Iran privately told Trump advisers “they made a mistake” in shooting at ships in Strait of Hormuz

July 10, 2026 / 7:04 PM EDT / CBS News

By Jennifer Jacobs, Jennifer Jacobs Senior White House reporter

Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News.

Jennifer Jacobs, Kristin Brown

Iranian officials privately told Trump advisers that they made a mistake in shooting at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, that the attacks stemmed from an “errant” sect of hardliners who are trying to undermine negotiations, and that they want to keep talking, senior U.S. officials said on Friday.

The White House wants the regime to publicly acknowledge its mistake, which the Trump administration views as a violation of the ceasefire.

President Trump has directed his team — led by Vice President JD Vance, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — to continue negotiations.

The talks are to take place in Oman on Saturday.

The U.S. will respond, using military and economic leverage, if Iran continues to engage in hostile acts, the officials said.

“They came back to the table and said, ‘We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let’s keep talking,’” one official said.

After Saturday’s meeting in Oman, the administration expects Iran’s position to be that the strait will be open and managed in the same way it was before the conflict began.

If that is not their position, the official said, “it’s not going to be a great day for them.”

“We’re definitely in a wait-and-see moment,” another official said.

The Iranians have told the U.S. that the attacks on ships were initiated by an errant entity in their system who wants to undermine the deal.

The Trump administration, however, maintains that the ships were targeted for another reason. The U.S. believed that a southern lane in the Strait of Hormuz, the one along the Omani coast, would be open under the memorandum. But Iran was caught off guard by how rapidly traffic was moving — and how much of the oil and gas traffic was moving through the southern lane — and that is why they reneged, one of the officials said.

Mr. Trump is giving U.S. negotiators space and time to make a deal — but not a lot of time, one of the officials said.

Regarding what the president refers to as the “nuclear dust,” the remnants of Iran’s nuclear program, the officials said the U.S. would prefer to excavate it, but if Iran refuses to act like a “normal country,” there are other options, including keeping it buried.

If Iran is not capable of honoring what the U.S. believes was the easiest part of the deal – opening up the strait to trade – negotiators will never get to address the thornier issue of Iran’s nuclear program, another official said.

The officials declined to comment on reports that Israeli intelligence revealed plots against Mr. Trump, but said the president doesn’t make decisions based on fear or threats.

Bipartisan senators announce agreement with Trump administration on Russia sanctions

2026-07-10T20:40:32.317Z / CNN

By Morgan Rimmer

3 hr ago

PUBLISHED Jul 10, 2026, 4:40 PM ET

Donald Trump Russia Congressional news War in Ukraine

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Sen. Richard Blumenthal, left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham speak at Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, during a press conference in May 2025, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

Tetiana Dzhafrova/AFP/Getty Images/File

Bipartisan senators announced an agreement with the Trump administration on Friday to move ahead with an updated Russia sanctions package, but it remains unclear if President Donald Trump will directly back the bill’s passage.

The package would allow Trump to place heavy tariffs on imports from nations that import Russian oil, uranium and natural gas, with possible exceptions for countries that contribute to the Ukrainian war effort. Last summer, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal were pushing for the package. Trump signaled he was open to the idea and expressed disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attitude toward negotiations, but the administration did not come out in support of the bill.

Graham and Blumenthal, who have been leading the push for this bill for years, released a statement on Friday alongside Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker and Senate Foreign Relations Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen stating, “We are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Trump Administration to move our updated Russia sanctions legislation forward. We are very pleased with this significant progress and expect to roll out the legislation very soon.”

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.

Graham visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday in Kyiv.

“Right now, it is important to strengthen our long-range sanction pressure on Russia with new sanction steps from our partners. Lindsey informed me about the work in Congress on the relevant bill,” Zelensky said in a social media post after the meeting.

Graham and Blumenthal have long had vast bipartisan support for Russia sanctions, including a package with over 80 Senate cosponsors from both parties. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has maintained the Senate will follow the White House’s lead on the issue and won’t bring the sanctions bill to the floor until they are certain of the administration’s backing, despite previous comments by Graham that the administration approves of the bill.

CNN has reached out to Thune’s office for comment.

The calendar is also a factor; the Senate is staring down several must-pass pieces of legislation, including the annual defense policy package and another government funding deadline, with only a handful of weeks in session between now and the midterm elections.

The deal for a sanctions package would come on the heels of an announcement by Trump allowing Ukraine to build Patriot defense missile batteries, something the country desperately needs as Russia continues its attacks.

The announcement came as a surprise on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey this week, even though Ukraine has been working on the issue for years, and there were some indications a deal could be close. Sat next to Trump during the announcement, Zelensky at times looked like he almost couldn’t believe his luck. The two men share a rocky relationship and the flareup in the war in Iran appeared to have put Trump into a foul mood just before his meeting.

