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The White House on Tuesday appeared to formally acknowledge that the government believes Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was assassinated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  "It seems pretty evident what happened here," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday, referring to President Biden's earlier remarks on Prigozhin's death.  "There's not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind," Biden said last week after Prigozhin was reported killed in a private plane crash.  The warlord, who led a short-lived rebellion against Russia's military, died along with several members of the Wagner Group's top brass. Prigozhin's second in command, Dmitry Utkin, and Wagner's non-military logistics chief, Valery Chekalov, were also aboard.  NOTORIOUS RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF TAPPED TO PREPLACE PRIGOZHIN IN WAGNER'S AFRICA OPERATIONS Putin forced Wagner mercenaries to withdraw operations in Ukraine following their mutiny earlier this year. However, the group remains heavily active in Africa. It is unknown what caused Prigozhin's plane to crash, but experts believe Putin ordered an assassination.  WAGNER TROOPS MOURN PRIGOZHIN FOLLOWING PLANE CRASH "That is what it seems to be," Jean-Pierre added, calling the mercenary chief's death both "predictable" and "predicted."  Rescuers said they found 10 bodies in the wreckage, and Russian officials stated Sunday that a DNA analysis confirmed that Prigozhin was among them. PENTAGON SAYS WAGNER CHIEF YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN LIKELY KILLED IN PLANE CRASH, NO EVIDENCE OF MISSILE ATTACK In comments following the crash, Putin described Prigozhin as "a man of difficult fate" who "made serious mistakes in life, and he achieved the results he needed – both for himself and, when I asked him about it, for the common cause, as in these last months. He was a talented man, a talented businessman." The White House said assassination would be typical of Putin's Russia.  WHO IS YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN? "We all know that the Kremlin has a long history of killing its opponents," Jean-Pierre said. "That is the history of the Kremlin. And if we take a step back, if you look back for a second, all of this happened because of dysfunction inside Russia. A Russian warlord, himself a cold-blooded killer, a cold-blooded murderer, became so frustrated by the way the Russian government was waging its unprovoked war in Ukraine that he criticized Russia's failing policies. You heard that directly from him.  "And so he called out the war's needlessness and marched on Moscow before reaching a deal with Mr. Putin," she continued. "And so now, two months later, after he struck that deal, he's been killed. So, you know, it's very clear what happened here."  The White House would not say if an official intelligence assessment of Prigozhin's death would be forthcoming.  Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Both sides are trying to profit from reducing this moment to a whole lotta merch.

Same image, different import. Mug shot merchandise from the LemonGoats Etsy shop (top left); Donald J. Trump for President online merchandise store (middle and bottom right); Green Day’s Limited edition shirt which was available for 72 hours (top right); and Lincoln Project (bottom left).

The Environmental Protection Agency and US Army on Tuesday released a new rule that dramatically shrinks what qualifies as federal waters, following a Supreme Court decision in May that rolled back protections for US wetlands.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced Tuesday that he is ending his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Suarez, who was one of the last to announce a presidential bid, didn't qualify for the RNC debate and became the first candidate to drop out of the Republican race.

A brief overview of the key players and allegations in each of Donald Trump's four criminal cases.

The mayor of Miami, who had announced his run in early June, had not qualified for the first Republican debate last week.

Mayor Francis X. Suarez of Miami wrote on X that he was suspending his campaign for president.

The Biden administration is working with Central American nations like Costa Rica to develop ways for migrants to apply for protection closer to their home countries.

President Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica will be welcomed at the White House on Tuesday.

Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday released a statement vowing "accountability" for the families of those killed in the Abbey Gate bombing two years ago during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. "We owe Gold Star families everything. We owe them transparency, we owe them honesty, we owe them accountability. We owe them the truth about what happened to their loved ones," Milley, who has received sharp criticism for his role in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, said in a statement to Fox News. The U.S. on Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of the attack outside the Abbey Gate at Kabul Airport during the chaotic military evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021. At least 183 people were killed in the attack, including 13 U.S. service members. AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: A POLITICAL TURNING POINT FOR WAY PUBLIC FELT ABOUT BIDEN The Biden administration took heavy criticism for the chaos that accompanied the withdrawal, which was in turn followed by a takeover of the country by the Taliban. Republicans in particular have continued to demand officials be held accountable for the withdrawal. MOTHER OF MARINE KILLED IN KABUL SAYS BIDEN ROLLED HIS 'F--- EYES' WHEN SHE REMEMBERED SON DURING MEETING Some Gold Star families have also criticized the administration, and said they were given incomplete or incorrect information. The House Foreign Affairs Committee was holding a roundtable with Gold Star families on Tuesday afternoon, just as Milley’s statement was released. Milley addressed some of the claims about incorrect information in his statement. "I trust the Army, Navy and Marine Corps did the best they could in briefing the families who had loved ones killed at Abbey Gate. I believe the briefers gave every piece of information that they could. If there was issues with that, we need to take whatever corrective action is necessary," he said. "And our hearts go out to those families." He continued: "This is a personal thing for all of us in uniform. We don't like what happened in Afghanistan. We don't like the outcome of Afghanistan. We owe it to the families to take care of them. Their sacrifices were not in vain." He then said that for those who served in the mission, "the cost in blood was high, but every single one of us who served in Afghanistan should hold our heads high.  "Each served with skill, dedication and honor. For two decades our nation was not attacked from Afghanistan – that was our mission, and each one can be rightly proud of their service," he continued. This is a breaking story; check back for updates

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California was widely mocked on social media by conservatives in response to a video calling for a ban on "assault weapons" in response to a mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida. "We can’t live this way, we don’t have to live this way," Swalwell posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to shootings in Jacksonville and UNC Chapel Hill this week.  "Here’s what we have to do, we have to ban assault weapons," Swalwell continued. "We have to buy them all back. We have to make sure the most dangerous weapons never end up in the hands of the most dangerous people. We must choose our kids, our children, the most precious people in our community, we must choose them over their killers. It’s very binary, either you choose them or you don’t." Swalwell’s push for gun control in the wake of the tragedies drew immediate pushback from conservatives on social media. ETHICS COMMITTEE WARNS SWALWELL AS INVESTIGATION INTO INTERACTIONS WITH CHINESE WOMAN CLOSES "Go home, commie," Ryan Petty, who lost his 14-year-old daughter Alaina in the 2018 Parkland shooting, posted in response to Swalwell. ERIC SWALWELL SPENT MORE CAMPAIGN CASH ON TRAVEL AND LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS THAN NANCY PELOSI Swalwell is one of many Democrats who have pushed for a ban on "assault weapons" in recent months, including President Biden, who promised to "ban assault weapons again come hell or high water and high capacity magazines" following a mass shooting in Michigan. Biden, while serving as a Delaware senator, voted to ban semi-automatic firearms in 1994 as part of a major crime bill, while the Democrat-majority House at the time passed the ban as a standalone bill. The bill ultimately was incorporated into the sweeping anti-crime package and required exceptions in order to pass, including a sunset provision.  The bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in September of that year. It enacted a 10-year ban on the manufacture, transfer or possession of "semiautomatic assault weapons" and "large capacity ammunition feeding devices." A Department of Justice study published in 1999 that examined the short-term effects of the ban found it "failed to reduce the average number of victims per gun murder incident or multiple gunshot wound victims." Another DOJ study published in 2004 determined the ban’s "effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement." Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report

