Unearthed records reveal Dem mayor sought tax hike to fund DEI role ahead of key House race

July 9, 2026 5:34pm EDT / Fox News

The rejected 2023 city budget earmarked $25,500 for a diversity, equity and inclusion role in city hall

By Leo Briceno, Fox News

Mamdani’s NYC budget plan cuts NYPD jobs for racial equity, diversity roles

Democratic Socialist Mayor Mamdani’s NYC budget slashes 5,000 NYPD jobs while allocating millions to racial equity and diversity roles.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

blob:https://www.foxnews.com/d95fd07c-7fd6-49b1-9cc8-1ad8db292d47

Listen to this article

4 min

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, once proposed raising taxes to make room for a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer.

A “DEI coordinator” was among eight new hires in the city’s 2023 proposed budget and would have set aside $25,500 for the position. In order to cover the costs of that opening and those of a police chief, a fire chief, a business administrator, a solicitor and a director of public works, the budget included a 3% property tax increase, estimated to generate $957,000 for the city.

The positions themselves were estimated to cost $380,500. That budget was ultimately not adopted.

Cognetti’s proposed plan highlights her beliefs about diversity in government and the directness with which government should pursue representation among certain demographics as she looks to flip one of the country’s most competitive districts and unseat incumbent Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa.

RED-STATE SENATOR DROPS HAMMER ON DEM MAYOR OVER NEW ‘WOKE’ DEI ORDINANCE WHILE VIOLENT CRIME SURGES

Scranton, Pennsylvania mayor Paige Cognetti speaks at a Safer America rally. President Joe Biden visited Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to discuss his plan to reform gun control. During his speech, he touted beating the NRA. Biden is visiting cities for his Safer America plan.(Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

In the past, Cognetti has highlighted her purposeful pursuit of diversity in government.

“We’re not doing this for the publicity. We’re doing this quietly so that these conversations just become the norm,” Cognetti said in a podcast appearance.

When asked about the DEI proposals and the 2023 budget, the Cognetti campaign pointed out that Bresnahan’s company has received government assistance for being “women-owned,” support it says is in line with DEI policies.

“Rob Bresnahan’s own company identifies itself as disadvantaged and women-owned in order to get a leg up on securing federal contracts,” a Cognetti spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to Kuharchik Construction Inc.

The company, which Bresnahan began leading as CEO in 2013, has received $162,000 in federal contracts since 2008, according to records.

MAMDANI COMPARISONS FOLLOW COLORADO DEMOCRAT INTO PIVOTAL HOUSE RACE AFTER PRIMARY WIN

Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., arrives for a House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It has not received federal payments since 2017.

The campaign also said that many of Cognetti’s other acts as mayor directly helped bring the city’s costs down.

“Mayor Cognetti ran as an independent against a corrupt Democratic machine and reformed city hall. She saved taxpayers’ money by balancing the budget after years of mismanagement, turned down a government car and gas card, refused a pay raise, and improved the city’s credit rating from junk bond status to an A- investment rating,” the Cognetti campaign continued. “Now Paige is running to take on corrupt politicians in Washington like Rob Bresnahan, who has stock traded off of his votes and his access to insider information in Congress.”

Bresnahan is not under investigation for insider trading, a violation of House rules.

Despite her emphasis on cutting government spending, Cognetti’s framing of the 2023 budget and its DEI role reflects her belief that diversity should be an area where the government places more of its resources.

She explained her thinking in a 2023 podcast.

“I will say that we’ve had some setbacks. Last year we put a DEI coordinator in our budget. My city council cut that position with zero fanfare. There was no public comment. And this is where I think that the positive advocacy is missing,” Cognetti said of her budget proposal.

“You know, you want to raise taxes 3%. ‘Well, it should be only 2%.’ Okay, well, let’s have that conversation,” she said.

In Cognetti’s view, her work on DEI has not clashed with Scranton’s interests, and she affirms that hiring the best candidates has naturally led to greater diversity in government roles.

MAYORS WANT TO KEEP HANDING OUT FREE CASH AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS DRIED UP

Traffic passes a sign on the highway at Scranton, Pennsylvania on April 15, 2024.(Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“We’re not doing it by cherry-picking, but by merit, and lo and behold, City Hall looks different,” Cognetti said.

“When you walk into City Hall today, there are far more people of color and far more women working there, I think, than you would have seen four years ago. And again, it’s not because we have had some grand strategy beyond really just hiring the best people for the jobs and trying to make sure that our jobs are posted in places that people are looking, right?”

