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Trump’s lawyers put Dem AG on notice for targeting his family in NY fraud fight: ‘Cannot stand’

August 26, 2026 7:33pm EDT / Fox News

The appeal argues the $450M penalty is excessive and that the case should have never been brought

By Leo Briceno, Fox News

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On Wednesday, representatives of President Donald Trump filed a brief in the New York Court of Appeals, arguing that the court should throw out his liability finding in a $464 million civil fraud case that centered on Trump’s real estate valuations.

The appeal argues that the case had several legal flaws that should have prevented it from being heard in the first place.

“This case should have never been brought, and the judgment cannot stand,” the appeal reads. “This case is extremely unusual; it involves not only reams of improper statements targeting President Trump, his family, and his businesses, but also a decision to apply [New York law] against those targets in a completely unprecedented and unlawful way.”

The appeal is the latest instance of President Donald Trump pushing back against what he has characterized as politically charged lawfare that he endured between his two administrations. It also gives Trump a renewed opportunity to push back against some of the penalties that still apply to him from that verdict.

LETITIA JAMES HAMMERED AFTER NY MEDICAID FRAUD UNIT FUNDING FROZEN OVER INEFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 16: Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference following a verdict against former U.S. President Donald Trump in a civil fraud trial on February 16, 2024 in New York City. Justice Arthur Engoron ruled against the former president finding him liable for conspiring to manipulating his networth and fining him $335 million and imposing a three year ban from serving in top roles at any NY company. The judge also banned Eric and Donald Trump Jr. for two years as well as a fine of more than four million dollars.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

In 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump, alleging 200 instances of fraud. Specifically, her office alleged that Trump had routinely overvalued properties in New York City in order to secure favorable loans or insurance rates in violation of New York Executive Law § 63(12). The provision instructs the attorney general to prosecute cases of repeated fraudulent or illegal acts.

The law defines fraud as “any device, scheme or artifice to defraud and any deception, misrepresentation, concealment, suppression, false pretense, false promise or unconscionable contractual provision.”

Trump was found liable in 2023.

As a result, Trump was required to pay $355 million plus interest in damages and was banned from serving as an officer or director of any New York company for two years. He was also banned from applying for loans from any New York bank or financial institution for three years. Although an intermediate appeals court later vacated the monetary award, Trump’s lawyers argue the underlying liability finding and the remaining restrictions should also be overturned.

APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 11: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he leaves the courtroom during his civil fraud trial at New York Supreme Court on January 11, 2024 in New York City. Trump won’t make his own closing arguments after his lawyers objected to Judge Arthur Engoron’s insistence that Trump stay within the bounds of “relevant, material facts that are in evidence” of the case. Trump faces a permanent ban from running a business in New York state and $370 million in penalties in the case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James.(Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The appeal submitted on Wednesday argues against the verdict along five key lines.

The document argues that Attorney General James lacked the authority to bring the case, noting that the case involves private commercial transactions rather than harm to the public. It also contends that Trump’s valuations reflected subjective estimates that lenders independently evaluated rather than fraudulent misrepresentations.

“The only supposed ‘victims’ here are a handful of ultrasophisticated banks and insurers that have never claimed to be injured, were eager to do business with President Trump and his family, and made over $100 million from these transactions,” the appeal states.

The appeal further argues that the prosecution’s premise of overvaluation is based on the misguided idea that real estate has one objective value — and that deviations from that value must be fraud.

“Under that breathtakingly broad theory, NYAG can second-guess any business transaction in this State on almost any imagined grounds,” the filing reads.

And on the penalties, the appeal argues that the $450 million disgorgement is excessive, unlawful and even unconstitutional.

Finally, the appeal argues that the politically charged nature of the case, on its own, should have been enough to halt its consideration.

“NYAG cannot point to a single Section 63(12) enforcement action against similarly situated developers (or any other type of defendant) based on practices comparable to those alleged here,” the filing states.