FIRST ON FOX: A group of Republican states sent a letter Tuesday to 100 high-profile law firms nationwide, warning them against pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The letter — signed by six GOP attorney general led by Austin Knudsen of Montana — reminded the law firms of their "obligations as an employer under federal and state law" to refrain from discriminatory practices. The top law enforcement officials added any differential treatment based on race is unlawful, divisive and exposes the firms to legal consequences the states could pursue. "As Attorneys General, it is incumbent upon us to remind all entities operating within our respective jurisdictions of the binding nature of American anti-discrimination laws," Knudsen and the other attorneys general wrote in the letter. "If your law firm previously resorted to racial preferences or naked quotas, that path is now definitively closed." "Employers, to include large law firms, are legally obligated to treat all employees, all applicants, and all contractors equally, without regard to an individual’s race or skin color," they continued. "We advise you to immediately terminate any unlawful race-based quotas or preferences that your firm has adopted for its employment and contracting practices." BIDEN ADMIN HIT WITH LEGAL CHALLENGE FOR GREEN-LIGHTING MASSIVE PLAN TO TAKE AG LANDS OUT OF PRODUCTION The attorneys general added that if law firms continued with discriminatory hiring practices, they would be held accountable "sooner rather than later." The letter cited a recent Bloomberg Law report which determined that major U.S. law firms have DEI initiatives in their hiring process. According to the report, 79% of law firms require diversity within a pool of candidates for management and leadership roles, 57% tie partner compensation to diversity efforts, 48% affirm they have clear DEI goals and 31% have action plans to increase diversity among leadership. BIDEN ADMIN ECO RULE CURBING OIL DRILLING, MINING FACES WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION "These programs were already questionable before the Supreme Court’s decision in SFFA; now, they are unambiguously in tension with employer legal duties under state and federal law," the letter added. "Yet despite employing race-based policies and programs, some law firms have opted to flout the law, and indicated they were preparing to continue their efforts regardless of the Supreme Court’s ruling in SFFA." In late June, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard College that race cannot be used as a factor in college admissions. The ruling determined that Harvard's program factoring in race in determining applicant quality violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The attorneys general argued such a standard extends to hiring practices at businesses and law firms. "Such overt and pervasive racial discrimination in the employment and contracting practices of some AM Law 100 firms compels us to remind you of the obvious: Racial discrimination is illegal, divisive, and inconsistent with progress toward colorblindness," they wrote to the firms Tuesday.  "Race-based employment and contracting violate both state and federal law, and as the chief law enforcement officers of our respective states, we are committed to vigorously enforcing the law." BIDEN'S LATEST ECO REGS BLASTED BY SMALL BUSINESSES, MANUFACTURERS: 'WILL DO TERRIBLE DAMAGE' In an op-ed published following the June Supreme Court ruling, Andrea Lucas, a member of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, argued that, although companies "remain under heavy pressure to take race-conscious employment actions," such programs are illegal. "Prior to today's ruling, the Court permitted universities to use race as a factor in admissions, based on their interest in promoting ‘diversity,’" she stated. "Not so in the employment context. The Court never has blessed employers taking race-conscious employment actions based on interests in workforce diversity." "Now is a good time for employers to review their compliance with existing limitations on race- and sex-conscious diversity initiatives," Lucas continued. According to Lucas, everything from a company's race-restricted access to mentoring to offering more compensation to "diverse" summer interns may be implicated. In addition to Knudsen, Attorneys General Brenna Bird of Iowa, Tim Griffin of Arkansas, Kris Kobach of Kansas, Daniel Cameron of Kentucky and Todd Rokita of Indiana also signed onto the formal notice sent to the law firms.

