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SEE IT: Chinese nationals intercepted in ‘extremely dangerous’ infiltration attempt near Florida coast

2026-09-21T14:51:48-04:00 / Fox News

CBP and Coast Guard arrested 23 illegal immigrants near Key Largo, seizing a 27-foot vessel and a Cuban suspected smuggler

By Peter Pinedo, Bill Melugin Fox News

Published September 21, 2026 2:51pm EDT

Border Protection and Coast Guard intercept boat carrying Chinese nationals

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted a smuggling vessel off the coast of Florida carrying Chinese nationals and other illegal immigrants. (Credit: Ozzy Trevino)

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A smuggling vessel filled with Chinese nationals and other illegal immigrants was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard in what sources called a rare and “extremely dangerous” attempt to enter the U.S. through Florida.

CBP confirmed the interdiction exclusively with Fox News, sharing video and photos of U.S. authorities intercepting the vessel, which was carrying 22 illegal immigrants, including 13 Chinese nationals. The boat, a 27-foot cuddy cabin vessel, was stopped, and the migrants aboard were arrested without incident Tuesday. The interdiction took place near Angelfish Creek, Florida, near Key Largo.

According to the agency, a CBP Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft first detected the vessel. The interdiction, carried out by CBP alongside Coast Guard personnel, resulted in the apprehension of one suspected smuggler, a Cuban national, 13 Chinese nationals, eight Ecuadorian nationals and one Dominican national.

Sources emphasized to Fox News that it is extremely rare for Chinese nationals to attempt to enter the U.S. through maritime Caribbean routes that are typically used by Haitians, Dominicans and Cubans. During the Biden administration, Chinese nationals typically entered the U.S. through land routes in California and Texas, which are now subject to tighter enforcement under the Trump administration.

CBP, COAST GUARD INTERCEPT MIGRANT VESSEL HEADING FOR PUERTO RICO; 40 APPREHENDED INCLUDING UZBEK NATIONAL

An image of the interdiction shared exclusively with Fox News shows Chinese nationals and others being apprehended by U.S. authorities off the Florida coast.(U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP))

Andres Blanco, executive director of Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region, told Fox News that “attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea is extremely dangerous and will not go undetected.”

Blanco said that “this interdiction demonstrates the strength of our maritime partnerships and our commitment to stopping human smuggling organizations before they can put more lives at risk.”

He added that “those who attempt these dangerous voyages face arrest, prosecution, removal, and the very real possibility of losing their lives at sea.”

The illegal immigrants were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent for processing. Meanwhile, authorities seized the vessel.

ICE-LED FLORIDA OPERATION NETS 500 — INCLUDING ILLEGAL ALIENS ACCUSED OF MURDER, CHILD ABUSE, CARTEL TIES

Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region personnel aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent intercept a human smuggling vessel carrying Chinese nationals and other illegal immigrants near Key Largo, Florida, on Sept. 15, 2026.(U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP))

After the operation, Coast Guard Lt. Corryn Ulrich, the commanding officer of the Pablo Valent, told Fox News that “the U.S. border remains secure due to highly capable teams and coordinated interagency enforcement” and that “we remain ready to save lives and enforce federal law at sea.”

The CBP Air and Marine Operations unit is designed to anticipate and confront aviation and maritime threats to America’s national integrity, according to the agency.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet Thursday in Washington, D.C.

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang claimed that, despite the leaders trumpeting a positive relationship, Xi is mulling a war against the United States and organizing troops “for battle.”

“Xi Jinping keeps on talking about going to war against us… and also he’s preparing China’s society, civilian and military, for battle. And we think we’re at peace,” Chang said Sunday on “Fox News Live.” “So, this is a very dangerous period for us.”

Chang’s remarks follow reports that China aided Iran in attacks that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan earlier this summer.

