Category: USA Politics

Nuclear fusion originates in our sun and other stars. Immense pressure and high temperatures in the core create a reaction, ultimately preventing it from collapsing under the force of gravity.

“The fusion here on Earth has a lot of corollaries to how we understand how the stars work in things like astrophysics,” Commonwealth Fusion Systems CEO Bob Mumgaard said.

“They both rely on studying plasma, the fourth state of matter. They both have the same types of reactions, and we use some of what we learn in how the stars work to inform how to build better fusion machines on Earth.”

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The company is working to replicate the sun’s fusion energy here on earth, a quest that has been long in the making.

“When it first started out, it was as much a science experiment as fission was. The question at that time was, is this possible?” said Adam Stein, director of nuclear energy innovation at the Breakthrough Institute. “There was more scientific curiosity than optimism (that) this would ever become a source of power for the world.”

The quest for nuclear power began in the 1950s when scientists started designing machines to conduct their experiments. More than 70 years later, scientists have not been able to make fusion power viable for electricity.

“The biggest misconception is thinking that fusion is right around the corner. Or that people think, on the other hand, that it’s a total failure. And it’s neither. It’s real progress combined with real uncertainty,” Stein said.

As the demand for energy continues to rise, fusion scientists believe fusion power plants could help ease some of the strain.

“We need every electron on this system. And if and when fusion becomes commercially viable, it should also be in that equation because it’s that important,” Exelon CEO Calvin Butler said. “If you increase the supply and the demand is there, costs will go down. And I think fusion being in that equation is a good.”

To create nuclear fusion on earth, a lot of power is needed to generate plasmas that reach temperatures hotter than the sun. Scientists have spent decades developing the right environment for fusion reactions, but building materials that can endure the intense heat while keeping the plasma stable are among the many challenges.

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“Right now, the machines consume more energy than they produce. So that’s not a power plant. You don’t want to build that as a power plant. That’s a power user. But the output of that is learning, right? And we’re getting better and better at it,” Mumgaard said. 

Critics say fusion power has been 20-30 years away for decades now, but Commonwealth Fusion Systems is hoping to change that timeline, saying it could have a viable reactor by the early 2030s. 

“We’ve learned a lot about what it takes to make these machines,” Mumgaard said. “The scientific advance has happened. And we’re now at the stage where we have confidence in that science, that, you know, fusion is turning more to an engineering problem.”

In 2022, the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory demonstrated fusion could generate more energy than it used, but it was just a small amount, about enough power to keep a small LED light bulb on for 20 hours. Scientists also estimate it takes about 100 times more energy to run the facility than the amount used in the experiment. 

“NIF (National Ignition Facility) put in enough energy to power roughly a thousand homes and got enough out to power an LED. Because the overall system has inefficiency,” Stein said. 

Fusion and other energy sources have seen advancements in the past decade, thanks to artificial intelligence.

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“I think AI in and of itself is a good thing. Economic developments, growth, all good things. What we have to do is get the policy right,” Butler said. 

“We’ve also learned a lot from our technology partners in how to use technology to deliver energy more efficiently. Are we using grid-enhancing technology to increase the capacity of the transmission system? What are we doing to serve our customers more intuitively? All of that is coming with the advent of AI and the technology, and we need to utilize that as energy companies.”

At Commonwealth Fusion Systems, NVIDIA software monitors and maps fusion plants in real time. Google Deepmind’s technology helps better control plasma. 

“Whether that’s to make the computer simulations run faster or to make the control systems for the plasma able to react faster, gain insights in how to build the machines. And, so, you see that in our company but in fusion labs around the world that AI is having an accelerating factor in this whole field,” Mumgaard said.  

The fusion industry has gotten increased interest and funding. Companies raised $2.6 billion in private and public funding in the 12 months leading to July 2025. But that is just a fraction of the amount invested in energy already on the grid. In 2025, spending on nuclear was estimated at $70 billion. Solar was expected to reach $450 billion.  

