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AI is driving up consumer prices. That won’t stop anytime soon, experts say.

August 13, 2026 5:49 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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The torrent of corporate spending on artificial intelligence in the U.S. is driving up consumer prices, working against efforts to cool inflation.

AI requires enormous computing power, driving demand for the semiconductors that enable it. Rising chip costs are also prompting electronics manufacturers to raise prices on smartphones, computers, software and other tech accessories.

Consumers are sensitive to cost changes for the devices they use daily, so they notice when prices climb, experts said.

“Consumers track prices for things like phones,” Eric Johnson, a professor at the Columbia Business School in New York who focuses on AI and consumer behavior, told CBS News. “The old line is that the price of milk influences what you think the cost of living is. Phones are the new milk.”

This week’s Consumer Price Index, which tracks changes in the price of a typical basket of goods and services over time, showed that inflation in July rose at a 3.4% annual pace, in line with economists’ expectations. Core goods, which exclude volatile food and energy prices, increased 0.2% from the previous month.

But the cost of information technology commodities — basic hardware and software products — rose much faster, increasing 1.4% in July from the previous month. Translation: Inflation continues to run well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual target, and rising tech costs are a significant contributor to climbing goods prices.

“We are in the midst of a huge AI-related buildout, which requires inputs like chips that also go into consumer goods,” BofA Securities economist Stephen Juneau told CBS News. “So now consumers are competing for these goods with businesses, which is crowding out demand.”

Stronger demand is pushing up prices for graphics processing units and computer storage. Firms that pay more for the components that go into consumer electronics are passing the costs on to shoppers, Juneau added. Software costs are also rising as consumers spring for paid subscriptions to souped-up generative AI tools, spending roughly $20 to $30 a month on average.

AI is also driving up consumer prices in other ways. Data centers use enormous amounts of energy, straining the nation’s electric grid and boosting Americans’ utility bills. The latest CPI data shows that electricity costs rose 4.2% in July from a year ago.

Short-term pain, long-term gain?

Hefty business investment in AI is expected to continue boosting inflation in the near term, according to economists. Oxford Economics lead U.S. economist Bernard Yaros noted in a report earlier this year that he expects price surges to “continue to provide an atypical boost to core inflation over the next two years.”

Yaros also thinks those tech-driven inflationary pressures will persist longer than other factors currently contributing to rising consumer prices, including steeper U.S. tariffs and higher energy costs due to the Iran war.

Over the longer term, many economists expect AI to exert downward pressure on prices by creating efficiencies that make businesses more productive. Until then, however, consumers may have to take the pain.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Trump admin investigating graffiti and soap bubbles at World War II Memorial

2026-08-13 5:21 PM ET / CNN

By Kit Maher

Updated Aug 13, 2026, 5:34 PM ET

PUBLISHED Aug 13, 2026, 5:21 PM ET

Graffiti reading “Clean hands dirty $” is visible in the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, on Thursday.

Andrew Leyden

The Interior Department is investigating vandalism at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, after neon graffiti was painted on the Atlantic Pavilion and the usually clear fountains overflowed with soapy bubbles.

On the inner side of the fountain, graffiti written in neon orange states: “Clean hands Dirty $,” according to a photo first posted by freelance photographer Andrew Leyden and later captured by CNN. Pink and green graffiti also litters the pavilion in the photo. The large whips of foam in the water appeared to be a result of someone pouring soap into the fountain.

The area was later completely blocked off by law enforcement, which swarmed the area Thursday afternoon.

In a statement to CNN, the Interior Department called the vandalism “an utter disgrace,” adding that US Park Police is on the scene.

“The World War II Memorial is a sacred place to honor the service of our members of the Armed Forces and the over 400,000 Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII. The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated. Our U.S. Park Police are on the scene and the investigation is ongoing. The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act,” the department said.

Bubble soap is visible in the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, on Thursday.

Andrew Leyden

It’s the latest trouble for Washington’s National Mall. Renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool pushed by President Donald Trump resulted in peeling paint and a huge algae bloom earlier in the summer, and the pool remains drained for repairs. And the numbers “86 47” — a phrase generally used to signal opposition to Trump — appeared etched into the grass near the Washington Monument in June.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) said in a statement that it expects “accountability for this disgraceful act and a swift response to restore the memorial.” It called both the soap bubbles and the graffiti acts of “profound disrespect.”

“We eagerly await the National Park Service’s plan for repairing the damage and ensuring the National World War II Memorial remains a fitting and enduring tribute to America’s Greatest Generation,” the veterans organization said.

