Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik grilled the president of Pennsylvania’s Haverford College during a congressional hearing Wednesday over disciplinary action on campus-related antisemitism since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Haverford College President Wendy Raymond tried to sidestep Stefanik’s question of whether there had been any disciplinary action taken against a student group that was accused of antisemitism at the college. Raymond said the group’s statements were “repugnant” and indefensible, though did not elaborate on potential discipline.

“I’m asking about the disciplinary action,” Stefanik repeated. “You were the one university president who failed to lay out if any disciplinary action has been taken, if any suspensions or expulsion. So I am asking you, was there any disciplinary action taken?”

Raymond again denounced the group’s statements, but said she would not speak to individual cases. When pressed on whether the college took “any” disciplinary measures related to antisemitism, Raymond began to sidestep again before answering, “Yes, there have been some.” 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LAYS OFF AROUND 180 STAFF AFTER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVOKES GRANTS

Stefanik then asked about a mathematics professor at the college who allegedly made an antisemitic post online and whether the college launched an investigation or took any disciplinary action against the educator.

“Respectfully, representative, I will not be talking about individual cases,” Raymond responded.

“Respectfully, President of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in the positions as president of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions,” Stefanik said.

ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS OCCUPY UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON BUILDING, 30 ARRESTED

Stefanik was referencing her grilling of Ivy League college administrators from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, her alma mater, in December 2023 regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. The school leaders, however, waffled in their responses.

“It can be, depending on the context,” Harvard’s then-President Claudine Gay responded to the question.

“Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct, and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews break school rules. 

Both Gay and Penn’s then-President Liz Magill resigned from their high-profile positions shortly after the hearing, while footage of the exchanges spread like wildfire on social media.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., promised President Donald Trump‘s administration “resistance” on Wednesday following Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s immigration press conference near the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, Illinois. 

“Secretary Noem must have not realized she was visiting during Latino Unity Day where we come together to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our community,” Pritzker said in a press release. “Today, Secretary Noem was met by a force stronger than her: the people of Illinois. Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump’s lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance.”

Noem hosted the Illinois press conference “to call out the state’s sanctuary policies that undermine the rule of law and endanger fellow Americans,” urging Pritzker and his fellow Illinois Democrats to “abandon these dangerous sanctuary policies” and “return to law and order.” 

Noem was joined by two “Angel Families,” who had family members killed by illegal immigrants in Illinois. 

DEM GOVERNOR BLASTS TRUMP, MUSK IN NEW ATTACK CAMPAIGN AS 2028 BUZZ GROWS

Fox News reported at least two dozen protesters were shouting and holding up signs during Noem’s press conference. Before the press conference began, the location was changed to the site where a woman was allegedly killed by a noncitizen. 

“Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law,” Pritzker fired back after Noem’s press conference. 

POTENTIAL 2028 HOPEFUL ACCUSED OF ‘INCITING VIOLENCE’ AFTER CALL FOR ‘MASS PROTESTS’ AGAINST TRUMP

While Noem raged against Pritzker’s policies, the Illinois governor and potential 2028 presidential contender, who has stood out among the Democratic Party as a vocal opponent to Trump’s second term, accused the Trump administration of violating due process with their illegal immigration crackdown. 

“The Trump administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors, including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process,” Priztker said.

Pritzker continued his streak of speaking out against the Trump administration as their latest contention found its way to his backyard on Wednesday. 

“Trump-Noem publicity stunts do not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter,” Pritzker said.

Ahead of Noem’s visit, Pritzker trolled the Homeland Security secretary in an apparent dig for once killing a dog, as outlined in her book released last year when she was still the governor of South Dakota. 

“We would urge all pet owners in the region to make sure all of your beloved animals are under watchful protection while the Secretary is in the region,” Pritzker’s office wrote in a statement to reporters. 

The Department of Homeland Security responded to Pritzker’s press release in a statement to Fox News Digital. “What’s unlawful and unconstitutional is Governor Pritzker’s sanctuary city laws that embolden violent criminal illegal aliens that victimize and kill Americans.”

Fox News’ Olivianna Calmes contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump is reportedly to rename the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf ahead of his trip to the Middle East in the coming days. 

The expected announcement was first reported Wednesday by the Associated Press, which clashed with the Trump administration earlier this year over the president renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back. The AP cited two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

Iran’s foreign minister slammed the reported change, writing that, “politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned.”

VANCE PREVIEWS US-IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS, SAYS TRUMP ‘OPEN’ TO SITTING DOWN WITH RUSSIANS, CHINESE IN FUTURE

“Such biased actions are an affront to all Iranians, regardless of their background or place of residence. Let’s hope that the absurd rumors about the PERSIAN Gulf that are going around are no more than a disinformation campaign by ‘forever warriors’ to anger Iranians all over the world and agitate them,” Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X. 

The foreign minister said the name Persian Gulf “is deeply rooted in human history” and that Iran “has never objected to the use of names such as the Sea of Oman, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, or Red Sea.”

“The use of these names does not imply ownership by any particular nation, but rather reflects a shared respect for the collective heritage of humanity,” Abbas Araghchi wrote, adding that he is confident Trump “is aware that the name PERSIAN Gulf is centuries old and recognized by all cartographers and international bodies and was even used by all leaders of the region in their official communications until as recently as 1960’s.” 

“While any short-sighted step in this connection will have no validity or legal or geographical effect, it will only bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the U.S. and across the world,” he said. 

Trump is traveling in the coming days to the Middle East, where he will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which all lie on the body of water. 

TRUMP TEASES ‘VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE’S ‘ON EDGE OF MY SEAT’

U.S. and Iranian officials are also expected to meet for the fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman in the coming days. Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday the U.S. was negotiating toward a “complete cessation” of Tehran’s nuclear program. 

Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its historic ties to the gulf under the Persian Empire. 

The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of “Gulf of Arabia” and “Arabian Gulf” is dominant in many countries in the Middle East, according to the AP. The government of Iran – formerly Persia – threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company’s decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps.