GOT THAT MUG: Former President Trump said Georgia officials "insisted" he have a mugshot taken Thursday night during processing at the Fulton County Jail… Read more: Trump says taking mugshot was 'not a comfortable feeling, especially when you've done nothing wrong' ‘HANDSOME GUY’: President Biden reacted to Trump's mugshot — which he saw on TV — speaking to reporters from the resort town of Lake Tahoe… Read more: Biden calls Trump a 'handsome guy' after he saw former president's mugshot on TV WINDFALL: Trump's campaign raked in millions after his mugshot was taken, while the Biden campaign also asked for donations the day of the former president's arrest… Read more: Trump campaign raises $7.1 million in fundraising since mugshot was taken Thursday, Fox News confirms CATCH UP: With the Georgia charges, Trump faces four separate criminal trials… Read more: With the charges in Georgia, Trump now faces four criminal indictments BLAME GAME: Democratic lawmakers who blamed the recent wildfires in Hawaii on climate change were largely silent when asked about evidence showing the state's main power company is responsible… Read more: Dems who blamed Hawaii fires on climate change largely silent after county says power line responsible SHOKIN UP BABY: Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin told Fox News in an exclusive sit-down interview that he was fired during the Obama administration for investigating Burisma, the energy firm whose board Hunter Biden served on… Read more: Former Ukraine prosecutor makes explosive claims against Joe and Hunter Biden in new interview IN THE COOLER: One codefendant in the Georgia election fraud case facing former President Donald Trump is being held without bail… Read more: Trump co-defendant, head of Black Voices for Trump denied bail and will remain in prison PARENTAL RIGHTS FIGHT: A federal court in Maryland decided Thursday that parents can't opt their kids out of reading books with LGBTQ+ content in Montgomery County Schools… Read more: Maryland Court says parents can't opt kids out of LGBTQ+ curriculum: 'Not a fundamental right' COMFORTER IN CHIEF: Biden’s retelling of a 15-year-old story about a minor fire at his Delaware home is facing renewed backlash after he told victims of the deadly Hawaii wildfires Monday he shared "a little sense" of what they were going through… Read more: Biden has repeatedly told exaggerated house fire story to victims of tragedies BEER FEAR: President Biden's alcohol czar says Americans may be told by officials to have no more than two beers a week… Read more: Biden alcohol czar says US may follow Canada, limit beers to two a week: 'what a joke' NO DRILL ZONE: The Biden administration issued new restrictions on oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico, in an effort to protect a whale species after it settled last month with a coalition of environmental groups… Read more: Biden admin takes action restricting oil, gas development after settlement with eco groups DEM DEBATE SPAT: Political advisers to both Biden and Vice President Harris were reportedly annoyed with Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom over a planned debate with the Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential hopeful… Read more: Biden, Harris advisers irked by Newsom's plan to debate DeSantis: 'Disrespectful' HUNTER WATCH: Hunter Biden’s former business partner and fellow Burisma board member, Devon Archer, met with then-Secretary of State John Kerry just weeks before the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma was fired in 2016… Read more: Burisma's Devon Archer met with then-Secretary of State Kerry just weeks before Shokin was fired BACK TO VAX: President Biden said Friday he plans to request additional funding from Congress for the development of a new COVID-19 vaccine, adding he may require everyone to take it whether they previously received a vaccine or not… Read more: Biden plans to ask Congress for funding to develop new COVID vaccine, may recommend shot for all PROBING THE PROBERS: The House Committee on the Judiciary is probing Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis regarding her motivations for prosecuting former President Donald Trump… Read more: House Judiciary Committee probing DA Fani Willis regarding motivations for Trump prosecution BUSSED WISHES: Texas sent a 10th bus with migrants to Los Angeles on Saturday, days after its mayor harshly criticized the southern state for sending migrants… Read more: Texas sends 10th migrant bus to Los Angeles after mayor decries move as 'political act' JUSTICE FOR THOMAS: Former clerks are defending Justice Clarence Thomas from attacks on his integrity… Read more: Over 100 former clerks of Justice Thomas sign open letter defending his integrity, independence FIRST OUT: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has made a decision about his 2024 campaign after failing to make the debate stage… Read more: Suarez suspends 2024 campaign, first Republican presidential candidate to drop out of nomination race WINNERS AND LOSERS: Conservatives took to social media on Wednesday night in droves to opine on who they believed won the first GOP primary debate and who struggled to stand out… Read more: Pundits name their winners and losers from GOP debate POLLING AHEAD: A poll taken after the first GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday showed that a plurality of Republican voters felt that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won the night… Read more: GOP voters say DeSantis delivered best performance in first primary debate: poll CASHING IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy experienced an impressive fundraising surge following the first Republican debate… Read more: DeSantis, Ramaswamy experience fundraising surge after first Republican debate THROWBACK: Vivek Ramaswamy stole one of his opening lines at Wednesday night's GOP primary debate straight from former President Barack Obama… Read more: Vivek Ramaswamy ripped one of his debate one-liners straight from Barack Obama Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Conspiracy theories can appeal to people at both ends of the political spectrum, says Tim Sanders Naomi Klein asks what causes her fellow author Naomi Wolf and others to “lurch to the hard right” and ally with conspiracy theorists (Naomi Klein on following her ‘doppelganger’ down the conspiracy rabbit hole – and why millions of people have entered an alternative political reality, 26 August). There are two important factors. First, the attraction of “theories of everything” that ignore nuance and complexity, and are prevalent at both ends of the political spectrum. Second, there has long been a rebellious thrill to the counter-culture that once favoured the left against a Conservative establishment, but since the adoption of some left-liberal policies, now seems to work both ways. Policies of community and solidarity are probably a more solid foundation for the left from which to challenge the real elite. Tim Sanders Leeds • Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. Continue reading...