Members of the National Guard are visible near where graffiti was painted onto the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, on Thursday.

Steve Williams/CNN

Scott Wimpfheimer, whose family was visiting DC on Thursday from Minnesota and Alabama, told CNN affiliate WJLA that it angered him to see the monument vandalized, and he hopes the culprit is held accountable. He said he has a son and daughter who both served in Iraq.

“It is a World War II monument. It’s to all the people who died and fought and sacrificed for our country,” he said, adding, “Our kids and our parents put our lives on the line for our country. I just don’t understand.”

“I hope they catch him and keep him in jail for a long, long time,” he said. “It has to stop, and maybe hitting them in their pocketbook or locking them up might do it.”

Julia Benbrook contributed to this report.

Trump administration accuses hospitals of improper billing over gender care for minors

2026-08-13T21:48:17.264Z / Reuters

By Amina Niasse

August 13, 2026 9:48 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

A “Make America Healthy Again” banner and decorations celebrating the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence hang from the Humphrey Building, where the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services office is located, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

NEW YORK, Aug 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services accused dozens of hospitals and healthcare providers on Thursday of improperly billing for gender-affirming care ​and referred them to the Office of Inspector General and the Justice Department ‌for investigation.

HHS released a report titled “Wolves in White Coats” that argued some gender-related treatments were paid for under unspecified conditions or, in some cases, based on diagnoses of early puberty. The report includes contributors ​who have been critical of gender-affirming care.

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HHS said the providers billed for the ​therapies to treat minors aged 9 to 17, documenting an unspecified endocrine ⁠or hormone-related disorder diagnosis rather than gender dysphoria. The report alleged inaccurate diagnoses resulted ​in payments from both private and government-sponsored health plans.

HHS said that as gender care for ​minors has grown, it has become a larger revenue source for hospitals, creating financial incentives for more frequent billing. Citing conservative medical advocacy organization Do No Harm, the agency said hospitals and clinics billed ​nearly $120 million for the services provided to minors since 2019.

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Gender-affirming care for minors can include ​clinical counseling, puberty blockers or hormone therapy. Advocates for transgender minors say the services can reduce mental ‌distress ⁠and support social wellbeing.

Do No Harm has legally challenged gender-affirming care and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in healthcare.

A spokesperson for the American Hospital Association declined to comment on the report.

The Trump administration finalized a rule this week barring two major federal health programs from ​funding puberty blockers, hormone ​therapy and surgeries ⁠to treat gender dysphoria, which is distress from a mismatch between a patient’s sex at birth and gender identity.

HHS, based on Do ​No Harm data, named Mount Sinai Hospital, based in New York ​City, and Boston ⁠Children’s Hospital as some of the top billing providers of the services for minors.

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“In an era of razor-thin pediatric margins and pressure on hospital reimbursements, this new patient cohort — young, insured ⁠or ​Medicaid-eligible, and requiring perpetual follow-ups — represented a strategic area ​of growth,” the report said.

Mount Sinai did not respond in time to a request for comment. A spokesperson for ​Boston Children’s Hospital said it is reviewing the report.

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Reporting by Amina Niasse Editing by Rod Nickel

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Who could replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary?

2026-08-13T23:50:48.536Z / CNN

It’s become Washington’s hottest new parlor game: Who will be Karoline Leavitt’s successor?

Names started circulating at dinner tables and over text chains after President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday his press secretary’s plans to depart at the end of the month to spend more time with her young family, upending his press operation with less than three months until the midterm elections.

For a president who believes he’s his own best spokesperson, replacing Leavitt — who took a proactive, public-facing role but also became one of his most trusted advisers — will be a challenge.

“She is one of one. Nobody will ever be able to do what she did,” White House communications director Steven Cheung told CNN in a text message Thursday.

It was not immediately clear to some White House staff who would fill the role, a source told CNN. One source close to the White House suggested the president might not name a replacement until after the midterms, while some predicted the role might stay unfilled for the duration of Trump’s two and a half years left in office.

But one GOP operative granted anonymity to speak freely suggested the job should be filled — and soon.

“It’s another deployable asset for the midterms,” they said.

Potential candidates

The president has yet to weigh in on who could fill Leavitt’s shoes.

But about a dozen names emerged as potential options from CNN’s conversations with several communicators and advisers in Trump’s orbit. The White House downplayed any shortlists as speculation or wish casting, and CNN hasn’t confirmed to what degree Trump is considering any of these people or whether they’re pursuing the job.