On Google Maps in the U.S., the body of water appears as the “Persian Gulf” followed by “Arabian Gulf” in parentheses. Apple Maps only says the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. military for years has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and images it releases.

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A spat developed in 2017 during Trump’s first term when he used the name Arabian Gulf for the waterway. Iran’s president at the time, Hassan Rouhani, suggested Trump needed to “study geography.”

“Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote online at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Three top committees within the House of Representatives are delivering an update to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday about Republicans’ ongoing investigation into ActBlue.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., have been probing the Democratic fundraising platform for years.

“The Committees write today to draw your attention to our ongoing investigation into ActBlue, a political action committee and fundraising platform for the Democrat Party,” the letter said.

“The oversight has uncovered that ActBlue has weak fraud-prevention practices and overlooks bad actors, including foreign actors, who take advantage of the platform to make illicit political donations.”

SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL

They said the platform’s “concerning activities” could even have a “direct effect on U.S. political campaigns and elections.”

Steil first raised concerns about ActBlue in late 2023 after accusations surfaced that it did not require a card verification value (CVV) number to accept donations via credit card, something lawmakers said made donations significantly less secure.

The letter said ActBlue delivered a “lackluster response” to queries on the matter. As recently as August 2024, however, the site had required CVV numbers for donations on pages observed by Fox News Digital, including former Vice President Kamala Harris’ White House campaign.

However, Republicans pressed ActBlue further, the letter pointed out.

Steil’s panel subpoenaed ActBlue for “documents relating to ActBlue’s donor verification policies, contributions originating outside of the United States, deplatformed entities, and reported unauthorized or fraudulent donations.”

“ActBlue’s responsive documents confirmed that the platform accepted unverified payments during a period of record campaign fundraising,” the letter said.

“Although ActBlue has since updated its policies to reject donations without safeguards such as a CVV requirement, the Committees’ oversight found that ActBlue implemented these changes only after ensuring that they would not negatively impact Democrat donations.”

Subsequent inquiries into whether ActBlue and related entities were meaningfully deterring foreign actors “have shed some light on the nature of their operations, but many questions remain.”

The committees released a report last month, claiming “ActBlue executives and staff are aware that both foreign and domestic fraudulent actors are exploiting the platform but do not take the threat seriously.”

BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY

Fox News Digital reached out to ActBlue with a request for comment.

The platform previously dismissed Steil’s accusations as “inaccuracies and misrepresentations.”

“We rigorously protect donors’ security and maintain strict anti-fraud compliance practices. We have zero tolerance for fraud on our platform,” an ActBlue spokesperson said late last year.

A DOJ spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter but declined to comment further.

President Donald Trump – whose second-term agenda has been bogged down by judicial roadblocks – announced several judicial picks in Truth Social posts on Tuesday, and complained in a post on Wednesday that the judiciary is preventing him from executing the job Americans elected him to do.

“Our Court System is not letting me do the job I was Elected to do. Activist judges must let the Trump Administration deport murderers, and other criminals who have come into our Country illegally, WITHOUT DELAY!!!” he declared in a Wednesday post.

Trump announced Missouri Principal Deputy Solicitor General Maria Lanahan as a nominee to sit as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, calling her “a true patriot” in a Tuesday post.

He also picked Judge Cristian Stevens to serve on the same court, calling Stevens, who currently serves on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, “a Great Patriot,” in another post.

TRUMP FIELDS QUESTION ABOUT HIS TIMELINE FOR JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS: ‘WE’RE PUTTING ‘EM IN RAPIDLY’

The president also selected Zachary Bluestone to sit on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, referring to him as “a True Legal Warrior” in a Tuesday post.  

A Tuesday White House press release notes that “Zachary Bluestone is appellate chief and a violent crimes prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.” 

Trump is tapping Show-Me State Solicitor General Joshua Divine for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri as well as the Western District of Missouri.

TILLIS PUTS ONUS ON TRUMP TO AVOID BOASBERG PICKING US ATTORNEY AFTER MARTIN’S NOMINATION APPEARS SUNK

“I am proud to nominate Edward Aloysius O’Connell to serve as Associate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Eddie will help fix Violent Crime in the City by restoring the RULE OF LAW to Washington, D.C.,” Trump declared in a post on Tuesday.

According to the White House release, “Edward Aloysius O’Connell is Chief of Staff and Deputy General Counsel of the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.”

The president’s judicial picks will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS RETURN OF DEPORTED MIGRANT TO US, REJECTING TRUMP REQUEST

Last week, Trump announced his pick of Whitney Hermandorfer to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, calling her “a Fighter who will inspire confidence in our Legal System.” She is the Strategic Litigation Unit director with the office of the Tennessee state attorney general.

Fox News’ Luke Trevisan contributed to this report

FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are re-introducing legislation to make sure parents seeking to only raise a child of their biological sex do not face extra roadblocks in the adoption and fostering process.

The “SAFE Home Act” would prevent agencies that receive federal funding from rejecting those parents or placing additional hurdles or oversight on them.

The legislation introduced by Sens. Jim Banks of Indiana and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, as well as House Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, would ensure that adoptive parents would not be obligated to do any “medical, surgical, or psychological treatments” that would try to make changes to a child’s gender identity.

CENSURED MAINE REP. LIBBY RIPS GOVERNOR AFTER TRANSGENDER ATHLETE REPORTEDLY WINS TRACK EVENTS

“Kids deserve safe, loving homes and parents shouldn’t be blocked from adopting or fostering just because they oppose irreversible sex-change procedures on children. This bill makes sure families aren’t punished for using common sense,” Banks told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Sen. Cotton said the legislation helps tackle “radical gender policies.” Part of the bill’s inspiration comes from a Biden-era Department of Health and Human Services rule that makes sure children are put into homes that affirm their sexual orientation or gender identity in 2023. When that rule came out, Banks first introduced the legislation when he was in the House of Representatives, but it did not move forward.

