称与金正恩关系好 特朗普下令缩减美韩军演

2026年8月17日 06:54 / 联合早报

3月14日，在韩国涟川的朝韩非军事区附近举行美韩联合渡河演习。 （路透社）

美国总统特朗普说，他对美国参与亲密盟友韩国的联合军事演习“感到不满”，并正在缩减旨在威慑朝鲜的演习规模。

特朗普星期天（8月16日）在社交媒体Truth Social上发文说：“基于我与朝鲜领导人金正恩的良好关系，我对美国很久以前就同意参与韩国的联合军演感到不满。”

他继续说道：“这些演习不仅耗资巨大，而且其中大部分费用由美国承担，而且还向一个自特朗普担任总统以来一直对美国不构成威胁、保持尊重态度的国家，发出完全不恰当且充满敌意的信号。”

特朗普补充说，取消演习为时已晚，因此他已命令战争部长赫格塞斯“大幅缩减”演习规模。

他也指出，他最近要求韩国与美国一起推动“伊朗无核化”，但遭到韩方拒绝。

为期11天的“乙支自由护盾”（Ulchi Freedom Shield）联合军演于星期一（17日）开始，是韩国军队及美国盟友夏季的例行训练，旨在增强防御拥有核武器的朝鲜的能力。

朝鲜一直对此类演习感到愤怒，并谴责这是为入侵朝鲜的预演。

特朗普在第一任总统任期内曾与金正恩举行历史性的直接会谈，但最终未能解决朝鲜的核武器计划。他上一次与金正恩会面是在2019年。

上周，美韩联合司令部发言人唐纳德说，这次演习将模拟与在俄乌战争中身经百战的朝鲜军队作战。

他说，这次演习将动用1万8000名韩国士兵，以及驻韩美军2万8500名士兵，重点演练无人机作战、GPS干扰以及网络攻击等技能。

韩国总统李在明自去年6月上任以来，立场与鹰派前任截然不同，他向平壤提出无条件对话的提议，但朝鲜领导层至今仍未回应李在明的多次提议。

1950年至1953年由朝鲜发动的战争以停战协定而非和平条约结束，因此朝韩两国在技术上仍处于战争状态。

Tommy John, MLB All-Star pitcher who had a surgery named after him, dies at 83

August 16, 2026 / 3:53 PM EDT / CBS News

By Lucia I Suarez Sang Associate Managing Editor

Thomas “Tommy” John, a four-time MLB All-Star who won 288 career games over 26 years in professional baseball, has died, his agent confirmed to CBS News. He was 83.

John died at his home in Florida on Saturday, surrounded by his wife, Cheryl, and other family members, his agent Mike Maguire said in a statement.

His biggest legacy to the game came in 1974 when he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which could have ended his career. Instead, John underwent an experimental elbow reconstruction procedure by Dr. Frank Jobe, which is now known as the “Tommy John surgery.” The procedure has gone on to save the pitching arms of thousands of pitchers since it was first performed more than 50 years ago.

After his surgery, John went on to win 164 more games, finishing his career with 288 victories, more than 2,200 strikeouts and a 3.34 ERA before retiring in 1989.

Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, John signed with the Cleveland Indians, now the Cleveland Guardians, at the age of 18 after impressing the team with his curveball. After three seasons in the minor leagues, he was called up to the majors for the first time in 1963. From there, he went on to play for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels), Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees.

John was a four-time All-Star, earning selections in 1968, 1978, 1979 and 1989.

Tommy John poses for a circa 1970s publicity photo for the Los Angeles Dodgers. MLB via Getty Images

Just days before his passing, John penned an emotional farewell letter to fans that was shared by the Yankees during the 78th Old-Timers’ Day earlier this month. The team noted he was suffering from unspecified “health issues.”

In the letter, he thanked his former team for the opportunity to “say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends and fans who followed me throughout my 26-year-career.”

“Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching,” John wrote in his letter. “That surgery has since gone on to save the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the very best in the game today.

“Thank you to all the fans who supported me and my teammates for 26 years. I will never forget you.”

On this 78th Old-Timers’ Day, Tommy John shares a message to his fans, former teammates, and the Yankees organization as he battles health issues from his home in Bradenton, Florida. pic.twitter.com/3lKUWHoaw0

>

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 8, 2026

“We are saddened to hear the news of Tommy John’s passing today,” said Stan Kasten, president & CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a statement on Sunday. “Tommy was an exceptional pitcher throughout his career in Major League Baseball, and his courageous role in becoming the first to have surgery that would go on to bear his name can’t be overstated. His impact both on and off the field has been felt by ballplayers of all ages and will be for generations to come.”

Transcript: Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Aug. 16, 2026

2026-08-16T12:14:00-0400 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of an interview with Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb, a Democrat, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Aug. 16, 2026.

ED O’KEEFE: Welcome back to Face the Nation. We turn now to Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabb. He’s the Democratic Party’s nominee in the third district of Pennsylvania. That includes parts of Philadelphia. He is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Representative, you’re not Congressman yet, but Representative, thank you for being here this morning. We appreciate it.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS RABB: Nope.

ED O’KEEFE: So I’m curious–

REP. RABB: –My pleasure.

ED O’KEEFE: –and part of the reason why we wanted to have someone like you here, given that you are the Democratic nominee, but also a member of the DSA, what is a voter getting from a Democrat and a member of the DSA like you that they aren’t necessarily getting from a Democrat like Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who we had on earlier?

REP. RABB: That’s a great question. I listened to that segment, and it seems like we have a lot in common. We’re against corruption. We want to fight for working people. We want- we believe that health care is a human right. These are things that we want- increased wages. I support a living wage for all. So I think we have a lot more in common than people would think.

ED O’KEEFE: But when he says that socialism is a failed experiment, what’s your response to that?

REP. RABB: Well, I imagine he supports Social Security. In a purely capitalistic free market system, we would have no Social Security. We would have no Medicare. We would have no Medicaid. We would have no public education. We would have no interstate highway system. We would not have firefighters. These things are things that are brought to us by different- different views that have molded us into the nation we are today. It’s not one thing. This is not a purely capitalistic society. There is capitalism in China, in Finland, everywhere. Like this is something that we have to understand is a mixture, and it is an evolution. Pure capitalism has never worked. Communism is not something that we’ve seen effectively work. What are we doing to make sure that we are moving in the right direction, though? That we are transforming this nation so that it can take care of everyone. How is it that we have our first trillionaire and we still have veterans who are unhoused?

ED O’KEEFE: You know, our news poll out this morning shows that most Democrats have a positive view of socialism, but among all Americans overall, just 35% do. You’ve- you’ve- you’ve you’ve made the argument here so far, but I’m curious: what do you do to try to win over skeptics, the two-thirds of the country who doesn’t think this is a good idea?

REP. RABB: Well, I wasn’t running for socialism. I was running for the people of the third congressional district who want a fighter, and that’s something that is more important than the labels that are used in polls because the poll didn’t define socialism. The poll didn’t define capitalism. The poll didn’t define free market system or free enterprise. It didn’t do those. It polled on how people responded to labels that have been put into the ether without any context, historical, any analysis, and I think once you define these things, people can make more informed decisions.

ED O’KEEFE: You are running in what is the most Democratic district in America, like 40- plus 40% Democratic advantage, so it’s- it’s perhaps understandable, or that helps explain how a socialist-backed candidate can emerge. But there are others in the Democratic Party writ large–

REP. RABB: –No, I have to push back, Ed.

ED O’KEEFE: Why is that?