Some names are current or former Trump staffers, many have cable news experience, and at least one is a Trump family member.

Among the names circulating is Scott Jennings, who served in the George W. Bush White House and has made waves as a CNN contributor sparring on the president’s behalf.

Jennings — who had the backing of Donald Trump Jr. for the top spokesperson job during the presidential transition, according to a source with knowledge — has deflected about interest in the role this time around.

“I don’t know but I’ll tell you this: Karoline Leavitt has been maybe the greatest White House press secretary in the last 30 years at least. She’s been nothing short of brilliant,” he said Wednesday on CNN’s “NewsNight with Abby Phillip.”

Alina Habba, a former lawyer and political adviser to Trump who briefly served as acting US attorney for the District of New Jersey, has been floated as an option with Trump’s trust.

And then there’s Leavitt’s number two, principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, who’s one of a small handful of staffers authorized to speak as a surrogate on outlets including Fox News.

Tricia McLaughlin, who became a frequent presence on cable news during her time aggressively defending Trump’s border policies as Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, could be another option who’s earned Trump’s confidence.

Elizabeth Pipko, a former model and Republican National Committee spokesperson, has close ties with the Trump family and was under consideration for the job before Leavitt’s selection, a source close to Trump said.

Monica Crowley, a former Fox News analyst now serving as the US chief of protocol, often travels with the president and plays host to world leaders visiting Washington.

Allies of Roma Daravi, who worked in Trump’s press shop in his first term and now is communications director for the embattled Kennedy Center, have been promoting her on social media as a contender.

The president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, could also be an option. She served as Republican National Committee chair during the 2024 presidential campaign and now hosts a weekly show on Fox News.

Other names that came up in CNN’s conversations include longtime Trump communicator Jason Miller, former principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields and former ESPN anchor-turned-MAGA-ally Sage Steele.

Prediction markets have also begun prognosticating. Kalshi Politics ranked Habba, Kelly, Miller and Daravi at the top of its list Thursday morning. (CNN has a partnership with Kalshi and uses its data to cover major events. But CNN editorial employees are not allowed to use prediction markets.)

It’s also entirely possible that the president goes in another direction altogether.

“There will be plenty of people who try to drum up noise. If anybody seems too eager or like they’re pushing too much, that could turn the president off,” said Erin Maguire, a Republican strategist and spokesperson for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.

One of the reasons a replacement wasn’t immediately clear, multiple sources familiar with the matter said, is because the timing of Leavitt’s decision caught the president and the White House off guard.

Prior to the birth of her second child in May, Leavitt had privately suggested she might stay in the role for the entirety of Trump’s second term. That didn’t sit well with some staffers, with one source familiar raising concerns that Leavitt did not create a pipeline of talent in her press shop — which is now becoming a problem.

“The team didn’t really get the latitude to be seen as heir apparent,” that source said, adding that Leavitt’s predecessors in Trump’s first term had been intentional about empowering lower-level staffers.

Leavitt — who Trump said will remain an outside adviser — will likely have some influence over Trump’s eventual decision, that source suggested.

In the short-term, multiple sources suggested the White House could return to the playbook used during Leavitt’s maternity leave, deploying Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among other top officials, to deliver the day’s messaging and field questions — although they handled the pressure of the podium with various levels of success.

Trump isn’t a traditional president who needs a traditional press secretary to interface with the media — he often speaks directly to the press and has also been known to respond to reporters’ calls and texts.

Regardless of whether he goes for someone who’s on TV or who operates more behind-the-scenes, his pick will have to have his trust.

“I don’t see an instance where someone from outside the orbit comes in. That’s the biggest hurdle — it’s a small pool of people qualified and enough in the orbit to be considered,” Maguire said.

There’s also the question of presentation.

“Everything is viewed through the eyes of ‘central casting,” said one source close to Trump, adding, “I don’t think he cares who can actually do the job. I think it’s about what he or she looks like.”

But another source suggested he may want someone who’s “less of a celebrity” than Leavitt, who became a household name and built an Instagram following of more than 3 million during Trump’s second term.

Many of the potential contenders have promoted the president and his policies on right-leaning outlets, and Leavitt solidified a practice of turning to friendly reporters during her briefings, including the establishment of a “new media” seat.

But the source close to Trump suggested that any viable contender should spend some time defending the president on other networks to prepare for the rapid-fire of the briefing room.

“I don’t think people grasp how much studying is required to do that job, how much reading, how much thoroughly understanding every topic you could possibly be asked — I don’t think everybody recognizes how much work that is,” the source said.