AMBASSADOR OF RILEY GAINES CENTER DISCUSSES ‘VIOLENT’ PROTESTS DURING FAIRNESS IN WOMEN’S SPORTS RALLY

President Donald Trump has taken multiple executive actions related to transgender policies, including seeking to limit “medical interventions” for people under 19 years old and ensuring federally funded institutions only allow biological women in women’s sports programs. The actions have faced legal opposition, including a transgender military ban that the Supreme Court ruled could go for now on as lawsuits are ongoing.

“We must defend the rights of parents to raise their children in a way that reflects reality and safeguards their future. The SAFE Home Act ensures that parents are not excluded from adopting simply for having common sense and standing against dangerous gender ideologies that threaten the well-being of children,” Miller stated.

USA FENCING PREPARES TO CHANGE TRANSGENDER POLICY AMID FEDERAL PROBE, BACKLASH AFTER ATHLETE’S KNEEL PROTEST

As of fiscal year 2022, there were over 368,000 children in the foster care system, and nearly 109,000 children were “waiting to be adopted” nationwide, according to the most recent Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System report from 2023.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to immediately resettle some 12,000 refugees into the U.S. under a court order that partially blocks President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at halting the refugee admissions program. 

U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a 2023 appointee of former President Joe Biden, issued the order despite the Trump administration saying during a hearing last week that it should only have to process 160 refugees into the country and would likely appeal any order requiring thousands to be admitted.

“This Court will not entertain the Government’s result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says,” Whitehead wrote Monday. “The Government is free, of course, to seek further clarification from the Ninth Circuit. But the Government is not free to disobey statutory and constitutional law — and the direct orders of this Court and the Ninth Circuit — while it seeks such clarification.” 

Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office suspending refugee resettlement and ordering the Department of Homeland Security to report back in 90 days on whether resuming resettlement would be in the interests of the U.S.

DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: ‘SAFEST OPTION’

In February, Whitehead blocked the Trump administration’s move to suspend refugee admissions into the United States in response to a lawsuit from refugee aid groups.

Whitehead said at the time that Trump’s actions were an “effective nullification of congressional will” in setting up the nation’s refugee admissions program.

NOEM CALLS FOR DEATH PENALTY FOLLOWING MARITIME HUMAN SMUGGLING ATTEMPT THAT LEFT CHILD DEAD

Whitehead ordered the Trump administration within the next seven days to resume processing the cases of refugees who are protected by the court order. 

The federal judge also told the government to immediately take steps to facilitate admission to the U.S. for those refugees whose clearances, including medical and security authorizations, have not yet lapsed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican leaders in the House are increasingly concerned about China’s presence in Cuba and its capacity to spy on the U.S. from the island.

A new report analyzing open-source intelligence found the addition of what appears to be a circularly disposed antenna array (CDAA) at the Bejucal signals intelligence site near Havana, Cuba. The antenna could pinpoint radio signals from between 3,000 and 8,000 miles away, putting key U.S. military installations and even Washington, D.C., well within range. 

“The CCP’s poisonous alliance with Cuba has posed significant threats to U.S. national security for decades,” House Intel Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. 

“Their alleged involvement in signals intelligence hubs in Cuba is outward, unconcealed adversarial behavior against the U.S. The CCP’s actions are becoming increasingly more bold and thereby detrimental to Western Hemisphere security.” 

CHINA AND EGYPT WRAP FIRST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE AS BEIJING LOOKS TO COZY UP TO AMERICAN ALLIES

The chairman called on the U.S. and its partners to work to thwart CCP influence in the Western Hemisphere. 

The report’s authors at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said work on the CDAA is ongoing, but satellite imagery shows it is “already easily identifiable as a CDAA by its circular shape.”

A group of House leaders requested a briefing from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the matter on Tuesday. 

“The PRC is positioning itself to systematically erode U.S. strategic advantages without ever firing a shot,” read a letter penned by Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., China Committee Chair John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Transportation and Maritime Security subcommittee Chair Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., and Rep. Sheri Biggs, R-S.C. 

“The geographic proximity of suspected PRC-linked facilities in Cuba to sensitive U.S. installations, including Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Kennedy Space Center, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, may enable the PRC to monitor American detection and response capabilities, map electronic profiles of U.S. assets, and prepare the electromagnetic environment for potential future exploitation,” the lawmakers wrote. 

CHINA DENIES NEW REPORT LINKING CCP TO FOUR SITES IN CUBA ALLEGEDLY USED TO SPY ON THE US

Cuba has a history of allowing U.S. adversaries to use its soil to snoop on U.S. communications. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union operated a surveillance facility at the Lourdes Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Complex near Havana. That site monitored U.S. satellites and intercepted sensitive military and commercial telecommunications. After Russia, China moved in – pouring $8 billion into infrastructure projects on the island, including telecoms networks built by Huawei and Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation, which are sanctioned by the U.S. due to surveillance concerns. 

“If left unchecked, the PRC’s activities in Cuba could establish a forward operating base for electronic warfare, enable intelligence collection, and influence operations that directly undermine U.S. national security interests,” the lawmakers added. 

Cuba offers Beijing a platform to “monitor U.S. military movements, disrupt critical communications in the event of a crisis, and shape political dynamics throughout the region to its advantage.”

China has denied having any ties to surveillance infrastructure in Cuba, and nothing in the unclassified space shows indisputable links to China. But U.S. officials have long warned about China’s access to spying facilities on the island. 

An earlier report from CSIS identified four SIGINT sites as “highly likely” to be supporting CCP surveillance operations on the U.S. 

“These sites have undergone observable upgrades in recent years, even as Cuba has faced increasingly dire economic prospects that have drawn it closer to China,” that report’s authors said. 

Vice President JD Vance previewed the next round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks on Wednesday, saying President Donald Trump would be “open” to sitting down with Chinese and Russian officials in the future to prevent proliferation.  

U.S. and Iranian officials are scheduled for a fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman in the coming days. Trump will visit the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates next week. 

At the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, former German ambassador to the U.S., Wolfgang Ischinger, asked Vance if the administration would “go for zero enrichment” by Tehran and noted the unresolved “Gaza issue.” 

TRUMP TEASES ‘VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE’S ‘ON EDGE OF MY SEAT’

Vance cited “two big issues” with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name of the Iran nuclear deal secured in 2015 during the Obama administration. 

