EXCLUSIVE: Some individuals awaiting deportation at "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida were convicted of serious crimes, according to new information from the Florida Attorney Generals office."The left-wing press continues to spend their time amplifying false reports, but the reality is that there are monsters awaiting deportation within Alligator Alcatraz far worse than the monsters lurking in the surrounding Everglades," Jeremy Redfern, communications director for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, said in a statement."This group of murderers, rapists, and gang members are just a small sample of the deranged psychopaths that Florida is helping President Trump and his administration remove from our country," he continued.DEM LAWMAKERS TO INSPECT 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ' DETENTION CENTER, CITING SAFETY CONCERNSLazaro Rodriguez Santana, a Cuban national, was convicted in Texas of sexual assault and failure to register as a sex offender. Honduran national Jose Fortin was convicted of second-degree murder in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Furthermore, authorities say Oscar "Satan" Sanchez of Honduras is an MS-13 gang member who faced convictions for resisting arrest, conspiracy to commit murder and assault in New York, as well as RICO offenses.Guatemalan national Luis Donald Corado was convicted of burglary, forced entry, and voyeurism in Miami. Specifically, Corados case involved him looking into a womans window, according to the Florida officials office.Venezuelan national Wilfredo Alberto Lazama-Garcia is wanted for murder and aggravated robbery in the South American country. He is presumed to be a "gotaway" in 2021 during the border crisis.INSIDE 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ': THE NEW MIGRANT DETENTION FACILITY ERECTED AT AN ABANDONED EVERGLADES AIRPORTIn the United States, he was convicted of conspiracy "to defraud the U.S. government in Oklahoma." Eddy Lopez Jemot of Cuba was convicted of murder, arson, and assault. He was arrested for "cutting the throat of an elderly woman" in Key Largo, Florida, and then lit her residence on fire with hopes of hiding the evidence.Later that night, he allegedly "threatened to kill" another woman via beheading.The facility is receiving initial backing by the state of Florida and is expected to receive repurposed FEMA funds on the federal level.CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE"It's known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate, because I looked outside, and that's not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon," Trump said while touring the facility earlier this month. "But very soon, this facility will have some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet."TRUMP SAYS ONLY WAY OUT OF ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ IS DEPORTATIONAlligator Alcatraz opened earlier this month with fierce opposition from environmentalists, who oppose its location in the Everglades, as well as some Democrats, who have been critical of the Trump administrations immigration and deportation policies.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"This proposed detention center isnt just cruel, its environmentally catastrophic. This facility would desecrate ecologically critical wetlands, trample on Tribal sovereignty, and transform one of the worlds most cherished ecosystems into a prison camp for political gain," Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a June 24 news release.

Arkansas lawmakers questioned officials with the state's Department of Corrections on Thursday about the escape of a dangerous inmate nicknamed the "Devil in the Ozarks" in late May.Grant Hardin, a 56-year-old murderer and rapist, was captured on June 6, approximately 1.5 miles north-northwest of the North Central Unit prison facility from which he escaped on May 25, the Izard County Sheriffs Office said.DOC Chairman Benny Magness told Arkansas State Sen. Fredrick Love during a Thursday hearing that while no officials actively had helped Hardin escape, a kitchen supervisor had allowed the inmate who worked in the kitchen to work on the back dock without supervision, which Magness noted is "against policy.""Then, the guy in the tower that let him through the gateyou don't open that gate for anybody or anything when there's not a ground person there to verify who it is who is wanting to exit the prison," Magness said, adding that those two employees were terminated for workplace violations.NOTORIOUS DEVIL IN THE OZARKS FINALLY CAUGHT WEEKS AFTER LONG MANHUNT THAT DREW MULTIPLE AGENCIESThe DOC chairman also said the "stars had to line up" for Hardin to successfully escape. He fled the prison around 3 p.m. that Sunday through a sally port in the detention facility, wearing a makeshift ADC-style uniform, ADC communications director Rand Champion said previously, noting the uniform he had been wearing was not official.Magness also said Hardin apparently used a black "magic marker" to dye his clothing as part of his disguise.DANGEROUS 'DEVIL IN THE OZARKS' FORMER POLICE CHIEF ON THE RUN AS EXPERT WARNS OUTDOORSMEN TO STAY AWAY"I did actually see the little badge that he made out of a soup can top," Magness said.Hardin was serving an 80-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and a previously unsolved 1997 rape case.ARKANSAS OFFICIALS RELEASE NEW PHOTO OF ESCAPED 'DEVIL IN THE OZARKS' ON RUN FOR WEEKSMultiple federal, state and local agencies were involved in the search for Hardin in the weeks following his escape."Im incredibly appreciative to all of our dedicated law enforcement agencies that spent countless hours, both day and night, sacrificing their time, utilizing their resources and lending their invaluable expertise to this search," Arkansas Secretary of Corrections Lindsay Wallace said after Hardin was captured on June 6."To every one of our Department staff that assisted in this manhunt over the last 13 days, I give my heartfelt thank you for your immeasurable contributions to bring this search to a peaceful conclusion."Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