But ultimately, Leavitt’s successor will have to perform for an audience of one.

“It is the biggest podium in the world, so filling that role is one of the biggest calculations the president is going to make — because he cares about message, he cares about the messaging, and he cares about the messenger,” Maguire said.

CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this report.

Flock CEO apologizes for cases where surveillance technology was abused as company rolls out changes

August 13, 2026 / 6:31 PM EDT / CBS News

By Alex Sundby Senior Editor

Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.

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The CEO of surveillance technology company Flock Safety apologized Thursday for instances where its data was misused by law enforcement officers and discussed changes the company is rolling out to its systems.

Following a Washington Post report that police officers were accused in 46 cases of improperly using access to Flock’s license plate camera network, in some instances allegedly stalking women, Flock CEO Garrett Langley said he had listened to one woman’s interview Thursday morning.

“I apologize,” Langley said in an interview with CBS News. “It kills me that she went through that.”

Asked if he took enough responsibility soon enough when it came to the accusations of abuses, Langley said hindsight is “a brutal tool.”

“Hindsight tends to be very clear,” he said. “And I think, of course, we could have done more earlier, and we listen, and we learn, and we’ll continue to move forward because until everyone has an equal level of safety in this country, we have work to do.”

Langley still defended his company and the service it provides law enforcement agencies with its network of 120,000 cameras around the country that record license plate numbers and other details from vehicles that pass by.

“It gets to this issue that when you are given power, which many people are, particularly in law enforcement, you should have higher standards of accountability,” Langley said. “And so, I don’t think that Flock created police abuse. I think we’re the first company to ever shine a light on it and build the tools to find it.”

Among the changes the company announced Thursday, Flock is reducing the default period of time data will be retained from 30 days to seven days. However, if data is tied to an investigation that needs more time, it can be preserved in a setting it calls “Evidence Mode.”

A Flock Safety camera is seen on a pole beneath a solar panel in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Aug. 5, 2026. Cheney Orr / REUTERS

The company also said every search of its data will now require a case code to be entered beforehand. But that can be overridden in an emergency, like if a child goes missing.

Flock’s customers can also limit which types of offenses outside agencies can search for in its system, like homicide, arson or assault, the company said.

By the end of the year, all of Flock’s law enforcement customers will also have to turn on a tool that aims to flag abnormal search behavior and lock out people until the searches are reviewed by an administrator. The company says about a third of agencies have already turned on the tool, which rolled out earlier this year.

The American Civil Liberties Union has criticized Flock, accusing the company of violating people’s privacy rights. In a statement Thursday, the ACLU said the company’s plan to reduce how long data is retained “may be a step in the right direction.”

“Whether this is a real change or just another Flock PR move, however, will depend on how its ‘Evidence Mode’ operates,” the ACLU said.

In the CBS News interview, Langley was asked if he had a message to any officer who was considering using Flock to follow someone who’s not part of an investigation.

“You will get caught, plain and simple. If you try to use this tool illegally, you will get caught,” he said. “And I hope that state regulators pass bills that make that a criminal offense. It should not just be a termination. It should be a criminal offense if you abuse your power.”

Fox News Poll: Economic anxiety and candidate concerns define Ohio Senate race

August 13, 2026 6:00pm EDT / Fox News

Underwater favorability and worsening family finances are a drag on GOP incumbent Husted

By Dana Blanton, Fox News

Husted says Ohio voters already rejected Brown’s ‘failed’ record: ‘Sent him packing’

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital Sherrod Brown’s decades-long Washington record remains his biggest liability as the high-stakes Senate race heats up.

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Financial unease and voter concerns over Republican incumbent Senator Jon Husted’s ties to the president are driving the dynamics in the Ohio Senate contest between Husted and former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown.

Brown seeks to regain his Senate seat by challenging Husted, who was appointed in 2025 after JD Vance became vice president. Brown narrowly lost his seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024.

Underpinning the electorate’s mood is frustration with the cost of living. A new Fox News survey of Ohio registered voters finds inflation dominates their priorities, with 40% saying it is their top issue, far outranking healthcare, immigration, and political divisions.

In 2020, 28% of Ohioans described their family’s financial situation as “falling behind.” Now, that’s up to 38% — and those voters favor Brown by 40 points.

Donald Trump won Ohio by 11 points in 2024. Still, a vulnerability for Husted is his connection to Trump, as 51% are concerned that he’s too close to the president. That’s up 5 points from 46% who felt that way about Husted in June. Plus, fewer voters, 44%, are worried Brown is too closely tied to the Democratic Party establishment.