“Fusion isn’t a near-term energy solution. It’s not science fiction either, but it’s a long-horizon, high-risk, high-reward option with unavoidable uncertainty,” Stein said. “The near-term solution is fission and other energy sources that we already know how to build. But that does not mean that we shouldn’t pursue fusion for mid to long-term energy needs.” 

Some fusion critics have speculated that the energy source could never be viable for the electric grid. Elon Musk has called the effort a “pet science project” and called for further investments in solar energy. But some energy companies, lawmakers in both parties and the Trump administration are expressing optimism. 

“Definitely, in the next several years, we’re gonna see at scale much more energy come out than goes in in fusion devices. It’s a little bit of time after that to make it commercial and machines and all that, but it’s coming,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at Semafor’s World Economy Summit in April 2025. 

“It’s not a maybe someday always 20 years away thing. Watch the news. Fusion energy in the next four years can be very exciting.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy bashed Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom over an unfinished wildlife crossing bridge in the Golden State that is running $21 million over budget.

Duffy shared a post from the X account End Wokeness showing video of the unfinished project stretching across 10 lanes of the 101 Freeway in Southern California. The video shows the incomplete bridge, which is intended to provide safe passage for animals such as cougars to cross over the highway.

“Bridges to nowhere. Trains to nowhere. Leave the building to us @GavinNewsom,” Duffy wrote on X.

Construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing (WAWC) was supposed to be wrapped up by 2025, with the total cost of the project estimated at $92 million. That cost estimate has since jumped to $114 million. A press release from the governor’s office states the project should be completed by fall 2026.

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At the groundbreaking ceremony held in April 2022, Newsom pledged $54 million of state funding to build the crossing and later added another $10 million. However, in February, the California Transportation Commission announced it was allocating an additional $18.8 million to complete construction.

Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation, the namesake of the bridge, provided $25 million for its construction in 2021. Beth Pratt, director of the National Wildlife Federation and part of the leadership team overseeing the project, attributed delays in the project’s construction to rising costs in a video posted to X.

Pratt said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the crossing project “experienced significant increases in costs” related to “tariffs, inflation and other factors” that were responsible for delayed construction.

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She added that these increased costs were consistent with other construction projects, citing the FHWA National Highway Construction Cost Index, which shows highway construction costs have increased by 67% since 2021. Pratt said the project team took steps to reduce costs as part of a “rigorous redesign process” funded by private donations, not public funds.

Newsom’s press office rejected criticism of the project’s ballooning costs, also pointing to tariffs from the Trump administration as the culprit.

“The cost estimate held until last year when inflation — in part driven by TRUMP’s TARIFFS — increased construction costs. The increase is vastly LOWER than the 67% national average increase in highway construction costs,” Newsom’s team wrote on X.

The governor also said the delay was due to “severe weather.”

“The timeline shifted by just ONE YEAR largely due to severe weather last year — five years of work is far from a ‘boondoggle,” Newsom’s press office wrote on X.

Heightened attention on the construction of the wildlife crossing bridge comes as the state faces continued scrutiny over other failed projects. Last year, the Department of Transportation canceled $4 billion in federal funding after the state spent $15 billion in funding for high-speed rail construction projects despite never laying a single track.

Newsom, a 2028 presidential prospect, is also having to navigate a projected $2.9 billion budget deficit for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.

Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime personal lawyer and co-executive of his estate said he had no knowledge of a relationship the late convicted sex offender had with President Donald Trump, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Thursday. 

Darren Indyke made the claim in a closed-door session before the House Oversight Committee. He is the latest Epstein affiliate to testify in the panel’s sprawling probe.

Comer said Democrats immediately pressed Indyke with questions about ties between the president and Epstein.

“Republicans asked very substantive questions that any curious media outlet would ask, that any American who’s kept up with this story would ask,” Comer told reporters. “Then the Democrats get their hour, and they ask about Donald Trump.”

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“Mr. Indyke said that he was not aware of any relationship that Mr. Epstein had with Mr. Trump,” Comer added.