REP. RABB: I got to push back. You can’t conflate Democratic performance index with people who support a democratic socialist. I ran for months long before anyone mentioned that I was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. I didn’t run for socialism. I ran for the people. Just because people are more likely to vote for Democrats does not mean that they are inherently more inclined to support this ideology or the other. It just showed that in my district, in my race for the Democratic primary, that I came out 14 points ahead in a four-person race because I was a fighter and I talked about issues that mattered. And socialism did not come up.

ED O’KEEFE: Okay, and actually, our poll this morning shows that Democratic voters overall are looking for fighters or people who are certainly promising to do so. I do want to play, however, something that former ambassador, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said this morning on Sunday Morning in conversation with our colleague Robert Costa regarding the progressive versus rest of the party sort of split or discussion that y’all are having. Take a listen to what he said.

[START SOUND ON TAPE]

RAHM EMANUEL, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR: This again, I’m about flipping red districts to blue. I’m not about taking blue districts and making them midnight blue. You want to see a raise in the minimum wage? Winning over Democratic districts is not the way to get it there. We’ve got to win Republican districts.

[END SOUND ON TAPE]

ED O’KEEFE

What’s your response to the mayor’s strategic argument there?

REP. RABB: I think listening to folks who have been institutionalists and corporate Dems is probably the wrong thing to do. When what your own poll shows is that there’s an exhaustion, there is anger at centrists and institutionalists, and this anti-establishment moment, means that we want bold things that are not left or right, but what are the things that are going to move people forward. And hey, take me to Kentucky. I think I can make that case pretty strongly. And as someone who is five generations in Kentucky, I think this is something that transcends blue districts.

ED O’KEEFE: Okay, on the- on the issue of institutionalists in the party, I’m curious, are you someone who would vote for Hakeem Jeffries to be speaker, should Democrats take majority next January?

REP. RABB: Sorry about that. He- he hasn’t asked me, but I can tell you this, he’s not going to run unless we secure the- the new majority, which is what I’m focusing on. I’m focusing on making sure we have good progressive candidates who are winning in these primaries and who will win on November 3. And when we get a new Democratic majority. I would love to have that conversation with them, person to person. We have not yet met.

ED O’KEEFE: Okay. Now, look, I know you’re a Democratic candidate for Congress. You are, however, a member of the DSA, and there are opponents of that movement who point to the failed socialist governments in Latin America as proof that socialists don’t always work. And the DSA, just in the last few days, put out a statement commemorating the 100th birthday of Fidel Castro, which says in part he was an organizer, a fighter, and endures as a stalwart symbol of anti-imperialist struggle and self-determination for the Global South. Do you agree with that sentiment, and- and does it concern you that this type of celebration of Fidel Castro is what might validate people’s concerns with the DSA?

REP. RABB: I am not concerned with how people construe this organization. I am interested in finding what we have in common so that we can move this country forward based on bold policies, which that poll suggests people are wanting, irrespective of political ideology or generation. The other thing I want to mention too is, and this is something that I hear centrists and establishment players talk about, is if we want to reach these people who are outside of, you know, blue districts, how about we actually focus on those folks who live in highly populated blue districts who don’t show up because they’re so exhausted and disaffected with the Democratic Party? If we reach those folks who are inclined to vote for the Democrats but don’t because we’re not fighting for them, we have a far more likely chance of winning than reaching out to folks who under no circumstances would consider folks who embrace values like health care is a human right, or housing is a human right, or not having a trillionaire class. There’s some people we’re not going to move, but many people we can and I think it’s not about left or right, it’s about moving whole communities forward in the most meaningful ways. And as it relates to these statements about other folks in other countries, I hope we’re all anti-imperialist, I hope we’re all anti-fascist. I don’t think these are particularly controversial stances.

ED O’KEEFE: Alright, well, we’ll leave it there. You are a big part of the debate in your party about who it should be focused on and how to do it and that’s why we wanted you here. Representative Rabb, thank you for joining us, we appreciate it. And we’ll be right back with our political panel, stay with us.

Transcript: Rep. Don Bacon on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Aug. 16, 2026

2026-08-16T12:17:00-0400 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of an interview with Rep. Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Aug. 16, 2026.

