Category: USA Politics

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration‘s efforts to defund PBS and NPR. 

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington, D.C., pertains to President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease federal funding for both entities, an action the judge ruled was unlawful and unenforceable.

“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch,” wrote Moss, an Obama appointee.

NPR CEO KATHERINE MAHER VENTS ‘DEEP FRUSTRATION’ OVER GOP CUTS, SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE

“The Federal Defendants fail to cite a single case in which a court has ever upheld a statute or executive action that bars a particular person or entity from participating in any federally funded activity based on that person or entity’s past speech,” the judge wrote.

Republicans have long campaigned on ending federal funding for public media, citing left-wing political bias and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars. 

“The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the President disapproves of their ‘left-wing’ coverage of the news,” Moss wrote.

NPR claimed that Trump wanted to cut off access to public funds as punishment for its reporting. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and CEO, called Tuesday’s ruling a win for a free and independent press.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS VOICE OF AMERICA MASS TERMINATIONS IN SCATHING RULING AGAINST LAKE

“The court made clear that the government cannot use funding as a lever to influence or penalize the press, whether as a national news service or a local newsroom,” Maher said. “Public media exists to serve the public interest—that of Americans—not that of any political agenda or elected official.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and PBS for comment. 

While the government argued some legal claims were moot because of the organizational shifts following the initial defunding attempts, Judge Moss disagreed.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“But that does not end the matter because the Executive Order sweeps beyond the CPB,” Moss added. “It also directs that all federal agencies refrain from funding NPR and PBS—regardless of the nature of the program or the merits of their applications or requests for funding.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed new crime accountability laws Tuesday and ramped up his calls for judges to be held accountable for releasing criminals who commit further violent crimes, using the power of impeachment.

“We live in a time where some people just don’t get it, and that includes some of these judges who just don’t want to hold these people accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” DeSantis said at a news conference to announce the signing of Missy’s Law.

“Now that is not going to be a problem.”

DeSantis urged the Florida House to impeach Leon County Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper, who released a convicted sex offender on bond before sentencing, saying the decision helped lead to the later alleged murder of the man’s 5-year-old stepdaughter.

ANGEL MOM, GOP BLAME SPANBERGER AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH 30 ARRESTS CHARGED IN KILLING

“To my friends in the Florida House of Representatives, I don’t think what you’ve done is enough,” DeSantis said. “You have the power, and you have sufficient numbers in your chamber, to impeach this judge, Tiffany Baker-Carper.

“Until you start holding these judges accountable, they are going to continue to find ways to benefit the criminal element.”

Baker-Carper allowed Daniel Spencer to remain free after his conviction in an underage sex sting case. Spencer was later charged, along with Chloe Spencer, in the 2025 killing of his stepdaughter, Missy Mogle. The state is seeking the death penalty for both.

HOUSTON THUG CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER 8 ARRESTS SHOWS ‘REVOLVING DOOR’ FAILURES: GOP LAWMAKER

“This is an outrage,” DeSantis said. “This should be such an easy call to make sure that this guy was put behind bars, and this judge refused to do it, knowing the risks. And the result has obviously been a tragedy.”

DeSantis noted the Florida State Legislature has more than the two-thirds majority needed to pass an impeachment of a judge.

“Honestly, I think some Democrats would vote to impeach, given what happened in this case,” he said.

Baker-Carper won her judicial seat Nov. 3, 2020, becoming the youngest woman and youngest Black candidate elected judge in Florida’s 2nd Judicial Circuit.

FAMILY DEMANDS FAR-LEFT PROSECUTOR BE OUSTED FROM OFFICE AFTER SISTER KILLED BY REPEAT OFFENDER

Missy’s Law’s requires judges keep defendants convicted of dangerous crimes in custody, pending sentencing.

“It’s a miscarriage of justice, a dereliction of judicial duty,” DeSantis said. “If we had this bill in place then, Missy would be alive today.”

DeSantis added that “the legislation’s great,” but the Florida State Legislature should be the next to take action to hold the judge accountable.

DISTURBING ADMISSIONS OF SERIAL CHILD MOLESTER APPROVED FOR RELEASE SPUR CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS TO ACT

“Some of these judges are going to find other ways to benefit the criminal element unless they know there’s going to be a really significant check and balance that’s going to be administered to them,” DeSantis said.