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

消息：以色列向美通报 伊朗策划暗杀特朗普

2026年7月10日 07:18 / 联合早报

伊朗已故最高领袖哈梅内伊7月9日在家乡马什哈德下葬。葬礼当天，当地可见到“杀死特朗普”的横幅。 （路透社）

消息人士透露，以色列向美国通报，伊朗正策划新的暗杀美国总统特朗普行动。

《华尔街日报》星期四（7月9日）引述消息人士说，以色列近日与美国分享了一项新情报，称情报显示伊朗正策划新的暗杀特朗普计划，这一发现标志着华盛顿与德黑兰之间的对抗升级。

伊朗多年来一再公开誓言要对特朗普进行报复，原因是在特朗普的第一任期内，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队下属“圣城旅”高级指挥官苏莱曼尼遭到暗杀。

以色列驻华盛顿大使馆拒绝对报道置评。伊朗驻联合国代表团未立即回应置评请求。白宫建议《华尔街日报》参考特朗普前一天的讲话。

特朗普8日在土耳其安卡拉对记者讲话时暗示自己面临生命威胁。

特朗普说：“他们想除掉美国领导人——就是我。我上了所有的名单。我今天早上看到，他们的每份名单上都有我。到目前为止，我想我还算幸运，但这好运可能不会持续太久。”

最近几周，特朗普与以色列总理内坦亚胡的关系出现裂痕，因为双方就是否继续对伊朗采取军事行动出现分歧。

内坦亚胡主张继续对伊朗实施打击并实现更多战争目标，而特朗普则担心战争重创全球经济，寻求摆脱这场战争的途径。上月，美国已与伊朗达成一份脆弱的停战协议。

以色列总理办公室称，特朗普和内坦亚胡9日通了电话，双方同意继续保持协调。声明也说，特朗普向内坦亚胡通报了美国近期在波斯湾地区的行动。

在伊朗已故最高领袖哈梅内伊的葬礼上，伊朗民众高喊要特朗普偿命的口号，并展示写着“我们将杀死特朗普”的横幅。

《华尔街日报》此前报道，在美以伊战争爆发初期，特朗普与内坦亚胡通话频繁，内坦亚胡经常深夜致电特朗普，通报袭击目标及以色列掌握的情报。虽然两人目前仍保持联系，但在经历了一系列气氛紧张的通话后，两人关系已出现裂痕。

Here’s who’s vying to replace Graham Platner as Maine Democratic Senate nominee

2026-07-09T17:49:02-0400 / CBS News

Washington — Graham Platner’s move to suspend his Senate campaign this week after a woman accused him of sexual assault has prompted a mad dash in Maine, as Democrats position themselves as possible replacements to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November.

After Platner officially files paperwork to withdraw, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 at 5 p.m. to select a replacement. The party announced it would hold a nominating convention to select a nominee, with details on the process forthcoming.

While some have made clear they aren’t interested, including Rep. Jared Golden and actor Patrick Dempsey, a growing list of Democrats are making their interest clear.

Here’s who’s vying to replace Platner on the ballot:

Shenna Bellows

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows jumped into the race for the Democratic Senate nomination this week. She said in a social media post she has taken on “tough fights for working people” throughout her career, and added: “I’m not stopping now.”

Bellows, 51, sought the governor’s mansion earlier this year, but she fell short in last month’s Democratic primary. The native of Hancock, Maine, previously served in the state Senate and as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. She is the first woman to serve as secretary of state.

It’s Bellows’ second run for Senate. In 2014, she won the Democratic nomination to challenge Collins, but lost in the general election by almost 37 percentage points.

During her gubernatorial campaign, Bellows advocated for more affordable housing and a statewide freeze on property tax increases for Maine residents, paid for by doubling property tax rates for non-resident homes.

Bellows raised just under $1.8 million during her campaign for governor. Because of Maine’s ranked-choice voting system, Bellows and two other primary candidates — former state Senate President Troy Jackson and former state House Speaker Hannah Pingree — endorsed each other. Pingree ended up winning the Democratic nomination.

Bellows, like most of the candidates now seeking to replace Platner, pushed him to drop out of the race shortly after he was accused of sexual assault earlier this week. She called the allegations — which Platner has denied — “extremely serious.” She said on X that while Platner “ignited a powerful movement to challenge the status quo, given the seriousness of the allegations, he needs to step down.”

State Rep. Valli Geiger

State Rep. Valli Geiger, a close ally of Platner’s, has indicated interest in replacing him on the ballot.

The 70-year-old told WMTW that Platner was supporting her bid. But she later clarified that she is one of “several people” who have supported Platner and with whom he was speaking.