*

ED O’KEEFE: We turn now to Republican Congressman Don Bacon. He joins us from Omaha, Nebraska. Good morning, Congressman, and we understand it is your birthday. So happy birthday, and thank you for spending part of it with us.

REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: Good morning to you, and yeah, I’m nine years old and dog years, so that makes me feel better.

ED O’KEEFE: Okay, well, if you could do the math, you’ll figure that out. But we appreciate you being here. I want to start this morning with something the president had to say on Friday about the state of the economy and the state of the war with Iran. Take a listen.

[BEGIN VC]

DONALD TRUMP: For you to pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline, just remember you’re doing it so that a very evil country cannot have- a country really, it’s the number one state sponsor of terror in the world. We don’t want to have them have a nuclear weapon. So remember that when you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4. It’s okay. I mean, it’s- I’m not- I’m not- I’ll never apologize. I did the right thing.

[END VC]

ED O’KEEFE: I know you’re not running for re-election this fall, Congressman. But in the context of the midterm elections, is the president’s justifications for gas prices across the country helpful to Republicans on the ballot this fall?

REP. BACON: I think here in- in the tape you just played, he was being honest. And I think he was setting maybe false expectations in the previous months during the initial, you know, parts of this campaign with Iran, saying, “We’re going to get a deal tomorrow, we’re going to get a deal tomorrow,” and- and not. This is going to be a longer term fight, and I think he needed to set appropriate and honest expectations here. Iran has killed about 1,000 Americans. It was the- has been the world’s leading exporter of terror. In fact, 600 Americans were killed in Iraq from primarily those very dangerous roadside bombs that Iran made and sent to all the terrorists in Iraq. And I just think it was important for him to level with the American people. This is going to be a tough fight, and we do not- we cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think we should allow Iran to kill 1,000 Americans. This should probably been done a long time ago.

ED O’KEEFE: Yeah.

REP. BACON: But I think with the- he started out this whole war with, “This is going to be an easy fight. We’re going to be done here. It’s going to take a month, two months. Okay, we’re going to get a deal tomorrow.” And I think that that- those false expectations hurt him, and it’s hurt the- the favorability of what we’re trying to do here.

ED O’KEEFE: But do you get a sense he feels the pain of Americans, the economic pain?

REP. BACON: He doesn’t communicate it well. As you mentioned, he makes light of the affordability question, and we do have an affordability problem. And I think, you know, I think a better way for him to frame it, we had 9% inflation under Joe Biden. Of course, it went down towards the end of his presidency, but the Americans have never recovered from that. And once again, inflation is slightly higher than wages.

ED O’KEEFE: Yeah.

REP. BACON: So, I think most Americans are feeling the pain at the grocery store and the gas. So, I think it’s better just to acknowledge, hey, this is a problem, and we got- we got to work towards getting wages climbing faster than inflation. But one of the ways we could do that is to change his tariff policy. Tariffs have hurt inflation. It’s not only just the war with Iran and gas; tariffs have also had a- an impact here. And I would encourage the president to review the tariff policy. Global tariffs, it ends up being a tax on consumers, and we’re paying more because of it.

ED O’KEEFE: Well, you know, the fate of the USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the news in recent days. It is now expected to return to port after a more than nine-month deployment amid concerns about living conditions aboard the vessel. The president was also asked about this on Friday. Take a listen to this what he said.

[BEGIN VC]

DONALD TRUMP: No, no, no. Not nearly long enough.

[END VC]

ED O’KEEFE: Not nearly long enough the deployment has been, he said. Was the president wrong to be dismissive about the concerns aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln?

