Category: Dramas

Supreme Court justices are set to hold a private conference on Feb. 20 to consider a slate of petitions for review, including one from President Donald Trump. The president is requesting a review of the 2023 verdict against him in a civil lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll.

The justices could act on Trump’s petition as soon as Feb. 23, but they generally consider petitions at two or more conferences before granting them, meaning they might not announce a decision until March 2 or later, according to SCOTUS Blog.

Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, previously downplayed the likelihood the Supreme Court will intervene.

“We do not believe that President Trump will be able to present any legal issues in the Carroll cases that merit review by the United States Supreme Court,” Kaplan said, according to The Associated Press.

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO OVERTURN E JEAN CARROLL CASE VERDICT

In the petition, Trump’s attorneys described Carroll’s allegations as “facially implausible” and “politically motivated.” They also argued the accusations were “propped up” by a “series of indefensible evidentiary rulings” that allowed Carroll’s attorneys to present certain evidence that the Trump team found objectionable. 

“President Trump has clearly and consistently denied that this supposed incident ever occurred. No physical or DNA evidence corroborates Carroll’s story. There were no eyewitnesses, no video evidence, and no police report or investigation… Carroll waited more than 20 years to falsely accuse Donald Trump, who she politically opposes, until after he became the 45th President, when she could maximize political injury to him and profit for herself,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in the petition.

Trump’s attorneys also suggested that Carroll’s allegations mirror the plot of a “Law & Order” episode, which they say is one of her favorite TV shows.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS $83.3 MILLION E. JEAN CARROLL JUDGMENT AGAINST TRUMP

They also argued that lower courts should not have admitted testimony by Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who alleged that the then-real estate mogul assaulted them. Leeds claimed that her assault happened on an airplane in 1979, while Stoynoff said her attack occurred at Mar-a-Lago in 2005. The attorneys say both women’s allegations present credibility issues, citing inconsistencies. They also objected to the inclusion of the infamous 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump made lewd remarks, which became a flash point of the 2016 election.

Carroll, a journalist and advice columnist, sued Trump twice after she released a book in 2019 in which she claimed that he raped her in 1996 in the dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store across the street from Trump Tower. Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s claims and said the case was “a complete con job.” He also said that Carroll was “not my type.”

“I don’t know this woman, have no idea who she is, other than it seems she got a picture of me many years ago, with her husband, shaking my hand on a reception line at a celebrity charity event,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in October 2022.

Trump’s repeated criticisms of Carroll and denial of her claims led to the journalist’s defamation allegations.

In May 2023, a jury found Trump was not liable for rape but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll was awarded a total of $5 million in damages.

President Donald Trump announced that the commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an emergency notice earlier in January to block civil flight operations of U.S. aircraft in Venezuela airspace. 

The notice came as the U.S. conducted strikes in Venezuela and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro. 

The Trump administration has said that the U.S. would run Venezuela until a peaceful transition could occur and is currently working to restore diplomatic relations with Caracas, Venezuela. 

“I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we’re going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela,” Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting. “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there and be safe. It’s under very strong control.” 

Trump said that he’s instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the U.S. military to open the airspace over Venezuela by the end of Thursday. 

RUBIO SAYS US HAS NO PLAN TO USE FORCE IN VENEZUELA — BUT WARNS ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ COULD CHANGE THAT

Meanwhile, the U.S. is attempting to revitalize diplomatic relations with Venezuela following Maduro’s ouster. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Wednesday that the U.S. is planning to re-open its embassy in Venezuela. 

“We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we’ll be able to open a U.S. diplomatic presence on the ground,” Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday.

The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, as well as flights between the U.S. and Venezuela, have been shuttered since 2019.

Following the raid to seize Maduro, hundreds of U.S. flights to the Caribbean were canceled, including flights between the U.S. and Puerto Rico and Aruba.

Following Trump’s announcement, American Airlines announced that it would resurrect direct flights between the U.S. and Venezuela. 

“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” Nat Pieper, American’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the United States.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller a “hateful bigot,” but the White House fired back, labeling the lawmaker a “buffoon.”

“Stephen Miller is one of the malignant architects of the violence and brutality DHS has unleashed on the American people,” Jeffries asserted in a Wednesday post on X. 

“He slandered hero nurse Alex Pretti as a would-be assassin. Why is this hateful bigot still Donald Trump’s chief immigration adviser?” Jeffries asked.

