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Scramble for Karoline Leavitt’s replacement ensues with just weeks until Trump’s spokesperson exits

August 13, 2026 2:41pm EDT / Fox News

Alina Habba, Stephen Miller, Katie Miller, Scott Jennings and Anna Kelly are among the names being floated for the role

By Ashley J. DiMella

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Trump White House has ‘huge shoes to fill’ as Karoline Leavitt exits, independent journalist says

Caroline Sunshine, a former Trump campaign deputy communications director, and independent journalist Lyndsay Keith discuss Karoline Leavitt’s departure as White House press secretary on ‘Fox News @ Night.’

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The impending departure of President Donald Trump’s top spokeswoman has speculation swirling in Washington, D.C., on who will be selected to replace Karoline Leavitt behind the press briefing room podium.

The 28-year-old White House press secretary, fresh off maternity leave, dropped a bombshell announcement on Wednesday that she will end her tenure at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children.

Now, with just two weeks left in the month, the race is on to find the next press secretary — and some predict the briefing room will see a rotating line of Trump administration officials briefing the White House press corps rather than a permanent replacement, like what happened during Leavitt’s maternity leave earlier this summer.

WHITE HOUSE PLANS GUEST HOSTS FOR PRESS BRIEFINGS WHILE KAROLINE LEAVITT TAKES MATERNITY LEAVE

President Donald Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stop to speak to the media as Trump departs on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held the first news conference while Leavitt was on leave, followed by Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

“The next press secretary will undoubtedly be someone who has a strong existing relationship with President Trump,” former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer told Fox News Digital.

“He values and understands the importance of this role in communicating his positions on policy, personnel and key issues, so I can’t imagine it not being someone currently in his orbit,” Spicer added.

Spicer, known for his short tenure as White House press secretary, withdrew his name for consideration a second time around.

Alina Habba, who serves as senior advisor to the attorney general for U.S. Attorneys, was viewed as a frontrunner after Trump won re-election and is once again being floated for the role.

TRUMP SAYS KAROLINE LEAVITT WILL LEAVE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ROLE, BECOME OUTSIDE ADVISOR

President Donald Trump, accompanied by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaks to reporters as he departs the White House July 15, 2025(AP)

At the time, Habba said she was “flattered” by the consideration but believed she would “be better served in other capacities.”

She then served three months as counselor to the president before leaving Washington, D.C., for a controversial and turbulent position as interim attorney for the District of New Jersey. After her appointment was deemed unconstitutional, she resigned and was made senior advisor to the attorney general for United States Attorneys.

Habba, who was Trump’s personal attorney and a high-profile surrogate on the 2024 campaign trail, was the early favorite on Kalshi to replace the press secretary but now ranks third behind conservative political commentator Scott Jennings and Leavitt’s deputy, Anna Kelly.

Trump’s principal deputy press secretary has been seen in an outward facing role. Kelly filled in for Leavitt in media hits while Leavitt was on maternity leave but has yet to take the podium for a briefing.

Jennings, a CNN contributor and former aide to President George W. Bush, was also reportedly considered for the press secretary role when Trump retook office in 2024 before he selected Leavitt. Trump has touted Jennings’ recent book and has referred to him as a “patriot” who “gets it.”

TRUMP’S DC LAW-AND-ORDER BLITZ MARKS ONE YEAR WITH EYE-POPPING HAUL OF SUSPECTS

Trump’s senior advisor, Stephen Miller, and his wife, Katie Miller, have been floated on social media as potential replacements.

Stephen was asked Wednesday for his thoughts on his wife, former Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary and communications director, filling Leavitt’s role. In lieu of commenting, he shot a smile in the direction of the questioner.

White House communication director Stephen Cheung is one of Trump’s most forceful defenders, wielding significant influence but largely operating behind the scenes.

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, and his wife, Katie Miller, an aide for DOGE, attend the White House Easter Egg Roll April 21, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Other names floated as potential contenders include Breitbart’s Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle and former White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich.

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Leavitt is Trump’s second-longest-serving press secretary with 19 months in the role. She comes in second to first-term press secretary and now Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ 23-month tenure.