FOX NEWS POLL: NEW MATCHUP, SAME RESULT: MAINE SENATE RACE STAYS LOCKED

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These headwinds are directly fracturing party lines, with Republican defections to Brown undercutting Husted’s built-in advantage in a state where more voters identify as Republican than Democrat.

While 87% of Republicans favor Husted, fully 97% of Democrats back Brown. The Democrat also draws 11% crossover support from Republicans overall and 25% among non-MAGA Republicans. Two-thirds of independents also favor Brown.

All those factors help Brown remain 8 points ahead of Husted in the race for Ohio’s Senate seat, 53% to 45%, a margin unchanged since June.

FOX NEWS POLL: GOP DIVISIONS SHAPE TEXAS SENATE RACE

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Brown’s lead expands to 10 points (54-44%) among those who rate their certainty to vote as a 10 out of 10, and to 15 points (57-42%) among those saying they are extremely motivated to vote.

In addition, those most motivated to turn out this year — liberals, voters with a college degree, and supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America — prefer their former Senator.

Brown has significant advantages among liberals (+88 points), urban voters (+37), those in union households (+31), voters under age 45 (+17), women (+16), and college graduates (+9).

Husted is favored among conservatives (+65 points), White evangelical Christians (+42), White men without a college degree (+17), rural residents (+12), and married voters (+6).

Meanwhile, Brown has the most positive personal rating of the candidates tested (51% favorable, 47% unfavorable), while ratings for Husted are 10 percentage points underwater (43% favorable, 53% unfavorable).

Part of Brown’s advantage is driven by affinity, as 67% of his supporters say their vote is mainly for him rather than in opposition to Husted. Among those favoring Husted, 58% say they are motivated to vote for him, not against Brown.

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Even so, the prospect of a shift is real, as one in five who are backing Brown and one in four supporting Husted say they could change their candidate preference before casting a ballot.

Dissatisfaction with the party organizations and national figures is widespread. Majorities of Ohioans hold unfavorable views of the Democratic Party (57%) and the Republican Party (54%), as well as Trump (56%), the MAGA movement (57%), and the Democratic Socialists of America (54%). Views of Vance are divided, 47% favorable and 50% unfavorable.

In the Ohio governor’s race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy receives 50% to Democrat Amy Acton’s 48%. That’s a small shift since June, when Acton was ahead by 1 point.

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Most supporters of both Acton (78%) and Ramaswamy (80%) have a high degree of certainty that they’ll stick with their candidate choice.

Fourteen percent of those favoring Brown in the Senate contest cross party lines to back Ramaswamy for governor, while 6% of Husted supporters prefer Acton, the Democrat.

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Views of Ramaswamy are divided: 46% favorable, 44% unfavorable, mostly unchanged since June. Forty-three percent have a favorable opinion of Acton, but her negative rating stands at 47%, up from 37% in June.

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Conducted August 6-10, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,008 Ohio registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (78) and cellphones (694) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (236). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

As head of the polling unit, Dana Blanton runs the Fox News Poll and oversees the Fox News Voter Analysis election survey.

Justice Department’s last-minute decision not to defend gun law causes confusion among owners

2026-08-13T23:19:04.877Z / CNN

Confusion has ensued after the Justice Department decided to, at least for now, not challenge a federal court ruling that struck down federal registration requirements for firearm suppressors, short-barreled rifles and other weapons.

The August 5 ruling from the US District Court in the Northern District of Texas is being celebrated by some hardline gun rights advocates as a major victory in their goal to gut the 1934 National Firearms Act. Despite not seeking a temporary stay of the ruling by the Wednesday night deadline, the Justice Department still has seven weeks remaining to file an appeal.

For now, who exactly is covered by the Texas court ruling appears murky, in part because the judge said it was limited to those who brought the legal challenge, including Gun Owners of America, which has members around the country. The judge said his order blocking the registration requirements applies to “plaintiffs and certain other individuals and entities that are closely associated with the plaintiffs,” adding that it covers “future customers” of the sellers associated with a gun rights group that helped bring the legal challenge.

“This is a confused mess,” one gun-rights advocate told CNN, describing how some gun owners are seeking clarity about whether they can lawfully buy suppressors without registration and can’t find any information from the government about where they stand legally. “It’s utter chaos about what to do or what not to do.”

