jan. 1 reflects, in part, the costs of transitioning to offshore wind under the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) — a policy that could result in higher utility bills for customers.

Spanberger has also moved to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a carbon pricing program her predecessor, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, exited — a move critics warn will increase the burden on household energy bills.

The mounting costs are already drawing concern from business leaders. Aerospace giant Boeing plans to move its headquarters from Virginia to Missouri, a shift expected to hit the state’s tax base and business climate. 

Even if the immediate fiscal impact is limited, the loss of high-paying headquarters jobs and the spending they support is expected to erode tax revenues and create ripple effects across the local economy, from reduced consumer spending to weaker demand for services.

With costs rising and frustration mounting, voters will soon decide whether those promises still hold — or whether change is coming in November.

Mamdani and Spanberger’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is threatening legal action against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as it reportedly considers releasing potentially damaging files just weeks before he faces voters in California’s wide-open gubernatorial race.

Lawyers for Swalwell sent a cease-and-desist letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, warning the bureau would violate federal privacy law if it moves ahead with releasing records regarding the congressman’s decade-old relationship with a suspected Chinese spy named Christine “Fang Fang” Fang. 

“[Y]our attempt to release the file is a transparent attempt to smear him and undermine his campaign for Governor of California,” Swalwell’s attorneys, Sean Hecker and Norm Eisen, said in a recent letter to Patel obtained by The Associated Press. “Your actions threaten to expose you, others at the FBI, and the FBI itself to significant legal liability. Indeed, disclosure of the investigative file would violate federal law in several respects.”

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

ADAM SCHIFF MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

The letter comes as The Washington Post first reported that Patel is weighing the release of investigative records related to Swalwell’s past relationship with Fang, who is accused of cultivating ties with Swalwell and other California Democrats for espionage purposes. 

The suspected Chinese spy operative helped fundraise for Swalwell’s 2014 House re-election campaign and placed at least one intern in his office. Swalwell cut off ties with Fang in 2015 after the FBI alerted him to the suspected Chinese influence campaign.

The Justice Department did not pursue criminal charges at the time and Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing. A probe launched by the House Ethics Committee also concluded in 2023 without accusing Swalwell of any violations.

SWALWELL GOVERNOR BID HIT WITH RESIDENCY QUESTIONS AFTER COURT FILING ALLEGES HE DOESN’T LIVE IN CALIFORNIA

Swalwell’s lawyers also accused Patel of potentially violating long-maintained DOJ policy that prohibits law enforcement from taking any public investigatory action against political candidates in the two months prior to an election. 

Early voting for California’s June 2 gubernatorial primary begins in early May. Swalwell is vying to be among the top two vote-getters that advance to the general election after jumping into the race in late 2025.

“It’s not lost on me that we’re 34 days until Californians start voting,” Swalwell told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Monday. “We’ve consistently been in the lead in this governor’s race. And the president wants a Western White House.”

Swalwell is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and served as an impeachment manager during the president’s second impeachment in 2021, following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The California Democrat has also been criminally referred to the DOJ for alleged mortgage fraud.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has also blasted Patel for reportedly advocating for the release of the so-called “Fang Fang” files. 

“What the hell does that have to do with law enforcement?” Raskin said Saturday. “This is plain weaponization of the FBI for partisan political purposes.”

A newly released animated video shows renderings of President Donald Trump’s proposed presidential library in downtown Miami, featuring a soaring waterfront skyscraper and museum space.

Trump shared the video on Truth Social early Tuesday, offering a first look at the proposed project, while his son, Eric Trump, posted it on X with additional details, describing the project as a “lasting testament” to his father and his legacy.

“Over the past six months, I have poured my heart and soul into this project with my incredible team,” Eric Trump wrote, adding that the waterfront landmark would stand as a tribute to “an amazing man, an amazing developer, and the greatest President our Nation has ever known.”

“These images have never been seen by the public — until today. Enjoy!” he added.

Eric Trump has been leading the project’s development and serves as president of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation and is one of its trustees.

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The video, set to dramatic orchestral music, opens with sweeping aerial shots of the proposed waterfront site, showing landscaped grounds with palm-lined walkways, fountains and green spaces before revealing the towering glass structure.

It shows a tall glass tower topped with a spire, with Trump’s name displayed in gold lettering across the facade and a large American flag draped down the center. A presidential plane resembling Air Force One is showcased on the ground floor, alongside gold escalators reminiscent of Trump Tower in New York City.

Additional renderings show military aircraft displayed inside the complex and a large auditorium-style space featuring a towering gold statue of Trump, a stage and large-scale digital displays.

The design also includes replicas from Trump’s time in the White House, including the Oval Office, the West Colonnade and a planned ballroom.