SENATE DEMOCRAT DEMANDS TRUMP FIRE ‘CREEP’ STEPHEN MILLER IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS DHS FUNDING VOTE

In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson slammed Jeffries.

“Hakeem Jeffries is a buffoon who has repeatedly lied about and smeared federal law enforcement officers, including inciting violence against them by encouraging his supporters to ‘fight’ President Trump’s agenda ‘in the streets.’ No one should take anything he says seriously,” Jackson said in the statement.

A senior DHS official told Fox News Digital that Miller “has been instrumental in delivering on the President’s agenda.”

“At neck-breaking speed, President Trump has achieved the most secure border in American history — Stephen has been a lynchpin in those efforts,” the official added.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS DEMS WILL NOT BACK FUNDING BILL FOR ‘KILLING MACHINE’ DHS EVEN IF NOEM IS FIRED

The official went on to say that Miller’s “passion, patriotism and persistence helps fuel this administration in our efforts to carry out the largest deportation of criminal illegal aliens in the history of our republic.”

The Trump administration has been conducting a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the U.S. 

Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was fatally shot in Minneapolis on Saturday.

CBP/BORDER PATROL AGENTS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AFTER DEADLY CONFRONTATION WITH ALEX PRETTI

“A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists,” Miller asserted in a Saturday post on X.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to not open fire on Kyiv, Ukraine, for one week due to the freezing weather rocking the region. 

“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this,” Trump said. “It’s extraordinary cold, record-setting cold. Over there too, they’re having the same conditions. It’s a big it’s a big pile of bad weather. The worst. But it was, it really they said, they’ve never experienced cold like that.” 

The president held his first Cabinet meeting of 2026 Thursday, where he welcomed special envoy Steve Witkoff to the table to provide updates on his negotiations with Russia to end the war on Ukraine. 

Trump continued that he’s happy he made the call to Putin despite warnings to not “waste” a call to the Russian leader. 

RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO DISCUSS TERRITORY AS TRUMP SAYS BOTH SIDES ‘WANT TO MAKE A DEAL’

“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said. “And I have to tell you, I was very nice. A lot of people said, don’t waste that call. You’re not going to get that. And he did it. And we’re very happy that they did it.”

Trump added that the agreement was a “very good thing.” 

Russian strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, have hobbled the city’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks, with Reuters reporting Monday that more than 1,300 apartment buildings in Ukraine’s capital have been without heat in the chilling temperatures. The strikes also have left much of the population without electricity and running water. 

Witkoff said Thursday during the Cabinet meeting that negotiations have moved along productively and that the people of Ukraine are “hopeful and expecting that we’re going to deliver a peace deal sometime soon.” 

Witkoff and fellow administration envoy Jared Kushner joined trilateral peace talks earlier in January with Ukraine and Russia as the nations inch toward a hopeful peace deal. 

WITKOFF AND KUSHNER SCHEDULED TO MEET PUTIN IN MOSCOW

“We had five Russian generals last Sunday in Abu Dhabi with Jared and I and Dan Driscoll. We think we made a lot of progress,” Witkoff said. “The talks will continue in about a week, but lots of good things happening. … We have a security protocol agreement that’s largely finished. A prosperity agreement that’s largely, largely finished.” 

ZELENSKYY HOLDING UP RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE PROCESS, TRUMP SAYS

A monthly chart of the weather in Kyiv, Ukraine, shows it has been brutally cold similar to temperatures rocking many parts of the U.S., as winter storm Fern careened across much of the United States Saturday and Sunday. The month of January in Kyiv, Ukraine, shows the highest temperature reaching 34° Fahrenheit and the lowest hitting -5° Fahrenheit, according to weather data.

The war in Ukraine has raged since the Biden administration as Russia looks to take hold of the nation and expand its footprint in Europe. The war will notch its four-year anniversary Feb. 24. 

Trump campaigned in part on ending the war in Ukraine, arguing it never would have unfolded if he had been re-elected during the 2020 campaign cycle. 

The president has noted that the war in Ukraine has been more difficult to solve than he anticipated, while touting he has ended eight other wars since he was sworn back into the Oval Office just more than one year ago. 

Newly minted New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill ducked a question from Fox News Digital over an illegal alien in her state who allegedly fractured an 8-year-old girl’s skull by throwing a rock at a school bus.