The leader of the California Senate said Monday she will step down from her leadership post, ending an historic run as the first woman and first openly gay person to lead the upper legislative chamber of the nation's most populous state. Toni Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego, said she will step down next year. Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from the state's North Coast region, will replace Atkins as the Senate's president pro tempore. Atkins made the announcement at a news conference with McGuire and most of the Senate Democratic Caucus standing behind her. The display of unity was in stark contrast to the leadership battle that embroiled the state Assembly last year, when new speaker Robert Rivas replaced former speaker Anthony Rendon. THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: ELECTION STRATEGY IF 2024 IS A TRUMP VS. BIDEN REMATCH Atkins cannot seek re-election because of term limits and must leave the Senate at the end of next year. She said the caucus chose to announce the transition now because "a long, drawn-out successor campaign would not be in the best interest of the Senate nor the people who we were elected to represent." "We have a lot of work to get through in the next few weeks," Atkins said, referring to the chaotic final days of the Legislative session when lawmakers will vote on hundreds of bills. "This work does not mix well with internal caucus politics being at the top of everyone's minds." The leader of the California Senate is one of the most powerful positions in state politics, acting as the body's chief negotiator with the governor and the Assembly speaker on key legislation and the state's more than $300 billion annual operating budget. Atkins is one of only three people in history to hold both top spots in the Legislature. She has led the Senate since 2018. Before that, she was speaker of the state Assembly from 2014 to 2016. McGuire was first elected to the Senate in 2014. He has been an outspoken critic of Pacific Gas & Electric, the nation's largest utility, whose equipment has sparked a number of massive wildfires that have killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes. In 2019, McGuire took on former Republican President Donald Trump by authoring a law that required candidates for president to disclose their tax returns as a condition of appearing on the ballot in California. The part of the law that applied to presidential candidates was ultimately struck down by the courts. But the law still applies to candidates for governor. McGuire praised Atkins as "a California trailblazer" and pledged to carry on her work, including focusing on climate issues, housing and access to abortion. But McGuire made it clear Atkins was still in charge. BERNIE SANDERS STICKS UP FOR FELLOW OCTOGENARIAN BIDEN: ‘SEEMED FINE TO ME’ "There is one leader, one leader at a time. And our leader here in the California state Senate is Toni Atkins," he said. "The pro tem and I, we are unified in our transition. And we can make this promise to each and every one of you. The next three weeks, getting these bills off the floor and into the governor's desk is going to be smooth, successful and focused on the success of the Golden State." McGuire is known throughout the state Capitol for his seemingly unending energy, often referred to by his nickname of the "Energizer Bunny," according to veteran lobbyist Chris Micheli. His ascension to the Senate's top post means the Legislature will have two leaders who represent mostly rural parts of California, a rare occurrence in a state where political power has historically been concentrated in the dense urban areas of Southern California and the San Francisco Bay. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rivas, who took over as Assembly speaker earlier this summer, represents a district in the state's mostly agricultural Central Coast region. McGuire's district stretches from the northern tip of the San Francisco Bay to the Oregon border. "I think these are parts of the state that deserve a little more attention and focus," said Jennifer Fearing, a longtime lobbyist whose firm — Fearless Advocacy — represents nonprofit organizations. "I look forward to it, what the difference their leadership can make on addressing longstanding disparities." McGuire's term in office will be a short one. He is required to leave office after 2026 because of term limits. Democrats control 32 of the 40 seats in the state Legislature, giving them total control of what bills can pass. State Sen. Brian Jones, the Republican leader, said McGuire has "respect for differing viewpoints." "He has shown a willingness to work in a bipartisan manner and we are excited to continue this cooperation," Jones said.

Rightwing broadcaster attacks Charles Haywood after Guardian exposed his sponsorship of secret society The rightwing broadcaster Glenn Beck has attacked Charles Haywood, a shampoo magnate and would-be “warlord”, as a “false prophet” on his radio broadcast after the Guardian exposed Haywood’s sponsorship of a secretive, far-right men-only fraternal society. Last week Beck devoted five minutes of airtime on the Blaze – in which he read the Guardian’s article aloud and interspersed his own commentary – to criticising Haywood and Haywood’s Society for American Civic Renewal (SACR). Continue reading...

Toni Atkins, San Diego Democrat, to be replaced by colleague Mike McGuire at end of historic run as president pro tempore The leader of the California senate said Monday she will step down from her leadership post, ending a historic run as the first woman and first openly gay person to lead the upper legislative chamber of the nation’s most populous state. Toni Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego, said she will step down next year. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from the state’s North Coast region, will replace Atkins as the Senate’s president pro tempore. Continue reading...