Trump has said the flawed deal did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb. The vice president on Wednesday added that former President Barack Obama’s agreement had “incredibly weak” enforcement regarding inspections, and he, therefore, didn’t believe “it actually served the function of preventing the Iranians from getting on the pathway to nuclear weapons.” 

Secondly, Vance said the Trump administration believes there were some elements of the Iranian nuclear program that were actually “preserved” under the JCPOA.

“Yes, there weren’t nuclear weapons. Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said, arguing the deal “allowed Iran to sort of stay on this glide path towards a nuclear weapon if they flip the switch and press go.” 

“We think that there is a deal here that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy,” Vance said ahead of the talks. “That would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they can get a nuclear weapon. And that’s what we’re negotiating towards. And as the president has said, that’s Option A.” 

If Option A is “very good for the Iranian people,” Vance offered that Option B “is very bad.” 

“It’s very bad for everybody. And it’s not what we want, but it’s better than Option C, which is Iran getting a nuclear weapon. That is what is completely off the table for the American administration. No ifs, ands or buts,” Vance said. 

ISRAEL SAYS TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST VISIT IS THE ‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’ FOR HOSTAGE DEAL 

Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview that aired Sunday that he would only accept “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program. 

The vice president on Wednesday said the Trump administration’s broader objective is to prevent nuclear proliferation, noting that he believes the president would be “open” to sitting down with China and Russia down the road. 

“If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, which country then next gets a nuclear weapon, and then when that country gets a nuclear weapon, which country after that? We really care not just about Iran, but about nuclear proliferation,” Vance said. “The president hates nuclear proliferation. I hate nuclear proliferation. And I think that the president would be very open to sitting down with the Russians and the Chinese and saying, ‘look, let’s get this thing in a much better place. Let’s reduce the number of nuclear weapons that are in the world writ large.’ That’s obviously not a conversation for tomorrow. That’s a conversation, God willing, for a few years from now.” 

“But there is no way you get to that conversation if you allow multiple regimes all over the world to enter this sprint for a nuclear weapon,” Vance added. “And we really think that if the Iran domino falls, you’re going to see nuclear proliferation all over the Middle East. That’s very bad for us. It’s very bad for our friends. And it’s something that we don’t think can happen.” 

As for negotiations with Iran, Vance gave a grade of “so far, so good,” thanking intermediaries, including the Omanis, for ensuring that the talks are “on the right pathway.” 

“But this is going to end somewhere, and it will end either in Iran eliminating their nuclear program — their nuclear weapons program,” Vance said. “They can have civil nuclear power. Okay. We don’t mind that. But let me ask this basic question – which regime in the world has civil nuclear power and enrichment without having a nuclear weapon? And the answer is no one.” 

“So our proposition is very simple. Yes, we don’t care if people want nuclear power. We’re fine with that. But you can’t have the kind of enrichment program that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon. And that’s where we draw the line.” 

Trump announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military, which has been bombing Iran-backed Houthis since March 15 to defend freedom of navigation, would stop its strikes on the Yemen-based terror group, which communicated it does “not want to fight” anymore. The Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile launched from Yemen that struck near the main terminal of an Israeli airport last weekend hours before the Israeli Cabinet voted to expand fighting in Gaza. 

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From the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump also teased a “very, very big announcement” happened before his Middle East trip, but declined to clarify the subject, besides saying it “wasn’t necessarily about trade.” 

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman reacted Tuesday to what he called a “dumb hit piece” in New York Magazine that cited former staffers who questioned his hardiness for the job amid recent health issues.

Fetterman, who suffered a somewhat debilitating stroke during his 2022 campaign, told Fox News Digital that being attacked in the story that broke late last week was like being “in ‘Goodfellas.’”

“Everyone takes a beating sometimes. It was just a dumb hit piece, and we’ve all moved on,” Fetterman said.

He also claimed former staffer Adam Jentleson, who was quoted by the magazine, must hold a “bizarre grudge” that he would speak so critically of him, as many staffers who have spoken out have expressed irritation at his shift from being a progressive favorite.

JOHN FETTERMAN FACES NEW SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH, FAMILY DRAMA, SPARKING ONLINE UPROAR

The story said Jentleson, previously a top aide to Sen. Harry M. Reid, D-Nev., wrote to doctors at Walter Reed that Fetterman “frequently exhibits the kind of alarming behavior you told us to look out for when he was discharged and… appears to be off his recovery plan.”

“But that’s where we are, and we all moved on,” Fetterman said Tuesday before stepping into an elevator in a Senate Office Building.

The exposé about Fetterman’s time on Capitol Hill set social media ablaze on Friday. 

FETTERMAN SPOKESWOMAN REAMED FOR REPORTEDLY CONTRADICTING BOSS ON ISRAEL: ‘UNPARALLELED HUBRIS’

The report also raised questions about alleged tensions with his wife, Gisele, over his health regimen, his stance on Israel and her reported run-ins with his staff.

In the article, “All By Himself: John Fetterman insists he is in good health, but staffers past and present say they no longer recognize the man they once knew,” the magazine laid out recollections from current and former staff members like Jentleson, who worked for the Pennsylvania Democrat.

The article relayed several reported instances, including a February 2023 situation at a Democratic caucus retreat at the Library of Congress.

A staffer told the outlet that he received a message questioning how Fetterman was doing, as he was found sitting at a table alone, silently drinking a soda.

The report went on to claim the lawmaker was “nearly struck by a car” and found “wandering” Capitol Hill.

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Physicians at George Washington University Hospital later determined he was severely dehydrated and had not had a second stroke as feared, the report claimed.

A reported ensuing discussion with then-Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, found Fetterman to be nearly “catatonic” when Brown tried to talk with him. Soon after, on Feb. 15, he was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center.

After being discharged, Fetterman “threw himself into” his Senate work and became more vociferous than ever on issues like the Israel-Gaza conflict and other topics that have rankled his Democratic colleagues, according to sources quoted in the article.