Comer also said that Indyke told the committee that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s sexual crimes. Indyke has denied any wrongdoing and did not invoke his Fifth Amendment right when questioned by the panel.

“As with all the other witnesses, they all claim they never had any knowledge before it became public that Mr. Epstein was … doing anything inappropriately with young women,” the Kentucky Republican said. 

After Epstein’s first conviction in 2008, Comer said that Indyke told the committee that Epstein “convinced him he would never do it again and that he had remorse.”

“We’re asking all those questions, and like just about every other witness, they either didn’t know or couldn’t recall,” Comer said, referring to individuals in Epstein’s orbit having knowledge of or participating in sex trafficking schemes. “But we’ll keep pressing.”

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Democrats on the oversight panel immediately dismissed the idea that Indyke had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

“I’m very surprised that he did not take the Fifth Amendment,” Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., told reporters. ” I think it’s very likely he perjured himself over and over again.”

“He claimed … that he had no knowledge of any women or girls. And yet that doesn’t account for the fact that numerous women have described how he helped them fix their problems,” Min added.

Richard Kahn, the second co-executor of Epstein’s estate, testified to the committee earlier in March. The one-time accountant to Epstein told the panel he was not aware of any transactions between Trump and Epstein. 

Former President Bill Clinton also told the committee in February that Trump had never indicated to him that he knew about Epstein’s crimes.

“They have created a narrative, a false narrative, that there’s a cover-up,” Comer said of Democrats on the committee. “And they’ve created a false narrative that Donald Trump has some type of liability in this. Both narratives are getting exploded by every witness we bring in.”

Trump has repeatedly stated that he cut off ties with Epstein in the early 2000s after the two maintained a relationship for over a decade.

The Justice Department (DOJ) has subpoenaed former FBI Director James Comey over his role in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian election interference, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

The subpoena marks a new escalation after Fox News Digital previously reported that Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan were under criminal investigation related to the probe.

Sources at the time said the investigations were examining potential wrongdoing tied to the creation of the 2017 assessment and possible false statements to Congress.

The 2017 ICA concluded that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election, but a later review found the process was rushed and included “procedural anomalies.”

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Fox News Digital first reported that Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan were under federal investigation.

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Last July, Fox News Digital first reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe sent a criminal referral for Brennan to the FBI after he declassified records revealing that Brennan did, in fact, push for the discredited anti-Trump dossier to be included in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, despite the CIA’s consensus that it was filled with “internet rumor.”

The referral came after Ratcliffe declassified a “lessons learned” review of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). The 2017 ICA alleged Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Trump. But the review found that the process of the ICA’s creation was rushed with “procedural anomalies,” and that officials diverted from intelligence standards. 

It also determined that the “decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.” 

The dossier — an anti-Trump document filled with unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC — has been widely discredited. The review marks the first time career CIA officials have acknowledged politicization of the process by which the ICA was written, particularly by Obama-era political appointees. 

Records declassified as part of that review further revealed that Brennan did, in fact, push for the dossier to be included in the 2017 ICA.

FBI Director Kash Patel received the criminal referral and opened an investigation into Brennan.

Patel, at the time, also opened a criminal investigation into Comey.

The full scope of those criminal investigations are unclear, but two sources described the FBI’s view of the duo’s interactions as a “conspiracy,” which could open up a wide range of potential prosecutorial options. 

Last year, Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that the Obama administration “manufactured and politicized intelligence” to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise.

Declassified documents obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital last year revealed that in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the intelligence community consistently assessed that Russia was “probably not trying…to influence the election by using cyber means.”

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One instance was on Dec. 7, 2016, weeks after the election. Then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper’s talking points stated: “Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the U.S. presidential election outcome.”

Fox News Digital obtained a declassified copy of the Presidential Daily Brief, which was prepared by the Department of Homeland Security, with reporting from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, State Department and open sources, for Obama, dated Dec. 8, 2016.

“We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure,” the Presidential Daily Brief stated. “Russian Government-affiliated actors most likely compromised an Illinois voter registration database and unsuccessfully attempted the same in other states.”