REP. BACON: I think so, Ed. It would have been better to acknowledge, hey, long deployments are hard. You know, I did one year in Iraq. I had another three- three other deployments to Iraq or the area that were shorter. But when I was in Iraq for a year, there were Marines and soldiers there for 18 months. So I think it’s better to acknowledge, hey, this is hard on the families. It’s hard on the service members. Thank them for being willing to defend our country and doing these 10-month deployments if you’re on an aircraft carrier. I think that would have been a much more better way of addressing this issue. It is hard on families, we should acknowledge that. But we’ve done it for previous wars and deployments, and we’ll have to do so in the future. I think that’s a better way to phrase it.

ED O’KEEFE: The USS George Washington is now headed into that region as the Lincoln comes back or heads to port. Do you think there needs to be some kind of congressional investigation or review of the last nine months and what was going on aboard that carrier?

REP. BACON: Now we should have oversight. We should bring in Secretary of the Navy and or the Commander, the- the Service Chief of the Navy, and have them explain to us the truth on that. But I- I served on an aircraft carrier as an Air Force guy during my 30 years in the Air Force, and we had some of these incidences when I was on the carrier. This was back in 1996, when we weren’t- weren’t at war. We were doing the north- the southern no-fly zone for Iraq. We were trying to deter Iran, but we had a couple members jump overboard and commit suicide while I was on that deployment. So, these incidences, they’re terrible, they’re sad, but it’s- but it has happened previously, and unfortunate, likely in the future as well.

ED O’KEEFE: You know, we’re about five and a half months into the war, and earlier this month, you argued Iran believes they can drag the president along. Looking at the battlefield as it currently stands, has the U.S. lost its advantage in this war?

REP. BACON: We still have the advantage, but we have to be patient. And I think that that was the point I was trying to make when I said that Iran was dragging the president. When the- when Iran hears the president say, “We’re going to get a deal today, we’re going to get a deal tomorrow, they want a deal.” Iran is- doesn’t think that way. What they were hearing was weakness. The president should say less. Keep the pressure on. This blockade is crippling to Iran, and we need to keep that blockade ironclad. Not let a single ship enter or leave the ports out of Iran. Their economy is in tatters. The- the leadership there is struggling. Keep the pressure on and say less. That would be my advice to the president.

ED O’KEEFE: And how do you assess the defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s performance during all this?

REP. BACON: Well, I think he’s followed the wishes of the president. I do have concerns that the president said he was not aware that we had a shortage of weapons like cruise missiles and Patriots. That’s not a good- good thing. I- I think that’s the number one issue. We’ve conducted these operations, and it’s appears that there’s been a lack of transparency. I think we’ll get some transparency when we go back to the- Washington D.C. here on the 31st of August. But there’s a big concern for many of us that when you have a shortage of Patriots, shortage of cruise missiles, and other weapons, that this has not been managed well, or in the fact that the president claims he did not know, so that- that’s a concern.

ED O’KEEFE: Real quick, in our new CBS News poll, more registered voters describe the Republican Party as extreme more than anything else, 58%. You’re one of the few mainstream moderates left in the House Republican Congress. Like I said, you’re retiring. You’re not running for re-election this year. But what do you think Republican leaders could do to meaningfully tack the party back to the center and reverse those numbers?

REP. BACON: Well, I became a Republican when I was 13 years old. When Ronald Reagan ran in 1976, he lost to Gerald Ford, but he won four years later. His philosophy, I believe, is still popular, and there’s- I’ve- I’ve pushed back in a few areas. Republicans have never supported tariffs since World War II, and suddenly we’re now- we’re the party of tariffs, and it’s not working, I don’t think, in the Midwest. So I think Republicans could reclaim the middle if we push back more on tariffs. Also, 70% of Americans support Ukraine, and yet the president–

ED O’KEEFE: Congress–

REP. BACON: –has not been that supportive. So there’s some areas here that we could push back on the White House, and also be where most Republican–

ED O’KEEFE: Alright.

REP. BACON: –or most Americans are at.

ED O’KEEFE: Congressman, thank you so much.

REP. BACON: Thank you.

ED O’KEEFE: Happy birthday. We appreciate it, and we will be right back with a lot more. Face the Nation. Stay with us.