Fox News Digital reached out to New York Magazine but did not immediately hear back.

Jentleson declined to comment, but he has been critical of the progressive left as well as of late.

He recently told The Bulwark that some people have been trying to “justify” their “bad choices” when it comes to rhetoric on the Israel-Gaza situation.

EXCLUSIVE: The House of Representatives is taking a hard look at the state of the U.S. air traffic control system and what it needs to modernize.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee on the House’s committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, told Fox News Digital he would be leading a bipartisan series of closed-door conversations on the issue.

“We are going to start holding roundtables with stakeholders to implement this plan,” Nehls said in an interview.

It comes after a blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport reportedly caused a roughly 90-second outage to its air traffic control screens.

REAL ID DOCUMENTS HELD UP IN MAIL ACCORDING TO AMERICANS WHO ENROLLED BEFORE DEADLINE

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that operators at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at the busy New York City-area airport, “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them.”

Nehls said a primary focus of the roundtable discussions would be formulating a plan on how to spend the $12.5 billion the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved toward air traffic control (ATC) modernization.

The funds were marked for ATC as part of the budget reconciliation process, through which Republicans are passing a massive bill advancing a host of Trump administration priorities.

HIDDEN REAL ID HASSLES FACING AIRLINE TRAVELERS AND STATES TO AVOID

“We’ve got $12.5 billion. How are we going to spend it? Who’s going to spend it? What it needs to be spent on, what should be the priority? So we are bringing in these stakeholders, these experts from all different areas,” Nehls said.

“We’re bringing in these individuals that know about a lot dealing with a lot of this technology, they’re the first group that is coming in to talk about, you know, what do we do about fiber optics.”

He was referring to reports that the blackout was caused by a fried piece of copper wire, which Nehls said was an example of the outdated system ATC was running on.

The first meeting of the panel, which will include two Republicans and two Democrats, is set for early June, he said.

“We’re going to meet with new stakeholders to provide the guidance. And I’m going to do a lot of listening. I’m not going to do a whole lot of talking,” Nehls said. “So we can make a very deliberate and informed decision on how we’re going to spend the money with taxpayer money to modernize the system. So I think that’s a step in the right direction.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for comment.

The month of May kicks off the start of the U.S. summer travel season – and nowhere is that felt more acutely than on college campuses, where students are closing laptops, submitting finals and streaming off campus in droves.

However, some may not get past the airport, thanks to a federal ID rule taking effect just as school’s out.

The Department of Homeland Security set the May 7 enforcement date for REAL ID last year, but the law itself has been delayed for nearly two decades. Congress passed it in 2005 – before most current college freshmen were even born. With the deadline landing right after spring semester ends, there is real concern that students heading home could be confused or caught flat-footed by the new requirements.

“We have tens of thousands of folks weekly that are showing up at our driver’s license centers to get the REAL ID,” Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll said at a press conference this week. “It’s a real challenge for us right now, because folks have waited until the last minute.” 

On campuses, the buzz in the air is almost palpable as first-year students clamor to share their summer plans, either to far-flung destinations or to visit friends and family. For many, their “plans” include simply packing a carry-on, grabbing friends and escaping as soon as possible to a beach for sun-drenched surf and relaxation. However, for some travelers lacking a REAL ID – or confused about what the law means for them – this update could pose some very real, very unexpected barriers to summer travel.

REAL ID RENEWS AMERICA’S AGE-OLD DREAD OF THE DMV

Some students were prepared. Riley Davis, a junior at the University of Alabama, said she obtained a REAL ID-compliant license earlier this year. 

“I first heard about Real ID on social media last year, and got the star added when I renewed my license this year,” Davis told Fox News Digital. She praised her state’s process as “super fast” and easy, noting that she was also able to register for the appointment online at her local DMV – an option available in some states. 

Most college freshmen just wrapped up two intense semesters, adjusting to academic pressures, building new friendships and navigating the quirks of dorm life – all while living away from home for the first time. Many also turned 18 just before or during their first year, meaning they may have only recently become eligible for a REAL ID, which is issued to U.S. residents 18 and older. 

It is unclear how many college-aged Americans are currently in compliance with REAL ID requirements. Current estimates are limited and vary from state to state. New Jersey’s REAL ID compliance is the lowest in the country at 17% last month, according to data compiled by CBS News. Pennsylvania and New York reported compliance rates of just 26% and 43%, respectively.

IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER

College students have cited confusion in recent conversations with friends and family about the new IDs and enforcement, as well as whether other documents, such as a passport, would be sufficient.

For anyone who is not prepared to meet REAL ID requirements, either because of when they turned 18 or due to confusion over the law’s enforcement date, they could face long lines and significant wait times before they are cleared to fly domestically, if they can secure an appointment at all.

Officials in New Jersey, for example, said they post “thousands” of new slots a day for residents to obtain REAL ID licenses, slots that have booked up almost immediately, due to the backlog of residents waiting to apply.

Alabama also warned that its appointments are filling up fast, especially in larger cities, and may not be available online due to the last-minute crush. “If appointments are booked in your area, please check other nearby examining offices,” Alabama state officials said last month. 

NEED REAL ID IN A HURRY? HERE ARE SOME OPTIONS OUTSIDE THE DMV

Other states are also dealing with an eleventh-hour surge in visitors clamoring to obtain a REAL ID before they travel. 

Brilyn Hollyhand, an 18-year-old college student and political commentator who met just days earlier with President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital this week that his issue is not with REAL IDs, but the way they will be used, or not used, for that matter. 

“I think it’s insane and stupid that we require an ID to fly domestically, but not to vote,” Hollyhand said of the new requirements, which also apply to domestic flights. 

“It’s simple,” he added. “If you need an ID to fly and visit your grandmother out of state, you need it to cast your ballot to decide the future of our nation.”

Many young travelers mistakenly believe their current IDs will still work – even if they lack the star in the top right corner that indicates REAL ID compliance. Others do not realize that a valid passport can also be used for air travel under the new rules, adding to the confusion.