TRUMP PICKS JAMES MCDONALD TO LEAD POWERFUL SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER JAY CLAYTON’S DEPARTURE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 04: Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in the courtroom for the third day of his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 04, 2023 in New York City. Former President Trump may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Arthur Engoron canceled his business certificates and ruled that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud.(Mary Altafeer-Pool/Getty Images)

“Ms. James repeatedly called President Trump a ‘criminal’; promised to ‘investigate President Trump and his business transactions,’ ‘review … Trump-related real estate transactions,’ and ‘take on … his business in New York’; and threatened President Trump’s ‘family’ and ‘anyone in his orbit,” the document states.

James’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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

Judge dismisses lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X challenging New York hate speech law

August 26, 2026 10:07 PM UTC / Reuters

By Jonathan Stempel

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

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NEW YORK, Aug 26 (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s ​X seeking to void a New York state law requiring social media ‌companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, harassment, foreign political interference and disinformation.

U.S. District Judge John Cronan in Manhattan rejected X’s argument that the Stop Hiding Hate Act violated the ​U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment by exposing it to lawsuits and big fines ​unless it disclosed “highly sensitive and controversial speech” that the state found ⁠objectionable.

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The judge said requiring X to report “purely factual and uncontroversial information” about its ​content moderation policies was reasonably related to New York’s interest in letting people make ​informed choices about using social media.

“Businesses always exercise their discretion, judgment, and opinions when deciding what goods or services to offer,” Cronan wrote. “Burger King chooses to generally offer higher-calorie items than, ​say, Sweetgreen, but the disclosure of calorie information remains purely factual. So too ​here.”

The dismissal is with prejudice, meaning X cannot amend its complaint.

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X, formerly Twitter, is part of ‌Musk’s ⁠rocket and satellite company SpaceX (SPCX.O), opens new tab. Neither lawyers for X nor SpaceX immediately responded to requests for comment.

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James defended the law. It did not immediately respond to similar requests for comment.

Signed, opens new tab in December 2024 ​by Governor Kathy Hochul, ​the New York ⁠law required social media companies with at least $100 million of annual revenue to disclose how they eliminate hate on their platforms, ​and report their progress.

Civil fines can reach $15,000, opens new tab per violation per ​day. The ⁠law was written with help from the Anti-Defamation League.

In seeking a dismissal, James said the law helped consumers understand what to expect from social media, without blocking platforms from ⁠speaking ​out or exercising judgment when moderating content.

Musk scrapped Twitter’s ​content moderation policy after he bought that company in 2022. The world’s richest person has described himself ​as a free speech absolutist.

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Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Aurora Ellis

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Bill Gates issues stark warning about AI’s impact on American jobs

August 26, 2026 / 6:33 PM EDT / CBS News

By Mary Cunningham

Bill Gates is sounding the alarm about artificial intelligence, warning in a new essay that the technology will rapidly transform the U.S. labor market and put millions of jobs at risk.

AI is changing the economy much faster than previous technological revolutions, advancing at what the Microsoft co-founder called a “mind-blowing rate” and leaving less time to prepare for employment disruptions.

“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 an article posted on his personal website published on Wednesday. “There will be some new jobs, but without the right policies, there will be far fewer than exist today.”

While Gates outlines what he describes as a number of risks posed by AI in his nearly 6,000-word essay, he focuses particularly on how the technology could affect American workers. As AI’s reasoning skills improve, it’s becoming a more direct competitor to human cognitive abilities, he said.

“The biggest shift for workers will happen when AI provides nearly error-free work,” he wrote. “At that point, it will be able to function on its own without a human checking in on it, and companies will have every economic incentive to let it.”

AI is already changing white-collar professions as companies offload tasks such as data analysis to AI, reducing the need for human labor, Gates noted. He also expressed concern for young people entering the workforce amid fewer job openings.

But desk jobs aren’t the only ones at risk, Gates warned. AI will soon be able to do physical work just as well as humans, he argued, which could weigh on blue-collar jobs like construction.

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“I think ‘smart’ robots will begin to compete with people on some physical tasks — in the construction and hospitality industries, for example — by the end of the decade,” he wrote.

Humans only?

To prepare for such changes, Gates said it is urgent to discuss policies to mitigate AI’s impact on jobs. One idea would be to introduce a tax on AI tokens and robots, a move Gates argued would slow companies’ displacement of human workers.