Sherrill, who was inaugurated on Jan. 20 and expressed support for sanctuary-type policies during her campaign, declined to comment on the attack or the girl’s injuries. Instead, a spokesperson for Sherrill’s office referred Fox News Digital to the office of Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.

In turn, a spokesperson for Davenport’s office told Fox News Digital that “nothing in New Jersey’s state laws would have prevented New Jersey law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials to deport Mr. Garcia-Morales”

Though the spokesperson did not address the child’s injuries, they said “our office’s number one priority is keeping New Jerseyans safe.”

COLLEGE SOCCER STAR, GIRLFRIEND DEAD AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S RECORD IGNITES LAWMAKER FURY STATEWIDE

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer against the illegal immigrant allegedly behind the attack, 40-year-old Mexican national Hernando Garcia-Morales.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a Monday statement that Garcia-Morales, whom the agency called a “monster,” has an extensive criminal history. The agency said he entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location.

DHS said Garcia-Morales threw a baseball-sized rock at a school bus traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike in Teaneck Township, breaking a window and hitting a third-grade student. The student, an 8-year-old girl, suffered a fracture on her skull and had to undergo surgery.

The agency said the bus was returning to Yeshivat Noam, a local Jewish day school, from a field trip at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. According to the Jewish Standard, the 8-year-old girl underwent surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center and is now back home in recovery.

The outlet reported that Garcia-Morales is a “serial rock-thrower,” who authorities have linked to multiple similar incidents.

According to the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, Garcia-Morales has a long list of prior charges beginning July 13, 2025. He has several charges for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief and several other charges.

‘SCOURGE’ OF SEXUAL PREDATORS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS BEING REMOVED FROM MINNEAPOLIS STREETS DESPITE BACKLASH

Garcia-Morales was arrested on Jan. 9 by New Jersey Turnpike State Police for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and possession of a weapon. The Bogota Police Department also charged him with aggravated assault, criminal trespassing, criminal trespassing peering, and criminal mischief damage property. He is currently in law enforcement custody at Bergen County Jail.

According to DHS, Garcia-Morales was also arrested for burglary in 2023 and for possession of a weapon and theft in 2006.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented that “violently targeting a school bus full of children is extremely wicked and heinous.”

McLaughlin knocked New Jersey’s sanctuary policies, saying, “Hernando Garcia-Morales should have never been in this country, let alone released after multiple arrests into New Jersey communities.”

“ICE has lodged an arrest detainer against this monster, and we hope New Jersey’s sanctuary politicians will help us keep him off American streets for good,” she said, adding, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens have no place in the U.S.”

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office did not reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on whether it will honor ICE’s detainer request.

TRUMP URGES DHS, ICE TO PUBLICIZE ARRESTS, SAYS CRACKDOWN IS ‘SAVING MANY INNOCENT LIVES’

A spokesperson for Davenport’s office told Fox News Digital that “nothing in New Jersey’s state laws would have prevented New Jersey law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials to deport Mr. Garcia-Morales” and that “state law allows for cooperation with ICE in regard to anyone charged with a violent crime or convicted of any indictable offense.”

The spokesperson said that “if ICE wishes to detain an individual, it is incumbent on ICE to notify the state correctional facility. If it does not file a detainer request with the facility, our state correctional officers cannot hold the detainee past the time they must be released on their state criminal charges.”

“State law ensures that our police officers can effectively tackle violent crime, gun violence, [and] drug trafficking, while ensuring that victims and witnesses can safely come forward to report crimes regardless of their immigration status,” the spokesperson went on, adding, “Our office’s number one priority is keeping New Jerseyans safe.”

This comes as DHS and ICE face mounting opposition from pro-sanctuary politicians over immigration enforcement operations, especially in Minneapolis. The Justice Department announced last year it was suing four New Jersey cities, accusing local officials of obstructing federal law and undermining efforts to enforce immigration laws through their sanctuary city policies.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called on the state’s attorney general to strip the Council on American-Islamic Relations of its non-profit status Thursday.

Abbott made the request in a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton that was released by the governor’s office. The letter also urges Paxton to prevent CAIR and its affiliates from operating in Texas.

“Under Texas law, the Texas Attorney General is the only elected official charged with regulating nonprofits that may be violating the law,” Abbott wrote, calling on Paxton to take action.