The presidential library is set to be designed by Miami-based architecture and engineering firm Bermello Ajamil and built on a roughly 2.6-acre waterfront site.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted in late September to transfer the Biscayne Boulevard parcel to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.

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The proposed site, located near Trump National Doral, was briefly tied up in a legal battle after a federal judge paused the land transfer from Miami-Dade College before allowing it to proceed in December.

The Miami site is currently used as an employee parking lot for Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson Campus and is adjacent to the historic Freedom Tower, which served as a resource center for hundreds of thousands of Cubans who fled communism in the 1960s and 1970s and sought asylum in the United States. The 100-year-old structure is considered a symbol of the city’s vibrant immigrant heritage.

The site is surrounded by luxury high-rise apartment buildings and has waterfront views, facing directly toward the Kaseya Center, home to the NBA’s Miami Heat, as well as Dodge Island, where many of the world’s largest cruise liners dock.

The parcel was appraised at more than $66 million, according to media reports, but it could sell for at least $360 million, The New York Times reported, citing a real estate consultant.

President Donald Trump’s post also included a link inviting supporters to donate to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation. The Trump Presidential Library Foundation’s other trustees are Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos and Trump attorney James Kiley.

Trump carried Miami-Dade County by 13 points, the first Republican to carry it since 1988.

The unveiling comes as former President Barack Obama’s presidential center in Chicago is scheduled to open in June.

California gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., took at least six trips to Doha backed by Qatar-linked sponsors from 2020 through 2024, extending a pattern of foreign-funded travel that previously drew criticism, according to House filings reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The disclosures show Swalwell returned to Qatar repeatedly over multiple years, even after he was slammed for taking an $84,000 trip with a few other lawmakers to the Gulf emirate  in 2021, sponsored by the U.S.-Qatar Business Council. In addition to that trip, filings from the House of Representatives clerk show Swalwell also went to Doha in 2020, twice in 2022, once in 2023, and once in 2024, with the trips being sponsored by either the Embassy of Qatar or the U.S.-Qatar Business Council. 

Swalwell faced criticism for his 2021 trip to Doha that surfaced after Business Insider shared a photo of a shirtless Swalwell and now-Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., as well as their spouses, during a camel excursion along the Persian Gulf – not far from where they were reportedly staying at the Four Seasons in Doha. While not illegal, such trips are an “ethical gray area” Business Insider pointed out at the time, which can offer powerful interests a chance to influence lawmakers. Swalwell was on the House Intelligence Committee at the time, and Gallego on the House Armed Services Committee. Business Insider also added that such privately funded trips are different than congressional delegations paid for by the government. 

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Following backlash over their trip to Qatar in 2021, the U.S.-Qatar Business Council told the New York Post that it did not pay for the camel excursion, only “costs directly associated with travel and the working agenda of the trip.” 

Meanwhile, in February, Fox News Digital found that Swalwell’s current gubernatorial campaign continued receiving tens of thousands of dollars in donations from lawyer Keliang “Clay” Zhu, despite concerns over his anti-American efforts and connection to a law firm with deep Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ties. 

The month prior, Fox News Digital also covered a previously unreported 2013 Facebook post by China’s San Francisco consulate showing then-freshman Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. during a meeting with a senior CCP diplomat. The photo’s caption touted “great potential” for U.S.-China cooperation, and came during the same time period when Swalwell was allegedly targeted by Chinese espionage efforts via his relationship with a Chinese national named Christine ‘Fang Fang’ Fang. 

“It’s corrupt. You shouldn’t be bought by foreign governments,” said Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and one of Swalwell’s top GOP rivals in the race, in response to Fox News Digital’s reporting on Zhu, DeHeng Law Offices, Swalwell’s unearthed photo and the congressman’s Qatar-sponsored trips. “We are sick of all these corrupt career politicians being bribed by foreign governments. They’re supposed to be representing us, not other countries.”

Swalwell’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Ali Al-Ansari, media attache at the Embassy of Qatar in the United States, responded, noting that visits by members of Congress to Doha are “a routine and longstanding practice across administrations and parties,” whether organized via the embassy or through partner organizations.

“These exchanges are part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, foster mutual understanding, and provide opportunities for policymakers to engage directly with counterparts in the region. Such engagements are a common feature of international diplomacy, with many close U.S. allies similarly hosting congressional delegations,” Al-Ansari continued. “Such visits typically include meetings, briefings, and cultural activities that reflect the importance of the U.S.-Qatar relationship. All travel is conducted in full compliance with applicable U.S. laws and disclosure requirements, and is transparently reported.”

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Business Insider reported in 2021 that Swalwell, Gallego and the three other lawmakers that attended the trip with them in 2021 got approval by the House Ethics Committee, as required, but noted that the documents detailing the trip did not indicate when they were posted, and it appeared Swalwell’s disclosure may have missed the proper reporting deadline. Besides the camel ride excursion along the Persian Gulf, the trip’s agenda, shared publicly, indicated there would be meetings about business opportunities between Qatar and the U.S., meetings with people in the hospitality industry, meetings with the Qatari ambassador to the United States, a briefing on the FIFA World Cup that was held in Qatar in 2022, and other planned events.