Federal authorities are investigating a cohort of Uzbek nationals, who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and claimed asylum in the United States, after new intelligence found they relied on assistance from a human trafficker linked to a "foreign terrorist organization," Fox News confirmed Tuesday. "Intelligence reporting alerted us to a human smuggling network working to facilitate the travel of Uzbek nationals to the United States," White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement to Fox News. "As with all identified human smuggling networks – which seek to prey on the vulnerable and evade nations’ legal systems – the U.S. government immediately took steps to successfully disrupt it."  "Reporting by the U.S. Intelligence Community revealed that one overseas member of the smuggling network had a connection to a foreign terrorist organization," Watson continued, without specifying which terror organization. "However, there was no indication – and remains no indication – that any of the individuals facilitated by this network have a connection to a foreign terrorist organization or are engaged in plotting a terrorist attack in the United States."  The U.S. government has taken steps to identify all those whose entry to the United States was facilitated by this smuggling network and "has utilized the full suite of law enforcement tools to assess such individuals to ensure that they do not pose ongoing public safety and national security concerns," Watson said.  TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD LAUNCHES PROBE AFTER MEMBER FIRES ACROSS BORDER, REPORTEDLY WOUNDING MEXICAN NATIONAL Since this information became available, Watson said those encountered at the border "who fit the profile associated with individuals who were facilitated by this network are being placed into expedited removal, being thoroughly vetted against national security and public safety systems, and generally detained pending removal." "The U.S. government worked with a partner government overseas; that government detained key members of the network abroad, including the one linked to a foreign terrorist organization, and helped to successfully disrupt its smuggling activities," Watson said.  "We are working closely with foreign partners to shut down the travel routes being used by individuals associated with this network. The United States continues to share appropriate information with foreign counterparts with the aim of preventing individuals associated with this network from traveling to this hemisphere in the first place." Watson concluded, stating the National Security Council believes "that human smuggling is a global scourge, and we are committed to staying ahead of this evolving threat."  CNN first reported that migrants from Uzbekistan crossed the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this year and were screened by the Department of Homeland Security, but nothing in the intelligence community's databases raised red flags. CNN reported that later on, the FBI learned about a smuggling network – that included at least one person with ties to ISIS – that was helping migrants from Uzbekistan go to the U.S.  CALIFORNIA BORDER PATROL AGENTS SHOT AT BY GROUP SMUGGLING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS: ‘CALLOUS DISPLAY’  "While the FBI has not identified a specific terrorism plot associated with foreign nationals who recently entered the United States at the southern border, we always work with our field offices across the country, as well as our domestic and international partners, to identify any potential illegal activity or terrorism threats," an FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "As always, we ask anyone with information about federal crimes or threats to public safety to report it to the FBI." "Whenever we have indicators that criminal actors – such as those involved in human smuggling – have connections to terrorism, we work diligently with our partners to investigate and understand how foreign terrorist organizations may attempt to exploit their capabilities so that we can best mitigate any risk to the American public," the FBI spokesperson added.  The newfound intelligence ignited a series of urgent meetings among top national security and administration officials, and staffers on key congressional committees have been notified, sources told CNN. Sources also told CNN that the alleged human smuggler has been detained by Turkish authorities at the behest of the United States.  Fox News Digital also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security seeking comment but did not immediately hear back.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has set a trial date for March 4, 2024, in the special counsel's case against former President Donald Trump related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The trial date falls one day before Super Tuesday, when 15 states will hold their primary or caucus for the Republican presidential nomination. Scott MacFarlane reports.

The Biden administration unveiled Tuesday the names of the first 10 drugs subject to price negotiations in Medicare.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett said Monday night that she has developed a thick skin to criticism during her tenure as a judge and stressed that she welcomes public scrutiny of the Supreme Court.

