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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.

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

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403312021112

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.