After Huckabee’s departure, Stephanie Grisham stepped into the role for nine months but was famous for not holding a single press briefing during that time. She was eventually replaced with Kayleigh McEnany, who served through the end of Trump’s first term.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

Kennedy Center board votes to inscribe Trump’s name on building

2026-08-13 7:06 PM UTC / Reuters

By Ryan Patrick Jones and Jasper Ward

August 13, 2026 7:06 PM UTC Updated 24 mins ago

[1/3]A woman walks along the front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on a day when the center’s board voted to inscribe onto the building “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump”, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 13, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Aug 13 (Reuters) – The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Thursday to add an inscription ​bearing President Donald Trump’s name to the building’s exterior, according to Democratic ‌U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, a move that could set up a clash with a federal judge who previously ordered his name removed from the facade.

“In its meeting today, the board ​voted to change the front of the building’s facade to read ‘The John ​F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By ⁠President Donald J. Trump,’ and renamed the physical site ‘the President Donald J. Trump ​Plaza,’” said Beatty, an ex officio member on the center’s board.

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A second ​source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the decision.

The New York Times, citing a resolution, reported earlier on Thursday “that the center desires to recognize and honor President Trump’s existential and unprecedented ​contributions to the survival of the center by all legal means.”

The board – ​dominated by Trump loyalists – also voted to close the Kennedy Center for two years, according to ‌Beatty, ⁠who sued the Trump administration and the center over what she called an unlawful name change and the planned closure.

The Trump administration in December added Trump’s name to the facade of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. But in ​May a judge ordered ​the removal of ⁠Trump’s name, ruling that the iconic Washington venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress.

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A federal appeals court last ​month denied the administration’s bid to keep Trump’s name on ​the building ⁠while it pursues court action to restore it. Workers stripped Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center in June.

The Trump administration argued that removing Trump’s name would hurt fundraising ⁠and ​worsen the center’s finances. The appeals court said ​those claims were not supported by specific facts or evidence.

Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto and ​Jasper Ward and Bo Erickson in Washington, editing by Ross Colvin and Chizu Nomiyama

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump admin marks 15 straight months with zero border releases as apprehensions plunge 94%

August 13, 2026 12:26pm EDT / Fox News

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin says daily apprehensions are at the lowest level in 30 years

By Anders Hagstrom , Preston Mizell

Trump touts securing southern border as fentanyl deaths plummet

President Donald Trump discusses the dramatic decrease in fentanyl deaths since securing the southern border in an exclusive interview with Trace Gallagher.

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President Donald Trump’s administration says it has gone 15 straight months without a single release at the border as of Thursday.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s office says 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.

“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.

“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.

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

A U.S. Border Patrol agent works at the border to seal an illegal cross-border tunnel which was originally discovered on January 10, 2025, between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on March 11, 2025.(HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, seizures of contraband at the border in July were 26% higher than under Biden, with authorities seizing cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana.

INSIDE UNDERGROUND EL PASO STORM DRAIN SYSTEM BORDER PATROL SAYS CARTELS EXPLOIT TO SMUGGLE ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also helped enforce Trump’s tariff policies, flagging $23 billion in duties identified for collection in July alone.

“Clear policy, strong enforcement, and dedicated frontline personnel are delivering results at our borders,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recruiter Gabriel Montanez helps a man fill out an application during a CBP and Border Patrol recruitment event at a public library in El Paso, Texas, on September 25, 2025.(REUTERS/Paul Ratje)

“With the support of President Trump and Secretary Mullin, CBP is securing our nation against illegal crossings, dangerous individuals, and illicit drugs while keeping lawful trade and travel moving. These results show what is possible when border security is treated as a national priority,” he added.

The Trump administration is still moving to increase its immigration enforcement efforts. Last month, the House of Representatives moved toward codifying several of Trump’s immigration orders.

The Permanent Trump Secure Border Act would criminalize visa overstays and increase penalties for unlawful entry, would effectively end “catch and release” policies by requiring most illegal migrants to be detained or returned while their cases are pending and tighten asylum eligibility and humanitarian parole, among other provisions.

A U.S. Department Of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection sign is displayed at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Headquarters on May 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C.(Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

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The measure would also bolster the CBP by directing the DHS to modernize border facilities, expand staffing and workforce planning and deploy more surveillance technology, including drones, radar systems, biometric screening and DNA collection.

