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Acting DNI touts ‘approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago’ as Senate poised to confirm Trump nominee

July 28, 2026 2:15pm EDT / Fox News

The Senate is slated to vote on confirming Trump’s DNI nominee Jay Clayton on Tuesday night

By Alex Nitzberg Fox News

Jay Clayton grilled on 2020 election claims in DNI confirmation hearing

Chad Pergram reports from Capitol Hill, highlighting Democrats pressing Clayton on his stance regarding 2020 election claims and his delayed testimony, a move orchestrated by President Donald Trump over the SAVE America Act.

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Acting Director of National Intelligence William Pulte has announced a fifth wave of office downsizing.

“Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago,” he wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

“The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class,” he added.

ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ANNOUNCES 4TH WAVE OF LAYOFFS

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte attends a kick-off celebration for the “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., June 24, 2026.(Jemal COUNTESS / AFP via Getty Images)

Pulte on Sunday had announced the completion of a fourth batch of layoffs from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

“Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute. As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank you!” he declared in a Sunday night post on X.

In a July 10 post, he had stated, “U.S. National Intelligence is operating more efficiently and effectively than ever before, and today, we started a third round of reducing redundant, or non-critical, personnel. DNI’s future is exceptionally bright, and will be focused on following the law and the statute.”

Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, took on the role of acting DNI last month as Tulsi Gabbard, who had been serving as DNI, departed the role due to her husband’s cancer battle.

TRUMP’S DNI PICK JAY CLAYTON LOCKS HORNS WITH DEMOCRATIC SENATOR IN FIERY CONFIRMATION HEARING CLASH

Prior to when Pulte took the helm at ODNI last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that during an interview, President Donald Trump said he had informed Pulte that he thought the ODNI was “unnecessary and/or too big.”

“I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” the president said, pointing to Obama and Biden administration carryovers, according to the Journal. Asked if he was calling on Pulte to terminate workers, the president stated that he wanted Pulte to “start the process,” noting that the eventual DNI nominee should carry on that effort, the outlet reported.

In part of a June Truth Social post, Trump declared, “I have named William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, who will take over on June 19th, and have asked him to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies.”

Fox News Digital reached out to ODNI on Tuesday asking for clarification on the reported 30% staffing reduction.

SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR TRUMP’S TOP SPY AS KEY ANTI-TERROR PROGRAM REMAINS IN LIMBO

United States attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, nominee to be director of national intelligence, testifies during his confirmation hearing with the Senate Intelligence Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 2026.(Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said during a Senate floor speech last month that he had spoken with the acting DNI, who he says agreed “that we need to return the ODNI to its original size, scope, and mission by spinning off some of these functional… centers and sending intelligence officers who have been detailed there back to their home agencies so they can do actual intelligence work.”

“He informed me that yes, a small handful of front office personnel are leaving federal employment, which is not at all uncommon when a senior leader leaves an agency or one comes into an agency,” Cotton said. “He also said that a few dozen, around 45 or 50, career officers are, in fact, returning to their home agencies.”

Trump last month announced that he was tapping U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton as his DNI nominee.

The Senate is slated to vote on confirming Clayton on Tuesday night.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

House committee passes Foreign Funding Transparency Act to expose foreign donations to nonprofits

July 28, 2026 1:40pm EDT / Fox News

Bill would require tax-exempt organizations to report donations from foreign nationals to IRS

By Preston Mizell Fox News

Gordon Chang, a senior fellow at Gatestone Institute and author of ‘Plan Red,’ joins ‘The Big Weekend Show’ to discuss Marxist millionaire Neville Roy Singham. Chang exposes Singham’s alleged $591 million dark money network funding far-left nonprofits and influencing anti-U.S. activities, potentially with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The House Ways and Means Committee issued subpoenas in its investigation.

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Lawmakers are seeking to expose foreign nationals who may be funneling money and donations through tax-exempt organizations to political committees as the House Ways and Means Committee passed a bill that would revise reporting requirements for tax-exempt groups.

The Foreign Funding Transparency Act, which passed 23-18 in the committee last Wednesday, would require tax-exempt organizations to collect and report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) donations received from foreign nationals.

“For far too long, foreign influence and interference have plagued our tax-exempt sector,” committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement. “Foreign donations have no place in American politics, particularly when the sole goal is to manipulate our public discourse, promote propaganda and support violence.”

Smith noted that many of the protests and demonstrations that take place across the U.S. appear to be grassroots but are actually well-organized and well-funded, often by groups within what he described as “shadowy networks.”

