Category: USA Politics

FBI Director Kash Patel is again set to testify before the Senate, this time in defense of a budget increase for his agency amid scrutiny of his performance atop the nation’s federal law enforcement arm. 

Patel, along with the heads of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is set to pitch lawmakers on President Donald Trump’s budget request for their agencies on Tuesday. 

Their agencies fall under the Department of Justice (DOJ), which, under Trump’s funding request this year, could receive a total of nearly $41 billion. 

ONCE TOUTED AS PRIVATELY FUNDED, REPUBLICANS SNEAK IN TAXPAYER CASH FOR TRUMP’S BALLROOM PROJECT

The FBI would receive the largest chunk of that funding request at $12 billion among the agencies set to testify before the Senate. The latest request is a roughly $2 billion increase from the previous year.

Patel’s testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies will be his first hearing in Congress since last September, when the FBI chief was grilled by Democrats for his leadership following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

He has faced a bevy of critical headlines since then, including criticism over the third assassination attempt against Trump last month and a recent report from The Atlantic that accused the FBI director of excessive drinking, erratic behavior and frequent absences, which Patel has vehemently denied.

FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL VOWS TO TAKE THE ATLANTIC TO COURT OVER ‘DEFAMATORY’ REPORT

Patel has since sued the outlet in a $250 million defamation lawsuit, in which he charged that the Atlantic’s reporting was “replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy” his reputation and push him out of his role.

Trump’s funding request for the agency comes after slashing FBI spending last year to the tune of about half a billion dollars. 

Patel at the time pushed back against the cuts, arguing before members of the House that the agency “cannot cover down on the mission at the levels that we would have to go to.” 

REPUBLICANS RUSH TO GREEN LIGHT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM FOLLOWING THIRD TRUMP ASSASSINATION SCARE

He changed course before the Senate just days later and contended that he was “in full support of the president’s budget, which reprioritizes and enhances our mission of law enforcement and national security.”

The $12 billion requested by the administration would go toward expanding violent crime enforcement and arrests, strengthening counterterrorism operations, enhancing unmanned aerial systems (drones) capabilities, training state and local law enforcement and boosting security for major events, like the 2028 Olympics. 

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole will also pitch lawmakers on his agency’s budget increase, to the tune of $362 million, which would go toward hiring over 300 new agents, expanding drug trafficking intelligence systems and targeting major criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel, MS-13 and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

FIRST ON FOX — Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is unveiling a bill on Tuesday that would allow the death penalty as punishment for those who knowingly distribute fentanyl that results in death, according to a draft of the legislation first obtained by Fox News Digital.

Roy’s bill, the Deal Death, Face Death Act, demonstrates a continued focus among GOP lawmakers to crack down on narcotics distribution, even as fentanyl deaths have begun to trend downward in recent years.

“If a dealer distributes fentanyl or fentanyl-laced drugs and someone dies as a result, that dealer has effectively signed that person’s death warrant,” Roy said in a statement on the proposal.

DRUG DEALERS COULD BE CHARGED WITH MURDER UNDER NEW VIRGINIA FENTANYL PLAN

In 2024, nearly 48,400 Americans died due to fentanyl poisoning, according to findings from the National Center for Health Statistics — a 36% drop from levels in 2023.

Despite that progress, Roy believes capital punishment is key to bringing levels down further.

“Congress must stand with the families devastated by this crisis and send a clear message: if you deal death, you will face the full weight of justice,” the Texas Republican said in his statement to Fox News Digital.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 currently caps penalties for distribution at life in prison.

Roy’s bill would raise the bar by amending that law, stating that “such person shall be sentenced, if death results from the use of such substance, to death.”

TRUMP ADMIN USES LUIGI MANGIONE CASE TO ‘SEND A MESSAGE’ IN FIRST 100 DAYS: FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR

Additionally, the bill doubles existing fines for fentanyl-related offenses, authorizing penalties of up to $2 million for individuals and $10 million for non-individual entities.

The bill is narrowly tailored to apply to fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances.

NARCO TRAFFICKERS ALLEGEDLY USING ANIMAL TRANQUILIZERS TO CREATE ‘SUPERCHARGED FENTANYL’

Although the bill does not make the death penalty the default punishment, Roy argued it would give prosecutors a new tool to pursue cases more aggressively — especially in instances where other drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine are knowingly laced with fentanyl. In those cases, Roy’s office argued that current law acts as a shield to dealers who endanger unsuspecting buyers.