Fox News’ Adam Pack contributed to this report.

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

‘Look at me!’ Justice fires back at critics who dare question his Blackness

August 13, 2026 2:42pm EDT / Fox News

The justice recalled being told at Yale Law School he ‘shouldn’t believe that’ because of his race

By Elaine Mallon

Clarence Thomas shared during a discussion with Peter Robinson hosted by the Hoover Institute that people have questioned his political beliefs because he is Black. (Credit: YouTube/Hoover Institution – Aug. 11)

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said his views on race and politics have led critics to question his Blackness.

“I mean, how stupid is that? Look at me,” Thomas said, grabbing his arm. “You know, then they say things like, ‘Oh, black is a state of mind.’”

Thomas made the remarks during a Hoover Institution conversation with Peter Robinson that included a discussion about the role of Black Americans in politics. The conservative justice reflected on how economist Thomas Sowell, a Black conservative, helped transform his thinking on race and politics and gave him the confidence to challenge prevailing expectations about Black Americans’ political views.

CLARENCE THOMAS WARNS AMERICA: LIBERTY DIES WHEN WE CHOOSE COMFORT OVER COURAGE

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks during a special lecture celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at Hogg Memorial Auditorium at the University of Texas on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.(Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images))

Thomas said that as a young man, he felt pressure to embrace certain political beliefs because he was Black and faced resistance when he began questioning them.

“You have these views, you have these instincts, but you are getting inputs from the media, from the politicians, the people who have the megaphone, the people who have the loudest voices, that tells you you’re wrong, that tells you you’re bad, that there’s something awful about you,” Thomas said.

While at Yale Law School, Thomas said he bucked the push for school busing, questioning why Black families would want their children sent across town to unfamiliar schools and neighborhoods.

“I remember saying those things at Yale and people — the bottom line was, well, you shouldn’t believe that because you’re black,” Thomas said.

KEY TRUMP AGENCY PUTS TOP UNIVERSITIES IN CROSSHAIRS OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED DORM PROGRAMS

Thomas argued there was often a disconnect between positions championed by Black political leaders and the views of ordinary Black Americans, pointing to debates over school busing and racial preferences.

“If you ask the leaders, they thought one thing. If you ask the people, they thought another,” Thomas said.

It was Sowell’s work, Thomas said, that helped him make sense of views he had already begun developing on his own.

A friend introduced Thomas to Sowell’s Race and Economics, which Thomas said helped free him from the isolation he had felt over his own views.

THE WELFARE STATE BROKE BLACK FAMILIES. WORK CAN HELP RESTORE THE DREAM

Economist Thomas Sowell unleashed on the current state of the U.S. education system, arguing it is keeping students and families trapped in a cycle of failure.(Fox News)

“It was literally like a drink of water,” Thomas said. “Here’s someone who’s thought it through and it makes sense. What your instincts were have been now demonstrated in a logical, analytical way. You’re not alone.” He later sought out a friendship with Sowell.

But Thomas had not always embraced Sowell’s ideas.

As a Yale student in 1972, Thomas said he “reflexively” rejected Sowell’s Black Education: Myths and Tragedies, believing that “no black man” should think that way.

Thomas said Sowell’s example helped give him the confidence to voice his own beliefs even when doing so brought criticism.

THOMAS LEAVES NOTHING LEFT UNSAID ON RACIAL GERRYMANDERING DECISION: ‘GO FURTHER’

“If they can prove you wrong, fine,” Thomas said. “But if they call you names or say you’re not black, I mean, how stupid is that? Look at me.”

He tied those attacks to what he described as a broader pressure on Black Americans to conform to certain views.

“There’s this overriding public view that you’re not supposed to think this way, therefore you’re not black, therefore you’re discredited,” Thomas said. “Nothing you say matters.”

The U.S. Supreme Court as seen on February 20, 2026 in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

But for Thomas, the biggest lesson he took from Sowell was to think for himself.

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“He always says what he thinks, but he never tells you to say what he wants you to think,” Thomas said of Sowell. “That is yours.”

