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Trump family profits from blockbuster deal in Central Asia despite backlash due to ‘proof problem’: expert

July 29, 2026 7:00pm EDT / Fox News

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump made a passive investment in a company that stands to benefit from a government mining deal

By Hannah Brennan , Amanda Macias , Peter D’Abrosca , Andrew Murray Fox News

Trump brothers’ Kazakhstan tungsten deal raises suspicions, but lacks proof of wrongdoing: securities lawyer

Securities and investment fraud attorney Andrew Stoltmann says an investment by the Trump brothers raises eyebrows.

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After the Trump Organization, led by President Donald Trump’s eldest sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, made a controversial investment in a construction company that now stands to profit from a rare earth minerals deal funded by the U.S. government.

While the deal raises suspicions, one securities attorney says evidence of wrongdoing is likely impossible to find and acknowledged that critics have a “proof problem.”

“Well, the question is whether President Trump would have known about his sons’ investments in this company, and I think the answer would be ‘no’ unless the sons told them,” Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago-based securities and investment fraud attorney, told Fox News Digital.

“Look, they are private investors,” he continued. “They are not government employees. So, to the extent they make a passive investment in a company or an entity, there are no real duties to disclose this information.”

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump U.S. look on as President Donald Trump and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announce a US-EU trade deal after a meeting at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 27, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting his Trump Turnberry golf course, as well as Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, during a brief visit to Scotland from July 25 to 29.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

RESOURCE-RICH NATION PRAISES US TIES AMID WASHINGTON-BEIJING CRITICAL MINERALS RACE

The controversy stems from a tungsten mining deal in Kazakhstan, which primarily involves U.S.-based investment company Cove Capital, and the company’s mining affiliate, Cove Kaz Capital Group. Between 2023 and 2024, Cove Capital negotiated with the Kazakh government to take a 70% share in the country’s state-owned tungsten mining deposits.

Tungsten is a rare earth mineral that is critical to building military equipment, including missiles and fighter jets. The lion’s share of the earth’s supply of the mineral is owned by China and Russia. Trump, since returning to office, has made it a strategic national security priority to secure a long-term supply of the resource.

In August 2025, through an investment vehicle created by Dominari Securities, which is housed in Trump Tower in New York, the Trump brothers purchased a minority interest in a construction company Skyline Builders, which at the time was publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker SKBL.

U.S. President Donald Trump motions to reporters after getting off Air Force One on July 22, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

HOWARD LUTNICK SHUTS DOWN DEM QUESTIONS OVER JEFFREY EPSTEIN AT BUDGET HEARING

In June of that year, Cantor Fitzgerald, founded by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, underwrote a $46.8 million loan to a company called ASP Isotopes. ASP Isotopes is owned by businessman Paul Mann. Lutnick’s company is now controlled by his sons, Brandon and Kyle Lutnick, who took over when their father became a government official.

At about the time of underwriting, the Trump brothers were investing in Skyline Builders, a wholly-owned ASP Isotopes subsidiary that acquired voting control of Skyline Builders.

On Nov. 6, 2025, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, met with Trump and announced that the Central Asian country had awarded a tungsten mining contract to the United States. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which provide government financing for international projects, penned letters of interest totaling up to $1.6 billion in financing for the deal. Cove Kaz Capital was selected as the firm to do the majority of the mining.

The deal has not officially been inked, and is under a standard review process by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

the wilderness and steppe landscape in Issyk-Kul lake Region, a Jeti-Oguz and Tong district, Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, with far view of town(Getty Images)

Earlier this spring, Skyline Builders completed a reverse merger with Cove Kaz Capital, creating a company called Kaz Resources, which is now listed on the NASDAQ as KAZR. Skyline Builders owns 20% of Kaz Resources after a $20 million investment.

ERIC TRUMP PLANS TO SUE JEN PSAKI, MS NOW FOR ALLEGED ‘BLATANT LIES’ ABOUT HIM JOINING FATHER’S CHINA TRIP

Critics have suggested — albeit without evidence — that the Trump brothers schemed to invest in Skyline Builders with foreknowledge that Kazakhstan would opt to award the billion-and-a-half-dollar tungsten deal to the United States, instead of other countries, and in turn Kaz Resources would secure the contract. The Trump organization vehemently denies that characterization, and says the investment made by the brothers through Dominari Securities in Skyline Builders was completely passive, made before the tungsten deal was done and made without the knowledge that Kazakhstan would award the mining contract to the United States in the first place.