“[The act] closes a dangerous loophole and gives prosecutors the ability to pursue capital punishment against the worst offenders who are profiting off the deaths of Americans,” Roy said.

“Fentanyl is killing hundreds of Americans every single day and the people trafficking this poison should face the harshest penalties available,” he added.

The Pentagon’s massive $1.5 trillion budget request will face its first test Tuesday as House lawmakers quiz Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth about the proposal in a high-stakes hearing. 

Democrats and some Republicans have raised concerns about the unprecedented size of the request, which would increase defense funding by nearly 50% from 2026 levels while making cuts to domestic spending. 

The Trump administration argues the jump in defense spending is necessary to counter threats from geopolitical adversaries and advance the president’s priorities, including replenishing weapons stockpiles and expanding the defense industrial base.

Hegseth is also expected to face questions on the administration’s military strategy toward Iran as peace talks remain stalled between Washington and Tehran. Trump said Monday that the ceasefire with Iran is “on life support” during a news conference in the Oval Office.

TRUMP CALLS FOR $1.5T DEFENSE BUDGET TO BUILD ‘DREAM MILITARY’

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst will testify alongside Hegseth at the House Appropriations Committee hearing.

The anticipated testimony follows back-to-back congressional hearings the trio participated in April, during which Hegseth repeatedly clashed with Democrats over the U.S. military campaign against Iran.

“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless, and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth told lawmakers.

Hurst testified to Congress in April that the Iran war has cost $25 billion so far, mostly for munitions, though multiple reports say the total could be far higher. The Department of War is expected to seek a defense supplemental request following the conclusion of the conflict, which could be much larger in scope.

“It’s shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Because this president got our country into this without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline, and because of that, we’ve expended a lot of munitions, and that means the American people are less safe.”

Hegseth accused the Arizona Democrat of divulging classified information and pledged to have the Pentagon’s legal counsel review his remarks. 

“Did he violate his oath…again?” Hegseth wrote on social media, referring to his attempts to sanction Kelly, a Navy veteran, for advising troops to ignore illegal orders last year.

$1,300 COFFEE CUPS, 8,000% OVERPAY FOR SOAP DISPENSERS SHOW WASTE AS DOGE LOCKS IN ON PENTAGON

The Pentagon’s budget request is expected to face an uphill battle with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other Democrats vowing to ensure it “never passes.” Any defense spending bill would require some Democratic votes to pass the Senate due to the upper chamber’s 60-vote legislative filibuster. 

Kelly has slammed the fiscal year 2027 budget request as “outrageous” and called on the administration to submit a new budget that “makes sense for the moment we’re in.”

“When I got to the Senate five and a half years ago, the defense budget was just over $700 billion,” Kelly told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Now, they’re asking for twice as much money. It’s nearly the amount that the rest of the world pays for its defense.” 

The Pentagon’s request would allocate more than $65 billion for the Navy’s “Golden Fleet” initiative and nearly $20 billion for Trump’s Golden Dome air defense shield. The administration also proposes spending billions on the next-generation F-47 Air Force fighter jet and unmanned weapons systems.

On the non-defense side, the administration’s budget request would slash funding for the State Department and international programs by a third and the Environmental Protection Agency by 50%, among other agencies.

At least one pressure point that Hegseth faced over Ukraine in April is off the table.

The Pentagon chief announced in late April that the administration released $400 million in Ukraine money that Congress approved in 2025. Hegseth was grilled about the delay in transferring aid to the country during his appearance before the House Armed Services Committee in April. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of War for comment.

Senate Republicans are taking stock of their relationship with the House GOP as they gear up for another key test of their unity across chambers. 

Dysfunction, miscommunications and wasted time have dotted the last few months of Republicans’ control of Congress, particularly during the longest government shutdown on record. 

Republicans in the upper chamber aren’t singling out others in the House who should bear responsibility, but they do agree that something needs to change as they plow forward to fund immigration operations for the next few years. 

TRUMP SAYS HE ‘CAN’T STAND’ SOME REPUBLICANS FOR REFUSING ONE KEY MOVE FOR HIS AGENDA

“I think we all need to get in a room and figure out what’s our plan,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. “And how are we going to get things done for the American people? That has to be the goal, and right now something needs to change.”

Republicans are readying to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years through budget reconciliation, which will require near-perfect unanimity in both chambers to work, given that Democrats are getting cut out of the process. 