“As the Ways and Means Committee conducted its investigation into the nation’s tax-exempt sector, it became clear that shadowy networks of well-funded organizations have been enjoying lucrative tax benefits for decades, while simultaneously accepting donations and direction from foreign nationals,” Smith added. “From the outside, it looks like a movement, but once you see how the money flows, it becomes clear that this is a machine,” he added.

The bill’s passage came just a week after Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for global cooperation at a summit in Washington to combat far-left political terrorism.

SHANGHAI SABOTAGE: INSIDE SINGHAM’S SECRET STRATEGY TO DEMONIZE AMERICA

“For far too long, however, our counterterrorism doctrine has had a blind spot – a blind spot when it comes to extremist violence from the political left,” Rubio said. “Even today, the very idea that far-left terrorism could be a serious threat is treated as a right-wing fever dream, or worse, as a dangerous fascist conspiracy.”

While Rubio didn’t mention any organizations or individuals by name, the House Ways and Means Committee noted Marxist Neville Roy Singham in a statement about the bill’s passage.

Singham, a 72-year-old American now based in Shanghai and who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups operating in the U.S. He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation.

The funneling of funds through nonprofit networks has been a key point of concern for lawmakers and the Trump administration. Major contributors, including Singham, often have dispersed funds through shell 501(c)(3) nonprofits, which subsequently contributed to various tax-exempt organizations.

RUBIO’S CALL TO COMBAT GLOBAL FUNDERS OF FAR-LEFT TERRORISM COULD PUT SINGHAM IN CROSSHAIRS

During his address to more than 60 countries earlier this month, Rubio noted that networks have been coordinating across multiple countries, providing training instructions and using encrypted communication to facilitate unrest. He said international cooperation was critical to disrupting the financing of dangerous organizations, some of which were working with hostile foreign states.

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Singham did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news.

Haley Stevens shreds Abdul El-Sayed: ‘We don’t need a celebrity candidate’

July 28, 2026 3:08pm EDT / Fox News

Haley Stevens rips ‘celebrity candidate’ El-Sayed, calls Senate bid ‘another rung on the ladder’

Rep. Haley Stevens accused Michigan Democratic Senate rival Abdul El-Sayed of chasing celebrity during the FOX 2 Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary debate at the network’s studios in Southfield, Michigan, on July 27, 2026. (Credit: WJBK)

Rep. Haley Stevens, R-Mich., repeatedly called Abdul El-Sayed the “celebrity” candidate in the Michigan Senate race during Monday’s Senate Democratic debate, arguing that El-Sayed’s podcast, books and political activism pale in comparison to her time in Congress.

The race between Stevens and El-Sayed has become a microcosm of the battle over the Democratic Party’s future. On Aug. 4, Democratic voters will decide whether to back Stevens, who has the support of the Democratic establishment, or El-Sayed, a socialist-supported challenger who has called for abolishing ICE and is strongly critical of the United States’ support for Israel.

In her opening remarks, Stevens rattled off her qualifications as the Democratic Party’s best chance of winning the Senate race, pointing to flipping her seat in 2018, being named Michigan’s most effective Democratic lawmaker by the Center for Effective Lawmaking in 2025 and being endorsed by Democratic Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“My only focus is you,” Stevens said. “Abdul is running for celebrity. Republicans are propping up his campaign, and Mike Rogers, just the other day said in a secret phone call that he made it easier for him to win, that he’s the one he wants to run against.”

DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’

Retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., has abandoned his neutrality in Michigan’s high-stakes Democratic Senate primary, backing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, pictured left, as party leaders rally to stop progressive rival Abdul El-Sayed, pictured right, from winning the nomination.(AP Photo/Kristen Norman)

Stevens was referring to a phone conversation Republican candidate Mike Rogers had with supporters last month in which he said his campaign would be in “good shape” if El-Sayed were the nominee.

“Look, this isn’t about the D.C. or New York influencer crowd,” Stevens said. “This is about putting Michigan first.”

Later in the debate, Stevens said she is standing up to Trump’s “abuses of powers,” while taking a dig at Abdul by saying she’s doing so without “shouting into a bullhorn, not getting in front of the first camera I see, but doing the hard work.”

SWING-STATE POLL SPELLS TROUBLE FOR FAR LEFT AS SCHUMER-BACKED CANDIDATE DOMINATES WITH CRITICAL VOTING BLOCS

UNITED STATES – MAY 6: Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., speaks during a rally on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol to support research and policies for breast cancer treatment that are at risk by proposed Medicaid cuts, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Look, my opponent here, Abdul, he is such a talented guy,” Stevens said, referring to his three books and his podcast America Dissected. “He’s had all this attention, but the deal is, we don’t need a celebrity candidate. We don’t need a celebrity.”