CNN’s Alison Main and Ivana Kottasová contributed to this report.

Israel signals readiness for another Iran strike as Trump declares ceasefire over

July 10, 2026 4:48pm EDT / Fox News

By Efrat Lachter Fox News

Israel’s leaders are publicly signaling that their country is prepared to strike Iran for a third time, while a U.S. official tells Fox News Digital that Washington remains closely coordinated with Jerusalem.

“The IDF is on high alert and prepared to resume the campaign, regain air superiority, and carry out an independent Israeli strike against Iran to eliminate threats — even for a third time,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Minister Israel Katz said Thursday at a graduation ceremony for the Israeli Air Force’s newest pilots.

“If we have to return, we will return with even greater force,” Katz added.

ISRAEL DEFENSE CHIEF WARNS STRIKES ON IRAN COULD RESUME SOON, SIGNALS CAMPAIGN NOT OVER

U.S. Central Command shared this footage in a July 8, 2026, press release about strikes against Iran.(CENTCOM)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned Thursday that Israel’s campaign against Iran was not finished and said Tehran would not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon, regardless of any agreement reached with Washington.

“The war has not yet ended,” Netanyahu said at the air force ceremony. “Alongside the old challenges, new challenges are emerging. Axes are falling, and axes are rising. We are paying attention to this. We are prepared for every scenario.”

Two Israeli sources told CNN Friday that the Trump administration does not currently want Israel to participate in the latest U.S. strikes against Iran.

“Netanyahu would really want to join the U.S. strikes, but the U.S. doesn’t want Israel involved at the moment,” one of the sources told CNN.

A U.S. official denied the report, telling Fox News Digital, “This is fake news. The United States has a strong relationship with Israel, which contributed to the resounding success of Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury. We remain in close coordination with our Israeli partners.”

Israel first launched a major campaign against Iran in June 2025, with the United States later joining the fighting by striking the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities. On Feb. 28, the two allies launched a new, coordinated military campaign against Iran.

While Israeli leaders are openly presenting the military as ready for another campaign, some Israeli officials and analysts say there is little appetite for renewed fighting unless it produces a clear strategic result.

The public warnings may overstate Israel’s desire to reenter the fighting, said Israeli analyst and journalist for Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth, Nadav Eyal.

“On the record, Israel is signaling that it is prepared and even eager to strike Iran. But off the record, sources are saying that it is anything but that,” Eyal told Fox News Digital. “The reason is clear: Any Israeli strike in Iran will lead to Iranian ballistic missile attacks against Israel.”

US CLAWS BACK KEY CONCESSION TO IRAN AFTER FRESH ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, from left, US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. Trump insisted Egypt and Jordan will take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, dismissing the countries’ refusal to accept people from the war-shattered territory. Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images(Getty Images)

Eyal said the domestic political consequences could make Netanyahu reluctant to begin another round of fighting, particularly as Israel approaches another election.

“If these strikes are meant to provide meaningful, strategic change, it is something the prime minister can sell to the public,” Eyal said. “But if the intention is only to use Israel as leverage, why should Israelis again experience a couple of weeks or more of sitting in safe rooms and losing their summer vacations, children’s day camps and summer camps? That could play out badly for the prime minister politically.”

“The truth is that Israel was not really enthusiastic about another strike,” he added. “That doesn’t mean it is not going to happen. If President Trump demands that Netanyahu join, it is very hard to see the Israelis saying no. But right now, I don’t see any passion for it.”

The diplomatic outreach continued even as Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran was over.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

A source with knowledge of the situation told Fox News that Qatari negotiators have traveled to Iran, in coordination with the United States, to meet with Iranian officials in an effort to de-escalate the situation and create the conditions for negotiations to resume.

On Thursday, Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office, which said the two agreed to continue coordinating across several regional fronts. Trump briefed Netanyahu on American operations in the Gulf, the statement said.

NETANYAHU REJECTS REPORTS OF A RIFT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYS THE TWO REMAIN ALIGNED ON IRAN

A satellite image shows damage at the control tower in the port of Chabahar, Iran, July 9, 2026, after the U.S. military said July 8, 2026, it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping.(2026 PLANET LABS PBC/Handout via Reuters)

The military warnings came as the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Israel had provided the United States with intelligence about what is described as a fresh Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.

The developments follow renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. naval officials said the maritime threat remained “severe.” U.S. Naval Forces Central Command reminded commercial vessels Friday that an expanded southern route through the strait remained open and that no controlling authority could require ships to pay a fee for passage.