Garrett McDonalds, a sophomore at Auburn University, said his parents told him about the new ID requirements after they got their own licenses renewed – prompting him to renew his own ahead of the deadline.

He described the process as easy and “crazy smooth,” so long as applicants bring the right paperwork.  “Now it should be easier to fly, and hopefully I don’t have to worry about losing my passport on trips anymore!” he said. 

TSA agents have warned that individuals without REAL IDs will be subject to additional screening beginning May 7 and should prepare for additional time at the airport before their flights.

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said that the concessions that Russia is seeking from Ukraine to end the conflict between the two are too stringent, but he believes there is a viable path forward for peace and wants both to find common ground. 

“The step that we would like to make right now, is we would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another,” Vance said here Wednesday at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington. 

“We think that if cool heads prevail here, we can bring this thing to a durable peace that will be economically beneficial for both Ukrainians and the Russians,” Vance said. 

Vance appeared for a discussion with Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, president of the Foundation Council of the Munich Security Conference and the former German ambassador to the U.S. 

Vance has urged for European nations to bolster defense spending and increase European independence, aligning with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda that has pushed NATO allies to beef up their own military spending.

The event comes as Ischinger recently cautioned that any attempts to establish a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to end the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv absent the U.S. could mean the “de facto end of NATO,” according to Politico. 

Should the U.K. and France send a peacekeeping force there like they’ve both discussed without U.S. involvement, that could prompt Russia to accuse Ukrainians of starting a conflict, Ischinger said in a Politico interview published Monday. 

VANCE’S ‘AMERICA FIRST’ APPROACH GOES GLOBAL, TAKES HARDLINE MESSAGE TO GREENLAND 

“And therefore the Europeans in Ukraine would possibly be shot at, and would need to reply, to engage without the United States on their side,” Ischinger said. “Quite frankly, that would be the end of NATO as we know it.”

Vance previously appeared at the Munich Security Council in February, where he laid out the Trump administration’s stance that Europe “step up in a big way to provide for its own defense.” 

He also cautioned that Russia and China don’t pose as great a threat to European nations as the “threat from within,” in regard to issues like censorship and illegal immigration.

European leaders pushed back on the remarks at the time, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he perceived the comments as a comparison to “conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. 

Despite President Donald Trump‘s administration confirming that a plan to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz is already underway, San Francisco politicians are dismissing it as an unserious “distraction.”

“From Day One, the Trump Administration has made clear that it will no longer tolerate the dangerous and deranged serial offenders who wreak bloodshed and mayhem in American communities,” White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“At President Trump’s direction, Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Burgum, and other administration leaders have already begun identifying necessary steps to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz and Make America Safe Again.”

As the Trump administration takes its first steps to open the infamous Alcatraz, California politicians Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Daniel Lurie agree the plan is “not a serious one.”

TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS

“Looks like it’s distraction day again in Washington, D.C.,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not a serious one,” Pelosi said on social media on Sunday. 

TRUMP FLOATS REOPENING ALCATRAZ – HERE’S HOW MUCH REVENUE THE NOTORIOUS PRISON GENERATES

“I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi said it right about Alcatraz. This is not a serious proposal,” Lurie said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. 

Alcatraz has worn many hats in its history, including as a military prison, federal prison, Civil War fortress, bird sanctuary, the first West Coast lighthouse and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement, according to the National Park Service. Alcatraz is most renowned for housing federal inmates, including notorious gangster Al Capone – whom Trump himself often evoked on the campaign trail.

“I’ve been indicted more than Al Capone,” Trump often remarked while campaigning for president in 2024 at his “Make America Great Again” rallies, referring to his 34-count felony conviction for falsifying business records. Capone was indicted on at least 23 counts of federal income tax evasion. 

Alcatraz is a staple tourist attraction in San Francisco, attracting 1.2 million visitors a year. As part of San Francisco’s National Park Service, exhibits include an exploration of the island’s history as a military prison and federal penitentiary, while also sharing insight into its 19-month occupation by Native Americans protesting the U.S. government’s Termination Policy, which aimed to end federal supervision over American Indian tribes.

However, Trump has his own plan for Alcatraz, announcing on Truth Social on Sunday that he wants to “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!”

“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” Trump said. 

“That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” 

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has called on the Department of Justice and the FBI to “immediately investigate” a string of anonymous pizza deliveries sent to judges’ homes.

In the event that the DOJ and the FBI have already initiated investigations, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also asked Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel for an update on those efforts. 

“In recent months, federal judges and their relatives have received anonymous deliveries to their homes,” Durbin wrote in a letter to Bondi and Patel on Tuesday. “These deliveries are threats intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family members’ addresses. The targeted individuals reportedly include Supreme Court justices, judges handling legal cases involving the Administration, and the children of judges. Some of these deliveries were made using the name of Judge Esther Salas’s son, Daniel Anderl, who was murdered at the family’s home by a former litigant who posed as a deliveryman.”

JUDGE WHOSE SON WAS KILLED REACTS TO SHOCKING ATTACK ON NEVADA JUDGE 

“These incidents threaten not only judges and their families, but also judicial independence and the rule of law,” Durbin wrote. “It is imperative that the Justice Department (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate these anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and that those responsible be held accountable to the full extent of the law.”

Durbin asked that Bondi and Patel provide “information on any steps that DOJ or the FBI have taken to protect the judges and their families who have received anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and to prevent further anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and other threats.” His letter also highlighted “the essential role that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) plays in protecting the federal judiciary and urge you to ensure that the size of the USMS workforce is not reduced.” 

The Democrat said USMS Acting Director Mark P. Pittella reportedly sent a letter on April 15 to more than 5,000 USMS employees offering them the opportunity to resign. 

“In the midst of increasing threats of violence against judges, it is inappropriate and unacceptable to reduce the size of the agency tasked with protecting the federal judiciary and the judicial process,” Durbin wrote. “Accordingly, I ask you to commit to fully supporting USMS and to maintaining or increasing its current number of employees.” 

The letter further asked that Bondi and Patel brief the committee and provide responses to a series of questions by May 20, including how many anonymous pizza deliveries have been sent to judges’ homes or the homes of their family members since Jan. 20 – President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day; whether each matter prompted an investigation and if not, why; and how many suspects have been identified and if there’s any reason to suspect coordination. 