Some of the confusion stems from the way the judge arrived at the decision, ruling that because Congress recently removed taxes on suppressors, the law is no longer Constitutional since it was based on Congress’s power to levy taxes.

However, by that logic, should a future Democratic Congress restore the tax, the registration requirements would seemingly be on firm legal footing again.

The politics of the upcoming midterms loom large over the issue, as White House officials seek to keep the president’s pro-gun rights base in the fold ahead of dire poll numbers for Republicans.

Top officials from the Justice Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the White House have debated what to do about the deadline this week, including some officials who sided with gun-rights groups that want the NFA gutted, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

In the end, the administration decided to not seek a stay of the ruling before the Wednesday night deadline, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Trump administration officials are still weighing a final decision on whether to appeal the ruling, the people said.

The ATF has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.

Gun Owners of America, the gun-rights group behind the legal challenge, held an event at the midnight deadline in which members of the group bought silencers in Texas without registration, marking what the group called the implosion of the 92-year-old law’s registration regime.

The lawsuit was filed in 2025 immediately after Congress removed the tax tied to the NFA registration requirements.

GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde, who helped lead the effort to remove the tax, is among a group of lawmakers pushing Attorney General Todd Blanche to not appeal the ruling.

“An appeal would prolong regulatory uncertainty for law-abiding gun owners and businesses and would consume DOJ resources defending a position that this Congress and now a federal district court has said cannot stand,” Clyde said. “We ask that the Department decline to appeal, to seek rehearing, or to otherwise attempt to cabin or narrow this ruling.”

Gun safety advocates have spoken out about the Justice Department’s decision not to defend the law.

“Today’s ruling is a dangerous step backward for public safety. For nearly 100 years, Congress has required background checks before someone could buy a silencer, short-barreled rifle, or short-barreled shotgun,” Adam Skaggs, vice president and chief counsel at GIFFORDS Law Center, said in a statement after the ruling.

“These commonsense safeguards keep these dangerous devices out of the wrong hands. Silencers make it harder for law enforcement to detect and locate active shooters. And short-barreled rifles and shotguns are easily concealable and extremely dangerous,” he added.

CNN’s Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.

El-Sayed, Mamdani branded ‘hair tonic salesmen’ in brutal jab from top House Republican

August 13, 2026 12:05pm EDT / Fox News

Tom Emmer says the socialist left is pushing untenable solutions to young Americans facing economic pressure

By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News

Published August 13, 2026 12:05pm EDT

Hasan Piker alliance with Dems is ‘huge mistake,’ GOP leader warns

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer spoke with Fox News Digital about the wave of socialists fighting for control of the Democratic Party.

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The No. 3 House Republican is arguing that fringe Democrats who are fast becoming top figures on the left are selling Americans a false bill of goods.

“Unfortunately, you’ve got these hair-tonic salesmen like Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that are selling them literally the same thing that Pinocchio was sold when he was taken to the island, that you’re going to get everything and of course everybody turns into a donkey,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital.

A far-left insurgency has gripped the primary election season this year, toppling establishment Democrats in multiple states across the country.

It’s provided fodder for Republicans, who are fighting an uphill battle to keep control of Congress and who are arguing that Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-linked candidates are further to the left than what most people in the country are comfortable with.

SOCIALIST VICTORIES SHOW DEMS’ DESCENT DOWN ‘DEADLY PATH OF COMMUNISM,’ JOHNSON WARNS

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed poses for a portrait in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Feb. 21, 2026.(Evan Cobb for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

DSA-linked candidates in New York, Colorado and Michigan have already defeated four sitting House Democrats and will likely ascend to the House of Representatives next year.

El-Sayed, who has denied being a Democratic socialist but aligns closely with groups and people who do identify with the label, defeated an establishment-backed moderate in Michigan’s Senate primary.

“Somebody who’s talented and works hard can actually achieve in this country. They object to that, because you know what? Everybody should have the same in their book, regardless of their abilities, regardless of their effort,” Emmer said. “It’s never worked anywhere else in the world in history. Their way doesn’t work. Unfortunately, we got a lot of young people who have been done a disservice with the education. They may have to learn this firsthand.”

DEMOCRATS LURE ‘POLITICALLY HOMELESS’ GEN Z TOWARD SOCIALISM — A COUNTERATTACK IS TAKING SHAPE

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference on Universal Child Care at Bedrock Preschool on Aug. 4, 2026, in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx borough in New York City.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“There are challenges in this country that we cannot ignore, right? People are struggling to make ends meet. This generation has more bills than any generation before them, because of their cell phones and the streaming services and all the things that they have that they have to deal with every day,” Emmer said.