But the brief stated that it was “highly unlikely” the effort “would have resulted in altering any state’s official vote result.”

“Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes,” it stated. 

The brief noted that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed that any Russian activities “probably were intended to cause psychological effects, such as undermining the credibility of the election process and candidates.” 

The brief stated that cyber criminals “tried to steal data and to interrupt election processes by targeting election infrastructure, but these actions did not achieve a notable disruptive effect.”

Fox News Digital obtained declassified, but redacted, communications from the FBI on the Presidential Daily Brief, stating that it “should not go forward until the FBI” had shared its “concerns.”

Those communications revealed that the FBI drafted a “dissent” to the original Presidential Daily Brief. 

The communications revealed that the brief was expected to be published Dec. 9, 2016, the following day, but later communications revealed that Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “based on some new guidance” decided to “push back publication” of the Presidential Daily Brief. 

“It will not run tomorrow and is not likely to run until next week,” wrote the deputy director of the Presidential Daily Brief at Office of the Director of National Intelligence, whose name is redacted. 

The following day, Dec. 9, 2016, a meeting convened in the White House Situation Room, with the subject line starting: “Summary of Conclusions for PC Meeting on a Sensitive Topic (REDACTED.)”

The meeting included top officials in the National Security Council, Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others, to discuss Russia.

The declassified meeting record, obtained by Fox News Digital, revealed that principals “agreed to recommend sanctioning of certain members of the Russian military intelligence and foreign intelligence chains of command responsible for cyber operations as a response to cyber activity that attempted to influence or interfere with U.S. elections, if such activity meets the requirements” from an executive order that demanded the blocking of property belonging to people engaged in cyber activities.

After the meeting, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper’s executive assistant emailed intelligence community leaders tasking them to create a new intelligence community assessment “per the president’s request,” that detailed the “tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.”

“ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS,” the record states.

Later, Obama officials “leaked false statements to media outlets” claiming that “Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election.”

By Jan. 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months.”

Intelligence officials told Fox News Digital that the ICA was “politicized” because it “suppressed intelligence from before and after the election showing Russia lacked intent and capability to hack the 2016 election.” 

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Officials also said it deceived the American public “by claiming the IC made no assessment on the ‘impact’ of Russian activities,” when the intelligence community “did, in fact, assess for impact.” 

“The unpublished December PDB stated clearly that Russia ‘did not impact’ the election through cyber hacks on the election,” an official told Fox News Digital.

The official also said that the ICA had assessed that “Russia was responsible for leaking data from the DNC and DCCC,” but while “failing to mention that FBI and NSA previously expressed low confidence in this attribution.” 

Officials told Fox News Digital that the new assessment “was based on information that was known by those involved to be manufactured i.e. the Steele Dossier or deemed as not credible.”

Officials said that the intelligence was “politicized” and then “used as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump’s victory, the years-long Mueller investigation, two Congressional impeachments, high level officials being investigated, arrested, and thrown in jail, heightened US-Russia tensions, and more.”

Axios first reported the subpoena. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, is throwing her weight behind newcomer Graham Platner in Maine’s high-stakes Democratic primary in June, a pivotal showdown that will determine who will face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.

Warren’s endorsement, announced Wednesday in a video statement posted by Platner’s campaign, is a significant boost for Platner as he continues to gain traction in the race against his chief rival, Gov. Janet Mills, who has the full backing of party leadership.

Citing his roots as an oyster farmer and his service as a combat veteran, Warren framed Platner as a hard-working outsider who would be a natural disruptor in Washington. 

By emphasizing that he will not simply “go along to get along,” she drew a sharp contrast with Mills, whom progressives have increasingly labeled a creature of the party establishment.

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“I endorse Graham Platner because I know he is a fighter on behalf of working families and because he doesn’t take any corporate PAC money, and we need more people here in Washington who are less about go along to get along and more about fighting to make the kind of changes that families need,” Warren said.