Even without wrongdoing, Stoltmann said the appearance of impropriety could cause headaches.

“The $64,000 question is pretty much what Trump knew and when he knew it — and look, the optics are bad,” he said. “You have the president’s sons investing in a company that is eventually awarded a very large contract, and so it certainly raises eyebrows, it raises suspicions, and it’s certainly clear why this has caused an uproar. But a lot of times, this is more thunder, this is more noise, a tempest in a teapot, as I like to say.”

An aerial drone photo shows grassland in the Akmola region in northern Kazakhstan on Aug. 17, 2024.(Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)

In discussing potential ramifications, Stoltmann said members of the political left who are frenzied over the deal will have trouble finding proof of wrongdoing, as Trump would have no way of knowing about his sons’ investment unless they told him about it.

“But this is where the proof problem comes in,” said Stoltmann.

“It’s fun to have conjecture. It’s fun to theorize, and it’s fun to discuss this, but I don’t think there’s any duty of disclosure when you are a passive Investor in a company, and that’s where President Trump would most certainly say, ‘I don’t know all the things my sons do.’”

As for the Lutnick brothers, Stoltmann noted that Cantor Fitzgerald stood to financially benefit from underwriting and advisory fees when they helped finance the loan for Mann, whose company now owns a majority voting stake in Kaz Resources.

“You most certainly need a Wall Street brokerage firm or bank to help finance some of this, but more importantly, to do the underwriting,” Stoltmann said. “We have reverse mergers, we have mergers and we have multiple shell companies coming into the equation. When you do that, you need a bank, you need a brokerage firm. And that’s where Cantor Fitzgerald comes in.”

Howard Lutnick joined the Trump administration as Commerce Secretary in 2025 after co-chairing Trump’s transition team.(Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In the way of political ramifications, Stoltmann warned that if Democrats regain control of the House and Senate in November, the Trump brothers will likely face heat from the president’s political opponents for any business deals that they think can come under scrutiny.

“You’re going see a tsunami of subpoenas trying to get the phone records, the communication records, the emails of the Trump boys and President Trump and everybody associated with this deal,” he predicted. “So look, is there potential legal liability this situation? Yes, there is. I don’t think there is for President Trump, though.”

“You know, clearly, at least by all appearances, it seems like his sons were passive investors, and the sons would say, ‘look, we’re worth a couple hundred million dollars. We have passive investments in dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of different companies. This is all pure than Caesar’s wife,’ but it certainly raises some suspicions.”

The White House reiterated that the president does not directly manage his investment holdings, and that they are instead managed by independent third-party financial institutions.

The $16.5 billion nuclear plant project was signed during high-level bilateral talks in Astana between Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.(Getty)

“This is the same, tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family, and his administration for a decade,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said. “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public – which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media. There are no conflicts of interest.”

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Cantor Fitzgerald emphasized that it had no interaction at all with Kaz Resources or Skyline Builders.

“Cantor is a natural partner for companies raising capital to meet growing demand for critical minerals, a spokesperson said. “Cantor’s involvement is limited to supporting capital raises in the public markets and does not include participation in negotiations with the current or any prior administration.”

The Trump Organization and Commerce Department did not return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Hannah is a Production Assistant for the Politics team at Fox News Digital.

‘This was just performative governance at its worst’: Sen. Andy Kim on the Senate hearing with Dr. Fauci

2026-07-29T20:53:55.779Z / CNN Politics

Kasie Hunt
By Kasie Hunt, CNN
Published 4:53 PM EDT, Wed July 29, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/29/politics/video/the-arena-sen-andy-kim-anthony-fauci-senate-hearing

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‘This was just performative governance at its worst’: Sen. Andy Kim on the Senate hearing with Dr. Fauci

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Democratic Sen. Andy Kim joins Kasie Hunt to discuss Dr. Anthony Fauci’s testimony on Capitol Hill.