Stevens then pointed to her six years in the House of Representatives, saying she has been committed to “hard, unglamorous work.”

“That’s going to stand up to this junk that is wreaking havoc and causing chaos right before our very eyes,” Stevens said.

Stevens suggested that Abdul’s Senate campaign is just another “rung on the ladder” for him, pointing to his failed 2018 gubernatorial bid.

“It didn’t work out, so he started the podcast, he wrote the books, and now he’s running for Senate, and he’s already bought the website for president,” Stevens said.

In response, El-Sayed accused Stevens of “cowardice” over her past votes to increase ICE funding, saying the agency should be completely abolished.

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE

“So yeah, I’m going to take the bullhorn and I’m going to say that I think we need to abolish ICE because I am not afraid of what they’re going to say about me,” he said.

He also suggested that Stevens’ focus on his public health podcast was a distraction from the issues that matter most to voters, such as affordability.

“Congresswoman, if you enjoy podcasts about public health, I welcome you to take a listen. You seem very concerned about that,” El-Sayed said. “I’m more concerned about the fact that people can’t pay for their gas, they can’t pay for their groceries.”

The open Senate race in Michigan has garnered national attention, with outside groups spending more than $52 million on the race through mid-July, most of it in support of Stevens, according to an OpenSecrets analysis of FEC reports.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, greet the crowd after El-Sayed spoke at The People V. The Powerful rally at the Detroit Opera House on July 18, 2026 in Detroit, Mich.(Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

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El-Sayed, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., has painted Stevens as the candidate of large super PACs such as AIPAC, while saying he has not received a single dollar from corporate interests or super PACs. Before running for Congress, El-Sayed served as Wayne County director of Health and Human Services.

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Meanwhile, the Republican party has deemed Michigan to be one of best pickup opportunities in its effort to maintain control of the Senate.

Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed and Stevens’ campaigns for comment.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

Trump’s war on fraud expands as Treasury launches new site with whistleblower incentives

July 28, 2026 2:43pm EDT / Fox News

Secretary Bessent says the new portal consolidates reporting tools for financial crimes, sanctions and taxpayer abuse

By Hannah Brennan, Peter D’Abrosca, Fox News

https://www..com/video/6401940823112

Lawmaker details scope of financial fraud, scams: ‘Beyond pervasive’

Congressman Dan Meuser details the escalating financial fraud crisis, noting an increase in scams. He also comments on Sen. John Fetterman’s warning regarding the Democratic Party and whether he could become a Republican.

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FIRST ON FOX:Americans could soon cash in on exposing fraud as President Donald Trump’s Treasury Department prepares to launch a program paying whistleblowers, Fox News Digital has learned.

The Treasury Department has created an online tip line that incentivize Americans to bring allegations of fraud directly to the administration in an effort to increase transparency and crack down on abuse of taxpayer dollars. The website encourages people to “blow the whistle on fraud, money laundering and sanctions/tax violations.”

And those who report explicit details of legitimate fraudulent transactions could see a pay day for their information.

“Whistleblowers play a critical role in protecting the integrity of our financial system,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News Digital.

THE WAR ON FRAUD IS HERE, AND VICE PRESIDENT VANCE IS LEADING IT FROM THE FRONT

The U.S. Department of the Treasury launched a new Whistleblower Program aimed at exposing fraud, money laundering and tax violations.(U.S. Department of the Treasury)

“Today, on National Whistleblower Day, Treasury launched a new webpage that brings our whistleblower programs together in one place, making it easier to find information and navigate the reporting process,” he continued.

Awards for whistleblowers could range between 10% and 30% of the total amount in penalties recovered from successful enforcement operations carried out by the Departments of Treasury and Justice.

The rollout marks the latest step in the Trump administration’s broader campaign to root out fraud across federal programs after officials argued billions in taxpayer dollars have been lost to waste, abuse and organized criminal schemes.

The program works alongside the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — a federal initiative led by Vice President JD Vance that President Donald Trump established by executive order earlier this year. It also mirrors a similar program that was used to root out illicit money movements in Minnesota in the midst of the Feeding Our Futures fraud scandal.

The new website consolidates Treasury’s existing whistleblower programs into a single public portal, allowing for fraud report submissions to go through one website that routes tips to the department’s various enforcement bureaus.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S LANDLORD JOINS VANCE FRAUD CRACKDOWN AS WHITE HOUSE WIDENS HUNT: ‘CRITICAL FORCE’

The U.S. Department of the Treasury launched a new Whistleblower Program that works to minimize fraud by promoting new initiatives to increase transparency on how taxpayer dollars are being used.(U.S. Department of the Treasury)

It also serves as a hub for Treasury’s broader anti-fraud campaign, with initiatives ranging from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fraud investigations and sanctions enforcement to financial institution alerts, whistleblower protections and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vance.