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“There seems to be this overwhelming pressure for us to agree with the prevailing notions which I consider almost illusory in a sense,” Thomas said.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

Zoetis gets US FDA emergency use nod for treatment for screwworm in dogs

August 13, 2026 6:41 PM UTC / Reuters

New World screwworm and other botfly specimens are placed under a microscope as part of a demonstration at the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville, Texas, U.S., July 14, 2026. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee/File Photo

Companies

Zoetis Inc

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Aug 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued an emergency use authorization for Zoetis’ flea and ​tick drug to treat New World screwworm (NWS) infestations ‌in dogs and puppies.

Here are more details:

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• Currently, most dogs in the U.S. are at low risk of exposure to NWS, which is ​a flesh-eating livestock pest, due to their geographic ​location, the FDA said.
• However, dogs that live in, ⁠travel to, or return from areas where screwworm infestations ​have been identified by animal health officials, as well ​as certain countries south of the U.S. border, should be closely monitored for signs of infestation, such as visible maggots, foul odors ​in wounds or body openings, the agency said.
• At present, ​NWS has only been detected in specific areas of Texas and ‌New ⁠Mexico.
• The FDA issues emergency use authorizations to allow the use of unapproved treatments during public health threats when no alternatives are available.
• Based on the totality of data available, ​the FDA ​said it is ⁠reasonable to believe that Simparica TRIO may be effective in the treatment of NWS ​infestations.
• The drug was approved by the FDA ​in ⁠2020 for heartworm, flea and tick-related indications in dogs and puppies. It is available only by prescription.
• Elanco Animal Health ⁠also received ​an emergency use nod for ​its drug, Credelio, last year to treat dogs infected with New World screwworm.

Reporting ​by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Fury erupts as 37-year illegal alien demands citizenship in viral Spanish rant alongside Dem leaders

Margarita Cielo Balbuena called for amnesty and an end to ICE raids, sparking backlash online

August 13, 2026 3:15pm EDT / Fox News

By Peter D’Abrosca Fox News

Illegal alien in New Jersey demands citizenship after ICE detainment

An illegal alien in New Jersey who has been present in the United States for 37 years demanded lawmakers grant amnesty for those who have been in the United States for at least seven years. (Credit: WNYW)

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Furious users took to social media to blast an illegal alien who has been present in the United States for 37 years after she demanded amnesty in a Spanish rant alongside top Democratic Party leaders.

“I ask that you be champions of a change in the immigration laws,” said Margarita Cielo Balbuena, flanked by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J., through an interpreter earlier this week.

“We need a path to citizenship for those of us that have been present for at least seven years in this country,” she continued. “We need a stop to these raids that immigration is using to terrorize Dover [New Jersey].”

Margarita Cielo Balbuena demand amnesty for illegal aliens at an August 2026 event in New Jersey with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.(FOX 5 New York)

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TOP DEM FOUGHT TO FREE TURNS UP ON VOTER ROLLS: ‘MOCKERY OF OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS’

A clip of the video went viral online Wednesday.

“It is not just that someone like me, who has been in this country since 1989, who pays taxes, who is a homeowner, who is a business owner who gives work to others, someone who has children and grandchildren who are born in this country — that I have to suffer the psychological and physical abuse and that I also have to suffer the humiliation that is the violent arrest and detention in a detention center,” said Cielo Balbuena.

The foreign-born woman was detained in ICE’s Elizabeth Detention Center for two months, and claimed that she was treated inhumanely, according to the New Jersey Globe.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries faces growing pressure as democratic socialist-backed candidates gain influence in New York, raising new questions about the party’s ideological direction.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But online opponents of illegal immigration were not sympathetic to Cielo Balbuena’s call.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO MURDERED MICHIGAN WOMAN SUES TRUMP, DEMANDS $75M, PUBLIC APOLOGY, US CITIZENSHIP

Among her most prominent and harshest critics was former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commander-at-large Gregory Bovino.

“You have lived in the United States since 1989. That is 37 years. You still need a translator,” he listed.

“At a Democratic event you stood up and demanded a path to citizenship for anyone who has been here just 7 years,” Bovino continued. “Notice the arrogance. Notice the entitlement.”

He went on to claim that Democrats’ open borders policies allowed so many foreigners into the country so quickly that “assimilation is no longer required.”