A nurse and resident of the coastal town of Rockland, Geiger has served in the state Legislature for three terms.

Troy Jackson

Former state Senate President Troy Jackson also threw his name into the mix this week and filed with the Federal Election Commission for a Senate exploratory committee.

Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from the tiny northern Maine town of Allagash, told the Bangor Daily News he is the “best person” to replace Platner.

The 58-year-old has been active in Maine politics since 2002, serving in the Maine House of Representatives and the Maine Senate, where he was president from 2018 to 2024.

Before Jackson positioned himself as a potential Senate candidate, he was eyeing the governor seat. He came in third in the Democratic primary this past June after raising around $1 million.

Supported by Platner and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in his gubernatorial bid, Jackson billed himself as a progressive candidate who would focus on affordable housing and lowering property taxes. In an MS NOW interview Thursday, Jackson called himself a “pickup truck progressive.”

Jackson and Sanders’ ties go back a decade, with Jackson working on his 2016 presidential campaign. Sanders said Jackson would “stand with working-class families against the enormous power of the monied interests.” Some former Platner allies have argued Jackson should succeed Platner.

Earlier in his political career, Jackson held socially conservative views on some issues, including abortion and same-sex marriage, though he has shifted to the mainstream of the Democratic Party since then and attributed some of his prior stances to the views of his rural northern Maine constituents.

Jackson urged Platner to withdraw earlier this week, writing on X that there is “no place in our politics for sexual violence.”

Dan Kleban

Dan Kleban, a co-founder of the Maine Beer Company, announced this week that he’s running to replace Platner, and made it official with an FEC filing.

Kleban, 49, briefly ran for Senate last year before suspending his campaign in October and endorsing Maine Gov. Janet Mills. His original campaign was built around Maine’s economy and affordability, combined with environmental issues. Like Platner, Kleban is a newcomer to elected politics, but the craft brewery that he founded with his brother in 2009 is well known.

Since suspending his Senate campaign, he has stayed vocal about Maine’s politics on social media, and he condemned the allegations against Platner earlier this week, calling them “horrifying and completely disqualifying.”

“Mainers deserve a Senator who will fight for them against the DC establishment while also doing what’s right,” he said.

During his initial Senate run last year, Kleban gave almost $215,000 of his own money to his campaign and raised another $244,000 from donors, according to federal records. He spent almost all of his campaign cash during his run.

Nirav Shah

Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, also announced that he’s interested in becoming the Senate nominee, after coming in second in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary last month.

“Establishment politicians have failed us,” Shah said on X. “To defeat Susan Collins, we need an outsider who is not afraid to take on the broken system she has spent decades upholding.”

As Maine’s CDC director starting in 2019, Shah navigated the COVID-19 pandemic in the Pine Tree State and has touted the state’s fast vaccine rollout. Shah went on to serve as principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Biden administration.

A Wisconsin native, Shah has degrees in law and medicine from the University of Chicago, and previously worked in public health in Illinois and Cambodia.

In his gubernatorial bid, Shah’s platform centered on “fixing housing, funding healthcare, feeding kids, and fueling growth — all while fighting the overreaches of the Trump administration.”

During his gubernatorial campaign, Shah raised more than $1 million. He contributed around $100,000 to his campaign, state campaign finance records show.

Shah — who called for Platner to drop out of the race earlier this week — said in a campaign launch news conference Thursday that there is “very little light” between him and Platner on matters of policy, but he “would not accept an endorsement from Graham, nor have I sought one.”

Shah told CBS News that Maine Democrats are “feeling a thousand emotions all at once” following the allegation against Platner earlier this week and the campaign shake-up.

“The one I would say is overriding is the eagerness and the commitment to defeating Susan Collins in the fall,” Shah said.

Jordan Wood

Jordan Wood, who previously sought the Senate seat last year before dropping out to run in a House race, announced he’s hoping to replace Platner on the ballot.

Wood, a 36-year-old native of Lewiston, Maine, previously worked as chief of staff to Democratic Rep. Katie Porter before founding an organization focused on combating election denialism. He launched his campaign for Senate last year before pivoting to run for a House seat to replace moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s red-leaning 2nd Congressional District, where he fell short last month.

In a post on X, Wood touted his work to “get big money out of politics and end corruption in Washington.”

“If I am a nominee for Senate, I’ll lead the fight to pass Medicare for All, pass sweeping anti-corruption reform, and stand up to Trump’s lawlessness,” he said.

During his House bid, Wood raised more than $5 million from donors and lent $400,000 to his campaign, the vast majority of which he spent during the campaign, according to FEC data.