“Right now, if you’re an employer and you hire someone, you pay payroll taxes on their earnings,” he wrote. “But if you buy a robot, you can usually write it off right away as a business expense. The tax system nudges you toward replacing people with machines.”

Gates also advocates reserving certain jobs, such as caregiving, for people, noting that humans are better able to handle certain responsibilities than robots. He equated that approach to creating a nature preserve in which societies choose to protect land rather than build on it.

“Some countries might insist on having humans take care of the elderly,” he wrote. “But a country like Japan, which has a shrinking workforce and not enough young people to care for the old, may welcome a caregiving robot.”

The rapid advances in AI mean policymakers, legislators and other decision makers must act now to develop a framework to address potential disruption from the technology.

“I believe we need time to prepare for the period of social, political and economic upheaval we are about to enter,” Gates said. “The people who need the most time are the ones who have the least — the accounting worker who’s replaced by a bot or the $20-an-hour worker who loses their job to a $10-an-hour robot.”

Edited by Alain Sherter

Trump says he signed proclamation to address ‘unreasonably’ high beef prices

August 26, 2026 10:24 PM UTC / Reuters

A cow stands in the Lubbock Feeders feedlot, that has 350 acres of feedyard pens, in Lubbock, Texas, U.S., April 22, 2026. REUTERS/Annie Rice Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) – President Donald ​Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation to ‌temporarily increase the quantity of lean beef trimmings that are imported, according to the White House.

The proclamation ​released by the White House said ​that the step aimed to address beef ⁠prices that have “increased unreasonably” for U.S. consumers. The ​American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation’s top farm ​lobby, wrote to Trump in a letter that lightening the tariffs would “undermine America’s ranchers.”

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Trump suggested last week that he ​would make the move, which drew immediate strong ​opposition from U.S. farm and ranch groups.

U.S. consumers ‌have ⁠faced record-high beef prices this year, as drought and wildfires have pushed cattle supplies to a 75-year low.

Trump had imposed livestock import restrictions ​on Mexico ​to combat ⁠the spread of New World screwworm, the proclamation said. This week, the ​U.S. began a phased reopening of some livestock ​ports ⁠along its southern border.

The quantity of trimmings imported with no above-quota tariff will be increased ⁠by ​300,000 metric tons, the proclamation ​said.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Ismail Shakil, Christian Martinez, and Leah ​Douglas; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis and David Gregorio

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FDA approves new pancreatic cancer drug that could extend patients’ lives

August 26, 2026 / 7:02 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a groundbreaking new drug for advanced pancreatic cancer, offering U.S. patients a more effective treatment against one of the deadliest types of cancer.

FDA officials gave expedited approval to the first-of-a-kind pill, called daraxonrasib, which blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. It’s an approach that previously eluded drugmakers for decades.

The daily pills will be sold by Revolution Medicines under the brand name Rasonque. A one-month supply would cost approximately $39,800, the company announced.

Patients taking the drug nearly doubled their survival time, with fewer severe side effects, in a study that randomly assigned them to receive the experimental treatment or more chemotherapy. The company-funded study enrolled 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment.

This photo provided by Revolution Medicines on Aug. 26, 2026, shows packaging for the new pancreatic cancer drug, daraxonrasib, under the brand name Rasonque. Revolution Medicines via AP

“Most patients get the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer quite late, at which point its already metastatic, it’s already spread,” said Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical correspondent. “… This is a pill that blocks a protein called RAS, and mutations in RAS drive around 90% of all pancreatic cancers. Scientists have been calling RAS ‘undruggable’ for the last 40 years, and now finally, we have a drug for it.”

Patients getting the new treatment lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. Side effects included skin rash, mouth sores, diarrhea and other digestive issues.

“This is one of the most anticipated approvals I can think of,” said Dr. Andrew Coveler of the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. “This medicine is not a cure but a significant improvement.”

Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it is hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The five-year overall survival rate is 13%.

Former Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer last December, told “60 Minutes” in April that he was part of the clinical trial for daraxonrasib. Sasse said the drug had been extremely effective for him, describing it as a “miracle drug.”