“There can be no amnesty and there can be no exceptions. All illegals must go,” the John Birch Society said on X in response to the video.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 03: Protestors gather outside the federal immigration center at Delaney Hall, where ICE is housing detained illegal immigrants, on June 03, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey.((Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images))

DEMOCRAT COMPARES ICE TO ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISTS’ AS 111 HOUSE DEMS DEMAND TEXAS DETENTION CENTER CLOSE

“No English. No citizenship,” said popular online personality Brigitte Gabriel.

“No. Someone who wanted to be a citizen would care enough to learn the language. In any country,” said another post that garnered over 1,000 likes.

“Immediate deportation,” said actor Matthew Marsden. “A just country that cares about its citizens should defend it. That includes getting rid of people like this.”

Rep. Jeffries spoke at the event, and demanded the closure of Delaney Hall, another ICE detention facility in New Jersey that was subject to intense protests and sometimes violent riots for months earlier this year.

GEORGIA ICE SWEEP NABS OVER 700 CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, INCLUDING SEX OFFENDERS, CHILD ABUSERS

Protestors, politicians and ICE agents gather outside Delaney Hall, an immigration facility in Newark, N.J., on May 27, 2026.(Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

“Delaney Hall needs to be shut down,” Jeffries said. “That will remain a high priority for us until it takes place.”

“The behavior that ICE is engaging in is inconsistent with our values and what America should represent.”

The White House fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying: “These types of smears by sanctuary politicians are contributing to our ICE law enforcement officers facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.”

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“Our ICE officers are heroes who put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from American communities. Democrats must stop demonizing our officers for simply enforcing our nation’s laws,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said.

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

Costa Rica extradites two alleged drug traffickers to the US

2026-08-13 18:36:42 UTC / Reuters

By Alvaro Murillo

August 13, 2026 6:36 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

SAN JOSE, Aug 13 (Reuters) – Costa Rica has extradited two alleged drug traffickers to the U.S. to face ​charges, Costa Rica’s attorney general said on Thursday, identifying ‌the suspects as Gilbert Bell Fernandez, known as Macho Coca, and Gabriel Lozano, nicknamed Compadre.

They are due to face trial in ​U.S. federal court in New York.

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The U.S. imposed sanctions ​on Bell, 62, in 2023 for what it ⁠said was his “significant role in the recent transformation of ​Costa Rica into a major narcotics transit hub.” He had ​been jailed in San Jose since 2024 on charges of stealing state-owned fuel.

Authorities accuse Lozano, a Colombian who obtained Costa Rican citizenship, ​of using the country as a key transit point ​for cocaine moving from South American producers to markets farther north.

Costa Rica ‌Attorney ⁠General Carlo Diaz said in a video statement that the extraditions were the result of cooperation with U.S. and international authorities “in which we share common objectives in the fight ​against crime, ​especially international drug ⁠trafficking.”

Confronted with a surge in violence tied to the spread of drug trafficking groups, ​Costa Rica in 2025 approved the extradition ​of its ⁠citizens on drug trafficking or terrorism charges.

The first Costa Ricans were extradited under the measure in March. Authorities have said ⁠about ​20 Costa Rican suspects are currently ​facing extradition proceedings, along with a similar number of foreign nationals.

Reporting by ​Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Fabiola Arámburo; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Hasan Piker event cancellation sparks intervention from top House progressive

August 13, 2026 3:30pm EDT / Fox News

Jayapal says she is personally communicating with the University of Washington over free speech concerns

By Elizabeth Elkind, Fox News

A top House Democrat is speaking out against a university’s decision to cancel an appearance by controversial far-left activist Hasan Piker on its campus.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the former Congressional Progressive Caucus chair, publicly called on students at the University of Washington to “work with the university to ensure” that Piker was able to speak.

Jayapal also said in a statement posted to X on Thursday that she was personally working with the university on the issue.

DEMOCRATIC INFIGHTING GROWS AS CONGRESSWOMAN EXPOSES ‘DISRESPECTFUL’ WELCOME OF SOCIALISTS INTO ‘BIG TENT’

Rep. Pramila Jayapal is speaking out against the University of Washington’s decision to cancel Hasan Piker’s speaking engagement.(Noushad Variyattiyakkal/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“As a Member of the Judiciary Committee, I have been absolutely clear that free speech is a constitutional right that we must all stand up and protect. I have been communicating my concerns about the cancellation of the Hasan Piker event directly to the University, and they have informed me that they are doing an internal review to ensure this never happens again,” Jayapal wrote.