“Fighting fraud is a core national security and taxpayer protection mission for Treasury,” a Treasury spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Bessent has directed the Department to modernize its tools, strengthen partnerships with financial institutions and law enforcement, and aggressively pursue those who steal from the American people. Treasury is committed to preventing fraud before it occurs, disrupting criminal networks that exploit government programs, and holding bad actors accountable.”

Both the new whistleblower program and anti-fraud task force were created in response to the massive fraud scandal in Minnesota that triggered investigations that later exposed taxpayer dollar abuse statewide.

The exposed fraud included allegations that the state’s Somali community was exploiting social services to send millions of dollars to those unqualified to receive financial assistance, including al Qaeda-linked terror groups.

“President Trump has been clear that Americans have a right to know that their tax dollars are not being diverted to fund acts of global terror or to fund luxury cars for fraudsters,” a statement from Bessent featured on the new website reads. “At Treasury, we follow the money.”

JACOB FREY PRAISES SOMALI COMMUNITY AS MINNESOTA FACES RENEWED SCRUTINY OVER FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS

Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate subcommittee hearing on “proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Treasury” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“We did it with the mafia, we have done it with all the cartels, and we’re doing it with the Somali fraudsters,” he went on in the public statement. “We are going to offer whistleblower payments to anyone who wants to tell us the who, what, when, where and how this fraud and money laundering occurred.”

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The portal provides direct reporting links to Treasury bureaus including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the IRS and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, allowing tips to be routed to the agency best equipped to investigate them.

Treasury has not yet specified how whistleblower payments will be calculated or which cases would qualify for financial rewards.

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

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EXCLUSIVE: Biden pardon won’t shield Fauci if he lies to Congress, Comer says

July 28, 2026 12:15pm EDT / Fox News

House Republicans are calling for accountability ahead of Dr Anthony Fauci’s Senate hearing Wednesday

By Elizabeth Elkind, Fox News

Sen. Ron Johnson blasts Fauci as ‘grossly dishonest’ over COVID pandemic

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., condemns Dr. Anthony Fauci as a ‘megalomaniac’ and ‘infamous villain’ following the release of his private diary entries. Johnson alleges Fauci knowingly funded gain-of-function research, contradicted himself on COVID-19’s origin, pushed experimental vaccines over early treatments, and oversaw devastating lockdown policies.

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EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is warning Dr. Anthony Fauci that his presidential pardon has limits ahead of the former public health official’s high-profile day on Capitol Hill.

Fauci is set to testify before a GOP-led Senate panel on Wednesday, days after hundreds of pages of his COVID-19 pandemic-era diary entries were made public.

“We now know why President Biden gave a blanket pardon to Dr. Fauci. While obsessing about his own fame, Dr. Fauci wasn’t truthful with the American people about the origins of COVID and advised schools to be closed,” Comer told Fox News Digital.

LEGACY MEDIA IGNORES MASSIVE ANTHONY FAUCI DOCUMENT RELEASE ALLEGING HE MISLED CONGRESS ON COVID ORIGINS

“Americans are still reaping the consequences of Dr. Fauci’s actions. Biden’s pardon doesn’t cover Dr. Fauci’s testimony this week and if he continues to lie, he must be held accountable.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci was accused of constant flip-flopping in a lengthy Twitter thread.(J. Scott Applewhite, Pool/AP Photo)

Fauci was among several recipients of controversial “preemptive pardons” by former President Joe Biden made during the final hours of the Democratic administration.

The pardon covers any offenses from January 1, 2014, through its issue date, or anything related “to his service as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force or the White House COVID-19 Response Team, or as Chief Medical Advisor to the President.”

FAUCI PRIVATELY TOOK CREDIT FOR COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS DESPITE PUBLIC DENIAL, NEWLY EXPOSED DIARY ENTRIES REVEAL

Because the pardon covers conduct during his government service, there will likely be some debate over whether it would protect him from liability stemming from his testimony.

But other House Republicans are also accusing Fauci of behaving in a way that hurts public trust in U.S. health, including the co-chairs of the House GOP Doctors’ Caucus — both of whom are physicians themselves.

Rep. James Comer arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 2026.(Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

“Dr. Fauci, enamored with his own fame and vanity, put politics above science during the pandemic. He is primarily responsible for the resulting multi-generational erosion of trust in American medicine,” Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “A perfect example of ego destroying whatever achievements he had prior to the pandemic.”