He said younger Americans are feeling “frustration” at those challenges, but that the socialist left is pushing solutions that are untenable.

Visitors to the DSA website are asked to envision a world largely free of bills and a “future without capitalism,” where, “you work as much as you are able and no more than needed.”

It’s a similar tone to Karl Marx’s infamous phrase describing a communist utopia, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”

But Emmer pointed out that Marx’s theories have rarely, if ever, played out as a successful government system.

CAPITALISM IS ABOUT INCENTIVES. STOPPING THE STUPIDITY OF SOCIALISM IS A BIG INCENTIVE

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, during a television interview at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2025.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“There is nothing democratic about socialism,” he said.

And while they are hundreds of miles apart in geography, El-Sayed and Mamdani’s links to the DSA and popularity among young left-wing voters have made them top bogeymen for the right. Mamdani is a DSA member. El-Sayed is not, but has been backed by prominent figures in the organization.

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Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

White House launches interactive map tracking billions in suspected fraud

2026-08-13 2:01pm EDT / Fox News

The site details criminal charges and arrests tied to Medicare, Medicaid and COVID relief loan schemes

Louis Casiano By Louis Casiano Fox News

Published August 13, 2026 2:01pm EDT | Updated August 13, 2026 2:02pm EDT

HHS using AI to detect fraud after DOJ reveals alleged billion-dollar scheme

The Department of Justice uncovered a $6.5 billion healthcare fraud scheme, detailing how culprits bought luxury homes, vehicles and jewelry with taxpayer money. HHS Assistant Secretary for Financial Services Gus Chiarello discusses using AI to detect fraudulent patterns across the country, a task previously impossible with archaic auditing methods.

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The White House on Thursday launched a public tracking dashboard documenting billions of dollars in alleged waste, fraud and financial corruption uncovered by the Trump administration across federal programs.

The interactive website, The Fraud Ledger, highlights data collected since January 2025 by the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a panel chaired by Vice President JD Vance.

The platform details ongoing investigations, criminal charges, financial recoveries and enforcement actions undertaken by the task force since its establishment earlier this year.

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE SAYS MIGRANT COMMUNITIES SHOW ‘CLEAR PATTERN’ IN FEDERAL FRAUD AS INVESTIGATIONS WIDEN

The White House on Thursday launched The Fraud Ledger, an interactive map that tracks and documents tracking the Trump administration’s crackdown on fraud across federal agencies.(White House)

Data compiled from public records and federal agency submissions reveals significant figures in uncovered fraud.

The Small Business Administration led all agencies with $122.9 billion in uncovered fraud, followed closely by the Department of Health and Human Services with $96.2 billion, according to the White House tracker.

Overall, the White House reports that the task force has uncovered roughly $230 billion in suspected fraud.

Furthermore, the administration claims to have halted $56 billion in fraudulent payments intended for criminal actors, while executing more than $55 billion in total enforcement actions.

DOJ CHARGES 10 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DEFENDANTS IN LARGEST FEDERAL HEALTHCARE FRAUD CRACKDOWN IN US HISTORY

The White House fraud website tracks fraud investigations and enforcement actions.(White House)

The interactive portal features a national map detailing the task force’s top 10 highest-impact enforcement actions since January 2025.

Among its key highlights, the site documents the suspension of federal payments to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority pending the outcome of a fraud investigation, while also featuring a section displaying individuals arrested on charges in the most egregious cases.

Additionally, the site highlights dozens of ongoing prosecutions tied to Medicare and Medicaid fraud, the alleged misuse of COVID-19 relief loans and the massive Feeding Our Future fraud case in Minnesota.

Vice President JD Vance speaks Aug. 5 during a congressional roundtable on anti-fraud initiatives in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

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Combating federal fraud has remained a central priority for the Trump administration through coordinated investigations and law enforcement crackdowns, including a major Justice Department operation in June that charged more than 450 individuals for their alleged involvement in schemes totaling over $6.5 billion.

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

Justice Department slams ‘politically motivated demands’ of DC Council asking govs to remove National Guard

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said the council has no power to demand governors remove troops from DC

August 13, 2026 12:39pm EDT / Fox News

By Greg Norman-Diamond

Mother of slain DC intern backs National Guard as homicides plunge

Tamara Jachym, the mother of a Capitol Hill intern killed in Washington last summer says the National Guard deployment is “working” as D.C. homicides fall sharply.