The Republican governor also signed House Bill 1159, which is aimed at strengthening protections for children and enhancing penalties for and expanding criminal offenses related to child sexual abuse material.

“Justice demands that those who victimize innocent people face swift and meaningful consequences,” DeSantis said. “Today, I signed two important bills to strengthen law and order in Florida by holding dangerous criminals and sex offenders accountable for their crimes. In Florida, we will always fight to protect our children and deliver justice for victims of crimes.”

Missy’s Law strengthens Florida’s pretrial detention system for specified dangerous crimes. Under the law, individuals found guilty of or entering a plea for a dangerous crime will be immediately remanded into custody and held without bond while awaiting sentencing. The legislation also expands the statutory list of dangerous crimes to include certain computer pornography and child exploitation offenses, ensuring individuals arrested for these crimes are not automatically released at their first appearance.

“Last year, we proposed Missy’s Law after the tragic murder of 5-year-old Missy Mogle at the hands of a convicted, abusive pedophile who was allowed to remain out on bond by Judge Tiffany Baker,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said. 

“Missy’s Law removes judicial discretion and ensures dangerous criminals are locked up after conviction. I am grateful to Governor DeSantis for signing this bill.”

President Donald Trump’s Department of Education has launched “yet another investigation” into Fairfax County, Virginia, after police say that an adult illegal immigrant student allegedly groped a dozen minor girls at a high school he attended.

The Education Department announced Monday that it is opening the investigation following reports “from 12 high school girls who have credibly accused one male student — an illegal immigrant — of sexual assault.”

This comes after outraged Fairfax County parents expressed disgust, frustration and fear about Fairfax County High School’s handling of complaints alleging that 18-year-old illegal alien Israel Flores Ortiz groped several girls from behind on school grounds.

According to the department, this is the latest in a “long list of investigations” it has opened into schools in deep blue Northern Virginia.

LINDA MCMAHON SAYS FEDERAL TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP WILL HELP PARENTS MOVE THEIR CHILD OUT A ‘FAILING SCHOOL’

Flores Ortiz, 18, is facing 13 counts of assault and battery for allegedly inappropriately touching female classmates at a Fairfax County school. 

Fairfax police were alerted on March 5 by Fairfax High School about reports of multiple assaults on campus. An arrest warrant was issued, and Flores Ortiz turned himself in on March 7. He is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Flores Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration in 2024. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a detainer has been filed for him by federal authorities and that he could face removal from the country.

Parent Stacy Langton told Fox News Digital last week that “it’s terrifying as a parent, because when I send my daughters to school, I think they’re safe in the care of the school.”

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO LEAVE BUILDING AFTER 40 YEARS AS PART OF EFFORT TO ELIMINATE GOVERNMENT AGENCY

“And in this case, they absolutely were not safe, and I don’t know what parent wouldn’t be completely distraught at the idea that their daughters could be getting sexually battered while they’re changing classes,” said Langton.

A spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools confirmed the investigation, telling Fox News Digital that it “received the complaint yesterday and is reviewing it.” 

The spokesperson said that the school system is “prepared to fully cooperate with the U.S. Department of Education’s inquiry.”

“We are grateful to our law enforcement partners and are continuing to work closely with them as their investigation into this matter moves forward,” the spokesperson said, adding, “to maintain the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we cannot share additional details at this point.”

They said that “in addition to the law enforcement investigation, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid has requested that FCPS retain an independent outside law firm to conduct a comprehensive review of this matter.”

The spokesperson shared that the firm McGuireWoods “will conduct this thorough, objective, and independent review.”

“The goal is clear: to establish a definitive understanding of what occurred, when it occurred, and confirm that all policies, procedures, and regulations were properly followed,” the spokesperson said, adding, “The safety of our students and staff remains a top priority.”

The system previously released a statement saying that it prioritizes the safety of students and staff.

“While Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is unable to comment on specifics due to federal and state privacy laws, we prioritize student and staff safety, and we fully investigate any time someone shares that an incident has occurred at school, or that they do not feel safe at school,” the district said at the time. 