A U.S. official told Fox News on background that Iran’s attacks against commercial vessels were “acts of terrorism” and constituted failed performance under the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.

“The United States is still committed to finding a resolution, and technical talks continue,” the official said. “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”

Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, a former senior Israeli military intelligence officer who now heads the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said Israel had never regarded the memorandum as an adequate guarantee.

“From Israel’s perspective, the MOU was never a good deal,” Kuperwasser told Fox News Digital, speaking of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran.

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CENTCOM shared footage of strikes against airplanes amid Iran war(U.S. Central Command on X)

“Israel should be on high alert, ready to face an Iranian attack and prepared to strike back if necessary,” he added.

For now, Israel’s leaders appear to be leaving Iran — and Washington — with little doubt that they are prepared to act. Whether the United States allows Israel to join the renewed campaign, however, could determine whether the latest confrontation remains limited or develops into another full-scale regional war.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Efrat Lachter is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.

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Graham Platner formally drops out of Maine Senate race

July 10, 2026 / 5:53 PM EDT / CBS News

Graham Platner has formally filed the paperwork to suspend his campaign for U.S. Senate in Maine, with little time to go before the deadline.

The Maine Secretary of State’s Office confirmed receipt of Platner’s official withdrawal on Friday.

“Because the candidate officially withdrew before 5 p.m. of the 2nd Monday in July (July 13, 2026), his name will not appear on the ballot, and his political party may replace him,” the office said in a statement, noting that the deadline for the party to name a replacement candidate is July 27.

In his letter to the Maine secretary of state, which Platner posted to X on Friday, he wrote that he was formally withdrawing his candidacy for U.S. Senate.

“My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. As such, please consider this notice as my official withdrawal from consideration for this office,” he wrote.

Platner announced the suspension of his campaign in an 11-minute social media video on Wednesday, after a woman accused him of sexual assault and the Democrats who supported him said he should step aside.

He vehemently denied the sexual assault allegations, calling them “false” and “not real,” but said the pressure from state-level and national Democrats had made it impossible for his campaign to continue. He blamed the “political establishment” for the situation.

Platner’s 11th-hour exit from the race has prompted hurried efforts from Democrats looking to replace him. The Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 at 5 p.m. to select a replacement. The party said it would hold a nominating convention.

“Maine Statute does not address how a replacement candidate may be chosen by a party, only that the candidate filling the vacancy must be a ‘qualified person,’” the Maine Secretary of State’s Office said in its statement. “Announcements about how a replacement candidate will be chosen or when that candidate will be announced will come from the political party.”

The Senate race in Maine is one of the most closely watched races of this cycle, as Democrats seek to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a contest that could determine control of the Senate.

Platner had urged the Maine Democratic Party to use an “open, transparent and democratic” process to replace him, and said the decision shouldn’t be made by “party apparatchiks.”

A Maine woman, Jenny Racicot, told Politico and CNN that Platner entered her home without permission in late 2021 when he was drunk and forced himself on her, ignoring her demands for him to stop. Racicot said the two met on a dating app in 2019 and had a casual, consensual relationship before the night of the alleged assault.

Racicot told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Platner, “by dictionary definition, raped me.”

“He violated multiple layers of consent that night. By coming into my home when I asked him not to, and by advancing on me when I told him not to, and furthermore, another incident that I had told him not to do,” Racicot said, referring to his alleged refusal to use protection.

She said: “In that moment, I evaluated my safety. … I basically felt safest just complying.”

Platner called the allegations “categorically false” in a video shortly after Politico broke the story Monday, before Racicot’s CNN interview. In a statement, his campaign called the allegations “desperate smears” that were “coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives.”

In his video announcing the end of his campaign, Platner said he learned about the allegations through press inquiries “with no time to truly respond, no time for investigations before a corporate media system and the political establishment got to act as judge, jury and executioner.”

“Accusations are supposed to be the beginning of things, not the end,” he said.

“This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot, and that’s why this is occurring,” he added.

The allegations led the Maine Democratic Party, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who chairs Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to call on Platner to withdraw earlier this week. The DSCC said it would not invest in the race if Platner remained on the ballot, and the Senate Majority PAC said in light of the allegations, it was redirecting resources away from the Maine Senate race, severely limiting his campaign’s viability going forward.

And a number of Platner’s highest-profile supporters in Congress — like Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona — also took back their endorsements shortly after the story became public.

On Tuesday, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said he spoke with Platner and “recommended that he step aside.” The statement carried significant weight, with Sanders having been a key supporter of Platner’s.

Caitlin Yilek and Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.