Feisty town hall crowd confronts GOP Rep. over Trump policies

5:55 PM EDT, Thu July 9, 2026 / CNN Politics

blob:https://www.cnn.com/3cecb755-d2c9-47e2-9156-97078bd61b38

Feisty town hall crowd confronts GOP Rep. over Trump policies

Feisty town hall crowd confronts GOP Rep. over Trump policies

-1:14

Subtitles

• Off

• English CC

Audio

• English

Video Ad Feedback

Feisty town hall crowd confronts GOP Rep. over Trump policies

The Lead

Rep. Mike Flood joins The Lead.

01:18 • Source: CNN

伊朗圣城发生致命枪击 距哈梅内伊安葬地仅17公里

2026年7月10日 07:25 / 联合早报

伊朗已故最高领袖哈梅内伊7月9日清晨在圣城马什哈德安葬。当局估计，参加葬礼的人数或达1500万。 （路透社）

伊朗东北部圣城马什哈德发生一起枪击事件，造成两人死亡。

伊朗伊斯兰共和国通讯社星期五（7月10日）凌晨报道，伊朗东北部城市马什哈德（Mashhad）9日晚发生枪击事件，造成两人死亡。

枪击地点距离伊朗已故最高领袖哈梅内伊的陵墓——伊玛目礼萨圣陵仅17公里。哈梅内伊的安葬仪式当天清晨在马什哈德举行。

霍拉桑拉扎维省负责安全事务的副省长沙马格达里说，枪击发生在9日晚上10时（新加坡时间10日凌晨2时30分）左右，地点位于萨拉夫拉赞社区。

沙马格达里说，枪击原因和死者身份目前尚未查明。

WATCH: Dem gov mocked for criticizing ‘tribal’ politics amid redistricting push: ‘Hypocrisy knows no bounds’

2026-07-09T14:04:07-04:00 / Fox News

This comes as Maryland lawmakers are set to meet for a special session to pass a new redistricting bill

By Peter Pinedo Fox News

Published July 9, 2026 2:04pm EDT

State attorney rips Democratic governor’s ‘tribal’ line amid redistricting push

Haven Shoemaker, a state attorney for Carroll County, Maryland, ripped Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s critique of

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

blob:https://www.foxnews.com/636eb212-daad-4ea8-b88a-780a1f9c07f7

Listen to this article

6 min

Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore is facing criticism for condemning rising “tribal” politics while continuing to push a redistricting effort that opponents say would eliminate the state’s sole Republican congressional seat.

Moore, a rising Democratic star who is being floated as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, gave an Independence Day speech in which he described American history as “powerful,” “painful” and “complex.”

Speaking in the Maryland State House, where George Washington resigned his military commission in 1783, Moore proclaimed that “too many feel that our politics has become tribal, that our political system once felt like a gift, but the politics of today feel like a grift.”

In response, Haven Shoemaker, the top state attorney for Maryland’s Carroll County, remarked to Fox News Digital that “Gov. Moore is proof positive that hypocrisy knows no bounds.”

WATCH: MARYLAND DEMS DEFEND ‘BIG TENT’ PARTY AS NEW YORK SOCIALIST SURGE FUELS DEM DIVIDE

Democratic Govs. Kathy Hochul, of New York, Wes Moore, of Maryland, and Tim Walz, of Minnesota, speak to members of the media outside the White House on July 3, 2024.(Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“On the basis of what you would have to characterize as tribalism, he is going to convene a special session of the Maryland General Assembly to redistrict Maryland’s only Republican congressman out of office. Sounds like tribalism to me,” said Shoemaker.

Maryland General Assembly leaders announced they will meet for a special session beginning on Aug. 3 to consider a constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting, affiliate Fox 45 reported. The special session follows months of pressure from Moore and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Maryland Democrats to advance a congressional redistricting plan that would likely eliminate the state’s lone Republican-held district.

The earlier effort to pass the redistricting bill had fizzled out largely due to Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat who called the proposed map “objectively unconstitutional” and expressed his worry that “the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic.”

Afterward, Moore notably did not endorse Ferguson in his primary race despite the senator being one of the highest-ranking Democrats in the state.

After the special session announcement, Moore said in a statement that “for months, I have said that inaction is not an option and we cannot sit on the sidelines while voting rights, fair representation, and the foundations of our democracy come under attack across the country.”