GOP DISRUPTOR COUNTERS BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN BAILOUTS WITH PLAN TO SHIFT COSTS AWAY FROM TAXPAYERS

In addition to the Fairfax County incidents, the Department of Education said it is investigating several other incidents in Northern Virginia schools involving female students filing complaints about inappropriate conduct in female-only spaces by men allowed in under gender identity policies.

The department said that “Virginia’s experiment with radical gender ideology, race-based admissions systems, far-Left indoctrination, and unlawful discrimination has inflicted immeasurable harm on our students,” adding, “It must stop.” 

The Trump administration is considering hosting a summit focused on countering Antifa and other left-wing extremist networks, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Planning remains in the early stages. No date has been set, a State Department official told Fox News. 

The potential summit comes as the administration ramps up its focus on what officials describe as transnational anarchist and Marxist groups, particularly those operating in Europe.

Some counterterrorism experts have disputed the characterization of Antifa as an organized group, arguing it operates more as a decentralized movement rather than a formal network, according to Reuters.

OVERSIGHT DEMANDS DOJ ANSWERS ON FOREIGN FUNDING OF AGITATOR GROUPS AS IRAN, ANTI-ICE PROTESTS CONTINUE

“The anarchists, Marxists, and violent extremists of Antifa have waged a terror campaign in the United States and across the Western world for decades, carrying out bombings, beatings, shootings and riots in service of their extreme agenda,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. “The State Department is committed to identifying and dismantling these terror networks that conspire to ruthlessly suppress the will of the people and violently topple the very foundations of the United States and Western Civilization.”

Officials said recent efforts have focused on designating foreign groups tied to anarchist and left-wing extremist activity under U.S. counterterrorism authorities.

A State Department official explained to Fox News that each designation “is focused on a specific foreign organization that has engaged in terrorism or retains the capability and intent to engage in terrorism, while threatening Americans and/or U.S. national security.”

The official pointed to recent designations targeting four organizations in Europe, including groups based in Germany, Italy and Greece that authorities said use violence against perceived political opponents.

SCATHING REPORT REVEALS ANTIFA-LINKED ORG PASSING OUT MATERIAL TO K-12 STUDENTS: ‘POLITICAL REVOLUTION’

Under U.S. law, such designations trigger a range of measures, including freezing assets, restricting travel and enabling criminal prosecution for those who provide material support.

The State Department has also flagged specific incidents tied to Antifa-aligned groups, including a recent explosive attack in Rome attributed to members of the Informal Anarchist Federation, or FAI.

“These groups have engaged in organized acts of violence, and the United States will not hesitate to use its counterterrorism authorities to disrupt them and cut off their ability to access financing or operational support, just as with any other terrorist threat,” the official said.

Officials emphasized the importance of coordination with allies, noting that many of the networks operate across borders.

The administration has framed the push as part of a broader effort to combat global terrorism, including actions targeting groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, as well as transnational criminal organizations.

“The United States will continue to push for strong, coordinated action to identify, monitor and disrupt violent groups, including left-wing extremist networks like Antifa-aligned organizations active in parts of Europe and the Western Hemisphere,” the official said.

FIRST ON FOX: Three internal medicine residency programs are being accused of favoring foreign-trained doctors over American-trained doctors, with more than 90% of the most recent cohort of residents across the three programs coming from overseas, according to a civil rights complaint.

Medical watchdog Do No Harm filed a complaint Tuesday with the Department of Health and Human Services against healthcare providers Corewell Health, Texas Tech University and HCA Healthcare, raising concerns over the demographics of their internal medicine residency programs.

The complaint alleges that the three residency programs are discriminating against American-trained doctors and violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Affordable Care Act.

“National origin discrimination is both unlawful and inconsistent with the broader American commitment to equal treatment,” Do No Harm’s Chief Medical Officer Kurt Miceli, MD said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “When residency programs favor foreign-trained physicians over American-trained doctors, they effectively prevent qualified Americans from accessing valuable, competitive, and prestigious learning opportunities.”

OVER 100 CALIFORNIA COLLEGES ACCUSED OF DISCRIMINATING AGAINST US-BORN STUDENTS IN NEW DOJ COMPLAINT

The complaint revealed that at the internal medicine program at Corewell Health in Dearborn, Michigan, just one of the 33 residents attended an American medical school. In fact, 84% of those residents earned their medical degrees in just a handful of countries abroad: nine trained in Sudan, eight in Pakistan, and four in Jordan, with others coming from places such as Palestine, Bahrain, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The current director of the program attended medical school in Lebanon.