美官员：霍尔木兹海峡将全面恢复通航

2026年7月11日 07:22 / 联合早报

国际市场服务机构克普勒公司7月10日数据显示，7月9日通过霍尔木兹海峡的船舶数量从前一天的30艘降至22艘，连续两天通航量下降。 （法新社）

美国官员称，霍尔木兹海峡将很快全面恢复通航，并指伊朗谈判代表将近期船只遇袭事件归咎于擅自行动的军事单位。

综合《纽约时报》和彭博社报道，三名要求匿名的美国高级官员星期五（7月10日）说，他们预计伊朗将在未来几天发表公开声明，确认霍尔木兹海峡所有航道保持开放，伊朗军队将停止向通过这条狭窄水道的船只开火。

美国官员还说，如果伊朗不发表这项声明并予以遵守，“他们不会有好的下场。”

在约30分钟谈话中，三名美国官员透露，伊朗谈判代表告诉他们，针对船只的无人机袭击是由伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队中擅自行动的单位发动的。目的是企图破坏美伊于6月签署、一项措辞含糊的核协议。

他们也说，特朗普政府计划继续就伊朗核计划达成一项更广泛的永久性协议进行谈判，并将对任何进一步袭击船只的行为做出军事回击。

延伸阅读

霍尔木兹海峡遇袭船员索赔 泰国法院受理
霍尔木兹海峡航运锐减 油轮关闭应答器避袭

当天早些时候，美国总统特朗普在社媒平台Truth Social贴文称，谈判将继续进行，但伊朗和美国6月达成的14项条款停火协议已失效。

其中一名美国官员说，伊朗若要与美国敲定最终版核协议，就必须向美国移交“核尘埃”（nuclear dust）。这些核尘埃必须稀释至无法用于制造核武器。所谓“核尘埃”是指接近武器级的浓缩铀，主要埋藏在伊斯法罕（Isfahan）铀浓缩与转化中心。

但美国与伊朗6月18日签署包含14项条款的谅解备忘录并未明确规定这批铀燃料的归属，而且伊朗官员过后对外宣布，这批铀燃料绝对不能运出伊朗。

此外，目前也不清楚铀燃料的回收和稀释工作是否由伊朗进行，还是由美国与联合国核查机构——国际原子能机构（IAEA）合作进行。

三名美国官员并未透露美伊就一项更广泛的协议进行后续谈判的计划。若要赶在协议规定的60天期限届满前，双方必须在8月中旬前达成最终协议。

Secretary Brooke Rollins says the label helps family farmers and independent ranchers gain market share and recognition

By James Cirrone, Fox News

FIRST ON FOX — The Trump administration announced on Friday that 10 additional companies will put a “Product of USA” label on their meat and poultry products that originate from farms and ranches in the United States.

This push began earlier this year as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiative aimed at making it easier for consumers to know whether they are supporting American meat producers at the grocery store.

“President Trump has made it clear that when American families buy American products, they should know exactly what they’re getting,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. “The Product of USA label gives consumers confidence that the meat, poultry, and egg products they purchase come from animals born, raised, harvested, and processed right here in the United States.”

STEVE MOORE: POLITICIANS ARE BLAMING THE WRONG VILLAIN FOR AMERICA’S RISING FOOD PRICES

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks with guests outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2026.(Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The USDA finalized the updated standard of what qualifies as American meat in 2024, marking a shift from past labeling rules that critics said allowed some imported meat to say it was U.S.-made as long as it was merely processed domestically.

Rollins added that as more companies adopt the voluntary label, independent ranchers, family farmers, and small- and mid-sized meat processors will begin to reap the benefits.

“USDA will continue working every day to strengthen domestic food production and ensure American agriculture remains the strongest in the world,” Rollins added.

The 10 new companies adopting the “Product of USA” label include Harris Ranch and One World Beef, both based in California; Upper Iowa Beef; American Foods Group; Agri Beef in Idaho; FPL Food in Georgia; Hadrick Farms in South Dakota; Fort Worth Meat Packers in Texas; Wholestone Farms in Nebraska; and Harrison’s Poultry in Illinois.

USDA choice grade stickers are displayed on packages of meat at a Costco store on Nov. 11, 2025, in Novato, California.(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

STEVE FORBES: CHUCK SCHUMER HAS A BEEF WITH BEEF, BUT DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO GRILL IT

Juan Ramos,founder and CEO of Fort Worth Meats, said in a statement that the origin of food “should never be a mystery.”

“Consumers deserve labels they can trust,U.S. producers deserve recognition for what they produce, and every meat product should be represented honestly for what it is,” Ramos said.

Eric Brandt, the president of One World Beef, thanked the USDA for strengthening transparency and “helping preserve the future of independent ranching for generations to come.”