“I have much, much less pain than I had four months ago when I was diagnosed, and I have a massive 76% reduction in tumor volume over the last four months,” Sasse told “60 Minutes.”

Sasse said that when he was diagnosed in December, doctors had given him a “three- to four-month life expectancy.”

“I am on extended time already,” he said.

FDA regulators noted on Wednesday that they approved the drug more than six months ahead of their target date.

“It is our fundamental duty to deliver more cures and meaningful treatments to patients as quickly as possible,” the FDA’s acting commissioner, Kyle Diamantas, said in a statement.

Unlike with other cancers that have benefited from a variety of chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has been harder to tackle.

The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. What are known as KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.”

Doctors who treat pancreatic cancer hope the drug may usher in more new options for other forms of cancer, with scores of experimental drugs in development.

“I think this has opened doors for many other companies,” said Dr. Pashtoon Kasi of City of Hope Orange County, a California-based cancer center. “Downstream I think there are going to be a lot more trials looking at this approach in other tumor types.”

Revolution Medicines’ drug uses what’s essentially a molecular glue to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. The Redwood City, California-based drugmaker is studying its technology for several other forms of cancer, including lung cancer.

NFL ends Pro Bowl after 75 years, will still honor roster at season’s end

August 26, 2026 / 7:16 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The Pro Bowl is no more, the NFL announced Wednesday, ending an exhibition of the league’s top players that was held in some form almost every year since 1951.

The game wasn’t played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was the only pause in the postseason event.

The league said 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowlers and honored in Los Angeles after this season. Several flag football events also will take place at that time.

In a news release, the NFL said it plans to “elevate” Pro Bowl selections, with no replacement selections, who in the past would substitute for injured players or for those playing in that year’s Super Bowl.

This year’s included Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson.

“The roster will continue to be determined through an equal- weighted voting process among players, coaches and fans,” the NFL’s statement said.

“The Pro Bowl has always been about recognizing the players who distinguish themselves as the very best in the NFL,” league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a statement. “A Pro Bowl selection will return to its original purpose, honoring the best of the best. We want that distinction to carry even greater meaning for the players, their families, their clubs and our fans.”

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The Athletic reported Wednesday that NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent Sr. discussed the state of the Pro Bowl in a call with more than a dozen star players this summer.

Vincent said the players wanted a celebration of the league’s all-stars, according to The Athletic.

The Pro Bowl has also waned in popularity in recent years. Once a staple in Honolulu, the NFL has moved the event to various cities and even switched from tackle to flag football in 2023.

杨丹旭：APEC前深圳连换“一二把手”

2026年8月27日 05:00 / 联合早报

APEC峰会前夕，深圳党政“一二把手”接连调整，熟悉本地事务的市长意外离任，新班子临危受命，背后或涉高层人事布局与政治信号。

现年55岁覃伟中（左）因工作岗位变动辞去深圳市长职务。53岁的李运出任深圳代理市长，预计后续将出任市长。

正值11月的亚太经济合作组织（APEC）深圳峰会筹备工作进入冲刺阶段，东道主深圳市政府临阵换帅了。

深圳市人大常委会星期一（8月24日）决定，任命53岁的李运为深圳市副市长，代理市长职务。55岁的覃伟中则“因为工作岗位变动”，辞去深圳市市长职务。

这是短短五个月里，深圳市领导班子再次出现重大变化。今年3月，56岁的中共四川省委常委、组织部部长靳磊跨省空降广东，出任广东省委常委、深圳市委书记。

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US judge again blocks Texas law targeting drag acts as unconstitutional

2026-08-26 21:43:34 UTC / Reuters

Drag queen Brigitte Bandit performs in Austin, Texas, U.S. August 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Aug 26 (Reuters) – A federal judge on Tuesday again blocked a Texas law restricting public drag performances, ruling for a second time that the legislation passed in ​the heavily Republican state violated the U.S. Constitution’s free speech ‌protections.

“For those who find such activities as described in this case offensive, the solution is relatively simple … just don’t go,” U.S. District Judge David Hittner wrote in ​his opinion — the second time the Texas-based judge has found the ​measure in violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment.