But divisions between the chambers were laid bare during the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, when House Republicans, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., refused to consider the Senate’s compromise plan to reopen the agency. 

That decision prolonged the shutdown for nearly a month, and spurred the necessity to turn to reconciliation. It also fostered frustration between the Senate and House at a time when leadership and President Donald Trump are calling for unity.

JOHNSON SCRAMBLES AS TRUMP, SENATE REPUBLICANS PRESSURE HOUSE TO FUND DHS

Both Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have thin majorities to work with — Johnson more so than Thune. That reality isn’t something that’s lost on Senate Republicans, particularly on legislation that Democrats won’t support, and is so far preventing the knives from coming out in the upper chamber. 

“I mean, I think we understand the challenges that Mike has over there. He’s not king. He’s the speaker of the House,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital.
”And their margin of error is less than ours, proportionately. So I can’t imagine. I think he’s doing the very best he can.” 

Some Republicans argue that it’s more of a communication issue between the chambers than unfettered dysfunction in the House.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital he didn’t buy the “whole House’s dysfunction” argument, and instead said it was incumbent on senators to make more of an effort. 

“I think we have to take a little bit of ownership ourselves here in the Senate, and that’s certainly not [just] the leadership, but all of us,” Moreno said. “Because when we’re working on bills, we should have total, complete synchronicity with the House.” 

‘SHIRTS AND SKINS’: HOW ONE REPUBLICAN BRIDGED THE GAP TO PASS TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

House Republicans, for example, contended that they were blindsided by the Senate deal to reopen the bulk of DHS earlier this year that carved out funding for ICE and Border Patrol.

 “We’ve got to be able to make sure we’re communicating better and working through the issues,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. “The House isn’t our enemy. We gotta be able to resolve all the issues on a piece of legislation. We have differences of opinion. OK, let’s work them out.”

The issue of communication is one that, since Republicans took control of both chambers last year, was largely handled by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the former GOP senator who acted as a de facto liaison between both chambers for major legislative pushes. 

When asked if Republicans needed a Mullin 2.0, Lankford said that the main points of communication fell on Thune and Johnson.

And Thune has not been quick to criticize Johnson or House Republicans publicly and noted that the nature of both chambers and how they operate would lead to issues along the way. 

“We obviously have a 60-vote threshold,” Thune said.
”We need Democrats. You know, he doesn’t need Democrats, but he needs every Republican, and that’s a real challenge on a good day. And, you know, sometimes there aren’t a lot of good days around here.”

Conversely, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., argued that despite the issues, if Democrats were in control of the chambers, Americans would have been hit with the largest tax hike in decades had Republicans not mustered a unified front to pass Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” 

“All of that would have been in the opposite if the Democrats had been in the majority and been able to do what they wanted to do to raise taxes,” Barrasso told Fox News Digital.

An ambitious proposal backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to raise the federal minimum wage to as high as $30 an hour is drawing red flags from economists who warn the proposal could backfire on the people it’s meant to help.

A new survey published by the Employment Policies Institute found broad skepticism among U.S. economists toward steep minimum wage hikes, with many warning the policy could lead to unintended ripple effects like job losses for low-wage workers and higher prices for all Americans.

Specifically, these economists oppose proposals that push the minimum wage to more than $20 an hour.

The findings come as progressive lawmakers, including Ocasio-Cortez, push for higher federal wage mandates to address rising costs of living. The federal minimum wage has not been adjusted since 2009 despite an annual average inflation rate of 2.57%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

AOC-BACKED $25 MINIMUM WAGE PLAN SOUNDS GREAT — BUT AT WHAT COST?

“We surveyed more than 160 American economists and for proposals over $20 an hour, 96% said they oppose it,” Employment Policies Institute research director Rebekah Paxton told Fox News Digital.

The findings reflect broader resistance to steep minimum wage hikes, with nearly three-quarters of economists opposing a $15 wage and opposition increasing sharply at higher proposed levels.

Paxton said this view cuts across political lines.

“The economists we surveyed spanned the political spectrum — Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and those who didn’t identify with a party — but they broadly agree that raising the minimum wage above $20 an hour would be harmful for employees, businesses and American consumers,” she said.

Economists pointed to a range of potential downsides for raising the minimum wage from the current $7.25 hourly rate, particularly for lower-skilled workers. A majority said higher minimum wages would likely reduce job opportunities for young people, with up to 95% predicting fewer youth jobs at wage levels above $20.