Cattle rest in a field on June 5, 2026, in Hamilton, Texas.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

SECRETARY ROLLINS DISCUSSES US AGRICULTURE’S ROLE IN IRAN PLAN

“Working from pasture to package gives us a unique appreciation for the responsibility behind every label. Honest representation honors the work of producers and gives consumers the confidence to know exactly what they’re buying,” Kyle Zimmerman, co-president and co-owner of Harrisons Poultry, said.

According to the USDA website, thousands of American producers already display the “Product of USA” label.

Last month, the USDA announced another new initiative called the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers Program.

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The program will provide up to $500 million to help eligible small- and mid-sized beef processors to expand their domestic operations.

To be eligible, companies need to be U.S.-owned firms under federal inspection, according to the USDA. They also cannot hold a dominant position in the beef processing market.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

James Cirrone is a writer on the Breaking/Trending News team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to james.cirrone@fox.com.

CEO under fire for mass layoffs amid foreign worker hiring spree now appointed to Fed’s task force on jobs

July 10, 2026 12:22pm EDT / Fox News

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs after getting approved to hire 2,273 foreign H-1B visa workers this year

By Peter D’Abrosca, Fox News

There’s an ‘abundance of evidence’ on relationship between immigration and home prices, Fed Governor says

Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Stephen Miran discusses the correlation between housing prices and immigration, possible future rate cuts and more on ‘The Story.’

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The CEO of a popular U.S. gaming brand on Thursday was appointed to a high-level Federal Reserve task force despite ongoing fury over her company’s recent firing of 1,600 workers while being approved to hire thousands of foreign visa workers.

Asha Sharma, who heads Microsoft’s Xbox division, announced the layoffs earlier this week. Microsoft said that it will lay off 4,800 people in total, while it had been approved earlier this year to hire 2,273 foreign H-1B visa employees, according to data from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).

At the height of the wrath over the layoffs this week, the Federal Reserve moved forward with appointing Sharma to a newly-created advisory role within the central bank.

FURY ERUPTS AS US BRAND FIRES 1,600 EMPLOYEES AFTER SECURING THOUSANDS OF FOREIGN WORKER VISAS

Asha Sharma, chief executive officer of Xbox, during the Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco, California, on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The event brings together the leading CEOs, investors and innovators who are harnessing technology to change the world around us.(David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sharma will serve on a task force on “Productivity and Jobs” alongside Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen and Stanford University economics professor Charles I. Jones.

“The Federal Reserve’s commitment to price stability and maximum employment is unwavering. As is our resolve to pursue our mandate with rigor,” said new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh in a statement on the appointments.

“Each task force will carefully consider whether policymakers’ means and methods, analytical tools and policy approaches can be improved upon,” he continued. “I am honored that the best minds from a range of disciplines have agreed to work with us to sharpen our performance as an institution.”

Many of the same critics who raged at Sharma, Xbox and Microsoft over the perceived replacement of American employees with foreign visa workers continued their tirades after the announcement.

Microsoft said that 740 of this year’s visas were to hire employees already in the U.S. from other companies, while the other 1,533 were renewals of existing visas.

TRUMP TAPS ACTING LABOR SECRETARY KEITH SONDERLING FOR PERMANENT ROLE PENDING SENATE CONFIRMATION

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh speaks during his first news conference since taking the helm at the central bank on June 17, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Warsh was appointed by President Donald Trump after former chair Jerome Powell’s tenure ended in May.(Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

“It’s like asking El Chapo to lead the DEA,” one person said online.

Another critic said the Federal Reserve is trying to “incentivize” mass layoff of American workers in favor of foreign ones with their hiring of the XBOX executive.

“The Federal Reserve needs help firing Americans,” another person quipped.

A fourth person called the move “totally unexplainable”

FTC CHIEF ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF ‘TRYING TO PROTECT THE FRAUDSTERS’ BY WITHHOLDING DATA FROM TRUMP ADMIN

Some have claimed a racial component to the importation of H-1B visa workers, the vast majority of whom come from India. Sharma has Indian heritage but was born in Wisconsin.

“Reminder that she had zero gaming experience when she was promoted to run Xbox, and she has zero finance or economic experience now that she’s promoted to advise the Federal Reserve, said one X user. “Her one function is to purge white Americans and replace them with Indian cheap foreign labor.”

The Federal Reserve did not return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Pontiac, Michigan, A rally outside the Oakland County government complex supports a proposal to require government contractors to use the federal E-Verify database to check the immigration status of job applicants.(Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday a large-scale investigation into H-1B visa fraud.

“Today, I’m proud to announce that the federal Department of Labor has started dozens of subpoenas and investigations into foreign fraudsters who are trying to take advantage of the H-1B visa program,” he said during a press conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“American jobs ought to go to American workers and not foreign fraudsters and the Department of Labor is fighting back against it.”