Piker posted on X earlier this week that the event was canceled due to his criticism of Israel.

“i wish the dems were smarter & didn’t let the right-wing groups be the only people who speak out against this clear violation of the First Amendment but unfortunately my position as a prominent critic of israel stops them from using this moment to show gop as arch cancel culture warriors,” Piker wrote.

The University of Washington faced bipartisan criticism for canceling Piker’s appearance.(Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

The University of Washington said in a statement that Piker’s event was canceled because it “was determined that the process for organizing this event did not meet the necessary level of rigor for University-hosted events.”

The decision also prompted backlash from the right.

“Let the radical Mao loving communist Hasan Piker speak, so long as he can resist the urge to call for the death of his political opponents. Universities do this to TPUSA often and blame some admin error etc.,” Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet posted on X. “It’s wrong. Let him speak. Let conservatives speak. Peacefully.”

Piker, a streamer, has long made headlines for controversial and far-left statements.

In 2019, he said “America deserved 9/11” over its foreign policy decisions, though he later walked it back on “The Young Turks,” stating, “Every part of what I advocate for is against violence” and insisting his statement was misconstrued.

HASAN PIKER’S DEFENSE OF HAMAS HAVING ‘RIGHT TO RESIST MILITARILY’ DRAWS CONDEMNATION FROM HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS

Piker said at a Yale University event in April 2026 that “the fall of the USSR was one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century.”

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate who won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker at a party for content creators supporting his campaign on Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

He also drew backlash from the Anti-Defamation League for calling terror group Hamas a “lesser evil” compared to Israel.

The far-left activist and his past statements have been back in the national conversation in recent weeks as he campaigns with socialist-aligned candidates across the country. That includes Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and failed Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment on Jayapal’s and Kolvet’s defense of his speaking engagement.

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

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Becky G reflects on advocacy in new music, rise to fame and “settling into” herself

August 13, 2026 12:11 PM EDT / CBS News

By Kelsie Hoffman, Alicia Alford, Gisela Perez

Multi-platinum singer Becky G’s mission goes beyond music with her latest album.

The global star said in an exclusive interview with “CBS Mornings” that visuals for her new music are where her advocacy and art “really came together.”

“It was emotional for me,” she told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King while reflecting on the music video for her track “EPA,” where she’s seen breaking a block of ice in response to recent immigration raids.

“I feel like, for a lot of us in our communities, you know, with the discrimination and the oppression that we have felt for decades, it’s one of those things where you can’t rain on our parade. We are the people who dance in the rain, you know?”

Rise to fame

From Inglewood, California, Becky G, born Rebbecca Marie Gomez, began her singing career when she was just 9 years old.

The oldest of four children, she grew up in a Mexican household with her parents, grandparents and siblings.

As a teen, the superstar’s viral cover songs would eventually lead to a record deal – making Becky G the primary provider for her family. She revealed she used to “carry resentment” as a child, feeling the pressure to be the family’s breadwinner.

“We had to do a lot of work as a family to get to a place where I could heal from that and also be seen in that way and also have my family show up differently in that.”

But today she feels “a lot different” from when she was younger.

“I feel really thankful that my parents have actually been able to just be my mom and dad, especially in this, it’s never too late, you know, in that sense.”

New music and major collaborations

Today, Becky G’s music has 28.3 billion streams worldwide as she collaborates with global powerhouses like Selena Gomez, Bad Bunny and Karol G, who she’s currently on tour with as a special guest.

“I wake up every day like I haven’t done anything the day before and in Spanish we say, like … I have the desire to eat the world,” she said. “Like, literally, like, the entire world. I just want to, like, devour it and just take over.”

But she hasn’t forgotten one of her first hits. “Shower” came out 12 years ago and recently made a comeback on social media, reaching over 1 billion streams on Spotify.

“I love it,” Becky G said about the song. “I have so much gratitude for that song. I think it was such a blessing for me to kind of get a crash course experience in what it is to have a song that almost goes No. 1.”

Her new album is “Baraja Bendita,” which loosely translates to “a blessed deck of cards.”