ICE SHOOTING ROCKS AUSTIN AS DEMOCRAT DEMANDS BODYCAM VIDEO, INDEPENDENT PROBE

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping while leaving after a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China, on Friday, May 15, 2026.(Evan Vucci/AP)

The incident comes amid renewed debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in Austin on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security said the man shot by the officer, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, “illegally entered the country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal during a law enforcement operation.”

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His lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, has contested DHS’ statement, saying Perez entered the U.S. lawfully. According to DHS, he survived and is in stable condition and is in federal custody pending removal. The incident has resulted in large protests in Austin and Democratic politicians condemning ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.

Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

A timeline of Trump administration moves to weaken endangered species protections

September 21, 2026 7:36 PM UTC / Reuters

An endangered gray wolf is pictured in this undated handout photo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Handout via Reuters/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Sept 21 (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump has scaled back regulations meant to protect endangered wildlife as part of a broader push to reduce permitting obstacles for energy, mining, agriculture and other development.

The 50-year-old Endangered ​Species Act is credited with helping to save the bald eagle, the US national ‌bird, along with the California condor and numerous other animals and plants from extinction.

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Here is a timeline of actions the administration has taken in Trump’s second term:

April 16, 2025

The administration proposes rescinding the ESA’s regulatory definition of “harm,” arguing that habitat modification should ​not qualify as a prohibited “take” of a protected species. In the ESA, “take” is defined as “to ​harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to ⁠attempt to engage in any such conduct.”

Environmental groups say the proposal could make it easier for developers ​to damage wildlife habitat.

November 19, 2025

The Interior Department proposes four rules to roll back former President Joe Biden’s ​endangered species regulations. The proposals would make it easier to exclude areas from critical habitat designations by considering economic and national security impacts.

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March 31, 2026

The Endangered Species Committee unanimously exempts Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations from certain requirements of ​the Endangered Species Act, citing national security and domestic energy needs. It is the first ESA exemption ​approved in more than three decades.

July 10, 2026

The administration finalizes a rule removing habitat destruction from the regulatory definition of “harm” ‌under the ⁠ESA. The change allows habitat modification so long as protected animals are not directly injured or killed. Days later, environmental groups sue to block the rule.

July 17, 2026

The administration finalizes additional ESA regulatory changes, ending automatic protections for newly listed threatened species and making it easier for regulators to consider economic and national ​security concerns when designating ​critical habitat.

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September 4, 2026

Trump ⁠signs an executive order directing the Interior Department to determine whether gray wolves and Mexican wolves qualify for delisting or downlisting under the ESA and, if ​so, begin that process.

September 9, 2026

Twenty states and Washington, D.C., sue the ​administration, challenging the ⁠revised definition of “harm” and other ESA rule changes that they say unlawfully weaken protections for endangered and threatened species.

September 14, 2026

An internal memorandum from US Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik instructs agency officials to ⁠adopt a ​narrower interpretation of the ESA’s prohibition on “take” following repeal of ​the harm rule. The memo says a prohibited take occurs only when intentionally directed at a particular animal, potentially limiting enforcement.

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The ​Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Aurora Ellis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Police investigating murders of 9 women in South Africa neighborhood link 1 death to possible love triangle

2026-09-21 12:16:29 EDT / CBS/AFP

South African police said Monday they had arrested three people over the killing of one of nine women found dead in a neighborhood east of Johannesburg in a series of murders that have alarmed the nation.

The discovery of the nine bodies in Kempton Park over two months has fueled fear and anger, as authorities investigate whether a serial killer or killers were responsible.

A man and two women were arrested over the weekend over the killing of Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was found on Sept. 17 and was the ninth victim, police said.

As in most of the cases, her body was found on the side of the road, partly clothed.

“There does appear to be an indication that her murder may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter, including what has been described as a possible love triangle,” deputy police chief Tebello Mosikili said.

Members of the South African Police Service Forensic Pathology Services work on the crime scene where the body of a woman was discovered in Boksburg on Sept. 17, 2026. Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images

Gender-based violence is endemic in South Africa, despite years of government pledges to tackle the problem and even declaring it a national disaster.