At Texas Tech University, 95% of the 39 internal medicine residents were also trained at foreign medical schools. Similar to Corewell, these doctors hail from a concentrated set of countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Eight trained in Pakistan, five from Bangladesh, two each from Egypt, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, and others from Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Syria. Both directors of the residency program attended medical school in Iraq, according to Do No Harm. 

The internal medicine program at HCA Healthcare’s Brandon Hospital in Tampa does not have a single doctor who graduated from an American school in its most recent cohort, the complaint stated. Of its 58 total residents, 70% graduated from foreign medical schools, with a majority of them from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The HCA Brandon program is led by Mohammad Said Saad, who completed his medical education in Egypt, and Syed Zaidi, who trained in Pakistan, Do No Harm said. 

HOUSE LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO HOSPITALS ALLEGEDLY LETTING FOREIGN PATIENTS JUMP ORGAN TRANSPLANT LINES

“Indeed, these programs reveal a consistent pattern,” the complaint read. “Each has excluded practically all American-trained physicians from their residencies. Each has filled their cohorts almost exclusively with residents trained in a small set of foreign countries. And each is headed-up by directors that mirror the residents they choose: foreign-trained physicians educated in the small set of foreign countries from which these residencies fill their ranks.”

The complaint also calls on HHS to refer the matter to the Justice Department.

“It is deeply concerning that these programs appear to be discriminating against graduates of U.S. medical schools,” Miceli said. “Medical institutions and their directors should be hiring residents based on their ability to deliver high quality patient care, not on national origin.”

I DID MY FIRST H-1B VISA INTERVIEW 25 YEARS AGO. IT’S FAILING TO PUT AMERICANS FIRST

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Ilya Shapiro suggested that in addition to being in violation of civil rights law, the medical programs could likely be in violation of immigration law.

“That kind of disproportionate hiring pattern definitely raises an inference that the programs are violating the law, so HHS should indeed investigate,” Shapiro said. “In addition to the civil rights laws, there may be a violation of immigration law as well, because visas can only be granted if no qualified American can be found for the job or, in the medical context, to serve areas with a lack of doctors (not the case for internal-medicine residencies).”

Cato Institute senior legal fellow Dan Greenberg agreed that the high number of foreign doctors in the programs appears “unusual” but said its possible it could be “explained without resorting to national-origin discrimination.”

HOUSE REPUBLICAN GREG STEUBE INTRODUCES BILL TO NIX CONTROVERSIAL H-1B VISA PROGRAM

He suggested two possible “innocent explanation[s]” for why these medical residency programs predominantly consist of foreign-born doctors.

“It is possible that the set of applicants from other countries to these particular programs are generally more qualified than the set of applicants from the USA. That is, perhaps the set of foreign-born applicants generally had higher board scores, more positive recommendations, or superior clinical experience before residency acceptances/rejections were made,” Greenberg said.

He also suggested that non-US students might also have a “disproportionate interest” in internal medicine.

“The big question is if the complainants can show that comparable/roughly equal applicants were passed over in favor of foreign-born applicants, but just to figure out whether that is true — and what a comparable or roughly equal native-born applicant would look like — will require a fair amount of research into how each applicant is measured,” Greenberg said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Corewell Health, Texas Tech University and HCA Healthcare for comment.

Confrontational and expletive-laden social media posts by a Republican candidate for Arkansas secretary of state are in the campaign spotlight in a GOP nomination runoff election in the solidly red state.

U.S. Army veteran Bryan Norris is facing off against state Sen. Kim Hammer in Tuesday’s ballot box battle for the Republican nomination in the race to succeed Secretary of State Cole Jester.

Both candidates for the top elections job in Arkansas have spotlighted their support for President Donald Trump but have offered different plans for implementing the president’s push to overhaul voting.

Hammer enjoys the backing of top Arkansas Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General Tim Griffin and Jester.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

The current secretary of state, in endorsing Hammer, called on Norris to drop out of the race over his controversial past social media posts.