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The Justice Department slammed the D.C. Council for its “politically motivated demands” and “impotent theatrics” after its members sent letters to governors asking them to recall their National Guard troops from the nation’s capital.

The development comes as FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital this week that “homicides in D.C. are down an incredible 44% from last year” when President Donald Trump’s administration launched the Safe and Beautiful initiative in Washington, D.C., which increased the federal law enforcement presence and deployed hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops to combat crime.

“I am not surprised that your recent letter to state governors regarding the National Guard feigns ignorance of the historic public safety strides made in our Nation’s capital since August 11, 2025,” Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald wrote in a letter addressed to the D.C. Council. “I am surprised and saddened, however, that you would show such callousness — instead of compassion and care — toward your constituents, who now live in a city with far less violence and fear thanks to the National Guard and the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.”

“Let me be clear, your council has no power to demand that governors remove their brave men and women from serving in uniform in our Nation’s capital. Your politically-motivated letter is impotent theatrics not worth the paper it’s written on, and D.C. is a much safer place no matter what you say,” McDonald added. “Because you refuse to speak the truth about the life-preserving work of the Task Force, the truth will speak for itself.”

FBI TOUTS 6,000 ARRESTS, 44% HOMICIDE DROP ONE YEAR INTO TRUMP’S DC CRIME CRACKDOWN

FILE – Members of the Arkansas National Guard continue their patrol after carrying an elderly woman in a wheelchair down the steps to the train platform due to an out-of-service elevator at the Columbia Heights metro station on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Washington. The D.C. Council came under fire after requesting governors remove their National Guard troops from Washington, D.C.(Rod Lamkey/AP)

The Justice Department said in a message on X that “This Department of Justice will not stand for these politically motivated demands.”

“We will continue standing with @POTUS and the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to deliver historic results for the community — and for visitors from across the country and around the world to enjoy,” it added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives of D.C. Council members for comment.

The letters, co-signed by the D.C. Council members, were sent to the governors of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming in late July, according to the office of Councilmember At-Large Robert White.

Each letter opened the same, saying, “We write as elected officials representing the District of Columbia to respectfully request that you withdraw all troops currently deployed to the District by September 1, 2026.”

DC MURDER RATE SEES ASTONISHING TURNAROUND AS TRUMP TEAM CREDITS FEDERAL CRACKDOWN

Members of the National Guard walk on patrol as Free DC protesters rally against the continued National Guard presence in Washington on the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s emergency declaration activating the Guard, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.(Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

“There are approximately 5,148 Guard personnel currently deployed to the District under the premise that an extraordinary military presence was necessary to address public safety. Yet analysis of the deployment has found only a modest decrease in property crime and no measurable reduction in violent crime attributable to the Guard’s presence since August 2025,” the letters continue.

“The deployment has, however, cost American taxpayers more than $3 million per day, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Continuing this deployment despite the absence of a demonstrated violent-crime benefit would misuse both taxpayer dollars — in the billions, if maintained for years at its expanded scale — and the service of the Guard member themselves,” the letters add, claiming that at a time where families in each of the states “and across the country are struggling with the cost of groceries, housing, health care, and other necessities, wasting those resources on an ineffective, indefinite deployment that neither District residents nor officials asked for is disrespectful to American taxpayers.”

The letters conclude by saying that: “We recognize that the America 250 events present significant public safety and logistical challenges for the District and have required coordination across multiple jurisdictions. We are grateful to the Guard members who have been present to support the nation’s capital during this exceptionally busy period. Once the principal event-related needs conclude on September 1, 2026, we respectfully ask that they be permitted to return home to their families, careers and communities, rather than remain indefinitely assigned to a costly mission that has not demonstrated a measurable impact on violent crime.”

However, McDonald said in his letter “Thanks to courageous and steadfast support from National Guard units, Task Force members have conducted thousands of arrests, located lost and missing children, and taken substantial numbers of illegal firearms off the city’s streets” and that the National Guard “has personally intervened in numerous assaults and provided medical aid on innumerable occasions, including repeatedly administering life-saving NARCAN to citizens in peril.”

FILE – National Guard members patrol the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Aug. 30, 2025. McDonald said Guard members repeatedly administered life-saving NARCAN to citizens in distress.(Andrew Leyden/Getty)

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“While you slander these men and women as ‘outside military forces,’ I refer to them as true American heroes,” he also said. “You should withdraw your letters and dedicate your remaining time in public service to correcting D.C.’s laws to ensure criminals are punished and the public is protected — not the other way around.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.