Industries with thinner margins could be especially vulnerable.

NYC $30 MINIMUM WAGE PROPOSAL PUSHED BY MAMDANI WOULD ‘OBLITERATE’ CERTAIN INDUSTRIES: EXPERT WARNS

“Small businesses would likely have the hardest time adapting, but certain industries with tighter profit margins , like hospitality and restaurants, could be hit particularly hard,” Paxton said. “Economists told us it would reduce jobs and make it more difficult for those businesses to operate.”

Many respondents also warned businesses would react to rising labor costs by turning to automation. At higher wage levels, as many as 97% of economists said companies would replace tasks traditionally done by workers with robotic and other automatic means.

The survey highlighted concerns about inflation and the cost of living, with a majority of economists claiming higher minimum wages would increase prices of goods and services, with up to 84% predicting increased costs for consumers if minimum wages were raised to more than $20 an hour.

NEW STUDY REVEALS BLUE STATE’S FAST-FOOD MINIMUM WAGE HIKE JEOPARDIZED THOUSANDS OF JOBS

“A lot of lawmakers and activists say affordability is the reason for proposing these high minimum wage hikes,” Paxton said. “But what we’re finding is that not only could this cost jobs and reduce hours, it could also increase automation and raise the cost of living.”

Small businesses, in particular, may struggle to absorb those costs. Nearly all economists surveyed, up to 98%, said it would become harder for small businesses to stay afloat under higher wage mandates.

Perhaps most notably, many economists questioned whether raising the minimum wage would achieve its intended goal.

“We’re seeing economists are generally concerned about whether this policy actually delivers meaningful wage benefits,” Paxton said, pointing instead to alternatives like earned income tax credits and other support programs that supplement wages without placing the full burden on employers.

Supporters argue higher wages are necessary to keep up with inflation and rising living costs. But the survey raises fresh doubts about whether the policy could end up doing more harm than good.

Read the full study here:

Tuesday is primary day in red-leaning Nebraska, where party showdowns for the House and Senate will tee up general election matchups in the battle for Congress.

Meanwhile, in GOP-dominated West Virginia, establishment Sen. Shelley Moore Capito faces five Republican primary challenges, but enjoys the backing of President Donald Trump.

And in New Jersey, Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, who grabbed national attention last year as he was arrested during an anti-ICE protest outside a federal immigration detention center, is facing seven challengers as he seeks a fourth term steering the Garden State’s largest city.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Tuesday’s contests come with less than six months to go until the 2026 midterm elections, when Republicans aim to hold their razor-thin House and slim Senate majorities, and Democrats hope to ride a blue wave to escape the political wilderness.

Here’s a closer look at Tuesday’s ballot box showdowns.

Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who was appointed in 2023 to replace Ben Sasse, and who won a 2024 special election to fill out the final two years of Sasse’s term, is running for a full six-year term. Ricketts faces four primary challengers on Tuesday, but is expected to capture his party’s nomination.

Ricketts is already eyeing the general election, when he’ll face off against independent candidate Dan Osborn, the industrial mechanic and military veteran who gave Republican Sen. Deb Fischer a scare in her 2024 re-election.

SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY

Even though the Nebraska Democratic Party supports Osborn in the general election, community college instructor Cindy Burbank and pastor Bill Forbes are running for the Democrats’ nomination in the primary.

Both candidates were last-minute filers, and some Nebraska Democratic leaders alleged that Forbes jumped into the race so that a Democrat would be on the fall ballot and siphon votes away from Osborn to help Ricketts.

Forbes has denied the claims.

Burbank says she jumped into the race to keep Forbes off the ballot in November.

In the gubernatorial primary, GOP Gov. Jim Pillen faces five nomination challengers. Former state Sen. Lynne Walz and perennial candidate Larry Marvin face off for the Democratic nomination.

The primary in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, an Omaha-based competitive seat, is grabbing national attention, in the race to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon. The seat is a top target for Democrats as they try to retake the House.

Omaha City Councilmember Brinker Harding is unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Two major Democrats, state Sen. John Cavanaugh and Denise Powell, are vying for their party’s congressional nomination.