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In response to a request for comment, Microsoft directed Fox News Digital to a post on X by a company spokesperson.

“The H-1B figures being referenced are Microsoft-wide visa renewals and new hire applications. They are not specific to XBOX and represent a small percentage of Microsoft’s overall workforce. And the majority of roles impacted were not American roles,” Frank Shaw said on X, adding that XBOX is the largest employer of American workers in the gaming industry.

Peter D’Abrosca is a politics reporter at Fox News Digital.

DOJ accuses Maryland of ‘active and deliberate effort’ to prevent deportations of illegal immigrants: lawsuit

2026-07-10T12:29:11-04:00 / Fox News

DOJ says Maryland law blocks ICE detainers and shields illegal migrants from deportation

By James Cirrone Fox News

Published July 10, 2026 12:29pm EDT

Fox News Flash top headlines for July 10

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The Department of Justice sued Maryland over its sanctuary policies, accusing the state of engaging in an “active and deliberate effort” to obstruct federal immigration enforcement.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Maryland federal court, comes after the U.S. attorney general in February 2025 ordered the DOJ’s civil division to identify state and local policies that provide sanctuary to illegal migrants. Since then, 20 other lawsuits have been brought, including against Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois and New York.

The DOJ’s suit against Maryland argues that the state’s Community Trust Act, passed this year, “jeopardizes the public safety for all Americans” by purposely thwarting immigration-related arrests and deportations.

“Federal immigration officers merely enforce the laws that our Nation’s elected representatives in Congress passed, reflecting the will of We the People,” Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward said in a statement. “Today’s suit proves that this Department will never stand for such lawless action from blue state leaders.”

EXCLUSIVE: DHS BLASTS SANCTUARY LEADERS AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF BAT ATTACK FREED FROM JAIL

ICE agents walk down a street during a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 26, 2025.(Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The lawsuit also said that Maryland’s law violates the supremacy clause of the Constitution, which says state laws must be compliant with federal law.

DOJ lawyers argued that the Community Trust Act has led to local authorities not cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigration officers.

They pointed to an incident on May 29, 2026, when a warden of a Worcester County Jail told a detention and deportation officer that as a result of the Community Trust Act, his facility “would no longer honor ICE detainers, release individuals to ICE custody, or notify ICE when individuals are in custody and ready for release.”

“The facility denied a scheduled ICE pickup that morning and did not release the individual in question to ICE custody,” DOJ lawyers wrote.

DOJ ESCALATES BLUE-STATE ICE STANDOFF AFTER STATES REFUSE KEY FEDERAL REQUEST

The text of the law says Maryland correctional facilities may not transfer individuals into federal custody without a “valid judicial warrant.”

The DOJ argued that immigration law allows arrests through administrative warrants, not just through warrants signed by a judge.

Most local law enforcement officers in Maryland agree with the federal government’s assessment of the Community Trust Act.

Wes Moore attends a conversation about his new book “Courage Will Save Us” at 92NY on June 9, 2026, in New York City.(Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES

In late May, 17 of Maryland’s 24 sheriffs sued the state, saying the law “interferes with the ability of sheriffs and local detention centers to coordinate with [ICE]regarding individuals in custody who may pose threats to public safety.”

The sheriffs claimed in a statement that Gov. Wes Moore, who was named in the lawsuit, told them during a phone call that he “was aware of the unintended public safety consequences this legislation could have on our communities.”

Moore did not sign the Community Trust Act, but under Maryland law, a bill approved by both chambers becomes law if the governor does not sign or veto it within 10 days.

Moore’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that this phone call took place and that Moore “explained his rationale for letting the bill go into law without his signature.”

Anthony Brown, attorney general of Maryland, speaks during a press conference at Digital Harbor on Oct. 20, 2025.(Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Moore previously said that despite the implementation challenges, the Community Trust Act keeps “local law enforcement focused on the work that has helped drive Maryland’s historic reductions in violent crime.”

A representative from Moore’s office also told Fox News Digital that the Community Trust Act allows local authorities to coordinate with federal immigration officers “when it comes to people convicted of serious crimes.”

Moore’s office declined to comment on the DOJ lawsuit but offered a statement attacking President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement.

“Maryland will work with the federal government when that coordination makes our people safer – but we will not let Donald Trump’s untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents deputize our law enforcement officers to do immigration work,” the statement read.

The office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown — who was named in both the federal lawsuit and the complaint filed by the collection of sheriffs — declined to comment.

DHS says Ahmed was first spotted on April 14 by an off-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.(Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) condemned Maryland’s so-called sanctuary policies and claimed that seven of the 10 safest cities cooperate with ICE.