Among those posts is one responding to Cotton where Norris, pointing to the senator, wrote, “With all due respect, and from one combat veteran to another … F— You Tom!”

CLICK HERE FOR POLITICAL COVERAGE FROM FOX NEWS 

Asked about the profane comment, Norris told the Camden News it stemmed from long-standing frustrations he had with the senator after he retired from the Army.

In an interview with KATV, Norris acknowledged using “some salty language from time to time” but pledged, “you’re never going to hear me talk or speak that way again.”

Norris, who is running as an outsider and is backed by far-right Trump allies, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, and Hammer were the top two vote-getters in Arkansas’ March 3 GOP secretary of state primary. Because no candidate topped 50%, Norris and Hammer advanced to the runoff election.

The winner will face off in November’s general election against Democrat Kelly Grappe, who ran unopposed for her nomination.

The eventual Republican nominee will be considered the clear frontrunner for the general election in Arkansas, where no Democrat has won statewide since 2010.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A former San Francisco official who oversaw a multimillion-dollar initiative that aimed to shift funding from law enforcement into Black communities after George Floyd’s death is accused of funneling taxpayer money to a nonprofit she was tied to for personal gain.

Sheryl Davis, 57, the former executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission who led the city’s Dream Keeper Initiative, is accused of directing more than $4.5 million in program funds to a nonprofit she previously ran while maintaining financial ties to it, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Davis used public funds for personal benefit, while a city audit flagged spending on a 30-night luxury hotel stay, hundreds of sports tickets and lavishly catered events.

MASSACHUSETTS AUDITOR TAKES TRANSPARENCY FIGHT TO HIGH COURT AFTER ALLEGED $12M FRAUD UNCOVERED

Dream Keeper was described as a $120 million investment in San Francisco’s Black communities following Floyd’s death, with officials initially seeking to redirect funding away from law enforcement.

Prosecutors alleged Davis remained connected to the nonprofit’s finances even after taking her city role, including serving as a signatory on its bank account and helping steer how the money was spent.

Authorities said Davis directed millions in city funds to the nonprofit, Collective Impact, while maintaining personal and financial ties to the organization and its leadership.

The district attorney’s office also alleges Davis approved more than $3.5 million in city funds to another organization that later paid her son nearly $140,000, with the money deposited into an account she jointly controlled.

Davis and James Spingola, 65, a nonprofit executive and former head of Collective Impact with whom she had a personal relationship, were arrested Monday and charged in connection with the case, according to prosecutors.

“Davis and Spingola’s finances were completely intertwined, suggesting a deep personal relationship in which the financial benefits to Spingola resulted in a benefit to Davis,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, adding that the pair lived together, shared bank accounts and traveled together.

WATCH: San Francisco DA announces charges against ex-Human Rights Commission leader accused of funneling city funds to nonprofit

“We did find that a portion of this money was spent in a manner that was self-dealing and was for her benefit,” Jenkins said at a news conference.

The charges follow a September city audit that found public funds paid for a 30-night stay at a luxury San Francisco hotel, more than 500 San Francisco Giants tickets, and over $350,000 in catering and events. The audit also flagged 700-plus gift cards worth a total of more than $20,000 and at least $75,000 spent promoting Davis’ personal brand, including her book and podcast.

Davis also allegedly arranged the sale of 1,500 copies of her children’s book, “Free to Sing,” and used public funds to promote her personal projects, according to the New York Post.

The audit found the department under Davis engaged in a “pattern and practice” of bypassing safeguards and abusing public funds.

CONVICTED MINNESOTA FRAUDSTER ALLEGES WALZ, ELLISON WERE AWARE OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD

According to prosecutors, Davis faces 13 felony counts of financial conflict of interest in government contracts, as well as additional felony charges including misappropriation of public funds and perjury.

Spingola faces felony charges tied to aiding and abetting the alleged conflicts of interest involving city contracts connected to the nonprofit.

An affidavit filed in the case described what prosecutors called a “pervasive pattern of self-dealing” tied to Davis’ role overseeing tens of millions of dollars in public funding.

The Dream Keeper Initiative has faced scrutiny over how funds were allocated and tracked, with critics raising concerns about transparency and oversight.

Defense attorneys pushed back on the allegations.