The South African Police Service has issued a public warning for women to be cautious when doing activities like jogging in the area.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday echoed the police pledge that those responsible for the killings would be held accountable.

“We will be pulling out all stops to find these perpetrators,” he told journalists, vowing additional measures to tackle violence against women.

“We are going to be deploying more money, more resources, more technology, to ensure that we deal with the fear that women are now subjected to,” he said.

The latest arrests bring to four the number of people held by police in connection with the Kempton Park killings.

“While the investigation must establish whether these cases are linked, the possibility that a perpetrator or perpetrators may be targeting women demands our urgent and determined attention,” acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said in a statement. “A multidisciplinary investigation has been established to examine possible links between the cases, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”

A forensic officer works at the scene where a sixth body, believed to be that of a woman, was found along a road in KwaThema, Springs, South Africa, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. AP

A man arrested over the murder of a woman whose body was found in July remains in custody and is due back in court on Oct. 28, police said.

“We are not going to rush these investigations simply to make arrests. We owe it to the victims, we owe it to their families, and we owe it to justice to get this right,” Mosikili said.

Separately, police said another woman was found dead on Sunday in Soweto, south of Johannesburg, her body wrapped in a duvet and dumped near a dam.

Police also said two alleged serial rapists were due in court in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. A 46-year-old man has been linked by DNA to 16 rape cases in the province’s largest city, Durban, while a 36-year-old man has been linked to at least 14 cases across two provinces.

Violence continues to plague South Africa

South Africa suffers from a murder rate of more than 60 a day on average, one of the highest globally.

The country recorded 5,427 murders between April and July — an average of 45 a day — according to the latest crime statistics.

Femicide rates in South Africa are among the highest in the world, according to the U.N.’s agency for gender equality. Last year, the government declared gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster, according to the U.N.

A 2024 study in South Africa revealed that three women were killed every day by an intimate partner from 2020 to 2021. A study in 2022 found that more than 35% of South African adult women had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point.

Amnesty International South Africa previously said the recent discovery of the bodies was “just another horrific reminder that women in South Africa are not safe.”

The Commission for Gender Equality has called for urgent preventive action, including a safety audit of the affected areas involving police, municipal officials, transport authorities and community safety structures.

It said the audit should assess lighting, surveillance, pedestrian and public transport routes, neglected spaces, police visibility and access to emergency assistance.

“Women should not have to be killed before an area receives heightened attention,” commission spokesperson Javu Baloyi said.

Bill Gates says Trump’s AI views point to societal blind spot

September 21, 2026 / 1:18 PM EDT / CBS News

By Aimee Picchi

Bill Gates told CBS Mornings that President Trump’s view that the risks posed by AI are overblown reflects a societal blind spot, with many people unaware of how quickly large language models could transform the world.

Mr. Trump is “in the place that everybody else is in, where at first you’re like, ‘Isn’t this just like the technologies of the past?’” Gates told CBS Mornings co-hosts Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell on Monday in response to Mr. Trump’s recent contention that claims that AI could inflict serious harm on people are a “hoax.”

Gates added, “If he wants to get credit for helping the entire world, the AI topic is his best bet. The leader that brings people together there will deserve positive recognition.”

Gates stressed that AI has the potential to improve lives, but it also could be misused to engage in bioterrorism, financial hacks and other destructive acts.

In recent weeks, a debate over AI’s potential harms has consumed the technology industry, prompting AI leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, to propose slowing its development.

“Evolutionary event”

“Most of society is still not aware of how quickly it’s moving,” Gates said, adding that comparisons to prior technological leaps are unhelpful given AI’s potential for surpassing human intelligence. “AI is almost an evolutionary event.”

Gates’ comments come after the Microsoft co-founder published an essay last month warning that AI is transforming the global economy much faster than previous tech revolutions, shortening the time frame to prepare for employment disruptions.