FAUCI’S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED

Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital that Fauci “must be held accountable” by the House as well as the Senate.

“The release of Dr. Fauci’s diary entries validates what many Americans suspected all along: he was not honest about the origins of COVID-19,” Joyce said.”His fixation on preserving his own image and maintaining a position of power eroded public trust, undermined the integrity of our public health institutions, and failed the American people.”

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., grilled fellow Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., at the start of his nomination hearing.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Diary entries made public by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a longtime Fauci critic and chair of the committee before which Fauci is appearing on Wednesday, show the high-profile doctor reflecting on his pandemic-era fame and raising questions about the disease’s origins.

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Some entries appear to show Fauci taking credit for influencing policies that closed schools during the pandemic, something that has become one of the most hotly debated aspects of how the government handled COVID.

He told the House Oversight Committee in January 2024, however, “I did not close the schools.”

Fauci has long denied any wrongdoing and instead has argued that he’s been made a political target by people on the right who are critical of how governments handled COVID-19.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

Civil War-era artifact turns out to be live explosive, Texas officials say

July 28, 2026 / 2:59 PM EDT / CBS News

A man in South Texas had what he thought was a dummy Civil War-era ordnance in his home for years, but it turned out to be a live explosive, local officials said Tuesday.

The Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office said the man called deputies just before 8 a.m. and told them that a military friend of his saw the artifact and suspected it was active.

“The caller told deputies that he had owned the ordnance for years and had always thought it was a dummy round,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.

Sheriff’s deputies said they sent over an explosive disposal team from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, which is about an hour north of Atascosa County, out of an abundance of caution. The team then confirmed the caller’s suspicion.

The device was a live “parrot round,” the sheriff’s office wrote. It was transported to an explosive range at Camp Bullis, where officials safely disposed of it.

Civil War-era ammunition Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office

No one was injured and no charges are pending, officials said.

The Parrott rifle, invented by West Point graduate Robert Parrott, is a muzzle-loading cannon commonly used by the Union in the Civil War. It is known for its thick iron reinforcing band wrapped around the breech, according to the National Park Service.

The weapon came in different sizes, ranging from 10 to 300 pounds. It’s unclear how big the live round was.

DEI hiring boost for one blue state’s Muslim commission initiative flies in face of Trump’s anti-woke push

July 28, 2026 12:24pm EDT / Fox News

The 11-member body would recommend American Muslims for appointed positions across Massachusetts state government

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

Arizona congressional candidate and American Islamic Forum for Democracy founder Dr. Zuhdi Jasser discusses the need to combat radicalism on ‘Life, Liberty & Levin.’

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Massachusetts lawmakers are taking steps toward prioritizing the hiring of American Muslims for state government positions under a permanent so-called Muslim commission.

The group would help recommend Americans who practice Islam to appointed government positions in the New England state at the same time the Trump administration is moving to dismantle such diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs nationwide — teeing-up a standoff between local leaders and the president.

A proposed bill would create a panel of 11 Muslims appointed by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey and other state officials to represent the Islamic faith on issues such as business, economy, healthcare and other concerns.

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST ACTRESS CYNTHIA NIXON HANDED POWERFUL ROLE IN HELPING CHOOSE NEW YORK TOP JUDGES

Massachusetts Gov.-elect Maura Healey speaks during a Democratic election night party on Nov. 8, 2022, in Boston.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

The Muslim commission would influence government recruiting and, “Identify and recommend qualified American Muslims for appointive positions at all levels of government, including boards and commissions, as the commission considers necessary and appropriate,” according to language in the bill.

“Massachusetts has always prided itself on being a leader in equality and civil rights, a legacy this bill builds upon,” said Democratic state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, the bill’s primary sponsor.

“American Muslims in my district and across the Commonwealth enrich our communities as students, healthcare workers, educators, small business owners, and civic leaders,” Eldridge added in the press release on the proposal. “This commission will help the state better understand and address the challenges they face, while strengthening inclusion and civic participation. “

Senate Bill S.2134 currently sits in the state’s Senate Ways and Means Committee after clearing initial committee markups and votes.

Muslims account for an estimated 2% to 3% of Massachusetts’ population, according to approximate figures from Pew Research Center and the U.S. Census.

COAST GUARD ENDING RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS FOR OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM UNDER TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWN

Quran(Getty Images)

Massachusetts’ push comes as President Donald Trump has made it a mission of his administration to cut back on DEI programs in the private sector, as well as in the federal government.

“President Trump was resoundingly elected with a mandate to end divisive, racist policies and restore merit and efficiency,” White House spokesperson Allison Shuster told Fox News Digital.