TRUMP FOE WINS CRUCIAL DEM PRIMARY AS 2028 PRESIDENTIAL SPECULATION SWIRLS

Senate President Bill Ferguson speaks as Maryland lawmakers convene for a new session on Jan. 8, 2025, in Annapolis, Maryland.(Jonathan Newton/for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“I appreciate the General Assembly’s continued conversations and the agreement to come back to finish the work,” he said, adding, “My administration will work closely with the General Assembly as they consider legislation to ensure our state has the tools necessary to protect voters and defend fair representation.”

Meanwhile, Shoemaker, who previously served nine years in the Maryland House of Delegates, even holding the role of minority whip, accused Moore of being caught up in national politics while Marylanders are “fleeing in droves.”

“His record as governor is abysmal,” he said, adding, “Since he became governor, almost four years ago, all that he’s done is really tried to position himself to run for president.”

Shoemaker also took issue with Moore’s critique of American nationalism during his July 4th address.

Moore remarked that “today there are those who will use patriotism to justify pulling books from schools and rewriting history until it comforts those in power. In reality, that’s not patriotism; that’s nationalism.”

The governor continued that “nationalism is not an extension of patriotism; they are not interchangeable. There’s a difference, and that does matter.”

Shoemaker responded that “patriotism means that you love your country,” while in his view nationalism “means that your country is exceptional.”

“It’s pretty clear to me that neither Gov. Moore nor the ultra-progressives generally think that America is exceptional, and I think that’s incredibly sad,” he said.

Moore’s comment also garnered criticism from Maryland Freedom Caucus Chair Matt Morgan, a Republican, who said, “In Moore’s world, if you’re a parent concerned about explicit material in your child’s school library, you’re a nationalist. If you question the revisionist history framework of the 1619 Project and advocate for accurate, honest history, you’re not a patriot. You’re a nationalist.”

“It’s a neat rhetorical trick: reframe the terms, and suddenly anyone who disagrees with you is the villain,” said Morgan.

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, the Maryland Freedom Caucus called Moore’s decision to convene lawmakers for a special session for redistricting “a blatant partisan effort to rewrite the Maryland Constitution so Democrats can gerrymander away Rep. Andy Harris’s seat and silence rural and conservative voices.”

“While Maryland families sit around their kitchen tables wrestling with sky-high taxes, crushing energy costs, and a cost-of-living crisis made far worse by Annapolis Democrats, Governor Wes Moore has decided now is the perfect time to call a special session,” said Morgan.

In response to the criticism, Ammar Mousa, a spokesperson for Moore, told Fox News Digital, “Why are Maryland Republicans so against patriotism?”

BLUE STATE RESIDENTS ‘FLEEING IN DROVES’ AFTER ‘INSANE’ PROGRESSIVE TAKEOVER, SAYS TOP STATE ATTORNEY

Gov. Wes Moore appears on “Meet the Press” in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7, 2025.(Shannon Finney/NBC via Getty Images)

Shoemaker told Fox News Digital that his own county has been targeted by state leaders for “wanting to have age-appropriate material in public school libraries.”

In 2025, the Maryland State Board of Education reviewed Carroll County’s removal of 20 books from school libraries after parents argued the removals violated Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act, which was signed by Moore in 2024. The State Board ultimately upheld the county’s decision, allowing the books to remain off library shelves.

“Fighting to keep filth in public schools and public school libraries, or, you know, even revising history to make villains of Founding Fathers who have made our country great by just pointing out their flaws. That seems like moral relativism to me and revisionism at its worst,” said Shoemaker.

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

Shoemaker said that it is policies such as these, along with continuously “hiked taxes,” that prompted him to announce he is moving out of the state at the end of his term. He says he is not the only one calling it quits on Maryland under the current leadership.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“I’ve talked to a lot of people; most of them say that they don’t blame me a bit for fleeing Maryland, and a substantial number of those folks say that they’re right behind me,” he said.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Maryland State Board of Education for comment.

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

‘American houses are for American people’: Trump housing chief insists immigration crackdown will lower costs

HUD Secretary Scott Turner says rolling back regulation and expanding mortgage credit will boost housing supply

July 9, 2026 3:32pm EDT / Fox News

By Amanda Macias

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner says the Biden-era border crisis drove up housing costs as the Trump administration works to make homeownership more affordable.

EXCLUSIVE: Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner said the Trump administration is working to counteract the housing cost surges that he said resulted from Joe Biden’s open border policies.

Speaking exclusively with Fox News Digital from the Great American State Fair on Thursday, Turner insisted President Donald Trump’s team is pursuing policies to improve affordability, a key midterm issue, and bring down home price and rent cost spikes that correlated with the influx of illegal immigration under the previous administration.

Republicans have argued their agenda will bring down home prices and rents by cutting regulations, increasing housing supply and cracking down on illegal immigration.