3:31 • Source: CNN

中国业务疲软 爱马仕股价跌至逾三年低点

2026年7月30日 07:13 / 联合早报

中国业务增长缓慢，奢侈品牌爱马仕股价跌至逾三年低点。 （法新社）

中国业务增长缓慢，奢侈品牌爱马仕股价跌至逾三年低点，引发人们对其依赖中国市场的担忧。

据彭博社报道，爱马仕星期三（7月29日）公布，按固定汇率计算，第二季度皮革制品销售额增长了10.2%。虽然这展现出该公司相对奢侈品业竞争对手的韧性，但逊于分析师预期的增长10.7%。

爱马仕股价在巴黎股市一度下跌逾11%，跌至2023年1月以来的最低水平。

奢侈品行业受到了多方面冲击：中国消费者缩减开支；通胀压力使得消费者更加谨慎；中东战乱影响了迪拜等购物中心的需求和前往欧洲的游客数量。

爱马仕执行主席阿克塞尔·杜马斯（Axel Dumas）在电话会议上告诉记者，曾是奢侈品行业主要引擎的中国市场仍未好转。

“我看到中国市场趋于稳定，但未见根本性的反弹，”杜马斯说，公司的中国业务仍在增长，但是增速比前几年要慢。

与许多竞争对手相比，爱马仕对中国市场的依赖程度更高。上半年，包括中国在内的亚洲地区贡献了公司约43%的收入。相比之下，除日本外亚洲地区同期对LVMH的收入贡献率仅有29%。

Trump administration unfreezes $600 million for Gavi for global vaccine effort

2026-07-29T23:17:44.065Z / Reuters

By Ismail Shakil

July 29, 2026 11:17 PM UTC Updated 4 mins ago

The Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

July 29 (Reuters) – The Trump administration said on Wednesday it will immediately release $600 million in congressionally appropriated funds ​for vaccines for the world’s poorest countries after Washington withheld the money ‌over unsubstantiated safety concerns raised by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said in June that it was time to re-engage with the Geneva-based global ​alliance Gavi, which helps the world’s poorest countries buy vaccines to protect ​children from diseases such as measles and diphtheria, citing both congressional ⁠concerns and “our goals on global health.”

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The previous month, Gavi’s chief executive Sania ​Nishtar had said Gavi was moving away from vaccines that included a mercury-based preservative ​about which Kennedy had raised concerns.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement on Wednesday the decision to release funds was taken after Gavi committed “to work towards transitioning mercury-containing vaccines and ​expanding access to newer, mercury-free alternatives.”

Representatives for Gavi did not immediately respond to ​a request for comment sent late Wednesday night in Geneva.

Anti-vaccine groups, including one founded by ‌Kennedy, ⁠have for decades claimed that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines, is linked to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, despite many studies showing no related safety issues.

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Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, said in June 2025 the U.S. would no longer provide ​any funding – representing ​around $300 million a ⁠year – because Gavi ignored safety. He did not provide evidence to support his claim.

The U.S. previously contributed around 13% of ​Gavi’s funding, and the organization has embarked on a series ​of cost-cutting ⁠measures to try to address the shortfall, which has been exacerbated by cuts from other high-income nations.

On Wednesday, the State Department said the U.S. expects to resume its ⁠place ​on the Gavi board and that it will ​evaluate any future U.S. support to the group based on “demonstrated performance, accountability, and implementation” of reforms.”

Reporting by ​Ismail Shakil and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Jasper Ward, Donna Bryson and Lincoln Feast.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Several Trump-affiliated companies distance themselves from Trump-IRS deal after Senate Democrats’ probe

July 29, 2026 / 5:04 PM EDT / CBS News

By

Jacob Rosen Justice Department Reporter
Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump’s 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

Read Full Bio

Weeks after top Senate Democrats pushed for answers on whether a provision in the controversial tax settlement between President Trump and his own administration applies to companies co-founded by or affiliated with the Trump family, several of the businesses have distanced themselves from the deal, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who launched the investigation.

As part of the settlement, which was finalized in May by the Justice Department to resolve a lawsuit brought by Mr. Trump, the Internal Revenue Service is permanently barred from pursuing claims against Mr. Trump, his oldest sons Don Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization based on prior tax returns.

In a one-page document signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and dated May 19, the Justice Department said the defendants in the president’s lawsuit — the IRS and the Treasury Department — are “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED” from “prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims” related to tax returns filed before the settlement took effect. Blanche also wrote that the settlement applies to “parties including trusts, parent, sister, or related companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries.”