“DEI ran rampant during the Biden Administration, and Americans ultimately paid the price for these destructive policies with a restricted labor pool, higher operational costs, and workforce inefficiencies,” Shuster added. “The Trump Administration will always promote equal treatment under the law for every American, regardless of race or ethnicity.”

The president’s team has terminated federal DEI-related contracts and eliminated DEI federal government programs.

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The Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston.(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Part of Trump’s initiative during his first 100 days with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was to put an end to programs that prioritized hiring and representation in the workplace based on applicants’ protected classes.

Many Republicans, including the president and Musk, claimed that DEI was “reverse discrimination” that provided unfair preferences against majority groups in the U.S.

Gov. Healey’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the legislation.

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

Families face higher costs as back-to-school season nears

2026-07-28T15:08:02-0400 / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch

As back-to-school season approaches, families will face higher prices for supplies and other costs for the upcoming academic year, a new analysis found.

The cost of a typical basket of school items, including notebooks, lunch boxes and index cards, is up nearly 8% this year compared to 2025, according to research from The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, and Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive advocacy group. Americans will also pay 11% more for a typical school lunch, the groups found.

Families will spend roughly $4,000 per student on school supplies and lunches this year, including about $175 on school items and $3,800 on packed lunches, according to the analysis.

“It’s the second-biggest shopping event of the year after Christmas, and families are going to be facing a lot of pain this school year,” Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, told CBS News.

“Higher gas prices have filtered through to food and clothing, and tariffs are hitting these items heavily, too, because most school supplies are not made in the U.S. — they’re imported, ” she added.

Inflation across the U.S. slowed in June, easing to an annual rate of 3.5%, from 4.2% in May, as fuel costs fell. Yet gas prices have flared in July amid renewed conflict in the Middle East.

Among the products that are costlier this year, according to The Century Foundation and Groundwork:

School supplies

• One-subject notebook: $4.92 (up 23%)
• Index cards: $3.86 (up 22%)
• Glue sticks: $7.68 (up 7.6%)

Lunch box staples

• Lunch box: $18.91 (up 27% from 2025)
• Blueberries: $4.89 (up 48% from 2025)
• Sandwich bread: $4.36 (up 22%)
• Apple juice: $4.14 (up 20%)
• Animal crackers: $6.49 (up 15.7%)

What’s driving up costs?

Steeper U.S. tariffs on a range of imports have driven up the price of binders, pencils and other school supplies, the groups’ research shows. Many school essentials, such as pens, markers, notebooks and glue, are manufactured overseas, making them subject to higher tariffs.

For example, Newell Brands, the maker of Sharpie pens, Elmer’s glue and other classroom products, said in an earnings release earlier this year that it would hike prices to offset sharply higher tariff costs.

Matteo Anversa, the chief financial officer of Logitech, which makes electronics like headsets and keyboards, in May also cited stepped-up tariffs for a “sizable” increase in its U.S. prices.

Other school-supply companies also blame higher energy costs due to the Iran war for having to raise their prices. Acco Brands, the parent company of notebook and binder brands Mead, Five Star and Trapper Keeper, said in a May earnings call that higher oil prices stemming from the conflict have driven up the company’s costs and led to price hikes for consumers.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 parents by Credit Karma found that 45% expect to take on debt to cover back-to-school costs. Half of families plan to cut back on household expenses to cover those costs, according to Deloitte.

“Parents do what they can to try to get their kids to school with the essentials, so it’s not surprising folks are cutting back to make sure their kids have what they need,” Groundwork’s Owens said.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/back-to-school-shopping-already-heres-how-to-save-on-the-essentials/

Back-to-school shopping already? Here’s how to save on the essentials

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Blanche nomination uncertain as key GOP senator says DOJ ‘radio silent’ on demand to spike controversial fund

2026-07-28T18:00:48.058Z / CNN

Blanche nomination uncertain as key GOP senator says DOJ ‘radio silent’ on demand to spike controversial fund

By Morgan Rimmer

2 hr ago

PUBLISHED Jul 28, 2026, 2:00 PM ET

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Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche is sworn in before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill on July 15, 2026.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

The fate of Todd Blanche’s nomination to be President Donald Trump’s attorney general is up in the air, with a key GOP senator indicating Tuesday he has not yet received the assurances he needs to vote in support.

Sen. John Cornyn said he hasn’t received an update from the Justice Department on his and Sen. Thom Tillis’ demand that the “anti-weaponization” fund be formally killed before they vote in favor of advancing Blanche’s nomination.

Both Republicans sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to vote Thursday morning on whether to move forward on Blanche’s nomination. Without their backing, the vote will fail.