A sixth-generation Indiana egg farmer is stepping up to challenge Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., in the GOP primary for their state’s open Senate seat. John Rust, an openly gay conservative Republican who leads the board of Rose Acre Farms, told Fox News Digital that "social issues" inspired him to get into the race.  "I'm gay, I'm married to a guy. And there's a lot of comments that you have to support all this stuff that's going on in front of schools with…transgender ideology being put on young children. I'm opposed to that," Rust said. He acknowledged that it was a "high mountain" to climb in order to win. Banks has for months been the favorite to take over for outgoing Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and has clinched the support of both Senate Republican leadership and former President Trump.  FORMER NAVY SEAL SEEKING TO OUST THREE-TERM DEMOCRATIC SENATOR BUILDS MOMENTUM WITH MORE BIG-NAME SUPPORT However, Rust argued that he was "a better candidate for Indiana." "I think I'm more in touch with Hoosier voters," Rust said, noting that Banks has been in Washington since 2017. "He’s just lost touch with what's really happening in Indiana, especially with inflation." He also attacked Banks’ deep bench of support, claiming the GOP establishment was betting against him. "I think they're afraid I can win, and because I'll be a voice for working men and women in Indiana in Washington," he said. INDIANA'S MITCH DANIELS PASSES ON A 2024 SENATE RUN Rust also dismissed Democrat criticism calling the GOP anti-LGBTQ overall. "I would not be running and as a Republican I if I didn't think I could win as a gay person married to a guy in 2024," he said. "It's about equal rights, not special rights. And when people hear that they're like, ‘Yes, amen. I agree with that.’" Banks responded to Rust's comments in a statement to Fox News Digital referencing that Rust had voted in Democratic primaries – in addition to Republican races – in the past.  "Shady John Rust can’t hide the fact he is a lifetime liberal Democrat who is now trying to use the millions of dollars he gouged from families during COVID to buy a Senate seat. Hoosiers won’t fall for it," Banks told Fox News Digital. As Rust himself conceded, he is likely facing an uphill battle to winning the seat.  The Indiana state Republican Party suggested it had no ties to Rust when reached by Fox News Digital last week. A spokesperson for the Indiana GOP said Rust "never interacted" with them when asked for a contact for his campaign and comment on Rust entering the race.  THESE FOUR SENATORS COULD LOSE THEIR SEATS IN THE 2024 ELECTIONS When it was pointed out that Rust posted pictures of himself on X, formerly Twitter, attending a party function this month, the Indiana GOP spokesperson said, "Those pictures were from our roughly 900-person state dinner — he must have sat at someone's table." Rust is also facing scrutiny from Banks’ allies over his voting history. Information shown to Fox News Digital shows Rust voted in several Democratic primaries between 2006 and 2012, though he said he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020.  The businessman denied ever being affiliated with the Democratic Party, stating he only voted for Democrats that he knew personally on those occasions.  "Back in the day, you know, I knew people personally, or I went to church with, that were local democratic officials that were very pro-agriculture that I wanted to help maintain their seats – on local county boards, especially," he said. "But I always had been a Republican. If you look at my campaign finance contributions, you'll see that I have only ever given to Republican candidates. I have never given to a Democratic candidate."

The FBI is investigating more than a dozen Uzbek nationals allowed into the US after they sought asylum at the southern border with Mexico earlier this year, a scramble set off when US intelligence officials found that the migrants traveled with the help of a smuggler with ties to ISIS, according to multiple US officials.

The Biden administration’s announcement was an important moment for Democrats, who have campaigned on a promise to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

The medications on the list are taken by millions of older Americans and cost Medicare billions of dollars annually.

The Texas National Guard has opened an investigation after one of its members reportedly fired across the border, wounding a Mexican national.  U.S. officials, who remained anonymous, told the Washington Post, that the guardsmen by El Paso, Texas, open fired toward Juarez, Mexico, after allegedly spotting three men on the other side of the border attacking a group of migrants with a knife as they attempted to cross the river.  Mexican authorities identified the person wounded as 37-year-old Darwin José García, who was said to have been struck in the right left around 8:50 p.m. Saturday, KVIA-TV reported. Spanish-language outlet El Diario de El Paso reported that the person struck was 22 years old and a migrant himself, though they did not identify him by name.  The guardsman involved was a part of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star, which has bolstered the presence along the border.  BIDEN'S LAWSUIT AGAINST TEXAS' BORDER BUOYS DOESN'T HOLD WATER "One of the bandits was trying to stab the migrants, and that’s when the National Guard fired," an unnamed official told the Post. TEXAS SUSPECT DENIED BAIL OVER MURDER OF 11-YEAR-OLD MARIA GONZALEZ Border Network for Human Rights, an El Paso-based advocacy group, told the New York Daily News that the person shot claimed he had been "practicing sports near the border while a group of migrants was crossing" before the shooting unfolded. That person was taken to a local hospital in Juarez and has since been released, according to the newspaper.  "On the night of 26 August, a National Guard Servicemember assigned to Operation Lone Star discharged a weapon in a border-related incident," the Texas Military Department said in a brief statement to KVIA. "The incident is under investigation. More information will be made available as the investigation progresses." In response to the shooting, the Border Network demanded a Department of Justice probe and called on Abbott to pull Texas National Guard members and Department of Public Safety troopers from the border communities.  "We are deeply appalled by the actions of the Texas National Guard," executive director Fernando Garcia told the New YorkDaily News, "which under Gov. Abbott’s leadership has continued to usurp federal authority and unleash unnecessary chaos at our southern border,"