Paxton’s office says it is already investigating two school districts for ties to the Islamic Games of North America, a group that works regularly with CAIR.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS DEMAND TREASURY PROBE CAIR OVER ALLEGED HAMAS TIES AND TERRORISM CONCERNS

“The spread of radical Islam in Texas must be stopped, and if school districts are continuing to promote or partner with organizations tied to an FTO, that ends now,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I will ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are not materially supporting activities by Islamist terrorists in violation of Texas law.”

Abbott has previously called on school districts to sever ties with CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. He argues the organizations cannot legally operate on public school property, according to Click2Houston.

“Voluminous documents detail the dangers posed to Texans by the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR and their affiliates,” Abbott said in a statement. “Regardless of the facade CAIR attempts to portray in press releases, CAIR cannot be allowed to use its ‘nonprofit’ status as a shield for sponsoring terror, advancing radical Islamism in Texas or fronting for the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The same goes for other entities pretending to engage in charity by day, while sponsoring terror by night.”

FLORIDA’S CAIR THREATENS LAWSUIT AGAINST DESANTIS AFTER HE LABELS GROUP A ‘FOREIGN TERRORIST’ ORGANIZATION

CAIR has denied accusations from Abbott’s office, including that the organization is a front for Hamas. The group called Abbott “desperate” in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Greg Abbott has spent several years trying and failing to silence Texans who dared to criticize the waste of American taxpayer dollars on the Israeli government’s crimes,” a CAIR spokesman said.

“While CAIR’s legal team deals with Mr. Abbott’s antics in a court of law, CAIR-Texas remains squarely focused on protecting free speech, religious freedom and civil rights for all Texans.”

CAIR says it has sued Abbott “to block his unconstitutional proclamation targeting our Texas chapter.”

Abbott’s call comes weeks after the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith referred CAIR’s California chapter to the IRS for investigation. His referral cited alleged misuse of taxpayer funds, potential violations of federal law and support for unlawful activity.

“Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right,” Smith, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital earlier this month. “Organizations that receive special treatment under the tax code must follow the law and operate in the public interest, not bankroll illegal activity, mislead federal agencies or misuse hard-earned taxpayer dollars.” 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

As U.S. allies reopen trade and diplomatic channels with Beijing, critics warn that short-term economic relief is coming at the cost of deeper Chinese leverage — and weakening Washington’s ability to keep a united front against a strategic rival.

From Canada to Europe and Asia, U.S. allies are recalibrating economic ties with China as trade friction with Washington intensifies. Supporters frame the outreach as pragmatic and limited, but critics say it risks giving Beijing deeper access to Western industries. 

Canada’s move has become the clearest illustration of the dilemma facing U.S. allies. After years of strained relations with Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney last week announced steps to reopen trade channels with China, including easing restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for relief on Canadian agricultural exports.

“We don’t know whether (Prime Minister) Mark Carney signed up that trade agreement because he genuinely believes Canada should align with China, or he’s trying to create some leverage in discussions with President Trump,” said Gordon Chang, a China analyst and author. “But in either case, it’s not good for us.”

EUROPEAN LEADERS WARN TRUMP TARIFFS OVER GREENLAND ‘RISK A DANGEROUS DOWNWARD SPIRAL’

On Saturday, Trump threatened 100% tariffs on Canadian goods if the country “makes a deal” with China, escalating a war of words that has included Trump suggesting Canada should become the U.S.’s 51st state.

Canada is not alone. Similar recalculations are underway across Europe and Asia as other U.S. allies weigh economic pressure against long-term strategic risk.

In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is traveling to Beijing this week — the first visit by a U.K. leader in eight years — as London seeks to stabilize trade ties with China after years of tension over Hong Kong, espionage concerns and Chinese investment in critical infrastructure. British officials have framed the trip as narrowly economic, but critics warn it signals a broader willingness to compartmentalize security concerns in pursuit of market access.

“Like it or not, China matters for the U.K.,” Starmer said on the visit, adding it had been “far too long” since a British prime minister visited Beijing. 

Across continental Europe, leaders have taken a more cautious but still notable approach. Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is expected to visit China in February, while Finland’s prime minister already has met with Chinese officials in Beijing. 

President Donald Trump is also expected to travel to China in April.

In Asia, South Korea has gone further rhetorically. 

President Lee Jae-myung recently called for a “full-scale restoration” of ties with China, underscoring Seoul’s dependence on Chinese trade even as it deepens security cooperation with the United States and Japan.

Trade analysts say these moves reflect economic reality more than geopolitical realignment. 