“They’ve been kind of radio silent for the last 24 hours,” Cornyn said of the DOJ. “I think my staff is talking to them, but we’re not — they know what they need to do. They just don’t want to do it.”

Blanche has insisted that the “anti-weaponization” fund — a controversial pool of money set aside to award people who claim to have been wronged by the Justice Department, including possibly January 6, 2021, rioters — is no longer happening.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this month, the acting attorney general insisted bluntly that “the weaponization fund is dead,” and said that the tax addendum — which is the only part of the agreement between Trump’s personal attorneys and the Justice Department that still stands — “binds only the IRS and by extension the Treasury” from investigating the president for potential crimes, not other agencies. The administration had also previously asserted in a court filing that it had abandoned the “anti-weaponization” fund.

But the two GOP senators have sought more assurances, including a written adjustment to the settlement agreement, according to Politico.

On Tuesday, Cornyn raised the possibility of postponing the committee vote until the issue of the fund is sorted out. “That’s being discussed. That’s being discussed, but hopefully it won’t be necessary,” the Texas Republican said, though he noted that he hasn’t discussed the idea with Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley yet.

The $1.8 billion fund has been controversial from the start, upending other Senate priorities as critics said it amounted to a slush fund to allow the president to pay out his supporters with taxpayer money. And even while the administration sought to convince lawmakers it was dead, Trump had refused himself to do so, exacerbating tensions on Capitol Hill.

Last week, Cornyn had said that he didn’t expect Grassley to postpone the vote. However, as the vote gets closer, that may change.

If the votes aren’t there to confirm him, Cornyn said Thursday, “then Sen. Grassley might decide to postpone it. But that’s not — I don’t think that’s the number one goal right now.”

Flock surveillance spreads across the South as red-state lawmakers seek to ax ‘1984’-style tracking tools

Lawmakers plan to reintroduce the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act to ban license plate readers, face recognition and drones

2026-07-28T12:04:50-04:00 / Fox News

By Robert McGreevy, Fox News

Published July 28, 2026 12:04pm EDT

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State lawmakers in West Virginia’s Freedom Caucus are seeking to ban AI-powered Flock surveillance cameras statewide, arguing the technology violates citizens’ Fourth Amendment right to privacy.

“The West Virginia Freedom Caucus strongly opposes the unchecked expansion of automated surveillance technologies, including Flock Safety camera systems, automated license plate readers (ALPRs), AI-powered facial recognition, multimodal vehicle recognition, and emerging ‘gun detection’ software that claims to identify armed citizens based on body shape or movement,” West Virginia Delegate Chris Anders, the chairman of West Virginia’s Freedom Caucus, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“These technologies represent a dramatic expansion of government surveillance that is fundamentally at odds with the Fourth Amendment,” Anders added.

THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON YOUR STREET CORNER: LAWFUL SPYING OR CONSTITUTIONALLY PROBLEMATIC?

A West Virginia Freedom Caucus poster advocating for a ban on Flock cameras.(West Virginia Freedom Caucus)

“No state or local government should be mass tracking the daily movements of law-abiding citizens without a warrant. Mass surveillance has no place in a free society,” Anders also said in a statement posted to the caucus’ X account.

The caucus is calling on all state municipalities to immediately remove automated license plate readers such as the ones run by the security company Flock Safety.

“The Constitution does not disappear because technology advances,” Anders added.

The caucus plans on combating the cameras and surveillance technologies by reintroducing a previously failed legislative measure called the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act.

The bill would prohibit a series of AI-powered surveillance technologies from being used by law enforcement and other agencies in the state. The technologies it would ban include facial recognition software, surveillance drones, license plate readers and more.

Flock Safety cameras use AI to capture license plate images in real time, tracking vehicles as they move through neighborhoods.(Flock Safety)

“For two consecutive years, the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act has been introduced in the West Virginia Legislature, yet it has failed to reach the Governor’s desk. That must change,” Anders also said, placing blame for the bill’s previous failures at the feet of the state’s legislative leadership.

“Despite growing public concern over government surveillance, Speaker Roger Hanshaw and House Judiciary Chairman JB Akers declined to bring the bill forward for consideration. As a result, the House was never given the opportunity to debate or vote on this legislation,” Anders wrote in an email to Fox News Digital.

“If House leadership continues to deny the people’s elected representatives the opportunity to vote on this fundamental constitutional issue, the Freedom Caucus will use every parliamentary tool available to insist that the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act receive an up-or-down vote in both chambers. Constitutional rights should never be quietly buried in committee,” Anders added.