The State Department will move to layoff nearly 2,000 employees on Friday as it begins its reorganization plan.An internal memo circulated Thursday evening by Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of management and resources, announced that domestic employees affected by the reduction in force (RIF) would be notified "over the coming days."Approximately 1,800 people will be affected, Fox News has learned.The RIF notices plus voluntary departures under the Trump administration amount to a 15% work force reduction.SOTOMAYOR BREAKS WITH JACKSON IN SUPREME COURT DECISION OVER TRUMP CUTS TO FEDERAL WORKFORCE"The departments, bureaus, offices and domestic operations have grown considerably over the last 25 years, and the resulting proliferation of bureaus and offices with unclear, overlapping or duplicative mandates have hobbled the department's ability to rapidly respond to emerging threats and crises or to effectively advance America's affirmative interests in the world," a senior State Department official said.The official added that there are "more than 700 domestic offices for 18,000 people."SUPREME COURT LETS TRUMPS WRECKING BALL FEDERAL JOB CUTS PROCEED WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES"A lot of this, as we said, covers redundant offices and takes some of these cross-cutting functions and moves them to the regional bureaus and to our embassies overseas, to the people who are closest to where diplomacy is happening, to empower them with the resources and authorities they need to be able to carry out the President's foreign policy."State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce warned on Thursday the agency would move quickly after the Supreme Court stayed the lower court's injunction blocking the administration from implementing widescale force reductions across federal agencies.A senior official said there are currently no plans for overseas closures of embassies and outposts. They added the State Department will work to preserve the dignity of affected workers."Were going to work to preserve the dignity of federal workers," the official said. "We want to be sensitive to that process and make sure people have the resources they need and make sure everyone is treated with dignity."

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk sounded the alarm on Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdanis run for New York City mayor, Friday, and why young people need to choose optimism over "grievance-based politics."Kirk joined "Fox & Friends" where he was asked about Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who has been tying himself to Mamdani, and what a socialist mayor in New York City would mean for the Democratic Party."The Mamdani effect is going to metastasize in the Democrat Party. Now, how successful it will be in a general election, I dont know, I still have my skepticism. But the Mamdani effect is grievance-based politics, playing into peoples bitterness, and also playing into the economic disorder that Biden left us," Kirk said.CITY-RUN GROCERY STORES, DEFUNDING POLICE, SAFE INJECTION SITES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NYC'S NEXT POTENTIAL MAYOR"President Trump is going to fix this, and he is aiming to fix this," Kirk continued. "But understand, for the younger voters that I represent and the younger voters that delivered the White House for President Trump, they cant afford homes, theyre increasingly renting, theyre not getting married, theyre not having children, so there are two ways this can go."Kirk said young people can either take an "optimistic, patriotic vision like President Trump is offering," or a "very dark and sinister vision one that is anti-Western, anti-American, anti-civilization." He believes far-left Democrats like Mamdani have embraced the latter."I believe this effect will only continue in the Democrat Party for years to come," Kirk said.THE PLOT TO STOP MAMDANI: DEMOCRATS SCRAMBLE TO BLOCK FAR-LEFT TAKEOVER IN NEW YORK"Fox & Friends" aired footage of Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin downplaying concerns from Jewish colleagues about Mamdani, who has drawn criticism for not condemning calls to "globalize the intifada" in earlier interviews. The term is widely seen as a call for violence against Jews and Israelis, but Mamdani has said he's not out to police speech."You might think the Democrats are going to moderate. You might think that I went on Gavin Newsoms show, and hes going to move to the middle. No, no, no, the rise of Mamdani and that ridiculous statement from Ken Martin shows the canary in the coal mine is [that] the Democrats are going to double and triple down on an anti-civilizational agenda," Kirk said."They are going to go more in the encampment direction that we saw at Columbia University and Harvard University, which should be for everybody in the audience, a chilling alternative if we do not maintain Republican majorities," he continued. "The Democrats are going to offer stuff that we have not seen in this country ever."