BIDEN’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION SURGE CAUSED HIGHER RENT AND HOME PRICES, FED STUDY FINDS

A home for sale are shown as housing affordability remains a challenge for many prospective buyers.(Zak Bennnett/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

“When we first came in with President Trump, we had open borders. We had tens of millions of illegals in our country,” Turner said, arguing that increased housing demand from unauthorized immigration drove up costs for American citizens.

A recent Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas working paper reached a similar conclusion, estimating that every 1% increase in unauthorized immigrant workers was associated with a roughly 2.2% increase in home prices and a 1.4% increase in rents.

Turner said that beyond rolling back regulations, expanding mortgage credit and removing barriers to new construction, reducing illegal immigration is key to helping ease demand for housing.

THE SURPRISING HIDDEN COST QUIETLY ADDING NEARLY $132K TO NEW HOME PRICES REVEALED

He also said the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is a key part of the president’s broader effort to reduce costs for American families amid an ongoing affordability crisis.

“Here in America, we prioritize American people and American people only. American houses are for American people,” Turner said.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6400540157112

Asked when Americans can expect to see lower housing costs, Turner argued the administration is already taking steps to make housing more affordable.

“I think there is a misperception that this is not a priority. It is of utmost priority,” Turner said.

A PROBLEM HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT IS KEEPING AMERICANS FROM BUYING HOMES

As evidence, Turner pointed to two executive orders Trump signed that together work to remove regulatory barriers to affordable housing construction, expand access to mortgage credit and increase housing supply.

Housing costs have remained elevated in many parts of the country, making affordability a key concern for homebuyers and renters.(Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

The HUD Secretary said the administration is also rolling back regulations and “bureaucratic red tape” put in place under the Biden administration to lower construction costs and spur more homebuilding.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“That’s what we’re doing now, we are easing the regulatory environment, bringing the cost down, raising the supply so builders can build and homeowners can buy,” he said, describing those efforts as key to making homeownership more affordable for American families.

Amanda Macias covers the intersection of business, economics and politics, with a focus on how policy decisions shape markets, businesses and American workers.

Omar’s disclosures erased millions, leaving her with potential negative net worth. She won’t explain why

2026-07-09T13:47:30-04:00 / Fox News

House Oversight Chairman James Comer is demanding an ethics committee investigation into Omar’s revised financial disclosure

By Hannah Brennan Fox News

Published July 9, 2026 1:47pm EDT

SEE IT: Omar silent when pressed on revised disclosures erasing reported millionaire status

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., declined to answer questions from Fox News Digital after revised financial disclosures dramatically reduced the reported value of her and her husband’s assets. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

blob:https://www.foxnews.com/cf8b4915-f75e-44c0-89fa-30d40e72b523

Listen to this article

3 min

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., refused to address her revised financial disclosures that could imply she has a negative net worth after the progressive lawmaker dramatically reduced the reported value of assets tied to her husband’s business ventures.

“Can you tell us if your husband still has the consulting business and the wine business?” Fox News Digital asked Omar.

The congresswoman stayed silent as she was repeatedly questioned, after previously telling Fox News Digital that the original filing — showing Omar’s reported assets reducing by as much as $29.9 million — was inaccurate and “incomplete” information.

ILHAN OMAR’S OFFICE SAYS SHE’S ‘NOT A MILLIONAIRE’ AFTER $30M FILING REVISED DOWN TO UNDER $100K: REPORT

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., May 18, 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

The controversy surrounding Omar’s finances began when a 2024 financial report estimated that Omar and her husband possessed between $6 million and $30 million in assets, all while the Minnesota fraud scandal within the Somali community was beginning to come to fruition.

A more recent 2025 financial disclosure report shows Omar’s revised value of shared assets between her and husband to sit at a maximum of $125,000 — a multimillion-dollar drop from the year prior. The lower estimate of their assets, $20,000, compared to the low and high debt estimates, $30,000 and $100,000, would imply the Minnesota Democrat could have a negative net worth.

Both she and her husband have separate debts, each ranging somewhere between $15,000 and $50,000 — from her own student loans and her husband’s credit card debt, according to the disclosures.

WATCH: OMAR SILENT WHEN CONFRONTED ON ALLEGED TIES TO MASSIVE MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL

Rep. Ilhan Omar campaigns with her husband Tim Mynett at the Richfield Farmers Market on Aug. 8, 2020, in Richfield, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

The biggest change in the documents involved Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett. His reported ownership interests in both his winery and venture capital advisory firm, which were previously valued in the millions of dollars, are listed with no value now.