Durbin said any responses with “classified or law-enforcement sensitive material” should be sent to the committee Democrats under a separate cover.

‘60 MINUTES’ SEGMENT PAINTS TRUMP AS THREAT TO COUNTRY’S LEGAL SYSTEM AMID LAWSUIT 

The letter only named one impacted judge – U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. 

Salas’ 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, was murdered on July 19, 2020, at the family’s home in North Brunswick, New Jersey. The gunman, who posed as a FedEx delivery driver, also critically wounded Salas’ husband. The suspect was identified as Roy Den Hollander, a self-proclaimed anti-feminist lawyer who previously appeared in Salas’ courtroom. Authorities said Den Hollander died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in upstate New York days after killing Daniel. 

Before the shooting, Salas had handled high-profile cases, including those involving Jeffrey Epstein and the Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Joe Giudice.

Last month, Salas told news outlets that she and other judges have received strange pizza deliveries at their homes, with at least 10 of them having her son’s name on the order. 

In March, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s family members reported receiving strange pizza deliveries to separate households, Newsweek reported. Authorities said Barrett’s sister also received a bomb threat. 

J. Michelle Childs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit also claimed in a podcast last month that a mysterious pizza delivery had arrived at her door. 

“Federal judges are receiving anonymous deliveries as an intimidation tactic. It’s an ongoing threat… and it’s increasing,” Durbin wrote on X. “Some deliveries are even using the name of a judge’s son who was murdered by a former litigant posing as a deliveryman. Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel must investigate.” 

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“Judges are facing ongoing and increasing threats… even against their families,” Senate Judiciary Democrats said on X. “Pam Bondi must commit to fully supporting the Marshals Service and—at minimum—maintaining the current size of its workforce.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and the FBI for comment early Wednesday but did not immediately hear back. 

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., has launched a bid to win a Senate seat held by longtime lawmaker Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who announced in late April that he would not seek reelection.

Krishnamoorthi is joining an already crowded field that includes Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has the support of Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., is also reportedly considering a bid of her own. However, Krishnamoorthi enters the race with a sizable $19 million campaign war chest, according to Politico. 

DICK DURBIN, NO. 2 SENATE DEMOCRAT, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION

In an announcement video posted Tuesday on his campaign’s X account, Krishnamoorthi vowed to stand up to “bullies like Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” though the latter left the White House last week. The congressman portrayed the president as a leader who is “ignoring the Constitution” and is “out for revenge.”

DEMOCRAT REP OPTIMISTIC OF POLICY CHANGES TO KEEP FENTANYL OUT OF US

The congressman highlighted his family background as a first-generation American whose parents “were able to use food stamps and public housing to move us into the middle class.” He also referenced his close ties to former President Barack Obama, saying that he “showed that Illinois will give you a shot even when you have a funny name.” He then touted his A+ rating from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and F rating from the National Rifle Association.

“I’ll never be quiet while billionaires like Elon Musk and a convicted felon deny the dreams of the next generation for their own egos and personal profit,” Krishnamoorthi said in the video. He also vowed to “make America work for working people.”

Krishnamoorthi was first elected to Congress in 2016 and currently serves as the ranking member of the Select Committee on the CCP. He is also the ranking member on the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.

TSA Administrator Adam Stahl explained what Americans without REAL ID should do if they have an upcoming flight, and he addressed concerns about the potential for long lines as a result.

Enforcement of REAL ID went into effect on Wednesday in order for people to fly domestically within the United States and enter some federal buildings, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Stahl told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that people who “do not have a compliant REAL ID will experience possibly additional vetting, additional screening at the checkpoint. Those that do not – We’ll be working pretty aggressively to minimize any sort of impacts to the checkpoint, to travel to the checkpoint.”

REAL ID IS ABOUT TO GO INTO EFFECT. HERE’S HOW IT MAY IMPACT VOTING

He noted that a military ID, a passport, and global entry are alternatives that somebody can use, but if they do not have any of those, they will make their flight.

“You will still get through the checkpoint. You’ll be okay. You may face some additional screening measures, and that’s why we’re really underscoring to folks to please go to the airport early.

He noted that REAL ID’s history stems from 9/11, even though the enforcement of the law has been pushed back several times.

REAL ID DOCUMENTS HELD UP IN MAIL ACCORDING TO AMERICANS WHO ENROLLED BEFORE DEADLINE

DHS noted that REAL ID will assist with immigration enforcement, as those in the country illegally will not be able to fly unless they are flying back to their country of origin.

“This is a law that was passed in 2005 called the Real ID Law. And this was a critical vulnerability that was identified in the wake of 9/11. And this is really all about elevating identity and document integrity. And so, this administration, this secretary feels strongly that this is an important law to enforce and that really, this is critical to ensuring the safety and the security of our skies.”

Stahl also addressed skeptics of the law, who may be concerned that it could be used to keep a closer eye on the American public unnecessarily.

REAL ID REJECTION BY AMERICANS MAY COME DOWN TO ONE SURPRISING FACTOR

“The notion that we are creating some sort of national surveillance system is not true, it’s not correct,” Stahl said, saying the TSA’s main focus is “safety” for travelers.

“This is all about, again, ensuring and elevating document and data integrity to really ensure that we’re ensuring the safety in our skies of our passengers and of the traveling public. So it has nothing to do with a national database. It’s all about elevating document and identity integrity,” he added.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered to help out with the development of the Obama Presidential Center, which has been plagued by huge cost overruns and delays, with the project’s embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies drawing significant attention recently.

Trump, who reshaped city skylines with towering skyscrapers throughout his business career, linked DEI to the problems at the massive Chicago project, which has seen costs spiral from an initial $350 million to $830 million in 2021, with no new updated figures available. 