Nebraska is the only state in the nation, along with Maine, to split their electoral votes in presidential elections. And the electoral vote up for grabs in Nebraska’s 2nd District, known as the ‘blue dot,’ was carried by then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

Powell argues that if Cavanaugh wins the primary and then the general election, and steps down from his state Senate seat, GOP Gov. Pillen would replace him with a Republican, which could potentially lead to the GOP-dominated legislature scrapping the ‘blue dot’ and making Nebraska’s electoral votes winner-take-all.

Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey is not on the ballot in Tuesday’s primary, but the first-term governor’s clout in state politics is on the line, as the governor is targeting several GOP state lawmakers running for re-election.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. Senate race, five Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination.

In Charleston, West Virginia‘s capital city, Democratic Mayor Amy Goodwin faces a primary challenge as she seeks a third term. Republican Brian Hunt is unopposed for the Republican nomination.

While Baraka is a Democrat, mayoral elections in Newark are technically nonpartisan.

If no candidate tops 50% of the vote, a runoff between Tuesday’s top two finishers will be held in early June.

The charges against Baraka were dropped, and he later ran for governor, coming in second to then-Rep. Mikie Sherrill in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Sherrill ended up winning election as New Jersey governor.

The Trump administration is ramping pressure on China over what U.S. officials describe as Beijing’s economic and material support for Iran and Russia ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A senior administration official told reporters Sunday that Trump already has spoken “multiple times” with Xi about “the revenue that China provides to both those regimes and therefore as well as dual use goods, components and parts, not to mention the potential of weapons exports.”

“I expect that conversation to continue,” the official said during a White House preview call ahead of Trump’s trip to Beijing.

The comments underscore how deeply Iran and Russia have become intertwined with the broader U.S.–China relationship, with the administration increasingly framing Beijing not only as an economic competitor but also as a critical enabler of adversarial regimes.

TRUMP SPEAKS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI, WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL CONFIRMS

“You’ve seen some actions, meaning sanctions coming out from the U.S. side just in the last few days that I’m sure will be part of that conversation,” the official added.

China ordered firms in early May to ignore U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian oil, a direct test of the U.S. crackdown.

A new directive, issued through China’s Commerce Ministry Sunday, invokes a 2021 “blocking statute” that prohibits firms from complying with foreign sanctions deemed illegitimate. The order applies to several Chinese refiners accused by the U.S. of purchasing Iranian crude, including major independent processors known as “teapot” refineries.

The move represents a shift from years of opaque workarounds to more explicit state-backed resistance, as Beijing signals it will not cooperate with U.S. efforts to cut off a key source of revenue for Iran.

CHINA ORDERS FIRMS TO IGNORE US IRAN SANCTIONS, DARING US TO ENFORCE CRACKDOWN

U.S. officials increasingly have accused China of helping sustain Iran’s military and economic capabilities through oil purchases, dual-use exports and intermediary networks tied to Tehran’s drone and missile programs.

Chinese officials pushed back on the allegations, saying Beijing follows strict export controls and accusing Washington of mischaracterizing its role.

“China always acts prudently and responsibly on the export of military products, and exercises strict control in accordance with China’s laws and regulations on export control and due international obligations,” Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said.

“China opposes groundless smear and ill-intentioned association,” Liu added. “The pressing priority is to make every effort to prevent by all means a relapse in fighting, rather than exploiting the conflict to maliciously smear other nations.”

Liu also emphasized that China is prepared to work with the United States to “expand cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit.”

“China, let’s see them step up with some diplomacy and get the Iranians to open the strait,” Bessent said in a Fox News interview May 4.

“Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism … China has been buying 90 percent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism,” he added.

Chinese officials have repeatedly defended Beijing’s trade relationship with Iran as “normal economic cooperation” and criticized U.S. sanctions as unilateral measures that interfere with legitimate trade.

China has become Iran’s largest economic lifeline in recent years, purchasing the overwhelming majority of Iranian oil exports despite U.S. sanctions. Analysts and U.S. government reports have said those purchases generate billions of dollars in revenue for Iran and help fund the regime’s military activities and regional proxy networks.

The Treasury Department also has repeatedly sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong-based companies accused of helping Iran procure materials and components linked to ballistic missiles and drones, including parts tied to the Shahed drone program. U.S. officials have raised concerns about shipments of dual-use goods such as electronics, industrial equipment and missile-fuel precursor chemicals that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

While Beijing largely curtailed overt state-to-state arms sales to Iran years ago under international pressure, U.S. officials and outside analysts say Chinese firms and intermediaries continue to play a significant role in supplying sensitive technologies and materials through commercial channels and sanctions-evasion networks.