“This case has all of the hallmarks of public corruption, but none of that holds water,” Davis’ attorney, Tony Brass, said, per KTVU, adding that she disclosed potential conflicts and sought oversight from the city.

Brass said Davis attempted to distance herself from contract decisions and requested additional financial supervision and audits that were not provided.

Spingola’s attorney, Randall Knox, said he had not yet reviewed the evidence and emphasized his client is presumed innocent.

“I’ve not seen the evidence against him yet. He is presumed to be innocent under the law. I don’t want to try this case in the press,” Knox said.

A Rhode Island Democratic state representative is facing blowback on social media after claiming that a mural of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman whose brutal murder while riding a North Carolina sparked national outrage, doesn’t reflect the “values” of the city of Providence.

“Ultimately, we want to make sure that every community member who calls Providence home feels safe,” Rep. David Morales told local media about a mural of Zarutska facing calls to be removed from the exterior of an LGBTQ+ club in downtown Providence.

“We can both agree that this mural behind us does not reflect Providence’s values nor does it reflect the creativity that we would want to see in our city.”

The lawmaker’s comments immediately sparked negative reactions from conservatives on social media after they were posted by the conservative influencer account End Wokeness in a post that has been viewed over 1 million times. 

CHARLOTTE RAIL MURDER SUSPECT LINKED TO INMATE RELEASE APPROVED UNDER EX-DEM GOVERNOR, GOP ALLEGES

“What are his values?” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X.

“He cites people wanting to be ‘safe’ as a reason to destroy a mural on a private building meant to honor a murdered woman,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. “You can’t imagine how crazy Democrats are in these blue bastions. You think what you see on MSNBC is nuts? It’s even worse in their bubble cities.”

“Honoring the memory of a Ukrainian immigrant who had her throat slit on public transportation by a repeat offender with 14 prior arrests doesn’t reflect Providence’s values????” Defending Education communications director Erika Sanzi posted on X.

“What ‘value’ does the mural not reflect?” Republican Rep. Chip Roy posted on X.

“Iryna’s death highlights the consequences of warped policies that keep violent criminals out of jail,” Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted on X. “Memorializing her reminds us that those policies create more victims and should be eliminated. Telling that those aren’t Rep. Morales’ ‘values.’”

“True,” Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. “Dems would prefer a mural celebrating her murderer.”

“Providence had a George Floyd mural and nobody called it divisive,” GOP strategist and commentator Mehek Cooke posted on X. “Iryna got murdered by a man arrested over a dozen times, and a city couldn’t let her face stay on a wall because the donor list was inconvenient. We means-test grief now.”

CNN commentator Scott Jennings referred to Morales as a “deranged lunatic” in a post on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to Morales’s office for comment but did not receive a response.

Morales responded to Musk on X in a post clarifying what his “values” are. 

“Not to exploit the death of a refugee to push an agenda centered around fear and division,” Morales wrote. “My values, like many of our neighbors in Providence, is to protect our immigrant neighbors from ICE’s state-sanctioned violence and supporting our refugee neighbors with authentic care.”

CHARLOTTE LIGHT-RAIL STABBING MURDER SPURS LANDMARK CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM FROM NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS

The mayor of Providence, Democrat Brett P. Smiley, has also spoken out against the mural.

“The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence,” Smiley said. “I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us.”

Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee who fled her country after the Russian invasion, was brutally stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while riding the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, N.C., last year. 

The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is charged with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, which is a capital offense under federal law.

Records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction show Brown has a prior criminal history, including convictions for larceny, breaking and entering and armed robbery. He served five years in prison starting in 2015.

Zarutska’s death prompted questions about soft on crime policies adopted by many Democratic-run cities. President Donald Trump spotlighted the killing during his State of the Union address last month. 

“Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body,” Trump said.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

A Minnesota man was sentenced on Monday to more than a year in prison after pleading guilty to creating fake invoices to a nonprofit that falsely claimed it served 1.5 million meals to children in need within seven months.

Abdul Abubakar Ali, of St. Paul, Minn., was one of nearly 100 defendants charged in the “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) claims exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ali pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, but he was initially charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the DOJ.

The nonprofit, Youth Inventors Lab, allegedly acted as a shell company to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent reimbursement claims for meals that were never served, FOX9 Minneapolis reported.