The settlement has become a sticking point in the push to confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the role permanently after two Republican senators expressed reservations about supporting Blanche’s nomination over the IRS deal and a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund”that was also at the heart of the deal.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, one of the GOP holdouts, said Wednesday that a proposed meeting with Blanche had been called off and that the deal “provides immunity [to Mr. Trump] from audits that no other taxpayer could possibly get.” The other GOP senator who initially didn’t commit to voting for Blanche’s confirmation, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, has indicated he is closer to supporting Blanche.

Earlier this month, Warren, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden of Oregon pushed 11 businesses and organizations with ties to the Trump family to get answers for the “significant questions” the settlement raises relating to the tax audit provision, and whether the companies are included in the deal.

Mining company Kaz Resources, defense firm Powerus, cryptocurrency companies World Liberty Financial and American Bitcoin, robotics startup Foundation Future Industries, investment firm 1789 Capital and private aviation company Tag Air were among the companies receiving letters, as well as prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi.

All of the companies either were founded by Mr. Trump and his two adult sons, or list members of the Trump family as advisers, board members, or partial owners. Donald Trump Jr. sits on Polymarket’s advisory board and 1789 Capital, where he’s a partner, has invested in Polymarket. Days before Mr. Trump took office for his second term, Kalshi also announced Trump Jr. would be a strategic adviser.

Trump Media and Technology Group, which is majority owned by a trust that lists Mr. Trump as a beneficiary and operates the Truth Social platform he uses daily, also received a letter from the Democratic senators.

In letters obtained by CBS News, representatives from Trump Media and Technology Group, Kalshi, Polymarket, Kaz Resources, Powerus, and American Bitcoin all distanced themselves from the IRS audit deal.

In a letter from Trump Media and Technology Group to the senators, a lawyer representing the company said that the company “is not party to such settlement and is not aware of any applicability to TMTG.”

The senators also asked the Trump Organization in a separate letter if it believed it has “immunity from all audits, civil penalties or federal prosecution” for any crimes that could have occurred before the settlement.

The organization, as well as World Liberty Financial, 1789 Capital, Tag Air, Inc. and Foundation Future Industries also never responded, Warren’s office said.

“Several Trump-tied companies failed to respond to our basic questions about this corrupt agreement, raising real concerns that they plan to use it as a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Senator Warren said in a statement to CBS News. “Americans deserve answers and accountability now.”

Because the Democrats, who are in the minority, lack subpoena power, Mr. Trump, his children and his companies were not forced to answer the questions posed by the senators.

The settlement was announced months after Mr. Trump and two of his sons and the Trump Organization accused the IRS and Treasury Department of unlawfully allowing a government contractor to leak tax returns to media outlets in 2020.

Two key GOP votes won’t commit to supporting Blanche’s nomination

2026-07-29T23:31:37.563Z / CNN Politics

By Jake Tapper, CNN

Published 7:31 PM EDT, Wed July 29, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/29/politics/video/blanche-nomination-in-limbo-lead-jake-tapper

Two key GOP votes won’t commit to supporting Blanche’s nomination

The Lead

Sen. Dick Durbin, Ranking Member on the Judiciary Committee, joins The Lead.
1:21 • Source: CNN

杜维崧50米自由泳S7级蝉联银牌 进账新加坡第二枚共运奖牌

2026年7月30日 07:32 / 新明日报

杜维崧此前两届共运会分别为新加坡摘铜夺银，本届再次收下银牌。 （新加坡共运会团队提供）

我国残障泳将杜维崧在新加坡时间星期四（7月30日）凌晨的男子50米自由泳S7级决赛中游出29秒36的佳绩，为新加坡摘得格拉斯哥共运会的第二枚银牌。

预赛全场第一晋级的南非选手沙迪（Sadie）发挥出色，以28秒06的成绩摘下金牌，并刷新大会纪录。前两届共运会在此项目中为新加坡摘铜夺银的杜维崧落后1秒30，连续第二届蝉联银牌。铜牌归属于英格兰选手布鲁·迪（Bruce Dee）。