“Graham knows the consequences of Donald Trump sending our service members to fight endless wars in the Middle East,” she added. “He’s a combat veteran who was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

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Warren’s endorsement comes at a critical moment for Platner’s populist, progressive campaign after a series of controversies that surfaced in recent weeks and added new scrutiny to his bid.

The Mills campaign recently launched a massive ad buy highlighting controversial comments Platner allegedly made on Reddit over a decade ago, including crude remarks about sexual assault, and a tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. 

Platner has since apologized and addressed the tattoo, while also firing back at Mills, calling her ad a “desperate” reach from a governor “who is trailing an oyster farmer in every recent poll.”

Warren also acknowledged Platner’s Reddit posts during an interview with HuffPost Thursday, noting she believes his apology was sincere.  

“Look, he has apologized for that, and he’s out there talking to the people of Maine every single day,” Warren said.

The victor of the June 9 primary will challenge Collins, a Republican senator in a state that did not vote for Donald Trump in any of his three presidential campaigns.

With Republicans holding a narrow Senate majority, Democrats view Maine as one of their best opportunities to flip a seat, prompting national groups to pour millions into the race and turn the contest into a proxy battle for control of the U.S. Senate.

Amid broader concerns about the current political climate in Maine and the state’s ranked-choice voting system, Collins faces a significant challenge in her bid to secure a sixth term.

Democrats are facing a reckoning after casting César Chavez as a near-sacred figure of the American left for decades— honoring him in DNC statements, White House proclamations and annual public tributes — but that long-running celebration is now colliding with newly surfaced abuse allegations serious enough that even the United Farm Workers and the Cesar Chavez Foundation have backed away from holding events honoring the late labor and civil rights leader. 

Allegations that a 45-year-old Chavez sexually abused and groomed minors and adults, including one girl who was as young as 13 at the time of the abuse and another who became pregnant twice following their encounters, broke Wednesday after the New York Times published allegations from Chavez’s victims who largely remained silent for decades. 

After the news, the labor union César Chavez helped found, United Farm Workers, called the allegations “profoundly shocking” and decided to cancel its upcoming annual celebrations honoring him. Meanwhile, the César Chavez Foundation opted to do the same, describing the allegations as “disturbing” and noting they were “deeply shocked and saddened.” 

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In 2010, President Barack Obama issued a presidential proclamation declaring March 31 César Chavez Day. You would have to go back to Bill Clinton, before César Chavez Day even existed, to find a Democratic Party president who did not honor him during the month of March. Obama began the tradition in 2009, issuing an official White House statement explicitly commemorating “César Chavez’s birthday” and praising his legacy as a civil rights and labor leader. 

The following year, he announced the first official César Chavez Day to be held March 31 every year, and then subsequently, every year thereafter, put out a statement in honor of him. The tradition was then picked up when former President Joe Biden took office in 2021.

“The hypocrisy is rich, and Democrats’ praise for an abuser and rapist has-been is now exposed,” a national GOP strategist told Fox News Digital. “Any refusal to apologize or retract statements will be taken as Democrats supporting his disgusting behavior.”

After the allegations broke Wednsday, Fox News Digital reached out to a slew of Democrats, as well as the Democrat National Committee (DNC), all of whom recently professed public praise and support for Chavez.   

“A movement is about the people—not any one person—and its strength lies in the values it upholds. We can honor the farmworker movement—and the generations who sacrificed to build it—while also confronting painful truths,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who touted Chavez as a “champion for justice and dignity” on César Chavez Day in 2024. “No legacy is above accountability.”

“The farm workers movement and a labor movement are much bigger than one man — and we celebrate that and that will be our focus as we process what the next steps are,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who, alongside his wife Jennifer, posted a video tribute to Chavez on March 31 of last year praising him as “a leader who fought for justice, dignity and fairness.” 

However, in light of the new allegations, a source familiar with Newsom’s thinking said the governor was open to conversations with California lawmakers about proposed statutory changes in response. 