The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Minnesota "to determine whether it has engaged in race- and sex-based discrimination in its state employment hiring practices."The inquiry is the Trump administrations latest clash with Gov. Tim Walzs state following his failed 2024 vice presidential bid. It comes as the Minnesota Department of Human Services is rolling out a new policy demanding supervisors "provide a hiring justification when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate when hiring for a vacancy in a job category with underrepresentation" -- or else they face possible disciplinary action, including termination."Minnesotans deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement."Federal law has long prohibited employment policies that discriminate based on race or sex," added Assistant Attorney General HarmeetDhillon of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department refuses to tolerate such conduct, and states invite investigation when they engage in biased hiring practices tied to protected characteristics."TIM WALZ BLASTED FOR COSTING MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS $430,000 IN LEGAL PREP AHEAD OF HILL HEARINGThe Minnesota Department of Human Services said the purpose of its new "hiring justification" policy is to make sure the state "meets affirmative action responsibilities to comply with state statutes and must increase the diversity of its workforce to reflect and effectively serve its client base.""The policy defines underrepresented candidates to include females, and racial minorities who are Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan native," Dhillon wrote in a letter on Thursday to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Department of Human Services temporary commissioner Shireen Gandhi."Title VII prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. When the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a state or local government employer is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of Title VII, it is the Attorney General's responsibility to take appropriate action to eliminate that violation, including presenting the matter to the appropriate court for civil proceedings," Dhillon added.TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RESPONDS TO MINNESOTAS LAWSUIT TO LET TRANS ATHLETES IN GIRLS SPORTS"Specifically, we have reason to believe the Minnesota Department of Human Services is engaging in unlawful action through, among other things, the adoption and forthcoming implementation of its hiring justification policy," he also said.The Minnesota Department of Human Services told Fox News Digital that it "follows all state and federal hiring laws.""Justification of non-affirmative action hires for some vacancies has been required by state law since 1987," it added.The probe comes after the Justice Department in late June filed a complaint challenging laws in Minnesota that provide free and reduced in-state tuition to illegal aliens, claiming the laws are unconstitutional.Ellison also announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Department of Justice in April to ensure that states can continue letting biologically male trans athletes play in girls' sports.Fox News Digitals Greg Wehner and Jackson Thompsoncontributed to this report.

Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is taking aim at the U.S. government, seeking $20 million after he was targeted for deportation and locked up by the Trump administration."Mr. Khalil is seeking $20 million, which he would use to help others similarly targeted by the Trump administration and Columbia University," the Center for Constitutional Rights noted in a press release. "He would accept, in lieu of payment, an official apology and abandonment of the administrations unconstitutional policy."The release stated, "The claim is a precursor to a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, which he will bring under the Federal Tort Claims Act, a 1946 federal statute that allows individuals to sue the U.S. government for damages for civil law violations."LEGAL EXPERT REVEALS HOW TRUMP ADMIN CAN DEPORT MAJOR ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVISTKhalil missed the birth of his first child while he was being detained earlier this year.The activist accuses Israel of perpetrating a genocide against Gaza."This is the first step towards accountability. Nothing can restore the 104 days stolen from me. The trauma, the separation from my wife, the birth of my first child that I was forced to miss. But lets be clear, the same government that targeted me for speaking out is using taxpayer dollars to fund Israels ongoing genocide in Gaza," Khalil said, according to the press release.ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL RELEASED FOLLOWING JUDGE'S ORDERDepartment of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed Khalil in a statement."Mahmoud Khalil's claim that DHS officials branded him as an antisemite and terrorized him and his family is absurd. It was Khalil who terrorized Jewish students on campus. He branded himself as antisemite through his own hateful behavior and rhetoric," McLaughlin asserted. "It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America. The Trump Administration acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property."ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL CLAIMS IMMIGRATION DETENTION FELT LIKE KIDNAPPINGA senior State Department official noted that "there is ongoing litigation with respect to this matter. However, our position is that the actions of the United States with respect to Mahmoud Khalil were correct and necessary and fully supported both by fact and by law. It is our duty to use all available lawful tools and measures to remove aliens who violate our laws or pose a threat to our fellow citizens and communities."Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report