新加坡本届赛事的首枚奖牌来自16岁体操小将叶祎琳在平衡木的一枚银牌。

在2022年伯明翰共运会上，新加坡派出66名运动员参加九个大项，最终收获四金四银四铜共12枚奖牌。

中国国家发改委原副主任徐宪平一审获刑15年

2026年7月30日 07:39 / 联合早报

中国国家发展和改革委员会原中共党组成员、副主任徐宪平因受贿，一审被判刑15年。 （互联网）

中国国家发展和改革委员会原中共党组成员、副主任徐宪平因受贿，一审被判刑15年。

据中新社报道，记者从中国最高人民法院获悉，内蒙古自治区赤峰市中级人民法院星期三（7月29日）一审公开宣判徐宪平受贿一案。

法院对被告人徐宪平以受贿罪判处有期徒刑15年，并处罚金人民币500万元（约95万新元）；对徐宪平犯罪所得财物依法予以追缴，上缴国库。

法院经审理查明，2001年至2021年，徐宪平利用担任湖南省人民政府党组成员、副省长，湖南省委常委、副省长，国家发展和改革委员会副部级干部、国务院参事等职务上的便利，为有关单位和个人在企业经营、项目承揽、职务调整等事项上提供帮助，非法收受上述单位和个人给予的财物共计折合人民币6253万余元。

法院认为，徐宪平的行为构成受贿罪，且受贿数额特别巨大，应依法惩处。鉴于徐宪平到案后如实供述罪行，主动交代办案机关尚未掌握的部分受贿事实，认罪悔罪，积极退赃，涉案赃款已全部追缴，具有法定、酌定从宽处罚情节，可对其依法从轻处罚。法庭遂作出上述判决。

公开资料显示，徐宪平生于1954年10月，湖南隆回人。2025年3月，官方通报其被查。同年11月，中央纪委国家监委通报徐宪平严重违纪违法被开除党籍，他被指“对抗组织审查”“大搞权钱交易”等。赤峰市中级人民法院于今年5月15日公开开庭审理了此案，徐宪平当庭表示认罪悔罪。

Trump taps veterans to fix illegal alien trucking problem plaguing US roadways

2026-07-29 7:06pm EDT / Fox News

The program expands CDL eligibility for veterans while removing over 24,000 licenses under English proficiency rules

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

Published July 29, 2026 7:06pm EDT

DHS, DOT probe truck driver schools for fraudulent licenses

Fox News’ Kevin Corke reports on a joint investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation targeting truck driver schools. The probe addresses improper certifications and falsified records, especially concerning the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens. This initiative comes after multiple fatal truck accidents involving illegal immigrants, underscoring significant safety concerns for American roads.

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FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will launch the White House’s new “Freedom Haulers” initiative Thursday, Fox News Digital has exclusively learned, opening new pathways for military veterans to become commercial truck drivers while intensifying the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrant and non-English-speaking truckers.

“President Trump’s administration has made our roads safer by taking illegal alien, non-English speaking truck drivers off America’s highways. Now, through the Freedom Haulers initiative, the President is expanding opportunities for our veterans by making it easier to obtain commercial driver’s licenses once they conclude their service,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital.

The Trump administration is pairing its crackdown on illegal immigrant and non-English-speaking commercial drivers with a new effort to recruit military veterans into the trucking industry. Trump, along with Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, will welcome a truck on West Executive Avenue to announce the initiative.

JOE BIDEN MANDATED ALL NEW VEHICLES COME INSTALLED WITH A ‘KILL SWITCH.’ THIS REPUBLICAN WANTS TO REPEAL IT

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump holds a press conference from inside trash hauler at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport on October 30, 2024.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“By leading a multi-agency process spanning the Departments of Transportation, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and War, President Trump is bolstering America’s trucking industry, which is crucial to strong supply chains, while helping our nation’s heroes transition to civilian life with quality, good-paying jobs,” Kelly added.

The Department of Transportation will expand eligibility for veterans to receive expedited commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), extending the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months after active-duty service.

For veterans who have never driven a heavy commercial vehicle during their military service, CDL training will be offered.

ILLEGAL TRUCKER CASES FUEL GOP PUSH TO CRACK DOWN ON CDL MILLS AS DEMS LARGELY SILENT

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump holds a press conference from inside trash hauler at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport on October 30, 2024.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Indiana and Wyoming will also join the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s “Even Exchange” program, allowing military truck drivers to more easily transition into civilian CDLs.

Werner Enterprises, an Omaha, Nebraska-based trucking company attending Thursday’s event, will announce plans to hire 1,400 new veteran drivers.

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The administration is also highlighting its ongoing crackdown on commercial drivers who fail to meet English-language proficiency requirements or were improperly licensed.