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“I am keeping Dolores Huerta, Ana Murguia, and Debra Rojas in my heart, and I honor their strength and that of every woman and girl horrifically harmed by those in power,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who posted a photo of herself with the late civil rights and labor union leader last year on his March 31 day of remembrance instituted by Obama. 

“The sickening reality is that what Dolores, Ana, and Debra endured is not isolated, nor is it of the past. Real progress requires more than moments of reckoning – it demands sustained action to dismantle social, cultural, economic, and political structures that have hurt women throughout our history,” Bass continued.  “Dolores and leaders like her inspired so many of us to activism. Mr. Chavez’s crimes do not diminish the courage of farm workers and workers everywhere who fight for their rights, equality for Latinos, and a stronger nation for everyone.”

On Thursday, Bass signed a proclamation of her own to rename César Chavez Day to “Farm Workers Day.” Meanwhile, Colorado Democrat Gov. Jared Polis, who also praised the activist on March 31 last year, said his state would not be celebrating the honorary holiday for Chavez “this year.” 

“Nor does he plan to direct state agencies to take action to celebrate Cesar Chavez in light of these heinous allegations,” a Polis spokesperson added. “Further, he would encourage the legislature to consider drafting legislation to change the optional state holiday, which is in law.”  

Other Democrats scrambled to put out statements after news of the accusations broke, with many mirroring the language from top Democrats that the movement Chavez helped create is bigger than just him. 

The allegations against Chavez remained out of the public’s eye for many years, although, per the New York Times, there were earlier signs. According to their reporting, the victims they spoke to were not only embarrassed but also scared of tarnishing the reputation of someone so important to so many others and to the labor union and civil rights movements.

On Wednesday afternoon, Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, said that Texas will no longer be observing César Chavez Day on March 31, and that he was instructing all state agencies to comply. The Texas governor added that he plans to work in the upcoming legislative session to remove the day of remembrance from state law completely.

“Reports of the horrific and widely acknowledged sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez rightfully dismantle the myth of this progressive hero and undermine the narrative that elevated Chavez as a figure worthy of official state celebration,” Abbot said. 

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not aware that former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent was under FBI investigation for allegedly leaking classified information prior to his resignation, a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Thursday. 

Kent stepped down Tuesday after publicly breaking with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran, writing in his resignation letter that Tehran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States.

Two sources briefed on the matter told Fox News that the FBI investigation into Kent had been underway for weeks before his departure.

FBI leak investigations are often tightly held in the early stages to avoid tipping off the subject. But the fact that the probe into Kent had been underway for weeks before his resignation — and that the director of national intelligence was not aware of it — raises questions about why the nation’s top intelligence official was not informed.

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The lack of awareness also raises questions about how decisions regarding Kent’s access to sensitive information were managed in the weeks leading up to his resignation, as administration officials have said he had been cut out of planning meetings related to the current Iran mission, known as Operation Epic Fury, as well as the president’s daily briefings.

One senior administration official described Kent as a “known leaker” and said Gabbard had been asked to fire Kent and had not done so. 

Another official said the White House had complained to Gabbard about Kent, but had not asked her to fire him. 

An official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said the president never asked Gabbard to fire Kent, or she would have done so. 

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As director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent typically would oversee the integration and analysis of intelligence related to terrorist threats, a role that typically involves access to some of the government’s most sensitive information.

During a series of recent congressional hearings, Gabbard has been pressed on Kent’s claims.

In a recent exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Gabbard was asked whether she agreed with Kent’s resignation statement after Stefanik read portions of it aloud. “He said a lot of things in that letter,” Gabbard responded, adding that the president “makes his own decisions based on the information that’s available to him.”

When pressed on whether Kent’s comments concerned her, she gave a one-word answer: “Yes.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Gabbard, Kent and the FBI for comment. 

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Beijing’s growing influence inside the United Nations is raising alarms after a new report from the House Select Committee on China warns the Chinese Communist Party is allegedly leveraging money, personnel and peacekeeping deployments to advance its strategic interests.