Officials said the leaders are also expected to discuss Taiwan, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and rare earth supply chains during the summit.

The White House previewed discussions around a potential “U.S.-China Board of Trade” and “Board of Investment,” which officials described as possible government-to-government mechanisms for managing trade and investment issues between the two countries. 

MP: Pinged WH to signal interest in details on this 

Administration officials also emphasized there would be no change in longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan, while highlighting increased American arms sales to Taipei and calling for Taiwan to further boost defense spending.

Artificial intelligence is also emerging as a growing focus in the relationship. 

Officials said Trump and Xi could discuss establishing a formal communication channel on AI-related security concerns as both countries race to develop increasingly advanced systems with military and cyber implications.

Officials additionally pointed to ongoing discussions surrounding rare earth supply chains and access to critical minerals used in defense systems, electronics and advanced manufacturing.

The Chinese embassy could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Democrats in the Michigan House have proposed a package of bills that aim to legalize medically assisted suicide for certain terminally ill adults.

The package, which would create a Death with Dignity Act, would allow certain terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to request and receive medication to end their own life.

As part of the package, patients would need to make multiple requests, both in written and oral form, and must wait at least 15 days between requests. They must also receive an evaluation from two doctors, potentially receive a mental health evaluation, be informed of alternatives such as hospice and pain care and be told they may change their minds at any time.

“A person who without authorization of the patient willfully alters or forges a request for medication under this act or conceals or destroys a rescission of that request with the intent or effect of causing the patient’s death is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or a fine of not more than $375,000.00, or both,” the legislation reads.

DELAWARE’S ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL SIGNED INTO LAW, MAKING IT THE 11TH STATE WITH SUCH A STATUTE

The proposal also does not allow a doctor or anyone else to directly cause death through lethal injection, mercy killing or active euthanasia.

The package would protect doctors and others from criminal or civil liability if they follow the law, allow providers to opt out and protect patients from insurance discrimination.

Doctors, pharmacists and other licensed professionals cannot be investigated or disciplined simply for assisting in so-called death with dignity, as long as they follow the law, according to the measure.

NY GOV. HOCHUL TO SIGN BILL TO LEGALIZE PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE: ‘WHO AM I TO DENY YOU?’

The state health department would review cases and publish annual reports. The department would have access to prescription records related to life-ending medication to monitor compliance.

Additionally, health insurers would not be allowed to deny or limit coverage because a person plans to end their lives under the Death with Dignity Act.

Existing insurance rules would be amended so that a patient choosing medical aid when dying would not be treated as having died by suicide for insurance purposes. Life insurance rules about suicide would not apply if a person dies under the Death with Dignity Act.

Michigan would join about a dozen other states and Washington, D.C., in adopting laws allowing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, including Delaware, New York and Illinois, which each approved legislation in 2025 that will take effect this year.

Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia and Colombia, have also legalized so-called death with dignity.

Supporters of the legislation, including medical-aid-in-dying advocacy groups, argue that it would give mentally capable, terminally ill adults an additional end-of-life option, while preserving safeguards such as multiple requests, physician review, waiting periods and the ability to rescind a request at any time.

Republicans and faith leaders, particularly within Catholic and Evangelical communities, have long raised concerns about assisted suicide, citing the sanctity of life, as well as moral and ethical concerns.

“So-called assisted death endangers the weak and marginalized in a society, and it corrupts medicine and erodes our obligations to family,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., previously said. “And we will promote and respect every life, no matter how old or sick or weak those persons may be.”

The Minnesota Senate on Monday narrowly passed a bill that would restrict federal agents from concealing their identities, with exceptions, and create a path for lawsuits over alleged constitutional violations stemming from immigration enforcement in the state.

The bill narrowly passed with a 34-33 party line vote. It now heads to the House, where it faces an uphill battle with the chamber evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

The legislation also instructs schools, day cares and health care facilities to deny access to agents seeking to conduct civil immigration enforcement on their premises without a signed judicial warrant, with some exceptions. And it prohibits certain civil immigration arrests of people attending court proceedings.

Additionally, it gives state officials the authority to investigate deaths involving federal agents’ use of force and creates penalties or civil liability in certain cases when someone fails to render aid after a shooting.