GOP Rep. Don Bacon says Congress “should have oversight” amid concerns about USS Lincoln conditions

2026-08-16T13:07:44-0400 / CBS News

By

Washington — GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said on Sunday that Congress should conduct oversight following concerns about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is being replaced after a nearly nine-month deployment, while calling for testimony from top Navy officials.

“We should have oversight,” Bacon said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to replace the Lincoln, a U.S. official told CBS News on Friday, after some families have voiced concerns in recent weeks about conditions on the ship — like supply shortages and mental health issues. Media reports have quoted some family members who say they’ve heard of multiple sailors who have thought about jumping overboard amid the extended deployment.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a post on X on Friday that the Lincoln “will return home soon as part of a planned rotation.” Cao added that a “small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life.”

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for the Navy to account for conditions aboard the carrier, which he said “has been deployed more than 250 days” without coming ashore “in over 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea.”

Bacon, a retired Air Force Brigadier General who’s set to leave Congress early next year, said the secretary of the Navy or its service chief should come before lawmakers and “explain to us the truth on that.” But he noted that during his time in the Air Force, he experienced “some of these incidences.”

The Nebraska Republican said in 1996, when the U.S. wasn’t at war, he served on an aircraft carrier, enforcing the southern no-fly zone over Iraq.

“We had a couple members jump overboard and commit suicide while I was on that deployment,” Bacon said. “So these incidences, they’re terrible, they’re sad, but it has happened previously and unfortunately, likely in the future as well.”

The comments came after President Trump on Friday downplayed the toll on American sailors, while refuting concerns expressed by family members about the deployment’s length.

Asked whether the deployment has gone on too long, Mr. Trump told reporters, “No. Not nearly long enough.”

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Anti-Israel nonprofit under federal investigation over financial dealings: report

August 16, 2026 2:25pm EDT / Fox News

Federal authorities reportedly probing UK-based organization with roughly $100M war chest used to support anti-Israel causes

By Anders Hagstrom Fox News

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani following allegations of unequal treatment of Jewish residents. Fox News national correspondent CB Cotton details the growing concerns over antisemitism in New York City, highlighting a DOJ letter demanding answers.

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The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a nonprofit with connections to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for potentially providing donor funds to a sanctioned Palestinian group, the New York Post reported Friday.

The report says federal authorities are probing the U.K.-based organization known only as PFF, which has a roughly $100 million war chest used to support anti-Israel causes. It also may have contributed donor funds to Al-Haq, a Palestinian group sanctioned by the U.S., the Post reported.

“A new fund set up by Arabs across the US, UK, and Australia has been built to take on Israel,” one source familiar with the operation told the Post.

One source who spoke to the Post described one Bassema Yousef as the “lynchpin” for the PFF’s fundraising. Born in New York, Yousef is a longtime ally of Mamdani and a prolific Democratic donor, though she now lives in London, according to the Post.

MAMDANI’S POLITICS LINKED TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IDEOLOGY AS NEW YORK VIOLENCE ESCALATES: REPORT

FILE – Bassema Yousef attends the Gotham Cares Gala fundraiser in support of Medecin Sans Frontieres and the International Rescue Committee at Cipriani 25 Broadway on May 8, 2017, in New York City.(Getty Images)

Her social media presence shows multiple anti-Israel rants, claiming Israel is committing “war crimes with U.S. tax dollars,” among other things.

Sources told the Post that Yousef established the PFF with backing from two wealthy donors: Austin, Texas-based investing executive Basil Qunibi and Palestinian-Australian motorsports magnate Yasser Shahin.

Corporate filings in the U.K. confirm Shahin’s role in supporting the PFF, the Post reported. The IRS also confirmed the PFF has a nonprofit arm based in Delaware.