Democratic lawmakers who blamed the recent wildfires in Hawaii on climate change were largely silent in response to requests for comment when asked about evidence showing the state's main power company is responsible. Fox News Digital contacted five lawmakers — Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Cori Bush, D-Mo. — who were among the voices claiming the devastating fires were sparked by man-made global warming. While Khanna provided a response, the four other lawmakers ignored the requests noting Maui County, Hawaii, alleged in a lawsuit the fires were sparked by power lines. "The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants acted negligently by failing to power down their electrical equipment despite a National Weather Service Red Flag Warning on August 7th," Maui County said in a release announcing its lawsuit last week.  "The lawsuit further alleges [Hawaiian Electric Company's (HECO)] energized and downed power lines ignited dry fuel such as grass and brush, causing the fires," the announcement added. "The lawsuit also alleges failure to maintain the system and power grid, which caused the systemic failures starting three different fires on August 8th." BIDEN'S LATEST ECO REGS BLASTED BY SMALL BUSINESSES, MANUFACTURERS: 'WILL DO TERRIBLE DAMAGE' According to the county's lawsuit, HECO and its subsidiaries, which supply Hawaii with most of its electricity, failed to follow protocol powering down live electrical equipment allowing downed power lines to spark multiple fires earlier this month. The fires have claimed the lives of at least 115 people, according to the latest figures, and hundreds more remain missing. The county further stated in its lawsuit that HECO has a duty "to properly maintain and repair the electric transmission lines, and other equipment including utility poles associated with their transmission of electricity, and to keep vegetation properly trimmed and maintained so as to prevent contact with overhead power lines and other electric equipment." EXPERTS THROW COLD WATER ON DEM CLAIMS THAT HAWAII WILDFIRES CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE However, before the lawsuit was filed and while the fires raged, Democrats were quick to blame climate change. "This is devastating. This is a climate emergency," Markey, an original sponsor of the Green New Deal, wrote in a post on X on Aug. 10. "I stand in solidarity with my friends and colleagues from Hawai’i — we must act fast, provide aid, and invest in a resilient and safe future." "Heartbreaking fires in Hawaii! Scientists are clear that climate chaos wreaking havoc on ecosystems everywhere is the new norm," Merkley said in a separate post. "We need to take action immediately or else it will get even worse." Durbin warned that the wildfires were a "devastating view of our planet as we fail to adequately address the climate crisis." ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE BLOCKING FOREST MANAGEMENT METHODS SAVING ICONIC SEQUOIAS AMID YOSEMITE WILDFIRE "My heart breaks hearing of the devastation in Maui," Bush added. "The climate crisis is here and it's killing people. It’s time for [Biden] to declare a climate emergency." Additionally, Khanna, who spearheaded a recent congressional investigation into Big Oil, called on President Biden to declare a "climate emergency" in response to the fires. In a statement Tuesday, he said he stood by his comment and explained dry weather made the fires harder to contain and allowed them to spread quickly. "Hawaiian Electric's negligence does not change the fact that hotter and dryer weather due to climate change allowed the wildfires to spread faster and do more damage," Khanna told Fox News Digital. "I stand by my call." In addition, experts have thrown cold water on claims that climate change triggered the Maui fires even before the lawsuit. Instead, they said the event was largely a result of years of poor forest and brush management, in addition to declining agriculture. Such conditions, they said, allow fires to spread rapidly and make fires harder to contain. "Blaming this on weather and climate is misleading," said Clay Trauernicht, a University of Hawaii at Manoa professor and environmental management expert. "Hawai'i's fire problem is due to the vast areas of unmanaged, nonnative grasslands from decades of declining agriculture." "These savannas now cover about a million acres across the main Hawaiian Islands, mostly the legacy of land clearing for plantation agriculture and ranching in the late 1800s/early 1900s," he continued. "The transformation to savanna makes the landscape way more sensitive to bad 'fire weather' — hot, dry, windy conditions. It also means we get huge buildups of fuels during rainy periods."