“When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities,” DHS said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

DHS also said ICE officers “are held to the highest professional standard and officers regularly receive ongoing training.”

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DHS offered the names of five illegal migrants who were arrested in Maryland by ICE agents on suspicion of crimes such as homicide, sexual assault, incest, and drug trafficking. The agency did not specify when the men were arrested or their current statuses.

James Cirrone is a writer on the Breaking/Trending News team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to james.cirrone@fox.com.

Trump refuses to sign bipartisan housing bill in protest over SAVE Act

2026-07-10T14:28:40-04:00 / Fox News

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, aimed at cutting home construction costs, becomes law Saturday unless Trump vetoes it

By Louis Casiano Fox News

Published July 10, 2026 2:28pm EDT | Updated July 10, 2026 2:30pm EDT

Trump will not sign housing bill without voter ID, criticizes Senate

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, declaring he will not sign the housing bill despite congressional approval. He protests the Senate’s inability to pass The SAVE America Act, which he claims is supported by 97% of Republicans and many Democrats. Trump emphasizes the need for photo voter ID and proof of citizenship to prevent voter fraud.

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President Donald Trump on Friday said he will not sign a bipartisan housing bill passed by Congress in protest over the failure of lawmakers to bring the SAVE Act over the finish line.

Meanwhile, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which is intended to lower the costs of housing and spur more home construction, is slated to become law Saturday unless Trump vetoes the legislation.

“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump posted on social media.

TRUMP HOLDS WASHINGTON HOSTAGE OVER SAVE ACT AS MIDTERM CLOCK TICKS ON GOP CONTROL

In an aerial view, construction workers stand on the roof of homes under construction at a new housing development on June 24, 2026, in Valencia, California. U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a planned signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill that would speed home construction and limit large investors’ ownership of single-family homes, saying he would not act until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, a voting measure he called a “national emergency.”(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The SAVE America Act, which would introduce new measures to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections, doesn’t have enough Republican support to pass.

Trump has repeatedly pushed Republicans to make it a top legislative priority ahead of the midterm elections in November.

“THE SAVE AMERICA ACT’S non-passage is CRAZY, and a serious threat to any politician who votes against it!” Trump wrote. He also said the non-passage of the bill is a “serious threat” to any politician who opposes it.

CONGRESS EYES RARE BIPARTISAN HOUSING WIN WITH OR WITHOUT TRUMP’S HELP

President Donald Trump on Friday said he will not sign a bipartisan housing bill in protest over the failure of lawmakers to pass the Save America Act, which would enact new measures to safeguard federal elections.(SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Under the U.S. Constitution, a president has 10 days to sign a bill upon receiving it, so it becomes law as if the legislation is signed.

Trump’s post came a week after he canceled plans to sign the bipartisan legislation, announcing he was using it as leverage in his push for the strict voter ID bill.

Last month, he called the housing bill “a yawn” and “so unimportant” compared to legislation that would require proof of citizenship for all voters.

AMERICA’S HOUSING MARKET COULD RUN OUT OF SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOMES

“Millions of Americans are being crushed by housing costs,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted Friday on X. “Donald Trump called their crisis ‘a big yawn’ — then refused to sign the most significant bipartisan housing bill in decades. His priorities couldn’t be clearer: higher costs for families and more power for himself.”

“Republicans would rather make it harder to vote than easier to afford a home. When people show you who they are, believe them,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote in an X post in response to Trump.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., wrote on X that “the rising cost of mortgages and rent are hitting Americans hard. Yet Trump refuses to act.”

The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s social media post when asked for comment.

Trump’s remarks came a day after the National Association of Realtors reported that the median price for a home has reached an all-time high.

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The median price for a home sold in June was $440,600, a 1.8% increase from a year ago, the report states.

“Even so, affordability is better than a year ago because wage growth is outpacing home price growth,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

“However, progress on long-term housing affordability could be hampered if inventory growth continues to stall,” Yun added. “Without consistent gains in inventory, home prices can accelerate. It is critical to introduce more supply to the market to widen the opportunity for homeownership.”

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

Trump admin scraps ‘weaponized’ wildlife rule that became ‘burden’ on American families and businesses: Burgum

July 10, 2026 1:12pm EDT / Fox News

Doug Burgum and Howard Lutnick cite Loper Bright v. Raimondo to roll back habitat-based restrictions

By Charles Creitz Fox News

Doug Burgum praises Trump’s leadership on rolling back regulations

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum thanks President Trump for his leadership in rolling back ‘job-killing, community-killing’ regulations impacting the fishing industry. He emphasizes that Trump’s actions have supported American citizens and businesses in territorial waters, from the Pacific to other regions, ensuring healthy food for the nation and creating fifth-generation family businesses.