A former White House physician is criticizing Kevin O'Connor after the ex-Biden administration doctor refused to answer questions by House Oversight Committee investigators earlier this week.Dr. O'Connor, who served as White House physician to former President Joe Biden, sat down for a transcribed interview with committee staff and panel Chair James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday. The closed-door meeting lasted roughly 30 minutes, with O'Connor invoking the Fifth Amendment to all questions, save for his name.His legal team said there were concerns the broad scope of Comer's probe could force O'Connor into a position of risking doctor-patient confidentiality privileges."Well, you can't do both," Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former White House doctor himself, told Fox News Digital in an interview afterward.COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR'S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: 'THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE'"I mean, the Fifth Amendment is designed to keep him from incriminating himself in some type of, you know, criminal or unethical behavior. He'd already addressed the issue of patient-doctor privacy, or confidentiality, with the committee."He pointed out that O'Connor's lawyers had already raised issues with patient-doctor confidentiality in a letter to the committee trying to get the interview delayed, but Comer pressed forward."They had already let him know that in this particular case, because he had been subpoenaed, and it was a legal process, he'd been subpoenaed to testify before Congress in this closed session, that the patient-doctor privilege no longer applied," Jackson said. "And President Trump had waived presidential privilege. So it left him with nothing. Nothing to stand on except for pleading the Fifth."Before being elected to Congress, Jackson served as White House physician to both former President Barack Obama and current President Donald Trump.Comer told reporters on Wednesday that Jackson played a key role in crafting questions for O'Connor.FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE 'NEVER HAD A CONCERN' ABOUT BIDEN'S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP"We have a lot of questions that we've prepared for this. We've consulted closely with Ronny Jackson, my colleague, who was the White House physician in the first Trump administration. We've consulted with a lot of people in the medical community, so there's going to be a lot of medical questions that are asked," he told reporters before the transcribed interview.He is investigating accusations that Biden's former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president's full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back on those claims."The cover-up could not have happened without the assistance and the help of his personal physician, Kevin O'Connor," Jackson said. "I think that's why he pled the Fifth, because he realized he was about to implicate himself as a key player in this cover-up."O'Connor's lawyers have denied any implications of guilt.Jackson said some of the questions he recommended to the committee would have surrounded any potential neurological concerns or cognitive tests while Biden was in office.But many of those were left unasked, it appears, after O'Connor's brief meeting with House investigators.The doctor's lawyers said O'Connor's refusal to answer questions on Fifth Amendment grounds was not an admission of guilt, but rather a response to what they saw as an unprecedented investigatory scope that could have violated the bounds of patient-physician privilege."This Committee has indicated to Dr. O'Connor and his attorneys that it does not intend to honor one of the most well-known privileges in our law - the physician patient privilege. Instead, the Committee has indicated that it will demand that Dr. O'Connor reveal, without any limitations, confidential information regarding his medical examinations, treatment, and care of President Biden," the attorney statement said."Revealing confidential patient information would violate the most fundamental ethical duty of a physician, could result in revocation of Dr. O'Connor's medical license, and would subject Dr. O'Connor to potential civil liability. Dr. O'Connor will not violate his oath of confidentiality to any of his patients, including President Biden."Fox News Digital reached out to O'Connor's lawyers for further comment.