GOP SENATOR’S SOMALIA ACT WOULD FORCE MINNESOTA FRAUDSTERS TO REPAY STOLEN TAXPAYER FUNDS

According to his guilty plea, Ali submitted fake invoices for technology services from his company, Bilterms Solutions, to Youth Inventors Lab. 

The Justice Department claimed the Youth Inventors Lab received more than $3 million in reimbursements, of which Ali personally pocketed at least $129,000.

During his sentencing hearing Monday, Ali apologized for his role in the scheme, telling U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel he would be “sorry for the rest of his life.”

“Your honor, I just want to say I’m sorry to everyone that my actions have hurt,” Ali said, according to local reports. “This was a mistake. I will try to correct it for the rest of my life. It’s not something that’s in the past. I’ve let down a lot of people. I promise I will attempt to fix it for the rest of my life. So, I’m sorry.”

CONGRESS OPENS ‘INDUSTRIAL-SCALE FRAUD’ PROBE IN MINNESOTA, WARNS WALZ DEMANDS ARE ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’

While the recommended sentence for Ali’s crimes is about three years, the court noted Ali had already paid $90,000 of the $122,000 of ordered restitution, and was one of the first people to plead guilty.

Despite his cooperation, Brasel, an appointee of President Donald Trump, denied Ali’s request for probation, sentencing him to one year and one day in prison.

“This is part of a very large fraud scheme, the largest in the District of Minnesota and one of the largest ever in the country. And you stand responsible for that, and for that reason, I just can’t see, despite your cooperation, a noncustodial sentence here,” Brasel reportedly said.

COMER CLAIMS WHISTLEBLOWERS WARNED WALZ FOR YEARS ABOUT MINNESOTA FRAUD AND WERE TOLD TO ‘STAND DOWN’

“Let me also add, aggravating factors of not just the money, but the fact that the public trust in government programs has been so substantially undermined and continues to be so,” she continued. “We are still having a conversation in this state about the structure of government programs, given the fraud you participated in, and the impact and ripples of that scheme just keep going on and on and on, and you are one reason for it.”

Right-wing users on X expressed outrage over the sentencing decision.

“Stole millions from a program meant to feed children and got one year,” one user wrote. “Meanwhile, people go to jail longer for drug possession. This is the Minnesota fraud that Tuberville was talking about. The system is broken and the sentence proves it.”

Other users said the outcome failed to rebuild confidence in the legal system, noting “a slap on the wrist isn’t justice.”

The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it is slackening restrictions on asylum applications set in place after an Afghan asylee allegedly murdered one West Virginia National Guardsman and gravely wounded another in Washington last fall.

The November incident near Farragut Square led President Donald Trump to crack down on allowing asylum seekers into the country, and the administration hammered more lax Biden-era policies that allowed Afghans such as the suspect into the country.

A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the stringent screening process itself will not change, nor will restrictions on emigrants from a list of “high-risk” countries.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, maximum screening and vetting for all aliens continues unabated,” the spokesperson said.

DOJ ACCUSES COURTS OF UNDERCUTTING EXECUTIVE POWER IN HIGH-STAKES SUPREME COURT BORDER CASE

“USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) has lifted the adjudicative hold for thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non-high-risk countries. This move allows resources to focus on continued rigorous national security and public safety vetting for higher-risk cases.”

Some of the 39 countries the administration deemed lacking in the provision of adequate screening and vetting information to U.S. officials still include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Niger, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Sierra Leone; the latter being where two different migrants named Jalloh, accused of recent violent crimes in Virginia, hailed from.

JUSTICE JACKSON AUTHORS UNANIMOUS SCOTUS OPINION HANDING TRUMP AN IMMIGRATION WIN

“Since taking office, President Trump has prioritized national security and public safety by implementing a series of executive orders and proclamations that mandate strict screening and vetting of foreign nationals seeking entry or immigration benefits,” USCIS said in a statement.

The agency said that security gaps in applications for naturalization or permanent residency exposed serious public safety risks and endangered the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.

“[A]pplications were approved and individuals were naturalized who should not have been,” the agency said.

The latest move is expected to have limited impact on the situation, according to The Hill newspaper, but will still ease the overall restrictive environment.