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“AI will take on work in law, customer service, medicine, software and manufacturing. It will hit these industries rapidly, over the course of a decade rather than a few generations,” Gates wrote in the article posted on his personal website. “There will be some new jobs, but without the right policies, there will be far fewer than exist today.”

On Monday, Gates stressed that AI has enormous potential to help people around the world. To that end, Gates said his Gates Foundation is spending $1 billion over two years to expand access to AI across the globe in the fields of education, healthcare and agriculture. The effort will also work to enable people to interact with large language models in languages beyond English.

The effort to improve access to AI in more languages has drawn roughly 60 participants, the Gates Foundation said on Monday. The coalition includes Anthropic, Google, Microsoft and the OpenAI Foundation.

“We want in places like Africa, where there are so few doctors, where a patient could speak in their native language and describe their symptoms” to an AI app, he told CBS Mornings. “The quality of support for most of the world’s languages is very, very poor.”

The Soros political machine is putting millions to work before Election Day — and zeroing in on key races

Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign is indirectly backed by Senate Majority PAC, which received $9M from the Soros family

2026-09-21T14:00:06-04:00 / Fox News

By Robert Schmad, Fox News

Published September 21, 2026 2:00pm EDT

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El-Sayed challenges Mike Rogers after Michigan primary victory

Senior national correspondent Rich Edson reports from Belleville, Michigan, as progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed wins the Democratic Senate primary, narrowly defeating Haley Stevens. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., discusses El-Sayed’s alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America platform, including healthcare and border policies.

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Tens of millions of dollars in Soros-linked money are pouring into key Democratic campaigns and political groups as Election Day approaches, campaign finance records show.

As of the end of June, Democracy PAC and Democracy PAC II — a pair of political committees created and funded by the Soros network — have disbursed over $40 million in donations to their Democratic allies, a review of campaign finance records show. Among the largest beneficiaries of the Soros-linked funding have been the Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC and the J Street Action Fund, the political arm of J Street, a vocal critic of Israeli government policies.

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who has made getting money out of politics a pillar of his Senate campaign, is also indirectly benefiting from Soros-linked money flowing into the Michigan Senate race through outside Democratic groups.

MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL CALLS AIPAC DONATIONS ‘LEGALIZED BRIBERY,’ REMAINS SILENT ON OTHER DONATIONS

George Soros, founder of the Open Society Foundations, arrives for a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on April 27, 2017.(Olivier Hoslet/AFP via Getty Images)

Senate Majority PAC, which has received $9 million from the Soros-funded Democracy PAC this cycle, has pledged $30 million in spending to help elect El-Sayed in Michigan.

“The fundamental corruption of our politics has been the system that allows corporations and would-be oligarchs and billionaires to buy politicians,” El-Sayed said during a 2025 interview with a local news outlet.

“I want to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, pass Medicare for all,” he told a reporter during a follow-up interview.

El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday. The Senate hopeful is also scheduled to attend a Sept. 28 California fundraiser hosted by Jeffrey Soros – who is the nephew of billionaire George Soros.

“Abdul El-Sayed is only for ‘money out of politics’ when it isn’t being spent on him. He’s wining and dining Soros billionaires and begging Chuck Schumer for money while Mike Rogers is taking on Big Pharma and calling for a suspension of the gas tax to lower costs for working families,” Alyssa Brouillet, a spokeswoman for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, told Fox News Digital. “Mike Rogers is fighting for Michigan. Abdul El-Sayed is cozying up to billionaires and lying to Michiganders.”

The full scale of the Soros family’s 2026 political spending will become clearer as additional campaign-finance reports are filed.