In Omar’s 2024 financial disclosure records, Mynett’s share in his winery was valued between $1 million and $5 million, and his share at the venture capital advisory firm was valued between $5 million and $25 million. Now, his equity interests are both listed at $0.

Omar’s office previously told Fox News Digital that Mynett has partners in both businesses and said the earlier disclosure mistakenly reflected the businesses’ total equity rather than his ownership interest. The office also said the original filing listed assets without accounting for liabilities.

VANCE REFERS TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER STATE’S ALLEGED FRAUD

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has publicly voiced his interest in the Ethics Committee opening an investigation into Omar’s personal finances after the 2025 financial reports came out showing the possibility of a $29 million drop in her net worth.

Vice President JD Vance also has said the U.S. Department of Justice will be opening a probe into her alleged fraud as part of the administration’s anti-fraud taskforce that he spearheads, though no formal investigations have been shared with the public at this time.

Omar has been reluctant to answer Fox News Digital’s questions about her financial fallout and potential probes to be opened against her.

The Minnesota lawmaker similarly dodged answering any of Fox News Digital’s questions just last month about the revised disclosures.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“There’s also the possibility that it might rain on this sunny day,” Omar replied without responding directly to the content of the question.

Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.

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

American-made technology guiding Ukraine’s strikes into Russia

2026-07-09T12:33:00-0400 / CBS News

By

Updated on: July 9, 2026 / 12:38 PM EDT / CBS News

KYIV, Ukraine — In early March, an American-made reconnaissance aircraft glided above Ukraine’s choppy Black Sea waters, scanning for Russian targets below. As it approached a gas field just off Ukraine’s southern coast, operators monitoring the feed saw what appeared to be Russian soldiers and military equipment on top of an oil rig.

Calling in a fleet of sea drones, Ukraine’s navy began firing on the rig. When a nearby Russian Ka-27 helicopter landed to evacuate personnel and equipment, a Ukrainian aerial drone swooped down, exploding on contact with the aircraft.

The engagement cost Russia over $1.5 million in military equipment, and according to Ukraine’s navy, destroyed a key Russian platform for strikes into neighboring Ukrainian regions. It was one early example of a more aggressive Ukrainian strategy to use longer-range strike drones to deplete Russia’s resources.

Black smoke billows from the area of Gazprom Neft’s Moscow oil refinery, located on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow, on June 18, 2026, following what the Russian capital’s mayor described as a “large-scale” drone attack by Ukraine. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since declared a 40-day “influence operation” that expires in early August to coerce Russia into ending its war.

The reconnaissance aircraft that spotted the oil rig — a long-range surveillance drone known as the “V-BAT,” manufactured by the American defense firm Shield AI — has played an increasingly important role in this campaign.

“We focus on targets that are expensive, strategically valuable, or difficult to replace,” a Ukrainian naval V-BAT operator, who goes by the call sign “Negative,” said.

The drones’ reconnaissance flights deep inside Russia have allowed Kyiv to expand its strikes targeting military, energy and logistics infrastructure.

“One of its biggest advantages is its range,” the drone operator said. “Because the V-BAT can observe from long range, we’re able to confirm what’s there, collect detailed imagery, and provide intelligence without getting too close to the target.”

In June, Ukraine nearly doubled its strikes more than 30 miles beyond Russia’s front lines, according to Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mikhailo Fedorov.

The strike campaign in and around the Black Sea has been especially effective. On Tuesday night, Ukraine’s military struck nine oil tankers in the Black Sea, operating as part of Russia’s shadow fleet. Last month, Russian officials suspended gas sales to civilians in Crimea, the southern Ukrainian peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014.

Fedorov said his drones will soon turn Crimea “into an island,” isolating it from Russia’s mainland.

The strategy’s success might have seemed unthinkable a year ago. In March 2025, the U.S. stopped providing certain forms of intelligence for Ukraine to strike inside Russia, forcing Kyiv to turn to other partners.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in January that two-thirds of the intelligence Ukraine receives now comes from France.

“With the United States stepping back, we have obviously started to try to engage European countries more,” Taras Chmut, a defense expert with Ukraine’s Come Back Alive Foundation, said in an interview earlier this year. “They may be somewhat more technologically limited, but they are faster in making decisions than the Americans.”

Reconnaissance drones have also helped fill the void. Ukrainian manufacturers have increased the range of their own surveillance aircraft by equipping them with Starlink terminals. But operators say the V-BAT offers unique capabilities.

“We use a few other systems, but none of them offer the same range as the V-BAT. They can’t compete with it in terms of endurance or communications,” Negative, the drone operator, said.