Chairman Akers, in a response to Anders’ comments, told Fox News Digital, “We actually passed a bill last session that limits the amount of surveillance law enforcement may engage in on private property. Unfortunately, Chris Anders submits sloppily drafted bills given to him by outside groups. In the 4th Amendment context, his proposals would prevent even normal law enforcement actions that conservatives support.”

“Last session, he tried to amend a bill in a way that would have prevented police from entering property even if a dead body were in plain view in the front yard. Bluntly, his idea was dumb,” Akers said of Anders’ proposal draft. “He left me no choice but to say that. If he’s going to blame others for failing to get his bills through, then he needs to do better work. Frankly, I think he’d rather see his bad bills fail so he can then scream RINO for clicks.”

The state Capitol of West Virginia is seen by the Kanawha River.(Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Other Freedom Caucus members also objected to the Flock cameras.

“The Fourth Amendment was written specifically to stop the government from engaging in generalized surveillance and warrantless searches,” West Virginia Freedom Caucus Secretary Henry Dillon said in a statement. He argued that “Flock cameras don’t just identify criminals — they create a database documenting where law-abiding citizens worship, seek medical care, conduct business, and travel.”

“That is fundamentally incompatible with a free society,” he said.

JOHNSON FACES GOP REVOLT OVER WARRANTLESS SURVEILLANCE POWERS AHEAD OF KEY VOTE

Another Freedom Caucus member, state Sen. Craig Hart, pointed to a series of alleged police abuses involving Flock cameras in Georgia, including a 2025 incident in which Braselton Police Department Chief Michael Steffman was arrested for allegedly using automated license plate readers to stalk and harass people.

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Atlas of Surveillance, at least five West Virginia municipalities incorporate Flock Safety license plate readers, while other municipalities like Wheeling and the state capital of Charleston operate drones, camera registries and intelligence fusion centers.

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the West Virginia city of Huntington after its mayor and city council agreed to a $2.1 million deal with Flock for AI-powered surveillance equipment.

“If the Court allows the contract to proceed, Huntington would be blanketed in license plate recognition cameras with vehicle fingerprint technology, live video cameras, gunshot detection audio devices, and even automatically dispatched drones,” the ACLU wrote in a statement.

The ACLU said more than 50 citizens attended the city council meeting to voice their disapproval of the agreement.

Meanwhile, Huntington Mayor Patrick Farrell argued that Flock cameras in other states have already helped catch West Virginia suspects.

A Flock Safety-branded license plate reader camera sits on a lamppost near the intersection of Peacock Drive and Bristol Road in Ventura on Sept. 9, 2025.(Isaiah Murtaugh/The Star/USA Today Network via Imagn Images/Reuters)

Recounting a pursuit of a murder suspect who allegedly shot a woman in the head near Huntington, Farrell said,”He was going back to Michigan, and luckily for us, some other city had license plate reader cameras that caught the car.”

“That gave us the lead that led to his arrest in Michigan.So it helps our law enforcement do its work faster, more efficiently, and that’s the kind of success that I think we need more of,” the mayor said.

Despite the safety argument, Anders and his caucus insist the technology violates the Constitution.

“The Founders did not fight a revolution so government could monitor innocent citizens everywhere they travel,” Anders told Fox News Digital. “George Orwell’s 1984 was intended as a warning, not an instruction manual. We should be striving for more 1776, not more 1984.”

“The Fourth Amendment Restoration Act does not prevent police from investigating crime. It simply requires government to do what the Constitution has required for over two centuries: obtain a warrant based upon probable cause before engaging in targeted surveillance of Americans,” Anders concluded.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Flock Safety maintained that the company protects personal privacy and claimed to support legislation that sets guardrails for license plate readers.

“Flock strongly supports legislation that creates clear guardrails for how license plate recognition data is used and shared, while preserving the effectiveness of an important public safety tool,” a company spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “These systems play a critical role in helping law enforcement solve crimes, locate missing people, and keep communities safe. Taking away or weakening access to this technology would have real consequences for public safety. We believe the right approach is not to eliminate an effective tool, but to regulate it responsibly. State lawmakers should establish strong safeguards that ensure accountability, oversight, and responsible use, while preserving the ability of law enforcement to use these technologies in ways that communities expect and rely on. We stand ready to be a resource as lawmakers consider these important issues.”

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“Flock customers retain full ownership and control of their data. Flock does not sell data. Access is limited to authorized users, and agencies determine whether to share data with other law enforcement agencies through opt-in sharing relationships that they can change or revoke at any time. Data is automatically deleted after 30 days by default,” the company spokesperson concluded.

Fox News Digital also contacted Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Hanshaw for comment but did not immediately hear back.