FBI RAIDS SOROS-BACKED VOTER GROUP’S HEADQUARTERS IN REPORTED FRAUD PROBE

Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed leaves the stage after speaking during the Michigan Democratic Party’s nominating convention in Lansing on Aug. 29, 2026.(Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Another major beneficiary of the Soros family’s largesse has been the federal and non-federal arms of its Justice & Public Safety PAC, the primary vehicle behind its efforts to elect progressive prosecutors across the United States. The criminal justice-focused committees have so far pulled in close to $2 million.

The Soros family, chiefly through George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and political committees, has funded efforts to reduce the number of criminals in prison, end cash bail, elect progressive prosecutors, expand rights for illegal immigrants and address alleged racism among law enforcement — efforts that have made Soros a frequent target of criticism from conservative politicians and activists.

Other causes to receive support from the Soros family during the 2026 cycle have included the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, Fair Fight, which is a voter mobilization organization founded by Stacey Abrams and focused on helping Democrats in Georgia, and the Working Families Party PAC, which works to help elect progressives primarily in New York.

Democratic Govs. Josh Shapiro, of Pennsylvania, and Abigail Spanberger, of Virginia, also received financial support from the Soros family’s political committees during their 2025 campaigns.

ABDUL EL-SAYED DUBBED ‘VETERAN’ BY SOROS-LINKED PROPAGANDA NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTED IN MICHIGAN

Huma Abedin and Alexander Soros attend the Met Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024, in New York City.(Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

The true extent of the Soros family’s 2026 political operation won’t be fully known until roughly a year after elections wrap up, as much of its spending is routed through 501(c)(4) nonprofits, a type of organization that can spend money on politics but is only required to release disclosures annually, often a year or more after the spending itself occurs.

George Soros gradually transferred control of his political and philanthropic empire to his son, Alex, between 2022 and 2023.

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A spokesperson for the Soros family did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

Paramount Skydance reaches antitrust deal with states over Warner Bros. Discovery purchase

2026-09-21 13:49 EDT / CBS News

By

Updated on: September 21, 2026 / 2:58 PM EDT / CBS News

A group of U.S. states has reached a deal with Paramount Skydance that addresses antitrust concerns over the media and entertainment company’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The deal with a coalition of 12 state attorneys general clears the way for Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, to complete its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.

“This settlement is not a vote of support for this merger,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta at a press conference on Monday to announce the agreement.

Settlement conditions

The agreement includes pledges from Paramount to invest in domestic film production, Bonta said. The company will invest an additional $300 million per year in domestic production over five years, for a total of $1.5 billion in new investment, according to the proposed consent decree.

Paramount also pledged to produce 30 films in each of the first two years after the merger, and then 32 films a year for the following three years. Under the deal, at least 20 of the films must be wide-release movies in the first two years, and 21 must be wide-release films in the following three years. Wide-release films are those that are distributed to at least 2,000 movie theater screens, according to the consent decree.

If Paramount fails to meet those requirements, it will be required to sell the Miramax film studio, the document states. For each film the company falls short of its annual release commitment, it must make a $30 million payment, with half going to the healthcare and retirement funds serving movie production unions. The rest would be divided between the Motion Picture & Television Fund and the National Association of Attorneys General Fund.

The agreement also bars Paramount from selling or closing the Paramount or Warner Bros. studio lots in the Los Angeles metropolitan area for at least five years.

Paramount has also agreed to establish an independent board to “ensure independent, objective fact-based reporting at CBS News and CNN,” Bonta said.

Additionally, the merged company must commit to separate negotiations for the distribution of basic cable channels owned by Paramount and Warner Bros. for a period of five years.

Under the settlement, a committee of five states will monitor and enforce Paramount’s compliance with the terms of the antitrust agreement.

The Department of Justice, Federal Communications Commission, and regulators in dozens of countries have already approved the deal.

“With both groups’ concerns now addressed, we have complete clearance for this merger and can move toward closing,” Paramount CEO David Ellison said in a statement on Monday, after the settlement announcement. “There’s still work ahead to get this deal across the finish line, but we’re excited to bring these two iconic companies together, as it means more opportunity for our creatives, production crews and employees across the business, and more great entertainment for audiences everywhere.”