Chad Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said smaller and mid-sized economies facing trade barriers with the United States are under pressure to find alternative markets. 

“If they’re no longer allowed to sell to the U.S. market, they have to sell somewhere else,” Bown said. “And the other major large economy out there is China.”

“Allies are clearly deepening commercial ties with Beijing — but this isn’t choosing China over America,” Hart said. “It’s hedging, keeping options open while Washington proves unpredictable,” said Adam Irwin, managing partner of strategic insights at the financial investment firm Heligan Group. 

“But when allies diversify trade toward Beijing, their willingness to absorb economic pain in a future crisis diminishes — and that weakens America’s ability to coordinate on issues like export controls, sanctions, and Taiwan.”

TREY GOWDY: CHINA IS MISJUDGING TRUMP ON TRADE. IT MAY SOON BE VERY SURPRISED

Critics argue that the renewed outreach to Beijing overlooks how closely Chinese companies are tied to the Chinese Communist Party — and how difficult it can be to unwind economic exposure once it takes hold.

Nazak Nikakhtar, a former Trump administration official and China policy expert, said Western governments have repeatedly underestimated the degree of control Beijing exercises over ostensibly private firms. 

“What business leaders and government leaders fail to fully acknowledge is that they assume Chinese companies are acting autonomously — and that’s just not the case,” Nikakhtar said.

She warned that Chinese investment and trade often follow a familiar pattern: targeting commodity sectors and lower-value industries first, generating revenue that is then used to move up the value chain and undercut foreign competitors. 

“If you get control of the commodity factor, that’s where the revenue is to invest in next-generation technologies,” she said.

Nikakhtar said the risk is not just overseas dumping, but what happens when Chinese firms establish a presence inside Western economies. Once that happens, she said, governments lose key policy tools. 

She pointed to past cases where Chinese firms acquired Western companies not to grow them, but to extract technology and eliminate competitors. In one instance, she said, a Chinese company acquired the U.S.-based Segway manufacturer, later acknowledging it was interested in the self-balancing technology rather than the product itself.

“It’s almost like leaving the doors unlocked and wondering how the burglars got in,” Nikakhtar said, arguing that both the United States and its allies have failed to put sufficient safeguards in place to prevent predatory foreign investment.

Others warn the consequences of allies’ outreach to China extend beyond trade, shaping global perceptions of U.S. leadership at a moment Beijing is actively pushing a narrative of Western decline.

Chang said the steady stream of Western leaders traveling to Beijing risks reinforcing that message. 

“The images and the pictures of all of these Western leaders bowing down to Xi Jinping doesn’t help us,” Chang said, arguing that China increasingly uses trade and diplomacy as tools of information warfare.

Chang warned that uncertainty around U.S. trade policy has made it easier for Beijing to present itself as a predictable alternative, even as China restricts imports and relies on one-way trade. 

“We need to become predictable,” he said, adding that allies’ outreach to Beijing complicates Washington’s ability to maintain a united front.

House Republicans are rolling out a massive election overhaul package ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, including new voter ID requirements as well as limitations on how and when votes are cast.

The Committee on House Administration is unveiling new legislation on Thursday called the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act, which would impose new federal standards on national elections across the U.S.

The sprawling bill includes key portions of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a measure that was led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, in the House. It comes as the Senate sees a renewed pressure campaign led by Elon Musk and others to take up that legislation.

“Americans should be confident their elections are being run with integrity — including commonsense voter ID requirements, clean voter rolls, and citizenship verification,” Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., said in a statement.

SUPREME COURT SAYS ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN CAN SUE OVER STATE MAIL-IN VOTING LAWS

He said the bill’s guardrails “will improve voter confidence, bolster election integrity, and make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat.”

Like the SAVE Act, the legislation would include mandatory proof of citizenship when a person registers to vote for the first time. 

Casting a ballot in federal elections would also require a photo ID. Progressive Democrats and groups like the League of Women Voters have argued that photo ID laws disenfranchise minority voters, while the Heritage Foundation pointed out that it’s shown to be popular across multiple public polls.

CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD, ZERO IN ON NEW HOUSE REPUBLICAN TARGETS

Steil’s elections bill would also ban ranked-choice voting in federal races, require states to use auditable paper ballots rather than electronic slips, and impose stronger requirements on voter list maintenance to ensure rolls are up to date.