A plume of black smoke is seen over the port of St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, after a Ukrainian drone attack. AP

The intelligence the aircraft provides is crucial not only for selecting targets but also for identifying Russian air defenses that stand in the way, experts say. According to Fabian Hoffman, a Ukrainian defense expert, one of the key reasons for Ukraine’s recent successes striking deep into Russia is a yearslong “shaping campaign” that has taken out Russian air defense assets.

Ukrainian officials say the V-BAT has helped identify the location of Russia’s more expensive air defenses, such as its S-400 systems. The aircraft also has AI software on board that programs its routes based on the locations of known Russian air defenses.

Shield AI employees in Ukraine say the data and feedback they receive for the drones’ missions is crucial to their aircraft and software, which require constant improvements. According to a Reuters investigation earlier this year, the V-BAT has crashed more than 50 times over the past 18 months in flights across the world.

Operators in Ukraine say the wartime environment is the only place where necessary changes can be made.

“For example, if Russian electronic warfare begins operating on a particular frequency, our operators report that information. When those frequencies change, we receive new reports and adjust,” Alex, a Ukrainian veteran and Shield AI field operator, said. “That information is important because it allows us to understand how we need to update the aircraft.”

Ukrainian soldiers, who are adapting technology at a pace few peacetime militaries can match, said they hope more American companies will develop technologies alongside them.

“We are working all the time as a team. We go into the field and get the important information we need for us and they are receiving information that they need to update the aircraft itself,” Negative, the drone operator, said. “So it improves both them and us.”

New Mexico attorney general says DOJ is withholding ‘critical’ information related to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch

2026-07-09T17:14:24.842Z / CNN

By Kaanita Iyer

2 hr ago

PUBLISHED Jul 9, 2026, 1:14 PM ET

Federal agencies Epstein files

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, left, and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

AP

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is accusing the US Justice Department of withholding access to unredacted files related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arguing that the lack of cooperation is preventing the state from bringing justice to survivors.

“Every day that the USDOJ withholds these records, the foundation upon which a New Mexico prosecution could be built erodes,” Torrez wrote in a scathing letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on June 30 that was publicly released on Thursday. “Witnesses relocate and become unreachable. Memories, already strained by years of trauma, fade further. Physical and documentary evidence degrades, is lost, or is rendered more difficult to authenticate with the passage of time.”

Torrez’s letter marks the latest criticism of the US Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein case as Congress forced the department to release files related to the sex trafficker with a bipartisan bill late last year.

CNN has reached out to the US Justice Department for comment.

New Mexico is investigating allegations of illegal activity surrounding the property Epstein owned near Santa Fe, known as Zorro Ranch.

The criminal probe was reopened in February after the US DOJ’s release of millions of files related to Epstein, which included a 2019 email received by a local radio host that alleged that “somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G.” That allegation is unverified, but it is also not clear to what extent it had been investigated by law enforcement before the recent renewed interest in Epstein.

Some of Epstein’s survivors, including Chauntae Davies and the late Virginia Giuffre, have said the ranch was one of the places where they were sexually assaulted.

Several lawmakers criticized the heavy redactions in the Epstein files the DOJ began releasing in December 2025, and the US DOJ’s internal watchdog is reviewing the redaction process.

Some members of Congress have been allowed to view the unredacted documents but they had to “travel to a DOJ annex, sit at one of four DOJ-owned computers, use a clunky and convoluted software system provided by DOJ, and search for and read documents while DOJ staffers look over our shoulders,” according to Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

A drone view shows Zorro Ranch, a property formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein, near Stanley, New Mexico, on March 8.

Rebecca Noble/Reuters/File

In last week’s letter, Torrez outlined six attempts from the New Mexico DOJ office to reach the federal agency, including a February 13 request for documents and an effort last month to set up an in-person meeting during Torrez’s visit to Washington, DC.

“Despite verbal assurances of cooperation from the USDOJ, access to the requested records has not been granted, no substantive response has been provided, and more than 130 days have now elapsed since the (New Mexico Department of Justice’s) initial request,” Torrez wrote. “The NMDOJ views this length of time as an unreasonable delay under any rule of reason.”

As part of the criminal investigation, New Mexico authorities searched Zorro Ranch in March.

Separately, the state has a special legislative panel called “The New Mexico Survivor’s Truth Commission,” which is also investigating Zorro Ranch. Last month, the committee subpoenaed multiple banks, several US Attorneys offices, as well as the offices of Torrez and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, for information.

CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Michael Williams, MJ Lee, Nicky Robertson and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.