Paramount clinched a deal for Warner Bros. earlier this year. But state prosecutors, led by Bonta, filed a lawsuit in July to block the transaction, alleging the merger would weaken competition in the movie industry and lead to higher prices for consumers.

The Writers Guild of America also filed suit in U.S. district court to block the merger, arguing that it would harm competition for writers and eliminate jobs in the industry.

Paramount has rejected allegations that buying Warner Bros. would reduce competition.

Deal unites major brands

Before Monday’s agreement, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California had scheduled a March 2027 trial to consider the states’ legal challenge to the merger.

Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, owns the Paramount studios and cable networks, including Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, as well as the Paramount+ streaming platform.

Warner Bros.’ movie studio has produced box-office hits such as the “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises, and the company also owns cable networks including CNN, HBO Max, TBS and TNT.

Paramount’s stock price was largely flat at $10.15 after Bonta’s announcement, while Warner Bros. shares rose 11% to $30.80.

Edited by Aimee Picchi

California governor signs broad data center oversight bill package

2026-09-21 6:42 PM UTC / Reuters

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at the Center for American Progress (CAP) IDEAS Conference at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo

Sept 21 (Reuters) – California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed seven bills aimed at regulating the fast-growing data center industry, imposing new ​requirements on electricity costs, water use and local oversight as communities ‌push back against a surge in AI-linked development.

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• The legislation requires data centers to disclose information about electricity use, water consumption, land use and workforce needs, while giving local ​communities more information to assess proposed projects.
• The measures are designed to ​prevent the cost of new power generation and grid upgrades ⁠needed for data centers from being shifted onto other ratepayers.
• “With these laws, ​we are ensuring that Californians remain in the driver’s seat — and that those ​profiting from data centers aren’t doing so at our expense,” Newsom said in a statement.bills
• California said the legislation will require data centers to comply with the state’s energy procurement ​requirements and help bring new clean-energy supplies onto the grid.
• The measures come ​amid growing concern nationwide over the impact of data centers on electricity demand, water resources ‌and ⁠local infrastructure as technology companies race to expand artificial intelligence capabilities.
• The rapid expansion of AI data centers has sparked resistance in California and elsewhere, with residents and advocacy groups raising concerns about electricity bills and pollution associated with the ​facilities.
• The Data Center ​Coalition, an industry ⁠trade group, said its members were committed to responsible development but warned the measures could push projects to other states: “Legislation such ​as these create significant uncertainty and introduces potentially duplicative ​requirements that ⁠make doing business in California an unattractive proposition for data centers and other industries,” Khara Boender, a director of government affairs for the group, said in ⁠a statement. “These ​are likely to further limit data center ​development in California — an already declining market—which pushes job creation, clean energy deployment, and tax revenue ​to neighboring states.”

Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Nick Zieminski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

MN Dem Senate candidate’s viral hijab video takes new turn as woman beside her faces major state investigation

September 21, 2026 12:00pm EDT / Fox News

Minnesota lieutenant governor dons hijab in visit to Somali market as fraud scandal unfolds

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visited the Karmel Somali market. (Credit: Somali TV Minnesota)

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An autism center run by a longtime friend of Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan, who stood next to Flanagan while she wore a hijab defending the Somali community in a viral video, is being investigated for fraud, sparking a flurry of criticism of Flanagan on social media.

The Milestone Development Center, operated by Nimco Ahmed, is being investigated along with the Spectrum Therapy Center, Alpha News first reported, in a move the Minnesota Department of Human Services confirmed to Fox News Digital.

“These agencies are on our radar,” a DHS spokesperson said. “The Minnesota Department of Human Services has open investigations into both Spectrum Therapy Center and Milestone Development Centers. If a provider is part of an open investigation, the department cannot by law disclose details.”