New guardrails on mail-in ballots include a ban on universal mail-in ballots — meaning voters would have to specifically request one to receive it — while also requiring mail-in ballots to be received by Election Day to count and banning “ballot harvesting” by third parties aiming to deliver them to poll centers.

The new legislation comes ahead of what’s expected to be a difficult midterm election season for Republicans.

Historical trends dictate that the first midterms after power changes hands in Washington normally see that party in power suffer losses, but GOP leaders are publicly optimistic that they can reverse that trend.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House to ask whether it supports Steil’s bill but did not hear back by press time.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is heading to Washington, D.C. on Thursday to push for an end to “unlawful ICE operations,” his office announced. 

Frey’s trip to the nation’s capital comes as White House border czar Tom Homan vowed Thursday to remain in Minnesota leading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations there “until the problem is gone.” It’s unclear if Frey will meet with the White House while he is in Washington, but he is expected to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors at 1:45 p.m. ET, before heading back home later Thursday evening.

“Mayor Jacob Frey is traveling to Washington, D.C. today to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he will meet with mayors and federal lawmakers from across the country to advocate for an end to Operation Metro Surge and other unlawful ICE operations,” his office said in a statement. 

“During the visit, Mayor Frey will also participate in national discussions focused on how cities can work together to keep communities safe while upholding the rule of law,” it added. “Since Operation Metro Surge began in Minnesota, families have been torn apart, small businesses have suffered economic losses, and local law enforcement agencies have experienced increased strain.”

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO STAY IN MINNESOTA ‘UNTIL THE PROBLEM’S GONE’

Frey said in his own statement that, “Minneapolis may be where we’ve seen one of the largest ICE deployments in the country, but it will not be the last if we fail to act.” 

Homan said Thursday morning that the Trump administration is working on a “drawdown plan” to decrease the presence of federal agents in Minnesota. 

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said, “Surprisingly, Mayor Jacob Frey just stated that, ‘Minneapolis does not, and will not, enforce Federal Immigration Laws.’ This is after having had a very good conversation with him.” 

“Could somebody in his inner sanctum please explain that this statement is a very serious violation of the Law, and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE!” Trump warned. 

KLOBUCHAR LAUNCHES MINNESOTA GOVERNOR BID AFTER WALZ ENDS RE-ELECTION RUN AMID MASSIVE FRAUD SCANDAL

Frey responded to the president’s comments. 

“The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws. I want them preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to MPLS & is from Ecuador. It’s similar to the policy your guy Rudy had in NYC. Everyone should feel safe calling 911,” the mayor asserted in a post on X, making an apparent reference to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The president issued the warning on Wednesday after Frey, who met with Homan on Tuesday, declared in a Tuesday post on X that the city will not enforce federal immigration law. 

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

Authorities arrested a Jordanian national in Arizona after he boarded a flight with an invalid ticket on Sunday.

According to an affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, Qais Ahmad Tillawi is being charged with interference with flight crew members and entering an airport area in violation of security requirements. Tillawi had gained entry to an international Air France flight despite having a canceled ticket and a flagged boarding pass.

Police say Tillawi abandoned his rental car at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and threw two jackets into the trash before boarding the plane.

The affidavit says Tillawi was acting erratically while on the plane and alarmed the other passengers. Authorities say he refused to take his seat and began pacing the plane, which eventually had to be evacuated.

INDIAN NATIONAL ALLEGEDLY STABBED 2 TEENS WITH FORK ON FLIGHT

Tillawi had previously been committed to a mental hospital after a prior airport arrest.

“While Tillawi was in the boarding area, an Air France passenger reported to an Air France employee that Tillawi was acting suspicious,” the affidavit reads.

The plane’s captain ordered Tillawi to leave the plane, but he refused, instead typing a message on his phone that read, “Send the USA marshal.”

Phoenix police were called and soon responded to the scene. Tillawi was the last person to leave the plane.

The affidavit noted that Tillawi had been detained at the Dubai Airport in 2024 after similar erratic behavior. He was temporarily committed to a mental institution following the incident.

TRUMP LAUNCHES PHASE 2 OF GAZA PEACE PLAN — BUT HAMAS DISARMAMENT REMAINS THE REAL TEST

Police who interviewed him at the Phoenix airport said he refused to give his name or speak at all, instead using his phone to type messages. Authorities called his brother living in Jordan, who said Tillawi speaks fluent English and had attended Arizona State University.