EXCLUSIVE: NEW YORK WOMAN WHO WISHED ‘EVERY DAY WERE OCT. 7’ CHARGED WITH FUNDING PALESTINIAN TERROR GROUP

The #92 The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 of Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz at scrutineering in the city centre during previews ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours at the Circuit de la Sarthe on June 5, 2026 in Le Mans, France.(Photo by Jakob Ebrey/LAT Images))

Sources with direct knowledge of the PFF’s operations told the Post the organization’s executives work to finance anti-Israel messages and defend pro-Palestinian activists.

“PFF is a strategic foundation that is large, well-funded, and institutional in quality,” the foundation says on its website. “We partner with organisations that we believe have an ability to consistently deliver results that align with our strategic objectives.”

“PFF and its partners are unequivocally committed to justice, peace, inclusion and non-violence,” the nonprofit said.

The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The DHS declined to comment in a statement to the Post.

“HSI does not comment on the existence or status of specific investigations, nor on investigative methods, intelligence sources, or potential enforcement actions,” a DHS spokesperson told The Post, referring to the Homeland Security Investigations unit.

Supporters of Palestine participate in a rally in Times Square to condemn the recent fighting in Gaza on Oct. 13, 2023, in New York City.(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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The Post went on to note that the reported DHS investigation does not indicate any criminal wrongdoing.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events.

US Attorney General Blanche publicly backs Pirro after Trump criticism over Reflecting Pool

2026-08-16 7:39 PM UTC / Reuters

By Robin Respaut

August 16, 2026 7:39 PM UTC Updated 16 mins ago

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro discusses charges related to vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a press conference in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

[1/2]U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro discusses charges related to vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a press conference in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Cheney Orr Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 16 (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday that he backs top Washington, D.C., prosecutor Jeanine Pirro, who was criticized by President Donald ​Trump for the way she handled a case of alleged vandalism ‌at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

“I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump,” Blanche said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program.

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The Trump administration fast-tracked a renovation of the ​Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ahead of the nation’s Fourth of July ​celebrations, at a cost of about $14.7 million. Within weeks an algae ⁠bloom developed and material at the bottom of the pool started peeling ​off. Federal authorities subsequently charged former U.S. Olympian David Hearn and others with ​vandalism.

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In a court filing asking for the case against Hearn to be dismissed, Pirro blamed the Reflecting Pool’s peeling issues on “flawed” work by a contractor and accused the Interior Department of providing incomplete information ​at first. Trump subsequently posted that Pirro should revisit her “hastily made decision” to drop ​the case.

Blanche said he does not fault Trump for being frustrated over the matter, adding that a ‌witness ⁠said they observed vandalism.

“That’s different than whether ultimately we have the proof… I think judging her on a single case because of the evidence that we had is not fair,” he said.

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The White House has asked the Justice Department to examine ​potential new charges ​related to the ⁠alleged vandalism at the newly renovated pool.

“U.S. Attorney Pirro is doing a phenomenal job enforcing that, going after anybody who’s ​doing it,” Blanche said.

Blanche was narrowly confirmed to be Trump’s attorney ​general earlier ⁠this month by U.S. Senate Republicans after bipartisan concerns over Blanche’s independence. During his interview on Sunday, he refused to say that the Justice Department would operate ⁠independently ​of the White House.

“No, I’m not going to ​pledge that,” Blanche told NBC, but said he would act with integrity and “prosecute without fear or any ​sort of favor.”

Reporting by Robin Respaut; Editing by Sergio Non and Nia Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tribal leaders attempted to block border wall construction, arguing it would shrink Tohono O’odham Nation’s reservation

By Anders Hagstrom, Fox News

Mullin says primary border wall from Pacific to Gulf to be completed next year

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the primary border wall from the Pacific to the Gulf of America is on track for completion next year, with all contracts expected to be awarded by the end of the month. (Credit: CSPAN)

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A federal judge in Arizona cleared the path for border wall construction in the state after a Native American tribe attempted to block its construction.