“We can, however, share the following: Several months ago, the Minnesota Department of Human Services terminated both agencies from participating in the Medicaid program as part of Minnesota Revalidate 2026. Revalidation is a process to verify that agencies have required credentials and are otherwise compliant with state and federal regulations. Both providers have appealed their termination.”

MN SENATE CANDIDATE RIPPED FOR BLAMING WALZ FOR FRAUD DESPITE BEING HIS #2: ‘KNOWS SHE’S COOKED’

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visited a Somali market wearing a hijab in December alongside Nimco Ahmed, who runs an autism center that is now under investigation.(Somali TV Minnesota)

Ahmed, listed online as the CEO of Milestone, was featured in a video posted on Somali TV that went viral on social media amid the massive fraud scandal, largely involving the local Somali community, where Flanagan wore a hijab and said, “The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota.”

Ahmed, born in Somalia, is a longtime Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) activist in Minnesota, and Alpha News reports she has been friends with Flanagan for almost 25 years.

Fox News Digital reached out to Flanagan’s campaign for comment.

‘YOU DON’T GET A PROMOTION’: GOP RIVAL URGES PEGGY FLANAGAN TO QUIT SENATE RACE AFTER WALZ BOWS OUT

Minnesota’s Democratic Senate nominee, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, is riding the progressive wave this midterm election cycle, but before handing moderates a resounding defeat, she had a front row seat in the sprawling fraud scandal in her home state.(Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

News of the fraud investigation quickly sparked criticism of Flanagan, who has served as the state’s lieutenant governor since 2019 and is often questioned about why more was not done to address the fraud scandal over the past several years.

“Nimco Ahmed, who stood alongside Peggy Flanagan wearing a hijab, runs an autism center that is now under investigation,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. “You can’t make this stuff up. “

” It just never ends,” conservative influencer LibsofTikTok posted on X.

“I can’t even keep up anymore,” retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro posted on X.

Alpha News reported that former Milestone therapist Grant Morgan worked directly with clients six days a week during his two months there in late 2023 and said he never saw a Qualified Supervising Professional or Board Certified Behavior Analyst overseeing the work, and that many practitioners appeared unqualified and knew little about applied behavior analysis.

He also said he was never asked to write or sign session notes documenting services, despite those notes being central to how providers bill Medicaid.

Morgan described the treatments as ineffective and said Milestone did not provide comprehensive autism services. He also claimed some clients did not appear to be autistic and said he saw potential billing fraud red flags, though he was not involved in billing.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Milestone for comment.

Ahmed reportedly told Alpha News’ that questions about care at her center were “bias” and said the outlet pursued the story because she is Somali. She denied that Milestone lacked QSP or BCBA oversight, said all children had autism diagnoses, and maintained that the center follows state requirements and is regularly audited.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

Presidential TV pool suspended after Trump bans CNN

September 21, 2026 / 1:27 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — The television press pool system that covers President Trump will be suspended for now after the president banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from covering the White House.

Five television networks — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC — cover the president’s travel and events for the pool on a rotating basis and provide the video to other news organizations, often in real time.

CNN was set to provide the pool coverage on Monday and accompany Mr. Trump on a trip to New York City, and now, there will not be a network TV pool team traveling with him. He is expected to be in New York for the United Nations General Assembly Monday and Tuesday before returning to Washington.

In a joint statement on Monday, CBS News, ABC News, CNN, Fox News and NBC News said, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should reject a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

Mr. Trump on Friday announced he would be “banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW … and Politico … from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”

CBS News on Saturday observed reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico being turned away from the White House when they arrived. CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a lawsuit on Monday to restore access. They argued in the complaint that the ban is unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds, and there “could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment.”

In a statement on Saturday, Jacqui Heinrich, White House Correspondents’ Association president and senior Fox News correspondent, said the White House “cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting.”

blob:https://www.cbsnews.com/14b76649-f4ac-4eef-8e74-8d0a12e917c7

News outlets pool their resources to cover the president in a rotating system that has been in place since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. In addition to the television network pool, there are separate pool systems for print and radio media.