VIRGINIA BUS CRASH THAT KILLED FIVE INVOLVED DRIVER WHO DOESN’T SPEAK ENGLISH, SEAN DUFFY SAYS

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In an aerial view, trucks drive on Interstate 80 on Nov. 14, 2025, in Albany, Calif.(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Department of Transportation says it has removed more than 24,000 commercial driver’s licenses from the nation’s highways under stricter English-language proficiency enforcement.

More than 28,000 CDLs were also canceled after officials determined they had been improperly issued to non-citizen truck drivers.

The White House says the initiative is aimed at improving highway safety while strengthening the nation’s trucking workforce.

The announcement comes after a series of fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant truck drivers in states including Florida, California, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Earlier this month, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper was killed during a roadside inspection when a semitruck driven by a Haitian national struck him. Authorities say the driver had obtained a non-domiciled CDL before the administration’s rule changes.

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Truck drivers have seen a 7.42% increase in real wages during the Trump administration, compared to a 3% decline in real wages under President Biden, according to DOT.

DOT also says veteran truck drivers experience 42% fewer accidents and cover 98% more miles than non-veteran drivers, arguing the initiative will both improve highway safety and help strengthen America’s supply chains.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

DOJ seeks to empower immigration judges to hold lawyers and their clients in contempt

July 29, 2026 / 6:17 PM EDT / CBS News
By Ashley Burkett

The Justice Department is proposing a new rule to empower federal immigration judges to hold attorneys, their clients and witnesses in contempt if they violate court orders, in a move that departs from historical practice and which legal experts warn could be unconstitutional.

The regulatory proposal by the Executive Office for Immigration Review, an office of the DOJ that runs the immigration court system, would allow immigration judges for the very first time to impose fines ranging from $1,000 up to as much as $3,500 if an attorney or other individual continues to defy court orders.

“It is crucial for immigration judges to have every tool available—including the authority to impose civil money penalties—to control the proceedings before them,” the Justice Department wrote in its proposal.

The proposal notably exempts federal government employees, such as Department of Homeland Security attorneys, from being subject to any contempt order by an immigration judge — in what critics say represents a lopsided and unfair scenario that would allow potential government misconduct to go unchecked.

In federal district courts, by contrast, Article III judges have the power to hold all attorneys who appear before the court in criminal or civil contempt, if warranted. In its proposal, the Justice Department argues that giving immigration judges the power to sanction government lawyers is not necessary because DHS attorneys can be disciplined by the Office of the Inspector General or the Office of Professional Responsibility.

“By proposing a completely skewed regulation that empowers judges to hold in contempt only the attorneys for immigrants but not ICE attorneys, the Administration has revealed that its goal has nothing to do with the just and balanced rule of law. Instead, this rule is another effort to target immigration attorneys that falls in line with the President’s intimidation tactics,” said Gregory Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

The new proposal marks the latest in a series of efforts by the Trump administration to more readily crack down on immigration and carry out President Trump’s mass deportation policies.

At the Executive Office for Immigration Review, hundreds of longtime federal immigration judges have left since last year, many of whom were fired abruptly without warning or cause. In 2025, EOIR lost 370 attorneys, according to government data analyzed and published by a former FBI analyst.

At the same time it has lost so many judges, the immigration court system is facing a current backlog of more than 3.5 million cases, according to the proposed rule.

Many former immigration judges have spoken publicly about pressures they faced to expedite deportations or detain people without bond. In ads seeking to hire replacement judges, the DOJ has referred to the role as being that of a “deportation judge.”

The new proposal that would allow immigration judges to hold noncitizens or their lawyers in contempt “ties into the culture of fear,” said Karen Donoso Stevens, a former longtime immigration judge. “First, scare the judges. Then the judges will scare the attorneys.”

The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register, states immigration judges would be allowed to sanction lawyers or their clients for a variety of offenses, from repeatedly failing to appear on time or failing to follow orders, up to disorderly conduct or making false statements.

Several legal experts who spoke with CBS News said the proposal is potentially unlawful because immigration courts are part of the executive branch and fall under Article II of the Constitution, which states that the executive branch has no contempt authority. That power belongs exclusively to the judicial and legislative branches.

The proposal is “constitutionally flawed,” Chen said.

The public will have 60 days to review the proposal and submit comments.