The Tohono O’odham Nation had argued that constructing the border wall along its southern border with Mexico would constitute illegal trespassing on tribal lands as well as effectively shrink the reservation.

Judge Richard Leon noted in his ruling a federal proclamation in 1907 that the first 60 feet of the reservation could be taken for federal use.

“Given the national security and foreign policy considerations related to the border wall, deference to the government is warranted,” he said.

‘AMERICA FIRST’ IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL BILL WOULD CODIFY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES ONCE AND FOR ALL

Contractors erect a section of border wall, replacing smaller fortifications, Sept. 10, 2019, along the Colorado River in Yuma, Arizona.

Members of the Tohono O’odham Nation had erected “no trespassing” signs in reaction to federal workers visiting the border sites to scope out construction.

The reservation’s shared border with Mexico extends roughly 62 miles.

“ANY construction related activities to the illegal and destructive border wall be warned, informed of trespass and escorted off the Nation’s land by law enforcement,” the tribe wrote on its Facebook page on Aug. 8.

Judge Leon pointed to a proclamation by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 stating that all public land within 60 feet of an international boundary is under the exclusive control of the federal government.

President Theodore Roosevelt in his Washington, D.C., office on Feb. 10, 1903.(History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The proclamation argued it was necessary “as a protection against the smuggling of goods between the United States and the Republic of Mexico.”

Leon further noted that the Tohono nation was not declared a reservation until 1917, after Roosevelt’s proclamation.

The legal win for the federal government comes after President Donald Trump’s administration celebrated 15 consecutive months of having zero border releases at the U.S.-Mexico border last week.

OPINION: THE BORDER IS CLOSED THANKS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. IN VIRGINIA, THAT DOESN’T MATTER

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s office said daily apprehensions at the border are down 94% compared to former President Joe Biden’s administration and are at the lowest level seen in 30 years.

Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s office said daily apprehensions at the border are at the lowest level seen in 30 years.(Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Image)

“Again this month, the results are clear: President Trump’s border security agenda is restoring order and putting the safety of the American people first,” Mullin said in a statement.

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“DHS remains focused on enforcing our immigration laws, securing the border, and ensuring those who enter our country illegally are removed swiftly. Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, we have the most secure border in history,” he added.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events.

伊朗拟禁敌对媒体采访 遏制外国影响渗透

2026年8月16日 23:33 / 联合早报

根据伊朗议会的最新法案，与美国、以色列等“敌对国家”的媒体进行采访或参与讨论将被禁止，违者将被判处六个月至两年监禁。 （路透社）

据伊朗《沙尔格报》报道，伊朗议会星期天（8月16日）批准一项法案的框架，法案将接受“敌视伊朗”媒体采访和沟通的行为定为犯罪。这主要包括美国或以色列媒体，以及由这两国资助的媒体。

路透社报道，伊朗议会司法和法律委员会成员萨拉里说，这项法案旨在打击外国情况影响，但具体条款尚未经过辩论和批准。

根据法案，与这类媒体进行采访或参与讨论将被禁止，违者将被判处六个月至两年监禁。

接受其他外国媒体的采访须向情报部报告，而未经外交部书面许可，与外国大使馆、外国组织办事处或其他非伊朗机构接触将被处以罚款并剥夺某些社会权利。

拟议的立法还加重了对在外国人指示或监督下实施的经济犯罪的处罚，禁止未经情报部批准向外国人提供信息，并限制与名单之外的外国机构开展科学合作。

法案规定，对在外国情报机构指示下提出损害伊朗安全或独立的政策或立法提案的行为，处以最高30年监禁。

这并非伊朗首次将与外国实体的合作定为犯罪。在与以色列发生为期12天的战争后，伊朗于2025年通过一项法律，对涉嫌与敌对国家合作的行为施以更严厉的处罚。

本月，伊朗摄影记者莫艾里因被指控接受“敌对媒体”的采访，以及向与美国和以色列有关联的组织提供照片，被判处15年监禁。