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EXCLUSIVE: The Interior and Commerce Departments are scrapping a sweeping Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule that officials say past administrations “weaponized” to block energy production, logging, infrastructure projects and private citizens’ land use.

Officials pointed to several ESA-listed species they say triggered undue or burdensome restrictions by treating habitat modification as potential “harm” to protected species, purportedly expanding the ESA’s “harm” provision.

“For years, federal agencies abused the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and burden American families and businesses,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News Digital.

“That approach turned routine activity into a regulatory trap, drove up costs that impacted people’s lives, and expanded federal authority beyond what Congress intended.”

BIDEN-ERA ENVIRO RULE ACCUSED OF STRANGLING TRUCKERS, SQUEEZING AMERICANS LANDS ON TRUMP CHOPPING BLOCK

A male lesser prairie chicken displays on an Edwards County, Kansas lek on April 18, 2014. For centuries, they’ve gathered daily in the same places for up to three months hoping to impress a female. The federal government designates the lesser prairie chicken as threatened, prompting praise from environmentalists and threats of defiance from lawmakers, landowners and businesses in the bird’s five-state habitat.(Michael Pearce/Wichita Eagle/MCT via Getty Images)

On Friday, the Interior and Commerce Departments announced they are rescinding the ‘outdated’ regulatory definition of ‘harm’ and returning the Endangered Species Act’s interpretation to its original intent to end years of federal overreach.

The administration is relying in part on the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which overturned “Chevron deference” and held that courts must use independent judgment when interpreting federal statutes rather than deferring to an agency’s preferred reading of ambiguous law.

The rule change therefore aims to align regulations with the “single best” meaning of a statute rather than letting it be “contort[ed] to fit a political agenda,” officials said.

LEGAL WAR ON TRUMP’S AGENDA GAINS FIREPOWER AS FEDERAL LAWYERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS

An oil field near McKittrick, California is seen.(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Officials pointed to the dunes sagebrush lizard, which the Biden administration listed as endangered in 2024, as an example of what they view as speculative habitat-based restrictions.

Officials argued the change led to unnecessary restrictions on energy projects in Texas’ lucrative Permian Basin, most recently depicted in the acclaimed Billy Bob Thornton series “Landman.”

Under Section 9 of the ESA, it is unlawful to “take” endangered wildlife, a term Congress defined to include actions such as harming, harassing, wounding or killing protected species.

TRUMP’S ENERGY INITIATIVES MAY FINALLY EXTRACT AMERICA FROM MIDEAST CHAOS

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6397598867112

Federal materials tied the species’ decline to surface-disturbing activities, including energy development and sand mining, which officials and industry representatives say can trigger costly permitting and compliance burdens.

Officials also cited the lesser prairie-chicken, a grassland bird whose federal protections have drawn opposition from farmers, ranchers and energy developers across New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

The fight over habitat-based “harm” dates back decades, including the northern spotted owl, whose 1990 ESA listing fueled a long-running battle over timber harvesting in the Pacific Northwest and was blamed for job losses.

A 2021 study in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management estimated the owl’s ESA listing reduced timber employment by roughly 16,000 to 32,000 jobs in the Pacific Northwest and northern California.

Timber interests and landowners challenged the federal definition, arguing that “harm” should cover direct injury to wildlife, not habitat modification that indirectly affects a species.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Clinton Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in 1995, upholding a definition of “harm” that included significant habitat modification when it actually kills or injures protected wildlife.

Officials say the change is designed to narrow the regulation after Loper Bright and prevent agencies from using habitat-based theories to block lawful activity far beyond what Congress authorized.

The agencies argued the previously broadened definition of “harm” became an unlawful intrusion on private property rights.

https://www..com/video/6400794525112

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick added that fishermen in particular have been burdened by the regulation for “too long.”

Returning the ESA to its original purpose protects both the environment and economic development, Lutnick said.

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A logger lifts hardwood during a harvesting operation in the U.S.(Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

“This administration is committed to protecting wildlife using Gold Standard Science, the law and the tools Congress actually gave us,” added U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “We can protect species and respect communities at the same time.”

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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, left; Timber logging in the U.S., right.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

Administration officials stressed that core ESA protections remain in place, including prohibitions on directly injuring or killing protected wildlife.

The administration said the change is intended to reduce permitting and compliance costs while providing greater legal clarity for landowners, energy producers and developers, advancing President Donald Trump’s vision of domestic energy dominance and a regulatory state that works for, not against, the average American.

Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, worked in both the New York and Washington bureaus for Fox News since 2013.