The report, obtained by Fox News Digital ahead of its release, outlines what lawmakers describe as a “systematic campaign” by China to reshape the U.N. from within — using expanded financial contributions, placement of Chinese nationals in key roles, and state-linked organizations to steer outcomes in Beijing’s favor.

One of the report’s most concrete findings centers on China’s use of U.N. peacekeeping operations.

Chinese troops increasingly are deployed to regions tied to Beijing’s economic and strategic priorities, the report claims, particularly in Africa, as part of a “sophisticated strategy” to convert influence into hard power.

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Lawmakers point to South Sudan as a key example, where a significant share of oil production is exported to China and Chinese state-backed firms maintain major investments.

The report highlights a concentration of Chinese peacekeepers in the U.N. mission in South Sudan and argues these deployments allow China to “secure its national interests” while operating under the legitimacy of the U.N.

The committee does not allege China is violating U.N. rules. Instead, the report finds Beijing is “exploiting” its participation in the U.N. system to shape outcomes in its favor.

The bipartisan committee is led by Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Ranking Member Ro Khanna, D-Calif.,, and has spent months investigating China’s influence across international institutions. Moolenaar previously has warned China is working to “reshape the international system to serve its interests.”

The findings are based on a review of Chinese government documents, U.N. data, academic research and open-source reporting, according to the committee.

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Beyond troop deployments, the report details how China’s financial contributions to the U.N. have surged throughout the past two decades, increasing from roughly 2% to more than 20% of the U.N. budget. That growing share gives Beijing more influence in budget negotiations and agency priorities, particularly as the U.N. faces periodic funding shortfalls.

The report states China uses its financial weight to “redefine UN norms to advance its own national interests” and influence budget discussions and mandates.

In one example cited, delays in Chinese funding during a budget dispute were linked to disruptions that slowed human rights investigations, illustrating how financial pressure can affect U.N. operations.

The report also raises concerns about China placing nationals in senior U.N. roles, arguing Beijing “captures key bodies” by securing influential positions that allow it to shape decision-making from within.

U.N. hiring rules allow member states to nominate candidates and compete for senior roles across agencies, creating openings for countries like China to expand their presence through standard selection processes.

Another focus is the role of so-called “GONGOs” — government-organized nongovernmental organizations — which the report says are used to “inject” political influence into U.N. processes while presenting as independent civil society groups.

The findings come as U.S. officials increasingly focus on countering China’s influence in international institutions.

The committee calls for greater transparency, stronger U.S. leadership, and coordination with allies to counter what it describes as China’s expanding influence inside the U.N. system.

The report also lands amid broader questions about the U.S. role at the United Nations under President Donald Trump.

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked during an address to the U.N. General Assembly in September 2025. 

He argued that the organization is prone to writing “very strongly worded letters” that never lead to action, famously stating that “empty words don’t solve war.”

The U.S. remains the UN’s biggest financial backer — paying roughly 22% of its budget — while also owing billions in unpaid contributions. 

The dynamic has effectively turned Washington into both the U.N.’s top funder and one of its biggest debtors, a position that shapes everything from budget fights to influence battles with China.

Fox News Digital reached out to the United Nations and China’s mission to the U.N. for comment.

Chinese officials previously have defended their role at the United Nations, describing China as a supporter of multilateralism and international cooperation.

EXCLUSIVE — Former Vice President Mike Pence says that the move by congressional Democrats to hold up Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding amid American military strikes on Iran and twin terror-style attacks in the U.S. is indefensible.

“At a time that American armed forces are taking the fight to the leading state sponsor of terrorism, it is unconscionable that Democrats in Washington, D.C., continue to refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security,” Pence said this week in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

Pence spoke as congressional Democrats and Republicans remain unmoved in their political fight over President Donald Trump‘s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration. The policy standoff triggered a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security over a month ago.

FIRST ON FOX: HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO HOLD HEARING ON DHS SHUTDOWN RISKS

Democrats, who are demanding a significant overhaul of the crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have repeatedly tried to force Trump and Republicans to fund DHS’ other key functions, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But Republicans have stood firm against slicing up DHS funding and argue that Democrats are the ones blocking the funding.