FIRST ON FOX: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched parallel investigations this week into two of the nation's leading proxy advisory companies, alleging they have abdicated their fiduciary duties and violated state consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about their prioritization of ideology over investor returns.Bailey argued in civil investigative demands sent to Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) that they are violating state consumer protection law by assuring their customers that their proxy voting recommendations are based solely on data and research and are entirely neutral. But, simultaneously, Bailey argues that publicly available documents from the firms show that their proxy voting recommendations are designed to advance DEI and environmental causes regardless of whether they undermine investor returns.Glass Lewis and ISS are two foreign-owned powerhouses that control roughly 97% of the U.S. proxy advisory market, according to an April report from the House Financial Services Committee. The firms specialize in providing voting recommendations to institutional investors such as pension funds, retirement systems and mutual funds on how to vote during corporate shareholder meetings. These votes frequently include decisions related to board member elections, executive compensation, company policies and other proposals.BLACKROCK ADDS NEW PROXY ADVISORY FIRM AMID ESG CRITICISM AS LEADING EXPERT SAYS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE"Missourians deserve answers as to why the unseen power brokers, controlling much of corporate America, are pushing a leftist worldview at the expense of millions of honest investors," Bailey said. "These are foreign-owned actors manipulating the U.S. economy, and we will not let them thrive any longer. We are going after the source. These proxy advisors have held corporate America hostage with their radical ideologies. We are putting them on notice: Missouri will not tolerate ideological coercion disguised as investment guidance."In an enforcement petition Bailey sent to the state circuit court in an effort to compel the companies' compliance with the new probes, the attorney general points to statements on both ISS and Glass Lewis's websites, respectively, that insist they provide "objective and impartial offerings" that are "based on research and data." At the same time, Bailey points to internal company documents, such as a document titled "2025 Benchmark Policy Guidelines" from Glass Lewis, which includes numerous sections on the importance of advancing DEI and ESG causes."This means that Glass Lewiss statement that it provides research and data that allows its customers to make informed investment decisions is false," Bailey wrote in his enforcement petition against Glass Lewis.SEVERAL STATE OFFICIALS DEMAND FEDS PROTECT AMERICANS' RETIREMENT PLANS BY CLEARLY REGULATING ESG INVESTMENTSSimilarly, at ISS, Bailey points to company statements claiming it provides customers with "objective and impartial offerings," while simultaneously producing internal company reports that include commitments to recommending votes in favor of proposals "calling for the reduction of [greenhouse gas] emissions."In addition to allegedly misleading consumers about their company priorities, Bailey is accusing Glass Lewis and ISS of omitting or failing to disclose material information about how it weighs DEI and ESG standards when recommending votes. Bailey's investigation is requesting a range of internal documents and communications to help determine whether Glass Lewis or ISS violated state consumer protection laws through its allegedly misleading claims and lack of transparency.FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS HE IS PUTTING THE STATES WOKE COMPANIES ON NOTICE"ISS and Glass Lewis have been harming consumers and misleading institutional investors by promoting a radical political agenda instead of focusing on maximizing returns. By taking legal action against both firms, Attorney General Bailey is doing the right thing and holding them accountable for selfishly prioritizing racist DEI quotas, climate activism, and other outdated ESG nonsense," Will Hild, Executive Director at conservative nonprofit Consumers' Research said in a statement to Fox News Digital."Such deception is not just financially reckless but also illegal and must be met with consequences," Hild continued. "This necessary investigation will aid in exposing these activist proxy advisors for deliberately ditching fiduciary duty in the name of furthering the ESG scam."Neither Glass Lewis nor ISS responded to repeated requests from Fox News Digital for comment.Earlier this year, Glass Lewis was served with a similar civil investigative demand by Florida's Republican Attorney General. That move followed another similar request for information in 2023 by 21 state attorneys general, including Bailey at the time.