The system exists to make sure the president is always covered, ensuring that journalists are present in the event of unexpected breaking news. It’s also a space issue — all networks can’t fit in small designated spaces like the Air Force One press cabin, along with the rest of the journalists who travel with the president.

Network pool coverage continues for other top government officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, on Monday.

Blue state gov ignites online firestorm with plan to send gov’t into homes of newborn babies: ‘Lunatic libs’

2026-09-21T14:00:50-04:00 / Fox News

The Welcome Family program expansion would provide postpartum care home visits, which conservatives call intrusive

By Andrew Mark Miller, Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published September 21, 2026 2:00pm EDT

Mass GOP chair sounds alarm over Healey push to expand home visits for new moms

Massachusetts GOP chair Amy Carnevale tells Fox News Digital that Democratic Gov. Healey’s new-mom home visit plan is ‘government overreach’

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Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey set off an online firestorm over the weekend over a plan to expand the commonwealth’s Welcome Family program, which she spoke about in a clip that went viral on social media.

Healey made the controversial comments in an appearance last week on Boston Public Radio, where she discussed the state’s taxpayer-funded plan to send nurses into the homes of new parents after childbirth.

“Everybody in the state, when you have a baby, you’re going to have a home visit within days, weeks and that will be an opportunity for a healthcare provider to make an assessment to see if you need some additional support and resources,” Healey explained.

The clip quickly made waves on social media, with conservatives blasting the governor’s government expansion.

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FILE – Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey discussed the state’s taxpayer-funded plan to send nurses into the homes of new parents after childbirth.(David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

“Does this sound like a good idea?” conservative radio host Howie Carr wrote on X in a post viewed almost 2 million times.

“I’m sorry what?!” Conservative influencer account Libs of TikTok wrote on X in a post that was viewed over 2 million times. “MA Governor Maura Healey says everyone who has a baby will be visited in their home by a government appointed healthcare provider ‘to make an assessment’. Stay out of our homes you power hungry creep.”

“IDK who needs to hear this… but the government DOES NOT OWN your baby,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. posted on X. “Everyone needs to re-read 1984. “

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“Lunatic libs,” Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., posted on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to Healey’s office for comment.

Healey announced the expansion last week in a press release that described the program as “voluntary” and meant to “strengthen postpartum care and mental health support for mothers and families across Massachusetts, with a focus on reaching people earlier, making support easier to access and helping providers connect patients to care when they need it.”

Postpartum care has been a major topic of conversation in Massachusetts in light of the highly publicized trial of Lindsay Clancy in the commonwealth, where a jury recently deadlocked and could not come to a consensus whether Clancy was guilty of killing her three young children. Clancy’s defense team argued that she suffered from severe postpartum mental illness.

“Becoming a mother is a profound life change, and every parent deserves support—not just during pregnancy, but in the months that follow,” Healey said in the release. “Postpartum depression, anxiety and other maternal mental health conditions are real medical conditions, and no mother should feel ashamed to ask for help or feel like she has to navigate this journey alone. We’re working to expand postpartum care, identify concerns earlier and connect families to the mental health support they need, because taking care of moms means taking care of the whole family.”

Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, told Fox News Digital in an interview that “this is an example of the government overreaching.”

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Gov. Maura Healey turns toward supporters after signing legislation strengthening abortion protections and prioritizing access to care at the Massachusetts State House on Aug. 10, 2026, in Boston.(Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

“I’m a mom of three,” Carnevale said. “I’m blessed to have three wonderful children. And, doctors, today, they ask about postpartum depression. They ask about the need for resources. So, there are plenty of resources available to women after they have children in Massachusetts and nationwide. And this example by Gov. Healey to send people into the homes of new moms is an example of government overreach and the Massachusetts Republican Party has been hearing from moms across the state, moms and dads across the state, really objecting to this new policy.”

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.