CORNYN BLASTS ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ DEMOCRAT FOR HOLDING TSA AGENTS ‘HOSTAGE’ DURING AIRPORT CLASH

The partial shutdown has forced critical staff, including TSA agents, to work without pay, and has sparked significant travel delays and staff resignations.

Heightening tensions were last week’s twin terror incidents, the attack on a Michigan synagogue and the fatal shooting of an ROTC instructor at Virginia’s Old Dominion University.

LATEST EFFORT TO END DHS FUNDING STANDOFF GOES NOWHERE 

“I must tell you, during my years in the Congress and my years as vice president, it’s very clear to me, having been in Washington, D.C., on September the 11th, having had innumerable briefings about threats facing this country, that our enemies are not just abroad. We have enemies within,” Pence emphasized.

And the former vice president, pointing to the ongoing funding battle, said, “It is incumbent on the Department of Homeland Security, on our domestic law enforcement forces and our entire security apparatus to have the means necessary to protect the American people.”

“I think, with American forces in harm’s way, taking the fight to the enemy in Iran, it’s never been more important for us to ensure that those that are charged with protecting the homeland have the resources they need and have those resources today,” he added.

A staffer for Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, allegedly lied about being an attorney at least 11 times for detainees at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in an effort to meet with them and sneak in cell phones. 

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons informed Escobar in a letter dated Thursday about Benito Torres, a senior caseworker on the congresswoman’s staff.

Lyons said Torres lied about being a lawyer for detainees in ICE custody at the Camp East Montana facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso. 

FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY LIFTS DHS RESTRICTIONS ON LAWMAKER VISITS TO DETENTION FACILITIES

“The available evidence demonstrates your staffer, a senior caseworker named Benito Torres, misrepresented himself as counsel for detainees in ICE custody, violated clear detention standards and security protocols prohibiting the use of cellphones inside ICE facilities, improperly met with multiple detainees, and falsely claimed to ICE personnel such use had been approved by the agency,” Lyons wrote. 

“As a result of bringing a cell phone into the Camp East Montana facility, contrary to facility visitation policy, Mr. Torres’ misrepresentation that he is a licensed attorney to gain access to detainees, his improper meetings with groups of detainees, and his assertions to ICE personnel about the origins of his visit, Mr. Torres is herby [sic] prohibited from accessing any ICE facility.”

An image of a sign-in log shows Torres allegedly claiming to be a “lawyer” visiting a “client.” ICE records show that Torres first misrepresented himself as a legal professional in September 2025, Lyons said. The most recent incident happened on Jan. 30. 

DHS TORCHES ‘BAMBOOZLED’ DEMS FOR CALLING ICE CRACKDOWN ‘VICIOUS LIES’

During that visit, Torres was confronted by a facility administrator and admitted that he was not an attorney and was visiting as a private person. The confrontation happened after officials in the facility became aware of someone passing a phone to multiple detainees, the letter states. 

Lyons has requested that Escobar provide written responses to several questions, including whether Torres was employed by the legislator on the dates he visited the ICE facility, if he is a licensed attorney and if she was aware of his alleged actions. 

Lyons also asked Escobar if she condones such behavior and whether she will hold Torres accountable. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Escobar’s office. Escobar has called Camp East Montana “disastrous and inhumane” and has demanded that it be shut down. 

“The United States already has the largest immigration detention network in the world, and these added facilities serve only as tools for the administration’s inhumanity,” she wrote in a March X post on X, in which she criticized the “chronic substandard conditions” at the migrant facility. 

Other congressional staffers have tried similar ploys to access ICE facilities in the past. In November, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., fired a staffer who claimed to be an attorney for an illegal immigrant in an effort to facilitate his release. 

Edward York claimed he was legally representing Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval. Sandoval, a Mexican citizen, had a DUI conviction and was previously deported four times to Mexico.