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN THE SPOTLIGHT AHEAD OF MIDTERMS AS FATAL MN SHOOTINGS IGNITE BACKLASH

Democratic Sen. Omar Fateh, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the federal government’s raids in Minnesota displayed “a show of force against immigrant communities,” according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

“They said agents were here to enforce law and order,” Fateh said. “Again, they lied. They broke down doors without a warrant, denied people due process, assaulted, arrested, tear-gassed and shot peaceful people.”

This comes as several Democratic-led states have sought to adopt restrictions on immigration agents, particularly after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in separate incidents in January during immigration raids in Minneapolis that triggered nationwide protests.

Lawmakers in New York reached an agreement with Gov. Kathy Hochul on a final state budget to limit state and local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and place restrictions on masked agents and warrantless searches of homes, schools and other locations. The deal would also allow residents to sue immigration agents.

A mask ban was also passed by California lawmakers, but similar restrictions have faced federal court challenges, including rulings blocking parts of California’s law.

Other Democratic-led states, including New Jersey and Massachusetts, ​have proposed ⁠similar plans to block immigration agents from wearing masks during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Minnesota Democratic Sen. Ron Latz, another co-sponsor of the bill passed on Monday, said the measure aims to bring accountability and “ensuring that what happened here never happens again.”

“What we endured was one of the darkest periods in American history when the government … sent masked men — armed, untrained and unrestrained — to terrorize our communities,” Latz said, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Republicans, meanwhile, accused Democrats of inflammatory rhetoric about the immigration raids and said Minnesota officials should be cooperating with ICE.

“We need more cooperation in this state between our federal, state and local officials,” GOP Sen. Michael Kreun said, according to the outlet. “More cooperation, not less cooperation. That will help reduce the need for street-level enforcement, which many people are very uncomfortable with.”

MASSACHUSETTS BILL WOULD FORCE ICE AGENTS TO UNMASK

Republican Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen argued that immigration crackdowns have made cities across the country safer, although local officials have blamed the Trump administration for violence after immigration agents shot multiple people in recent months.

Senate Republicans also said the package would cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential litigation since the state will likely be sued.

“This bill will put Minnesota on a collision course with dangerous illegal immigrants who roam freely while federal authorities face legal challenges,” Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson said in a statement.

The legislation’s mask ban for federal agents carves out some exceptions, including for medical needs.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: The Georgia Senate is ramping up its investigation into alleged campaign finance violations tied to Stacey Abrams’ voter outreach group, with a top lawmaker vowing to “follow the facts wherever they lead” as subpoenas have been issued to Abrams and other key figures.

The Senate Special Committee on Investigations announced Monday that Abrams, along with New Georgia Project leaders Lauren Groh-Wargo and Nsé Ufot, must appear before lawmakers at the State Capitol at 10 a.m. on Friday.

“This committee has a responsibility to follow the facts wherever they lead,” said Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal, the committee’s vice chairman. “Georgia law requires transparency and accountability in our elections.”

The subpoenas stem from findings by the Georgia State Ethics Commission that the New Georgia Project and its affiliated Action Fund violated campaign finance laws during the 2018 election cycle.

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The groups admitted to 16 violations earlier this year and agreed to pay a $300,000 fine, the largest campaign finance penalty in Georgia history.

New Georgia Project shut down and dissolved in 2025 following mounting financial and legal troubles.

The Republican lawmakers explain in the press release that the goal of the probe is to figure out who was involved in the decision-making behind the violations, along with specifics on how the funds were managed and who was aware of the activity.

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“The people of Georgia deserve to know who was involved, what decisions were made and how millions of dollars flowed through organizations that admitted to violating our campaign finance laws,” Dolezal said.

Georgia’s Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said in the release, “No one is above the law in Georgia.” 

He added: “When organizations secretly spend millions to influence elections while evading disclosure requirements, it undermines confidence in our democratic process. The Senate will continue pursuing the truth and ensuring accountability, regardless of political party or influence.”

The lawmakers say that additional hearings and witness testimony are expected in the coming weeks.

Fox News Digital reached out to Abrams for comment.

Abrams, the two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee in battleground Georgia, ruled out another run for governor earlier this year, saying that instead she’ll focus on her work fighting what she warns is the nation’s move toward authoritarianism under President Trump.

Abrams, a former Democratic Party leader in the Georgia state legislature and a nationally known voting-rights advocate, narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election. She lost her 2022 rematch with Kemp by nearly eight points.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report