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The law, Texas ⁠Senate Bill 12, had previously been tossed by Hittner in 2023 but ​was allowed to take effect in 2026 during an appeal.

In his Tuesday ruling, Hittner ​wrote that the law is “unconstitutionally vague,” adding that performers ranging from Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley to Miley Cyrus could have been subject to penalties under the law ​if their performances were seen as “erotic.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office ​had defended the law, which, among other restrictions, banned “the exhibition of sexual gesticulations using ‌accessories ⁠or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female sexual characteristics” in public, or in venues where people under 18 may see it.

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Paxton, a Republican who is currently running for the U.S. Senate, called the ruling “a profoundly flawed ​decision that endangers our ​children and ⁠is an affront to Texas values.”

Opponents of the law criticized it as too broad and said it was ​explicitly intended to target LGBT performers.

“Today’s decision confirms that ​the Legislature’s ⁠attempt to ban drag performances was unconstitutional from start to finish,” Brian Klosterboer, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, which represented the plaintiffs, ⁠said ​in a statement. “Drag has a rich history ​as a refuge of joy and liberation for countless Texans, and it’s not going anywhere.”

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Reporting by ​Christian Martinez in Los Angeles; Editing by Scott Malone and Lisa Shumaker

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Trump signs order banning some foreign equipment from US energy grid

August 26, 2026 8:08 PM UTC / Updated 3 hours ago / By Reuters

A woman jogs by power lines in Mountain View, California, U.S., August 17, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

Aug 26 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday declaring a ​national emergency and banning the use of some foreign equipment ‌in the U.S. electricity grid, the White House said.

The order cites what the White House described as an “unusual and extraordinary foreign threat” posed by foreign-made bulk-power systems that may ​present national security vulnerabilities.

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Trump’s order, the latest example of Washington’s ​approach to tackling technology threats posed by China, follows a ⁠decision by the European Commission earlier this year to ban ​Chinese-made inverters from publicly funded energy projects.

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Last year, Reuters reported that ​rogue communication devices not listed in product documents had been found in some Chinese solar power inverters by U.S. experts who strip down equipment hooked up ​to grids to check for security issues.

“I … find that the ​situation with respect to the foreign supply of bulk-power system electric equipment constitutes ‌an ⁠unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and hereby declare a ​national emergency with ​respect to that ⁠threat,” Trump said in the order.

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Under the order, certain foreign-produced bulk-power system electric equipment, including associated critical ​software and digital capabilities that could pose cybersecurity or ​operational ⁠risks, will be barred from being purchased or installed in the United States, the White House said in a statement.

The order also asks the U.S. ⁠Energy ​Secretary to impose conditions on the continued ​use and operation of such equipment to address concerns identified by the Trump administration, ​the White House added.

Reporting by Ismail Shakil; editing by Michelle Nichols

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Hegseth upgrades Abbey Gate Marines’ valor awards after 5-year delay: ‘Those days are over’

August 26, 2026 6:42pm EDT / Fox News

The Pentagon ceremony marked 5 years since the ISIS-K attack that killed 13 service members in Afghanistan

By Jasmine Baehr Fox News

U.S. Marines receive prestigious military honors for their valorous actions during the chaotic August 2021 evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Eby, Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston and Cpl. Michael Gretzon are recognized by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth with the Bronze Star and Commendation medals in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026.

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth upgraded valor awards Wednesday for three Marines who risked their lives to save others during the deadly Abbey Gate bombing, saying their original award submissions were “inappropriately” downgraded after one of the darkest days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“For half a decade, this building allowed bureaucratic caution, or maybe politics, to stand in the way of proper recognition,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon ceremony marking exactly five years since the Aug. 26, 2021, terrorist attack.

“Today on this milestone anniversary, we declare that those days are over.”

WOUNDED MARINES RELIVE THE HARROWING KABUL AIRPORT ATTACK IN EXPLOSIVE NEW FOX NATION DOCUMENTARY

Secretary of War Peter Hegseth presents an upgraded Bronze Star with “V’ device for valor to Gunny Sgt. Jonathan Eby on Wednesday at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. Eby was recognized for his heroic service at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021.(Pool / Fox News)

Hegseth presented upgraded Bronze Star Medals with “V” devices for valor to Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Eby and Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston. Cpl. Michael Gretzon received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V” device for valor.