“Look, President Obama, if he wanted help, I’d give him help because I’m a really good builder and I build on time, on budget. He’s building his library in Chicago. It’s a disaster,” Trump said at the White House alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 

OBAMA LIBRARY, BEGUN WITH LOFTY DEI GOALS, NOW PLAGUED BY $40M RACIALLY CHARGED SUIT, BALLOONING COSTS

Trump was speaking about the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act — passed to boost domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing – and its DEI provisions when he pivoted to the Obama Presidential Center. 

“[Obama] said something to the effect, ‘I only want DEI, I only want woke,’” Trump said. “He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns. A job is stopped. I don’t know, it’s a disaster. And I don’t like that happening because it’s bad for the presidency that a thing like that should happen. He’s got a library that’s a disaster.”

Construction is still under way at the 19.3-acre site which will consist of a 225-foot-tall museum, a digital library, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. 

From the outset, the project touted “ambitious goals” for certain construction diversity quotas, with its contracts allocated to “diverse suppliers,” 35% of which were required to be minority-based enterprises (MBEs).

A $40.75 million racially charged lawsuit filed earlier this year by a minority contractor against the project’s structural engineer shined a spotlight on the DEI-driven aspect of the project. The structural engineers claimed the minority contractor lacked sufficient qualifications and experience to perform its work, resulting in delays.

Trump on Tuesday said Obama was paying for prioritizing DEI over meritocracy. 

“And he wanted to be very politically correct and he didn’t use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers that I love Marco,” Trump said, switching into his trademark deeper tone while addressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

MUSK’S DOGE TERMINATES LEASE AT OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY SITE

“I love those construction workers but he didn’t want construction workers. He wanted people that never did it before and he’s got a disaster in his hands. Many millions of dollars over budget and I would love to help him with it or somebody else I could recommend professionals, but it was not built in a professional manner.”

Emily Bittner, the vice president of communications at the nonprofit Obama Foundation, said Trump’s remarks were not based in facts and that the center itself is not involved in the lawsuit, nor did it delay the timeline of the facility which is set to open in 2026. The Obama Foundation oversees the center’s development and will also be housed at the center when it opens. 

“Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world,” Bittner told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas’ legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders.”

Bittner said the hundreds of workers on site every day are a testament to the center’s progress and added that the project is being funded privately and not by the taxpayer. 

The library at the center will be a digital one and not a physical one like other presidential libraries have, which are federally funded and have size restrictions. 

Obama’s current presidential library is in Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is expected to move to College Park in Maryland later this year. 

With REAL ID’s deadline approaching Wednesday, there are still swaths of the country where travelers could run into trouble trying to hit the skies for summer break.

Although at least 12 states are more than 90% REAL ID-compliant, many still have significant portions of their populations who will need a passport to fly.

The states in the proverbial green include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming as well as Washington, D.C.

Texas reported 98% compliance, Mississippi 97%, Hawaii and Utah 96%, according to a CBS survey.

New Jersey has recently made headlines for its low REAL ID compliance, but it tops the nation in passport ownership, with 69% of residents holding one, according to data from the Center for American Progress and Swift Passport Services.

MARRIED WOMEN FACE REAL ID DOCUMENTATION HURDLES: ‘I CAN’T ACCEPT THIS’

Delaware, California, New York, Massachusetts and Alaska also ranked high.

Though geographically diverse, all the states – except Delaware – serve as major international travel hubs, home to airports like Ted Stevens, Logan, and JFK. The First State, however, is only a short distance from Philadelphia International Airport.

By contrast, the states with the lowest proportion of passport holders tend to be ones without major airports: West Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

What effect that may have on REAL ID-era travel remains unclear.

Those states do, however, have regional Amtrak stops like Harpers Ferry, Jackson, Ashland and Birmingham, respectively. REAL ID is not required for intrastate or interstate rail travel.

REAL ID IS ABOUT TO GO INTO EFFECT: HERE’S HOW IT MAY IMPACT VOTING

A REAL ID is an identification that includes a star emblazoned in the upper corner to denote the holder has provided additional identifying documentation like a Social Security card to a government agent. It will be required for air travel and to enter most government or military installations.

The law requiring REAL ID was passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, but has been delayed several times by multiple presidential administrations.

Last week, Wingate University political science professor Dr. Magdalena Krajewska – an expert on national ID cards – told the school’s news outlet she was surprised the delays have taken so long.

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“I feel like all of us who were alive during that time, all of us who witnessed this as it was happening, thought the U.S. would do everything to prevent something similar from happening again,” she said.

Krajewska added it is important that people also know they don’t need a REAL ID to enter less-secure government locations like a post office.

Democrat Angus King III, a son of U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr.’s, I-Maine, has announced a bid for the Maine governorship.

“I’m Angus King, and if you know my dad, you know my values,” the gubernatorial hopeful said in a campaign video.

His father previously served as governor of the state from early 1995 until early 2003, and has served in the U.S. Senate since early 2013.

SEN. ANGUS KING: A ‘DECLARATION OF CONSCIENCE’ ON DONALD TRUMP’S 100TH DAY

“Ever since the day we met in Skowhegan, I’ve known Angus has something special. He’s always been hard-working, smart, engaged, and caring, and I’m so proud of who he is today and the work he’s set out to do,” Sen. King said, according to Angus King III’s campaign website, which notes that he was born in Skowhegan.

“He’s a builder and an optimist who knows Maine and doesn’t quit until the job is done. He’s been building things to take care of people and make the world a better place throughout his life, and I think his combination of smarts, experience, and character will make him an excellent governor of Maine. In fact, I’m sure he’ll be in the top two governors named Angus ever,” the senator added. 

6 US GOVERNORS TO OPEN TALKS WITH CANADIAN PROVINCIAL LEADERS ON TARIFFS

Current Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who is currently serving her second consecutive term, may not run again in 2026.

The Maine constitution stipulates, “The person who has served 2 consecutive popular elective 4-year terms of office as Governor shall be ineligible to succeed himself or herself.”

CENSURED MAINE LAWMAKER URGES SUPREME COURT INTERVENTION AS TRANSGENDER ATHLETE DOMINATES GIRLS’ TRACK MEET

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Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced a gubernatorial bid earlier this year and is also running as a Democrat.