Qatar has faced scrutiny for years over its alleged ties to Hamas. In 2025, Qatar threatened to “retaliate” against Israel after they targeted some Hamas leaders with airstrikes. Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, who was responsible for Hamas’ finances and is a key player in the terrorist organization’s West Bank operations, were two targets of the explosion that rocked the Middle Eastern nation’s capital last September, according to Israeli media reports. 

While Swalwell did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about the repeated Qatar-funded trips he has taken, he did recently defend himself against criticism about his ties to Fang Fang, who was suspected of being a Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) operative and worked closely with Swalwell’s campaign, like fundraising and directing interns to his office. The pair could also be seen in photos at public outings together before Swalwell became a member of Congress.

“This decade-old story is, of course, nonsense,” Swalwell told local news outlet KRON4.com. 

“The air was cleared immediately by the FBI when there was even a suggestion of wrongdoing,” he also told the Sources Say podcast last week. “I think Independent folks have said enough on this. And, you know for me, defamation is the highest form of flattery.”

Eventually, U.S. intelligence officials became so concerned with Fang Fang’s activities that they alerted Swalwell and other members of Congressional leadership in 2015. At the time, Nancy Pelosi was serving as House Minority Leader while McCarthy was the House Majority Leader, but McCarthy indicated he was not briefed on the matter until later. Meanwhile, Swalwell immediately cut ties with Fang Fang upon the defensive briefing, sources speaking to Axios said.

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Shortly after Axios broke its investigation of Swalwell’s ties to Fang Fang in 2020, top-level Democrats and Republicans, including then-House Minority Leader McCarthy and then-House Speaker Pelosi, received further briefings on the matter, which was followed by GOP calls for Swalwell to be removed from the powerful House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing and a multi-year congressional ethics report backed that assertion and did not take any further action against the congressman over his questionable associations, but McCarthy did eventually boot Swalwell from the powerful House intel committee. In the past week, reports have surfaced that FBI Director Kash Patel wants to release old investigative files on Fang Fang, with some sources reportedly indicating FBI officials have even discussed sending agents to China to talk to her, according to the Washington Post.

Swalwell and his campaign have been embattled in other ethics controversies recently as well, including related to his artificial intelligence start-up company, which Swalwell established with his congressional chief of staff and later hired to do work for his campaign. Swalwell and his chief of staff, according to a report from NOTUS, were reportedly pitching their product to Democratic lawmakers, aides and staff. The report also raised questions about investments the company received from Democratic campaigns, including Gallego and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 

Meanwhile, Swalwell’s California residency has also become a central issue of his campaign for a short period of time, after Swalwell reportedly listed his lawyer’s address in California on paperwork to run for governor. Swalwell reportedly defended the address he listed, arguing he listed his attorney’s office due to a fear of death threats he had received. Additionally, in a sworn statement, Swalwell’s alleged landlord said she had been renting a place in Livermore, California, to Swalwell and his wife since 2017. This was also backed up by Swalwell’s attorney who reportedly also defended Swalwell’s California residency.

An effort to remove Swalwell from the 2026 gubernatorial ballot over accusations he was not truly a California resident ultimately failed after a judge knocked down the move on its merits. 

Similarly, a mortgage and tax fraud investigation by one of Donald Trump’s top housing officials, Bill Pulte, alleging Swalwell falsely treated his Washington, D.C. home as his primary residence on mortgage paperwork in order to get more favorable loan terms, has not gone anywhere. Swalwell turned around and sued Pulte, but eventually dropped the case after nothing came from Pulte referring Swalwell to the DOJ over the matter.

“The Democrats are obviously in a complete muddle here, because they’ve got all these – for the past 16 years, with the governor’s race, they’ve had an inevitable candidate. For eight years it was Jerry Brown and then the last eight years Gavin Newsom, and there’s no one like that now and everyone who might have been didn’t run – Kamala Harris chose not to run, Sen. Alex Padilla chose not to run. So they’ve ended up with these non-entities or flawed, you know, deeply flawed candidates in various ways and they’ve been all over the place. That’s why you’ve got this very fragmented field,” Hilton told Fox News Digital, adding that he also believes this is why polls show him doing so well. 

“I’ve always had a sense that the machine, to a certain extent, would get behind one candidate and I’ve always thought that one candidate would be Swalwell because he’s a useful puppet.”

Hilton pointed out that Swalwell recently scooped up an endorsement from the powerful California’s Teachers Union, which also follows endorsements he got from the SEIU’s state council, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the statewide firefighters union.  

 Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.