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump departed to visit Kerrville, Texas, Friday, following massive floods in the region that have taken the lives of more than 120 people.The Trumps are expected to meet with local officials and first responders who are navigating the aftermath of flash floods that devastated the Central Texas community, after the Guadalupe River surged more than 22 feet in just a matter of hours.Among those who died in the flooding were at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp founded nearly 100 years ago for girls. Meanwhile, more than 160 people are missing and unaccounted for in Kerry County, Texas, following the floods, according to officials.The White House disclosed Monday that Trump would visit the flood site to witness the devastation."I'll be going down on Friday with the first lady, and we will be taking a trip," Trump said Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting. "And we don't want to get in anyone's way, because, you know, it's what happens. The president goes, and everyone's around focused. I don't want anyone to focus on us, but it's possible they could have."EX-BIDEN OFFICIAL SCOLDS TRUMP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AFTER TEXAS FLOODSThe Trump administration has faced scrutiny from Democrats for its response to the disaster, particularly for a new policy that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem approved in June, before the floods, that requires her to sign off on any department expenses, including disaster-related expenses, that are more than $100,000.Noem reportedly waited more than 72 hours after the flooding started before she approved the deployment of the Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue teams, according to CNN.Meanwhile, Noem dismissed the report's credibility during a segment on "Fox & Friends" on Thursday, claiming the report was "fake news."The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA, told Fox News Digital that the agency has "taken an all-hands-on-deck approach" in responding to the crisis, when asked about the CNN report."The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital.Trump also defended his administrations response and said at the White House during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting that "you had people there as fast as anybodys ever seen."Still, the disaster creates uncertainty about the future of FEMA, since Trump has called for massive reforms to the agency.WHITE HOUSE BLASTS SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FOR 'DEPRAVED LIE' BLAMING TRUMP FOR TEXAS FLASH FLOODTrump said in June that he wanted to "wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it back to the state level."White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the future of FEMA is an ongoing discussion, when asked whether the flood had prompted Trump to re-evaluate his position on overhauling FEMA."The president wants to ensure American citizens always have what they need during times of need," Leavitt told reporterson Monday. "Whether that assistance comes from states or the federal government, thats a policy discussion that will continue. And the president has always said he wants states to do as much as they can, if not more."OBAMA BROS BALK AT FAR-LEFT SAYING TEXANS BROUGHT FLOOD DISASTER ON THEMSELVES BY SUPPORTING TRUMPMeanwhile, Noem lauded FEMAs efforts responding to the disaster during the Cabinet meeting, even as some lawmakers like Rep. Jared Moscowitz, D-Fla., have called for an investigation into reports of a delayed FEMA response."FEMA has been deployed, and were cutting through the paperwork of the old FEMA, streamlining it much like your vision of how FEMA should operate," Noem said. "Its been a much better response to help these families get through this terrible situation."

President Donald Trump on Thursday night revealed a new NATO deal reached during last month's summit that would allow U.S. arms to flow to Ukraine through allied nations an agreement reached at last month's summit."Were sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%," Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News. "So what were doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons [to Ukraine], and NATO is paying for those weapons."We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons," he added.RUSSIA GIVES RUBIO A 'NEW AND DIFFERENT APPROACH' AS TRUMP PUSHES FOR PEACE WITH UKRAINETrump did not detail which weapons were included in the sales or which countries were involved in the deal though his comments come as European leaders signal they were prepared to purchase U.S. arms for Ukraine.Earlier this month, after the Pentagon issued a pause on some previously pledged defensive aid slated for Kyiv, reports surfaced suggesting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had begun looking for new ways to acquire the arms his nation desperately needed.On Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Romethat Berlin is "prepared to purchase additional Patriot systems from the U.S. to make them available to Ukraine."Trump told reporters this week that he did not approve the Pentagons aid halt, which apparently had been done over stockpile concerns, and defensive arms have reportedly resumed transfer to Ukraine.RUSSIA SANCTIONS BILL GAINS STEAM AS WHITE HOUSE APPEARS TO CHANGE TONE ON PUTINTrump has increasingly voiced his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his refusal to end his war in Ukraine as Russias assault continues to escalate in intensity and frequency, including in a series of overnight strikes that killed nine and injured 42 others across Ukraine and hit a maternity hospital."Women in labor with children, women after surgery. Fortunately, there were no children among the victims. Russia targets life. Even where it is just beginning,"Zelenskyy said.No one is believed to have been killed in the maternity hospital strike.Trump, who told NBC News that he plans to make a "major statement" on Russia come Monday, was asked on Friday about the strike that targeted the maternity hospital, to which he said simply, "You'll be seeing things happening."Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Thursday from the sidelines of an international conference in Malaysia that, following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, he would be presenting Trump with a "new and different" approach to ending the war.Rubio did not expand on what this new approach entailed.The secretary was seen approaching Lavrov again on Friday, but when asked about it by reporters, he offered no details and said it was regarding an "unrelated" matter.