“For too long, leadership in this capital city failed to match that frontline courage with administrative backbone, inappropriately downgrading the original award submissions that these men rightfully deserved,” Hegseth said.

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT JAMES CAPERS JR. SAYS RECOGNITION IS BITTERSWEET AFTER LOSING ‘SO MUCH’

War Secretary Pete Hegseth pins a medal on Marine Lt. Col. Jordan Houston during an event to honor Marines who were serving during the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing, Wednesday, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Eby, then a staff sergeant, was screening evacuees from an exposed position when the suicide bomber struck. With his platoon commander and half his platoon wounded or killed, Eby took command, rallied his remaining Marines to establish security and helped evacuate the wounded, according to his award citation.

His actions “undoubtedly saved the lives of many,” the citation said.

Houston was roughly 32 feet from the blast and knocked unconscious. He awoke with shrapnel wounds but remained in an exposed position to cover fellow Marines and provide lifesaving treatment to those more seriously wounded, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith said.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth puts a medal on Marine Cpl. Michael Gretzon during an event to honor Marines, who were serving during the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing, at the Pentagon, Wednesday, in Arlington, Va.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Houston concealed his injuries because he feared being taken out of the fight and later removed shrapnel from his own body before receiving medical treatment.

“I don’t know where we find such men, but I’m not sure we deserve them,” Commandant Gen. Smith said.

Gretzon was also struck by shrapnel, suffering an arm wound severe enough that he applied his own tourniquet. After medical personnel bandaged him, he immediately returned to his squad and continued helping until his platoon sergeant personally ordered him to the casualty collection point, Smith said.

ARMY VET LAWMAKER MARKS ABBEY GATE ANNIVERSARY WITH BLISTERING MESSAGE FOR BIDEN-HARRIS: ‘ABJECT FAILURE’

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks Wednesday during a valor award upgrade ceremony at the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes in Arlington, Va., for Marines who served at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021.(Pool / Fox News)

The ISIS-K suicide bombing killed 13 American service members as U.S. forces carried out the final evacuation from Afghanistan.

The fallen were Marine Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola and Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui; Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak; and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.

REMEMBERING THE COLLEAGUES WE LOST: A VETERAN’S MEMORIAL DAY REFLECTION

Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, where a deadly ISIS-K terrorist attack occurred on Aug. 26, 2021, at Abbey Gate.(Wali Sabawoon/AP Photo, File)

“Today our hearts remain anchored to the memory of the 13 warriors who gave their last measure of devotion on August 26th of 2021,” the ceremony’s chaplain said, asking for continued comfort for their Gold Star families.

The award upgrades come as the War Department’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel continues examining the attack and withdrawal.

AMERICA’S PROMISE TO OUR AFGHAN ALLIES IS STILL UNFINISHED FIVE YEARS LATER

U.S. soldiers stand inside the airport wall as hundreds of people gather near an evacuation control checkpoint on the perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2021.(Wali Sabawoon/AP Photo, File)

Sean Parnell, who chairs the panel, said Wednesday that investigators recently recovered “highly relevant classified documents,” material he said should have been disclosed but was “stashed and hidden away in safes where they would not be found.”

After investigators examined the material, Parnell said, “it became clear why someone tried to hide them.”

MOSCOW, TALIBAN FORGE MILITARY ALLIANCE IN POWER GRAB AFTER US AFGHANISTAN EXIT: REPORTS

Family members of the 13 American service members who died in the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan look on during a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Sept 10, 2024.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, File)

Parnell did not disclose the documents’ contents because they are classified, and the War Department has not publicly identified who allegedly concealed them.

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Hegseth said the broader Afghanistan review is ongoing and that the department expects to have a full report to provide by the end of the calendar year.

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“Marines, on this fifth anniversary, your valor is now officially, permanently, and properly recognized,” Hegseth said. “You represent the very heart of peace through strength.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Jasmine Baehr is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, legal debates surrounding life and family policy, as well as faith and culture.