“We all know that quote of we can’t necessarily control the cards that we were dealt – but what we can control is how we play them,” she said.

“I feel like throughout my years of, of doing what I do, personally and professionally, I’ve gotten really good at playing the game and I think that that’s something that especially as women, as we’ve become more empowered, we’re almost taught to feel more shameful about that and I think I’m just owning it.”

One of the biggest names in Latin music, she said the album reflects every part of her.

“I feel like this album really marries the Rebbecca side of me … the sensual, more vulnerable side of me, the intimate side of me, and then also, you know, who I am,” she said. “The boss in the boardroom and the boss on the stage.”

Navigating relationships and her future

The singer has also had to navigate dating in the public eye. She’s been in a relationship with professional soccer player Sebastian Lletget for nearly a decade.

The couple called off their engagement in 2023. Becky G has been open about infidelity in the relationship, but now says “it’s a new relationship” and that they’re both happy.

“We’ve done the work and we continue to do the work, and I think that’s the most important part of it, is that it’s work, relationships are work,” she said.

“I think at the end of the day, what I would want for anybody that I love is to not make decisions based off of what’s happening in the comment section, but more based off of their life experience and what they know to be true to them and what they feel is right for themselves.”

The 29-year-old said she’s “really settling into” herself and caring more about what and who she wants “to become and less about anything else outside of that.”

Poland arrests Russian allegedly hired to kill Ukrainian-American who was ‘inconvenient to the Putin regime’

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the suspect was recruited by Russian intelligence services to target a man in Warsaw

August 13, 2026 2:26pm EDT / Fox News

By Greg Norman-Diamond

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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed Thursday that his country arrested a Russian man hired by Moscow to kill a Ukrainian-American citizen who was “inconvenient to the Putin regime.”

Tusk said the suspect was taken into custody Friday, with the alleged target being a man in Poland’s capital of Warsaw, according to a report from Reuters.

“Thanks to the truly brilliant action of our services … we detained a Russian citizen recruited by Russian intelligence services,” Tusk was quoted saying, adding that the target held both Ukrainian ‌and ⁠U.S. passports. “At the last minute, thanks to the action of the Internal Security Agency and the police, we managed to ⁠prevent this execution, this attack.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for comment.

MOSCOW, KYIV ASSASSINS HUNT WEAPONS BOSSES AS UKRAINE WAR SPILLS BEYOND THE BATTLEFIELD

FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting aboard the missile cruiser Varyag in Russia’s far eastern Sakhalin region on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. Putin previously said Russia is not waging a sabotage campaign against Europe.(Reuters)

Tusk also said Thursday that it was the first time that “someone on the order of Russia” sought to attack an American citizen on the territory of another NATO country, The Associated Press reported.

The operation was carried out in cooperation with U.S. services, Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister overseeing intelligence services, told the AP.

The news agency reported that it has mapped about 200 acts of sabotage, arson and other disruption across Europe since the start of the Ukraine war that officials have linked to Russia. President Vladimir Putin claimed to the AP in May that Russia is not waging a sabotage campaign against Europe.

RUSSIA LINKED TO ARSON ATTACKS ON PROPERTIES CONNECTED TO UK PM KEIR STARMER, POLICE SAY

FILE – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks to the media at the site where an unidentified flying object, believed to be a Russian missile, fell after violating Polish airspace in a field near Tarnawa Kolonia, near Lublin, Poland, on July 30, 2026.(Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl/Reuters)

In June, a Russian artist who was critical of Putin was shot and killed at close range near his home in eastern Poland. Tusk said at the time that the killing had the hallmarks of a political assassination. He suggested it was possible Russia was behind it, but Polish officials have not yet attributed it to Moscow.

Last year, French officials disrupted a plot which they believe was aimed at killing Vladimir Osechkin, a Russian exile who lives under police protection and works to help military defectors flee Putin’s war.

Lithuanian officials also disrupted a plot last year to kill a Lithuanian supporter of Ukraine and another against a Russian activist.

FILE – Tusk said the alleged target was a citizen in Warsaw, Poland.(dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Officials in Germany have similarly broken up two plots: one to target the head of a German weapons company supplying Ukraine, the other against a Ukrainian military official.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.